NPR News Now – October 8, 2025, 9PM EDT

Host: Ryland Barton
Duration: 5 minutes
Listen: NPR News Now

Overview

This NPR News Now episode provides a concise roundup of the top national and international headlines, including a breakthrough in Middle East peace negotiations, the ongoing government shutdown in the U.S., deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago amid protests, United Nations peacekeeping cuts, the latest MacArthur “Genius” grant winners, and a significant shift in collegiate policy on sports betting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Israel–Hamas Peace Plan: First Phase Agreement

[00:20–01:27]

• President Trump announces that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace plan. He plans to visit the region soon.

• Context: Two years after the Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and sparked a war that, according to NPR, has killed at least 67,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza.

• Netanyahu (Israel’s PM) is expected to convene his government the next day to approve the deal.

• Hamas emphasizes the need for all provisions to be implemented without delays or changes.

  Deal Details:

  • Release of all remaining hostages (20 believed alive) by Hamas.
  • Israel to release more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
  • Partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza to an “agreed upon line.”

  Quote:

  • Franco Ordonez [01:10]:

    "Israel would in turn release more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees. It also means that Israel would partially withdraw its troops from Gaza to an agreed upon kind of line."

2. National Guard Troops Deployed to Chicago Amid Protests

[01:27–02:19]

• Hundreds of National Guard troops arrive in Chicago following President Trump’s mobilization to control protests against immigration enforcement.

• Troops ordered to protect federal operations, particularly those involving ICE.

• Mayor Brandon Johnson calls the deployment a “federal invasion” and vows resistance; Trump accuses Johnson of failing to protect officers and calls for his arrest.

  Quote:

  • Sergio Martinez Beltran [01:54]:

    "The Trump administration has said the Guard troops have orders to protect federal functions, personnel and property, specifically ICE operations."

3. Continued U.S. Government Shutdown

[02:19–03:04]

• Ongoing shutdown escalating pressure: federal worker unions demand Congressional action, military personnel could soon miss pay, and nationwide flight delays.

• Republicans (Speaker Mike Johnson) push for a temporary funding measure; Democrats (Leader Hakeem Jeffries) argue GOP obstruction prevents reopening.

  Quotes:

  • Mike Johnson [02:36]:

    "We just need a stopgap measure to give us a little more time to get the job of Congress done."

  • Hakeem Jeffries [02:52]:

    "These extremists don't even want to show up to work when they're requiring hardworking federal employees to show up to work without pay."

• President Trump signals willingness to collaborate on health care only if Democrats approve government reopening.

4. U.N. Peacekeeping Cuts Due to U.S. Funding Pullback

[03:04–03:59]

• United Nations evacuating thousands of peacekeepers globally as U.S. funding is drastically reduced under Trump’s “America First” policy.
• Up to 14,000 of 50,000+ UN peacekeepers to be sent home.

5. MacArthur “Genius” Grant Announcements

[04:00–04:39]

• 22 recipients, each awarded $800,000, include artists, biologists, an archaeologist, and an atmospheric scientist.

• Astrophysicist Kareem El Badry, dubbed the “black hole destroyer,” is featured for his work reclassifying supposed black holes as stripped stars in binary systems.

  Quotes:

  • Kareem El Badry [04:11]:

    "Half of all stars in the universe are not single like the sun is, but they're orbiting another star."

  • Kareem El Badry [04:16]:

    "These orbiting companions interact and can affect each other's evolution, leading to radically different outcomes than you'd have for a single star."

6. NCAA Moves Toward Allowing Student-Athlete Sports Betting

[04:39–04:59]

• NCAA committee provisionally votes to let student athletes bet on professional sports—a major, controversial policy change in light of expanding legal sports gambling.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Franco Ordonez on Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal [01:10]

  "Israel would in turn release more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees. It also means that Israel would partially withdraw its troops from Gaza to an agreed upon kind of line."

• Sergio Martinez Beltran on Chicago Deployment [01:54]

  "The Trump administration has said the Guard troops have orders to protect federal functions, personnel and property, specifically ICE operations."

• Mike Johnson on Government Shutdown [02:36]

  "We just need a stopgap measure to give us a little more time to get the job of Congress done."

• Hakeem Jeffries on GOP Absenteeism [02:52]

  "These extremists don't even want to show up to work when they're requiring hardworking federal employees to show up to work without pay."

• Kareem El Badry on Binary Stars [04:11]

  "Half of all stars in the universe are not single like the sun is, but they're orbiting another star."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Israel–Hamas Peace Plan Update: 00:20–01:27
• National Guard in Chicago: 01:27–02:19
• Government Shutdown Updates: 02:19–03:04
• UN Peacekeeping Cuts: 03:04–03:59
• MacArthur “Genius” Winners: 04:00–04:39
• NCAA Policy Shift on Betting: 04:39–04:59

Tone & Style

The episode maintains NPR’s trademark balanced, brisk, and informative tone—delivering complex news events and political dynamics in a clear, accessible summarization, interspersed with direct statements from primary figures.