NPR News Now: October 10, 2025, 4PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Date: October 10, 2025
Duration: ~5 minutes

Episode Overview

This concise news update delivers the latest major headlines as of 4PM EDT, October 10, 2025. Main themes include a deadly munitions plant explosion in Tennessee, the impact of the ongoing federal government shutdown, international diplomacy and defense developments, higher education funding controversies, biotechnology advances for diseases like Alzheimer’s, and new antitrust action against Google in the UK. The report features statements from officials and NPR correspondents, with vital context and memorable quotes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tennessee Munitions Plant Explosion

[00:24–00:56]

• At least 19 people are missing and feared dead after a major explosion at a military munitions plant in Bucksnort, Tennessee (~60 miles west of Nashville).

• Several people are hospitalized; the cause is currently unknown.

• The blast’s impact was substantial (“felt 10 miles away”), leaving the building entirely destroyed.

  Notable Quote:

  • Sheriff Chris Davis:

    “Can I describe the building? There's nothing to describe. It's gone. It's again, it's the most devastating scene that I've seen in my career.” (00:44)

• The site is now secure, with the ATF and FBI investigating; authorities expect to remain onsite for days.

2. Federal Worker Layoffs Amid Ongoing Shutdown

[00:56–01:36]

• Federal worker layoffs have begun following President Trump’s threat to fire workers and shutter agencies if the government shutdown continues.
• The shutdown has reached its 10th day, with no resolution in sight.

3. US-Qatar Defense Partnership Expansion

[01:36–02:19]

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the signing of a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Base, Idaho.

• The facility will host Qatari F-15s and pilots, furthering US-Qatar military collaboration.

• The announcement comes as Qatar is praised for its role in brokering President Trump's Gaza peace deal, which is in early implementation.

• The Trump administration faces ethics scrutiny for accepting a $500 million luxury jet from Qatar to replace Air Force One.

  Notable Quote:

  • Secretary Pete Hegseth (Summarized by Quill Lawrence):

    “I’m also proud that today we’re ... signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho.” (01:45)

4. MIT Rejects Federal Funding Compact

[02:19–03:13]

• MIT, under President Sally Kornbluth, declines to sign a Trump administration compact, which ties federal funding to a five-year tuition freeze, caps on international students, and bans on using race or sex in admissions.

• Kornbluth states that scientific funding should be guided by merit, not political stipulations.

  Notable Quote:

  • President Sally Kornbluth (letter cited by Alyssa Nadworny):

    “We cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.” (02:55)

• The university is first among nine to publicly refuse the agreement.

5. Markets React to US-China Tensions

[03:13–03:39; 04:19]

• Wall Street sharply declined after President Trump threatened higher tariffs on China, citing new restrictions on rare earth metals.
• The Dow Jones plunged 1.9%, Nasdaq 3.5%, and S&P 500 dropped significantly.

6. Advances in Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases

[03:39–04:19]

• Scientists target programmed cell death (“apoptosis”) as a treatment avenue for diseases like Alzheimer’s.

• Antisense drugs, which prevent cells from making specific proteins, are being developed to delay or avert cell death.

• Doug Green of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital highlighted the potential of these drugs.

  Notable Quote:

  • Doug Green:

    “If they're right, it’s going to cure a lot of diseases, diseases that we associate with aging and inflammation.” (04:00)

7. UK Regulators Target Google’s Market Power

[04:19–05:04]

• Britain’s antitrust authority has designated Google as a “strategic player” in digital search advertising, the first such status under the UK’s new digital rules.
• This opens the way for mandated changes to Google’s business practices in favor of greater competition.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Devastation in Bucksnort:

  “There's nothing to describe. It's gone. ... the most devastating scene that I've seen in my career.”
  – Sheriff Chris Davis (00:44)

• Scientific Integrity at MIT:

  “We cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.”
  – Sally Kornbluth, MIT President (02:55, via Alyssa Nadworny)

• Promise of New Treatments:

  “If they're right, it’s going to cure a lot of diseases, diseases that we associate with aging and inflammation.”
  – Doug Green, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (04:00)

Key Timestamps

• 00:24 – Lead story: Tennessee munitions plant explosion
• 00:56 – Federal layoffs and shutdown update
• 01:36 – US-Qatar military base announcement
• 02:19 – MIT rejects Trump administration compact
• 03:13 – Markets fall on new China tariffs
• 03:39 – Science: Targeting cell death for Alzheimer’s
• 04:19 – UK designates Google “strategic player”
• 05:04 – Market summary and episode close

This summary captures the essential news, direct voices, and significant context provided in this episode—offering a thorough, accessible overview of the day’s headlines for listeners and non-listeners alike.