NPR News Now — October 15, 2025, 9PM EDT

Main Theme:
This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers concise updates on major national and international stories, including federal government shutdown actions, a high-profile classified information retention case, political violence, financial news, legal hurdles for Donald Trump’s presidential library, international policy shifts, and the passing of a music icon.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Federal Government Shutdown: Trump Administration Actions

• President Trump has empowered his budget director, Russell Vogt, to enact sweeping cuts to federal staff and services during the ongoing government shutdown.
  • The Office of Management and Budget announced forthcoming reductions and firings.
  • President Trump emphasized targeting programs misaligned with his priorities, particularly those associated with Democrats.
    • Quote [00:45] – Donald Trump:
      "We're closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we wanted to close up or that we never wanted to happen. And now we're closing them up and we're not going to let them come back. The Democrats are getting killed."
• Congressional Gridlock:
  • The Republican-led Congress is at a standstill.
  • House leaders refuse to reconvene.
  • The Senate is locked in a series of unsuccessful votes due to Democratic demands for healthcare funding.

2. State Department Advisor Charged with Possessing Classified Documents

• Ashley Tellis, a noted India and South Asia expert and unpaid Senior Advisor at the State Department, faces charges of unlawful retention of national defense information.
  • Court Findings: Over 1,000 pages of classified documents were discovered in his Virginia home, some hidden in trash bags.
  • Allegations: Tellis met with Chinese officials on at least five occasions at Virginia restaurants since 2022, but no evidence yet he shared classified content.
    • Quote [01:24] – Ryan Lucas:
      "Court documents say federal agents found more than 1,000 pages of documents with classified markings in Telus's Virginia home, including in three black trash bags in a storage room."

3. Visas Revoked Over Online Comments

• The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners who posted derogatory remarks online about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
  • The State Department cited social media activity as justification for revocation.

4. Sentencing in the Firebombing of Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence

• Cody Ballmer pleads guilty to charges — including attempted murder and terrorism — for firebombing Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home while the governor and guests were inside.
  • Ballmer will serve 25–50 years in prison.
  • Security at the residence has since been upgraded.
  • Governor Shapiro urged vigilance against normalization of political violence:
    • Quote [02:51] – Josh Shapiro:
      "I think it's important that in this time of rising political violence that that none of us grow numb to it or accept this as the normal course of doing business for elected officials."

5. Economic News: Wall Street and US-China Tensions

• Mixed performance in US markets amid ongoing trade tensions between the US and China.

6. Legal Setback for Trump Library in Florida

• A Florida judge blocks the transfer of Miami land intended for Donald Trump’s presidential library following allegations of open government law violations. The property is valued at over $67 million.

7. Global Affairs: France Drops Pension Reform

• French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornau announces an end to the effort to raise France's retirement age from 62 to 64, aiming to stabilize his minority government.

8. Cultural Obituary: Passing of D’Angelo

• Neo-soul icon D’Angelo, aged 51, dies after a battle with cancer.
  • Known for genre-defining music and seminal albums like “Brown Sugar” and “Voodoo.”
    • Quote [04:04] – Rodney Carmichael:
      "A sometimes reluctant icon, D'Angelo was best known for his hits Brown Sugar and Untitled. How Does It Feel? The neo soul movement he helped define included contemporaries and collaborators ranging from Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Angie Stone to Raphael Saadiq, Questlove, and J. Dilla."
  • His final album, “Black Messiah” (2014), marked a comeback after industry struggles and personal battles.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Donald Trump (President):
  "We're closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we wanted to close up or that we never wanted to happen. And now we're closing them up and we're not going to let them come back. The Democrats are getting killed."
  — [00:45]

• Ryan Lucas (NPR Reporter):
  "Court documents say federal agents found more than 1,000 pages of documents with classified markings in Telus's Virginia home, including in three black trash bags in a storage room."
  — [01:24]

• Josh Shapiro (Governor, PA):
  "I think it's important that in this time of rising political violence that that none of us grow numb to it or accept this as the normal course of doing business for elected officials."
  — [02:51]

• Rodney Carmichael (NPR Reporter):
  "A sometimes reluctant icon, D'Angelo was best known for his hits Brown Sugar and Untitled. How Does It Feel? The neo soul movement he helped define included contemporaries and collaborators ranging from Erykah Badu Maxwell and Angie Stone to Raphael Sadiq Questlove and J. Dilla."
  — [04:04]

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [00:20] — Shutdown escalation and President Trump’s comments
• [01:24] — Charges against State Dept. advisor Ashley Tellis
• [02:29] — Sentencing of firebombing suspect at Pennsylvania Governor’s residence; Governor’s statement
• [03:10] — Wall Street update amid US-China trade tension
• [03:20] — Legal block on land for Trump’s presidential library
• [03:43] — France’s retreat on pension reform
• [04:04] — Obituary and legacy of D’Angelo

This episode delivers a compact yet comprehensive round-up of pressing national issues, significant legal developments, shifts on the international stage, and the loss of a key figure in American music culture.