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Korva Coleman
In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Vice President Vance has arrived in Israel, part of an effort by the Trump administration to bolster the shaky ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. NPR's Greg Myhre reports. Two other U.S. envoys are already there.
Greg Myre
Vice President Vance is hoping to keep the truce on track and nudge Israel and Hamas to move toward the more challenging part of the deal, known as Phase 2. Vance arrived a day after Middle east envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son in law Jared Kushner landed here as part of the same mission. They've already held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel and Hamas traded extensive fire on Sunday, but Gaza has been mostly calm since then. The ceasefire now calls for a new government in Gaza, an Israeli troop pullback, and for Hamas to give up its weapons. At the moment, there's no clear plan for any of these steps. Greg Myre, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
Korva Coleman
The federal government shutdown is now 21 days old. The Senate has again failed to pass a spending bill that could bring it to an end result. President Trump is expected to host Republican senators today at the White House. Senate Majority Leader John Thune could take up a bill this week that would pay some federal workers. Former FBI Director James Comey is asking a federal judge to throw out the Justice Department's charges that he allegedly made false statements to Congress. NPR's Kerry Johnson reports. Comey says he's only being prosecuted because President Trump demanded it.
Kerry Johnson
President Trump fired Comey as the FBI director in 2017, and Comey went on to become a fierce critic. The Justice Department won an indictment against Comey for allegedly misleading and obstructing Congress under pressure from Trump, who's called him a dirty cop and a slime ball. Now Comey's moving to dismiss the case because he says it's a vindictive or selective prosecution. He says at least four top officials during President Trump's first term allegedly lied to Congress and none of them was charged with any crimes. The president's animus against Comey is so intense that the Justice Department recently fired Comey's daughter without any clear reason. Carrie Johnson, NPR news, Washington.
Korva Coleman
The U.S. census Bureau says that last year female workers earned about 81 cents for every dollar earned by a male worker. Child care costs are extremely expensive. Some women may be opting to limit costs by staying home. Taylor Tedford reports on corporate culture for the Washington Post. She says the trend may be gaining steam after major companies required workers to return to the office after the pandemic.
Taylor Tedford
What's kind of unique recently in contributing in all likelihood to the wage gap is that it looks like women are about three times as likely as men to leave after RTO mandates are put in place that's returned to office.
Korva Coleman
She spoke to NPR's All Things Considered. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Japan has chosen its first female prime minister. Her ruling party faces an uphill struggle to retain power. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports. She has one week to prepare for a scheduled visit by President Trump.
Anthony Kuhn
Japan's parliament voted 64 year old Sanae Takechi in his prime minister just weeks after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or ldp, chose her as its president. Her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, quit after the LDP suffered two big electoral defeats, reducing the LDP to a minority in both houses of parliament. The LDP's longtime political ally, Comito, walked out of their coalition. The LDP signed a new coalition agreement with the opposition Japan Innovation Party. While Takaichi is a fan of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and has broken Japan's glass ceiling, she takes a traditional view of gender roles. Even for the conservative ldp, Takaichi's selection is widely seen as a hard swerve to the right. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.
Korva Coleman
In the US Demolition has started on the east wing of the White House as President Trump says he's going to build a new ballroom. The construction is privately funded. Trump had said over the summer he wouldn't touch the mansion to build this. He says when complete, the ballroom will host nearly 1,000 people. American chess grandmaster Daniel Narditsky has died, according to the Charlotte Chess center in North Carolina. He was 29 years old. No cause of death was released, although his family told the center it was unexpected. Narditsky was a world youth chess champion. He was popular online and was sought after as a chess educator. This is npr.
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Main Theme:
A concise five-minute roundup of major national and international news stories: updates on U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, the ongoing government shutdown, legal developments involving James Comey, the gender wage gap, Japan's new prime minister, White House renovations, and the death of a prominent chess grandmaster.
[00:19–01:16]
“Vance arrived a day after Middle east envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son in law Jared Kushner landed here as part of the same mission. They've already held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
— Greg Myre [00:36]
[01:16–01:49]
[01:16–02:30]
“Comey says it's a vindictive or selective prosecution. He says at least four top officials during President Trump's first term allegedly lied to Congress and none of them was charged with any crimes.”
— Kerry Johnson [02:14]
[02:30–03:09]
“It looks like women are about three times as likely as men to leave after RTO mandates are put in place— that's return to office.”
— Taylor Tedford [02:57]
[03:09–04:16]
“While Takaichi is a fan of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and has broken Japan's glass ceiling, she takes a traditional view of gender roles.”
— Anthony Kuhn [03:55]
[04:16–04:40]
[04:41–04:58]
Notable Quotes Recap:
For listeners:
This episode delivers quick, critical updates about U.S. politics, international diplomacy, societal trends, and notable figures. Each topic is covered with direct reporting, expert input, and succinct analysis, embodying NPR’s factual, composed tone.