NPR News Now — October 11, 2025, 6PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Length: 5 minutes

Overview

This tightly focused episode delivers the top headlines and developing national and international news stories as of the evening of October 11, 2025. Key topics include the ongoing government shutdown and its effects on military pay and mental health services, public response to immigration enforcement, EU border policy changes, the death of Diane Keaton, and new scientific insights into birds' sensitivity to light.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Government Shutdown: Military Pay & Mental Health Layoffs

• President Trump's Promise on Military Pay
  • President Trump announced on social media that he is directing the Defense Department to issue paychecks to active-duty military personnel next week, despite the ongoing government shutdown. Most other government workers will continue to not be paid.
    • [00:24] Jeanine Herbst: "President Trump says he's directing the Defense Department to issue paychecks to active duty military next week during the government shutdown. Most other government workers won't be paid."
• Mental Health Agency Layoffs
  • Over 100 staff members at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were laid off as part of a government-wide reduction in force, according to current and former employees.
  • This agency has overseen the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline and distributed billions in grants for mental health and addiction services.
  • The Trump administration has previously indicated its intentions to consolidate the agency's functions into a new body, the Administration for a Healthy America.
    • [00:49] Jeff Brumfiel: "The sources... said the layoffs came late Friday as the nation's government shutdown dragged on... The mental health agency has not been a favorite of the Trump administration."

2. Immigration Enforcement and Public Sentiment

• Survey Results on Immigration Tactics
  • A New York Times and Siena University survey finds most Americans disapprove of current administration immigration enforcement tactics.
    • [01:33] Jeanine Herbst: "Most Americans don't approve of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics."
• Reports of Excessive Force
  • Immigrant advocacy groups in Chicago allege federal immigration officers have used excessive force, including kicking in doors, dragging people from cars, using tear gas, and issuing threats.
    • [01:44] Meg Anderson: "Ed Yonka is the director of public policy at the ACLU of Illinois."
    • [01:58] Ed Yonka: "What we're seeing is a general escalation of violence and the use of excessive force by ICE officers."
  • ICE response: insists officers are highly trained and act within law and policy, resorting to force only when no safe or feasible alternative exists.

3. EU Border Controls and Biometrics

• Biometric Registration for Non-EU Visitors
  • The EU begins collecting biometric data (face scans, fingerprints) from all non-EU visitors, replacing passport stamping at entries.
    • [02:36] Terri Schultz: "The EU's entry exit system will replace the stamping of passports... creating digital records by scanning facial images and taking fingerprints."
  • The system seeks to curb illegal migration, identity fraud, and overstays, though its initial rollout may cause long lines.
    • [03:02] Marcus Lammert, EC Spokesman: "The new digital system will provide reliable data on border crossings and systematically detect overstayers and cases of document and identity fraud."
  • Biometric data only collected once per visitor.

4. Obituary: Diane Keaton

• Passing of a Legendary Actor
  • Oscar-winning actor, producer, and director Diane Keaton dies at 79. She was known for her roles in "Annie Hall," "The Godfather," "First Wives Club," and many others.
    • [03:16] Jeanine Herbst: "...Diane Keaton has died. She was 79 years old... best known for her roles in Annie Hall, for which she won an Oscar, the Godfather, First Wives Club and the Father of the Bride..."

5. World Migratory Bird Day & New Study

• Bird Behavior and Light Sensitivity
  • In honor of World Migratory Bird Day, listeners are reminded to make outdoor spaces bird-friendly.
  • A new study, using data from the April 2024 total solar eclipse, highlights how sensitive birds are to light changes. Most birds treated the eclipse as they would nighttime, with a resumption of dawn chorus when sunlight returned.
    • [04:32] Kimberly Roosevelt, Indiana University: "They treated it like even when night lasted for four minutes and came at the completely wrong time of day, when the sun came back on... the birds who normally sing a dawn chorus, that's what they did."
  • The research underscores the impact of light pollution on birds' migration, feeding, and breeding patterns.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mental Health Agency Layoffs
  [00:49] Jeff Brumfiel: "The agency is responsible for overseeing the new 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline. It also gives out billions in grants for mental health and addiction services."
• On Immigration Enforcement
  [01:58] Ed Yonka, ACLU of Illinois: "What we're seeing is a general escalation of violence and the use of excessive force by ICE officers."
• On Bird Sensitivity to Light
  [04:32] Kimberly Roosevelt: "When the sun came back on at the end of that, the birds who normally sing a dawn chorus, that's what they did."
• On Diane Keaton's Legacy
  [03:16] Jeanine Herbst: "She's best known for her roles in Annie Hall, for which she won an Oscar, the Godfather, First Wives Club and the Father of the Bride, among many others."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:24 — Government shutdown: Military pay and mental health agency layoffs
• 01:33 — Survey on immigration enforcement, reports of excessive force
• 02:29 — EU introduces biometric border entry system
• 03:16 — Diane Keaton’s obituary
• 04:09 — Migratory Bird Day: Study on birds' sensitivity to light

This concise news roundup provides essential updates for NPR listeners, marked by even-handed reporting and highlighting both policy shifts and broader cultural notes of the day.