NPR News Now – 10-07-2025 4PM EDT

Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Amy Held, NPR
Duration: 5 minutes

Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers a concise roundup of top national news items for the hour. Major stories include ongoing tensions over a government shutdown and back pay for federal workers, significant Justice Department testimony, a promising prostate cancer drug study, developing Atlantic and Pacific storms, and economic signals in financial markets.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Government Shutdown & Federal Worker Back Pay

Timestamps: 00:25–01:24

• House Speaker Mike Johnson is exploring the possibility of the Trump administration withholding back pay for federal workers during the ongoing shutdown. This move is legally contentious.
  • Johnson states they are revisiting the 2019 law mandating post-shutdown pay, citing some legal analysts who say back pay may not be required.
• Democratic response is urgent and critical:
  • Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, calls these arguments "lawless." She emphasizes protecting workers and decries President Trump and Republicans for considering withholding pay.
  • Notable quote:

    "Trump doesn't get to change the rules and rob workers just because he's worried his shutdown is backfiring."
    —Patty Murray [01:09]

• Impact on Services: Air traffic controllers are among those not being paid. FAA reports delays at Nashville International Airport.

2. DOJ Testimony: Pam Bondi & Political Allegations

Timestamps: 01:24–02:30

• Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, addressing criticism that the Justice Department is now “weaponized” against Trump’s perceived enemies.
  • Bondi insists her efforts are to de-politicize DOJ operations, criticizing "the way things were done in the Biden administration."
  • Notable quote:

    "They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust. This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people's faith in our law enforcement system."
    —Pam Bondi [01:55]

• Democratic Senators challenge Bondi, accusing her of using DOJ resources to pursue Trump's critics.
• Notably, her testimony comes just weeks after the DOJ indicted former FBI Director James Comey, following pressure from Trump.

3. Promising Prostate Cancer Drug Combination

Timestamps: 02:30–03:22

• Medical breakthrough:
  • Researchers report that adding the ovarian/breast cancer drug Niriparib to the standard prostate cancer treatment significantly reduces disease progression.
  • Study: 700 patients with specific genetic alterations were followed for over two-and-a-half years.
    • Results: 37% risk reduction in cancer progression overall; nearly 50% for those with specific genetic markers. Also, the onset of symptoms was significantly delayed.
  • Notable insight from Yuki Noguchi: About one in four advanced prostate cancer patients could benefit from this combination.

4. Weather Update: Atlantic and Pacific Storms

Timestamps: 03:22–03:57

• Atlantic Hurricane Season:
  • "Tropical Storm Jerry" forms as the 10th named storm, expected to approach the northern Leeward Islands soon.
• Pacific Update:
  • "Hurricane Priscilla," now Category 2, is impacting southern Baja California, Mexico.

5. Federal Reserve Signals and Economic Concerns

Timestamps: 03:57–04:38

• Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Myron warns that persistently high interest rates could hurt the U.S. economy.
  • Myron cast the sole recent vote for a "supersized" rate cut and forecasts more aggressive easing than other Fed members.
  • Notable quote:

    "One reason for why my sort of...for 2025 sticks out so much from everyone else's is because I'm more sanguine on the inflation outlook than a lot of other people are."
    —Stephen Myron [04:19]

  • He expects housing costs to decline and downplays the inflationary impact of Trump’s tariffs.
• Economic Indicators:
  • Gold prices hit a record high above $4,000/oz, signaling investor unease.
  • Stock markets fell broadly—the Dow down 91 points, S&P down 25—blamed in part on the ongoing shutdown and economic worries.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Patty Murray on withholding federal worker pay:

  "Trump doesn't get to change the rules and rob workers just because he's worried his shutdown is backfiring." [01:09]

• Pam Bondi on DOJ conduct:

  "They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust. This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people's faith in our law enforcement system." [01:55]

• Stephen Myron on Fed policy:

  "One reason for why my sort of...for 2025 sticks out so much from everyone else's is because I'm more sanguine on the inflation outlook than a lot of other people are." [04:19]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:25 – Federal worker back pay debate
• 01:24 – DOJ testimony: Pam Bondi and political conflict
• 02:30 – New prostate cancer drug study findings
• 03:22 – Weather update: Tropical Storm Jerry and Hurricane Priscilla
• 03:57 – Fed Governor Myron on interest rates and economic outlook
• 04:38 – Gold price and stock market update

Summary Flow

This episode succinctly presents vital updates spanning federal politics, economic developments, public health, and weather. Key moments include political sparring over the government shutdown’s impact on workers, heated Senate testimony about the impartiality of the Justice Department, a beacon of hope in prostate cancer treatment, heightened storm activity in two major ocean basins, and growing signals of investor anxiety in the markets. The episode delivers authoritative voices and urgent context to frame the unfolding news landscape as the government shutdown enters its seventh day.