NPR News Now — October 21, 2025, 9PM EDT: Episode Summary

Overview:
This five-minute NPR News Now episode, hosted by Ryland Barton, delivers updates on major national news stories as of October 21, 2025. The episode covers a pivotal court decision regarding National Guard deployment in Oregon, the death of former NFL player Doug Martin in police custody, developments in the gender pay gap, White House construction updates, U.S. stock market performance, a foiled airport threat in Atlanta, and a spike in Disney+ and Hulu cancellations following a controversy linked to Jimmy Kimmel.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Court Decision on National Guard Deployment in Oregon

• A federal appeals court ruled President Trump could take command of the Oregon National Guard for deployment in Portland.

  • The decision only references one of two ongoing restraining orders blocking troop deployment from Oregon and other states.
  • Governor Tina Kotek maintains the state's commitment to continue legal challenges to the deployment, specifically around the Portland ICE facility.

• Quote (Governor's stance):

  • "That second temporary restraining order is rescinded. Troops cannot be deployed anywhere in Oregon at this point." (C, 00:49)

• Most protests at the ICE facility have remained nonviolent.

• Governor and law enforcement do not see military intervention as necessary.

2. Death of Former NFL Player Doug Martin in Police Custody

• Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin died after an altercation with officers in Oakland during a break-in investigation.
• He died at the hospital at age 36; the incident remains under investigation.

3. Widening Gender Pay Gap

• Reporter Taylor Telford (Washington Post): The gender pay gap is widening for the second year in a row after years of narrowing.
  • In the past year, women earned about 81 cents for every dollar earned by men.
  • This reversal marks the first such trend since the 1960s.
• Quote (On the pay gap trend):
  • "We've seen this two year in a row reversal, and it's the first time since the 60s that that's happened. Clearly, there is kind of something in the water that is changing the trend from, you know, what we've been seeing for a really long time now." (D, 01:39)

4. White House East Wing Demolition and New Ballroom

• Demolition on the East Wing is underway to build a new White House ballroom.
  • The project is privately funded and not affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
  • The ballroom will seat 999 guests, up from an initially planned 650.
• Quote (President Trump):
  • "Everything out there is coming down and we're replacing it with one of the most beautiful ballrooms that you've ever seen." (F, 02:29)
  • "You're going to see a ballroom the likes of which I don't think will, I don't think it'll be topped." (F, 02:38)

5. U.S. Stock Market Performance

• S&P 500 index rose 1.1%, nearing record highs. (02:51)

6. White House Joins Bluesky Social Network

• The White House created an account on Bluesky, a platform popular among left-leaning users since Elon Musk took over Twitter.
  • Since President Trump’s return to office, the account has posted numerous memes and messages.
  • Bluesky remains smaller than more established platforms.

7. Foiled Shooting Threat at Atlanta Airport

• Police arrested Billy Cagle after he allegedly made threats on social media to “shoot up” Atlanta’s airport.
  • Family alerted authorities, leading to surveillance and a swift arrest within the terminal before any weapons were retrieved.
  • Authorities found an AR-15 and ammunition in his vehicle.
  • Police describe him as a convicted felon with mental health challenges.
• Quote (Atlanta Police Chief):
  • "We do not believe he was armed. He entered the south domestic terminal and from video we will show you, he seemed to be very interested in the TSA check in area, which you can see was heavily, heavily crowded with travelers." (H, 03:53)

8. Streaming Subscription Cancellations Tied to Jimmy Kimmel Show

• Disney+ and Hulu saw cancellation rates double after ABC briefly canceled "Jimmy Kimmel Live" over comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk.
  • The show was off-air less than a week, but the impact was noticeable according to analytics firm Antenna.

Notable Quotes

• "That second temporary restraining order is rescinded. Troops cannot be deployed anywhere in Oregon at this point." — Oregon Governor Tina Kotek (C, 00:49)
• "We've seen this two year in a row reversal, and it's the first time since the 60s that that's happened." — Taylor Telford (D, 01:39)
• "Everything out there is coming down and we're replacing it with one of the most beautiful ballrooms that you've ever seen." — President Trump (F, 02:29)
• "We do not believe he was armed. He entered the south domestic terminal and from video we will show you, he seemed to be very interested in the TSA check in area, which you can see was heavily, heavily crowded with travelers." — Atlanta Police Chief Darren Cherbom (H, 03:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Oregon National Guard & Legal Battle: 00:00–01:10
• Doug Martin’s Death in Custody: 01:10–01:39
• Widening Gender Pay Gap Report: 01:39–02:00
• White House Ballroom Construction: 02:00–02:51
• U.S. Stock Update: 02:51–03:09
• White House Joins Bluesky: 03:09–03:37
• Atlanta Airport Shooting Threat Averted: 03:37–04:19
• Disney+/Hulu Cancellations Tied to ABC Incident: 04:19–End

This episode delivers concise yet comprehensive coverage of the day's biggest national headlines, emphasizing law, politics, public safety, and culture.