NPR News: 10-10-2025 10AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – October 10, 2025, 10AM EDT

Host: Korva Coleman
Length: 5 minutes

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Overview

This fast-paced NPR News Now episode, anchored by Korva Coleman, delivers key updates from Washington and around the world. The segment covers President Trump’s medical checkup and ongoing Middle East diplomacy, the continuing federal government shutdown, economic updates, high-profile international news from Venezuela and Peru, and new California legislation on school nutrition. The coverage highlights vital political and social developments with concise reporting and expert commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s Routine Physical and Mideast Diplomacy

• [00:13] President Trump prepares to leave for his second physical of the year at Walter Reed; the White House calls it routine, and Trump reports feeling fine.
• President Trump expresses hopes to travel to the Mideast this weekend.
• The development comes amid news that Israel and Hamas have enacted a ceasefire. Israeli troops are withdrawing to agreed areas in Gaza.
• Critical next steps: Hamas is to release remaining hostages.

Expert Analysis

• [00:53] Michael Oren (former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.):
  • "And we move from those two stages, the return of hostages and the IDF withdrawal, to the disarmament of Hamas. And if that cannot be accomplished within a certain amount of time, there's going to be a tremendous challenge for American, Israeli and indeed Middle Eastern diplomacy."

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2. Ongoing Federal Government Shutdown

• [01:08] The shutdown has reached day 10, with no agreement between Republicans and Democrats.
• President Trump promises to cut "Democrat programs" but hasn’t specified which.
• Social Security checks are still being issued, but the shutdown hampers agency services.

Impact on Public Services

• [01:41] Ashley Lopez (NPR):
  • Social Security office operations are highly restricted: only automated or online access for benefit verification letters.
  • Vulnerable populations—especially elderly people unfamiliar with technology—face significant obstacles.
  • [02:07] Christine Lazott (claims representative):
    • "This is the most vulnerable population. These are elderly people who've never used a computer."
  • Employees report an “uptick of frantic and upset callers” while working without pay.

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3. Economic Updates: Markets and Inflation

• [02:20] The stock market opens higher; some government officials briefly return to work to finalize the delayed September inflation report, which is crucial for Social Security cost-of-living adjustments.
• [02:32] Scott Horsley (NPR):
  • “The Dow Jones industrials are up about 140 points.”
  • Gasoline prices fall: average now $3.10/gallon; under $3 in more than half the states.
  • Federal regulators investigate Tesla for numerous reports of vehicles running red lights or committing other traffic violations while in self-driving mode.

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4. International News

Nobel Peace Prize

• [03:14] The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corinna Machado for advancing democratic rights.

Peru’s Presidential Turmoil

• [03:14] Dina Boluarte, Peru’s first female president, is impeached after failing to handle a surge in crime and facing multiple scandals.
• [03:42] John Otis (NPR):
  • Boluarte was under investigation for bribery (accepting Rolex watches) and human rights abuses during crackdowns.
  • “She is under investigation for accepting Rolex watches as bribes and for human rights abuses during a government crackdown on protests.”
  • Jose Jerry, her replacement, was previously accused of rape (charges dropped).
  • Political instability: Peru has had eight presidents in eight years.

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5. Health & Society: California School Lunch Law

• [04:30] California adopts a law requiring public schools to phase out ultra-processed foods within four years.
  • Ultra-processed foods defined as those with one or more additives, like non-nutritive sweeteners.
  • State officials will set implementation guidelines.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [00:53] Michael Oren: "If [disarmament of Hamas] cannot be accomplished within a certain amount of time, there's going to be a tremendous challenge for American, Israeli and indeed Middle Eastern diplomacy."
• [02:07] Christine Lazott: "This is the most vulnerable population. These are elderly people who've never used a computer."
• [03:42] John Otis: "Boluarte was the first woman to serve as Peru's president, but she faced controversy from the start... Peru's eighth president in the past eight years."

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:13]–[01:08]: President Trump health & Israel-Hamas ceasefire
• [01:08]–[02:20]: Federal shutdown & Social Security impact
• [02:20]–[03:14]: Stock market, inflation, gas prices, Tesla investigation
• [03:14]–[03:42]: Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuela's Machado
• [03:42]–[04:30]: Political crisis in Peru
• [04:30]–[04:56]: California bans ultra-processed foods in schools

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Conclusion

This episode offers a tightly packed round-up of major U.S. and global stories, balancing political, economic, humanitarian, and social developments with on-the-ground perspectives and expert voices. It highlights ongoing geopolitical tensions, domestic governance issues, infrastructure strains from the shutdown, and meaningful legislative advances in public health.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

[e-mail] Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump is expected to leave shortly for Walter Reed Military Medical Center. He'll get his second physical this year. The White House says it is routine. Trump says he feels fine. The president says he hopes to go to the Mideast this weekend. This comes as Israel says the ceasefire has gone into effect with Hamas. Israeli troops have pulled back to areas within Gaza that were specified in the agreement. Hamas is now supposed to release all remaining hostages. Israel's former ambassador to the US Michael Oren, says the next step is vital.

[Michael Oren]

And we move from those two stages, the return of hostages and the IDF withdrawal, to the disarmament of Hamas. And if that cannot be accomplished within a certain amount of time, there's going to be a tremendous challenge for American, Israeli and indeed Middle Eastern diplomacy.

[Korva Coleman]

There are reports Israel is still attacking areas in Gaza where Israeli troops are still allowed to deploy. This is day 10 of the federal government shutdown, with Republicans and Democrats unable to reach any agreement on a spending bill. President Trump has said he'll cut, quote, Democrat programs during the shutdown, but he didn't identify which ones. Meanwhile, Social Security checks are still going out. NPR's Ashley Lopez reports. Agency employees say they cannot help people with questions during the shutdown.

[Ashley Lopez]

Benefit verification letters are a service provided by the Social Security Administration that act as a sort of income verification that is key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance and help from nonprofits. But during the shutdown, the agency says people can only use either the automated phone service or online portal to get their letters. Christine Lazott, a claims representative for the agency in Auburn, Maine, said those systems don't work for everyone.

[Michael Oren]

This is the most vulnerable population. These are elderly people who've never used a computer.

[Ashley Lopez]

Agency employees say they're dealing with an uptick of frantic and upset callers as they work without pay. Ashley Lopez, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Stocks open higher this morning as some government number crunchers go back to work to calculate the September inflation rate. NPR's Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrials are up about 140 points.

[Scott Horsley]

The government shutdown has delayed key economic reports, but some furloughed employees at the Labor Department are coming back to work in order to complete the September inflation report. That report is a key ingredient used to calculate the cost of living adjustment that Social Security recipients will receive next year. Gasoline prices continue to drop as demand for gas falls to a four month low. AAA reports the average price of regular gas is now $3.10 a gallon. It's under $3 a gallon in more than half the states. And federal regulators are investigating dozens of instances in which Tesla vehicles ran red lights or broke other traffic laws while operating in self driving mode. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to npr. This year's Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corinna Machado. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is commending her work advancing democratic rights for the people of Venezuela. The South American country of Peru has a new leader amid soaring crime and corruption allegations. President Dina Boluarte has been impeached. John Otis reports her her replacement has also been plagued by scandal.

[John Otis]

Dina Boluarte was the first woman to serve as Peru's president, but she faced controversy from the start. She is under investigation for accepting Rolex watches as bribes and for human rights abuses during a government crackdown on protests. But it was her failure to stem a crime wave that led Peru's Congress to oust her shortly before midnight Thursday. Borte was replaced by Jose Jerry, the former head of Congress who took the oath of office early this morning to become Peru's eighth president in the past eight years. In December, Hedy was accused of rape, but the case was dropped by Peru's attorney general. For NPR News, I'm John Otis.

[Korva Coleman]

This week, California adopted a law aimed at cutting out ultra processed foods in all school lunches. State health officials have to come up with guidelines and and public schools have to start phasing out ultra processed foods in about four years. California defines these foods as those that have one or more additives such as non nutritious food sweeteners. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

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