NPR News: 10-24-2025 1AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now: October 24, 2025 – 1AM EDT

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update provides concise coverage of major developments in US politics and policy, international affairs, sports legal news, and health research. The episode covers the continuing effects of the US government shutdown, debates over health insurance and food assistance funding, escalating trade tensions between the US and Canada, a major criminal indictment involving the NBA and organized crime, and findings from a large analysis on antidepressants’ side effects.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ongoing Government Shutdown: Impact on Americans

• [00:20] Government employees and public services affected:
  • Half a million Americans are set to miss their first full paycheck as the shutdown continues.
  • Millions face the prospect of paying to maintain ACA health insurance.
• Senator Tammy Baldwin expresses concern:
  • Baldwin notes sharp increases in costs for Wisconsinites and hopes Republican lawmakers “will elevate this as an urgent issue.”
    • Quote [00:42]:

      "I'm already hearing from Wisconsinites who are seeing doubling, tripling, quadrupling of their costs. As my Republican colleagues start hearing from their constituents, this hopefully will elevate as an urgent issue for them." – Sen. Tammy Baldwin

2. Cuts to Food Assistance and SNAP in Louisiana

• [00:59] President Trump’s tax and spending bill slashes funding for food assistance.
• Louisiana’s response: SNAP benefits set to end next month.
  • [01:19] Roughly 1 in 5 Louisianans rely on SNAP benefits.
  • Food banks anticipate overwhelming demand and shortages.
    • Mike Manning, Baton Rouge Food Bank [01:32]:

      "It's going to be a real challenge because we're going to see people coming to us for help and we're already very limited in the amount of food we have available." – Mike Manning

• Political finger-pointing:
  • Gov. Landry blames Senate Democrats; both parties accuse each other of using the crisis for leverage.

3. US-Canada Trade Talks Breakdown

• [01:56] President Trump halts negotiations with Ottawa over a Canadian ad.
  • The ad in question: $75 million Ontario campaign featuring Reagan denouncing tariffs, aired on US networks.
  • Trump claims the ad is “fake,” says it targets Republican voters, and calls off trade talks.
    • Quote [02:06]:

      "Based on their egregious behav, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated." – President Trump, via Dan Karpenschuk

• No official response from the Canadian government reported yet.

4. Presidential Visit to Asia and Economic Updates

• [02:51] President Trump plans visits to Japan and South Korea, focusing on investment promotion in US manufacturing.
  • Tokyo and Seoul have pledged $900 billion in prospective investments to encourage tariff rollbacks.
• US Futures/Asia Markets:
  • Wall Street futures are flat; Asia-Pacific shares mostly higher.

5. Sports Crime Indictments: NBA and Mafia Gambling Scheme

• FBI criminal charges announced [03:23]:
  • Over 30 arrested in an investigation linking NBA figures to Mafia-run betting and rigged poker games.
  • Notable figures:
    • Chauncey Billups (Portland Trailblazers head coach): Charged with game rigging.
    • Terry Rozier (Miami Heat): Named in indictment but previously cleared.
    • Jontay Porter (former Toronto Raptors): Previously banned for betting on own games, now implicated further.

6. Study: Antidepressants and Physical Health Side Effects

• [04:13] Major Lancet study compares physical health effects of different antidepressants.
  • Side effects can vary widely (e.g., up to 8-pound weight change; 20 bpm difference in heart rate).
  • Reassuring news for common prescriptions:
    • Dr. Toby Pillinger [04:32]:

      "The good news is that those medications that are most commonly prescribed actually aren't too bad for a number of physical health parameters. So that's reassuring." – Dr. Toby Pillinger

  • The findings are meant to inform better patient-medication matching rather than single out particular drugs.

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Notable Quotes

• Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), on shutdown hardship ([00:42]):

  "I'm already hearing from Wisconsinites who are seeing doubling, tripling, quadrupling of their costs. As my Republican colleagues start hearing from their constituents, this hopefully will elevate as an urgent issue for them."

• Mike Manning, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank ([01:32]):

  "It's going to be a real challenge because we're going to see people coming to us for help and we're already very limited in the amount of food we have available."

• President Trump statement on Canada trade talks ([02:06]):

  "Based on their egregious behav, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated."

• Dr. Toby Pillinger, King's College London, on antidepressant side effects ([04:32]):

  "The good news is that those medications that are most commonly prescribed actually aren't too bad for a number of physical health parameters. So that's reassuring."

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Timestamps of Major Segments

• 00:20 – Shutdown impacts discussed; Sen. Baldwin weighs in
• 01:19 – Louisiana SNAP crisis and food bank struggle
• 01:56 – Trump cancels US-Canada trade talks, reaction to Ontario TV ad
• 02:51 – Trump’s upcoming Asia trip and global market update
• 03:23 – Major sports and organized crime charges announced by FBI
• 04:13 – Large-scale study of antidepressant physical health side effects

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Summary

This NPR News Now update delivers focused snapshots of pressing US domestic and international stories. Listeners are briefed on the deepening government shutdown’s real-life impact, political clashes over social support funding, the sudden stop to US-Canada trade negotiations triggered by political advertising, significant legal trouble in the sports world, and new research that could affect mental health practice. The tone is direct and factual, blending official statements with on-the-ground perspectives and quick, expert analysis.

Transcript

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[Shea Stevens]

LIVE from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Half a million Americans will soon miss their first full paycheck as the government shutdown drags on and millions are about to find they'll have to pay to keep their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Wisconsin US Senator Tammy Baldwin is among Democrats worried about how their constituents are coping.

[Tammy Baldwin]

I'm already hearing from Wisconsinites who are seeing doubling, tripling, quadrupling of their costs. As my Republican colleagues start hearing from their constituents, this hopefully will elevate as an urgent issue for them.

[Shea Stevens]

Baldwin says President Trump's tax cut and spending bill contains the largest reduction in decades in funding for food assistance to low income Americans. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says SNAP recipients in his state will not receive cash assistance next month. That story from Mel Bridges with member station WRKF in baton rouge.

[Mel Bridges]

Roughly 800,000 people here, or about one in five received SNAP benefits. With SNAP benefits running out, more people have to rely on food banks. Mike Manning, president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food bank, says they're still trying to figure out how they're.

[Mike Manning]

Going to keep up once the SNAP benefits go away and people can no longer use their SNAP cards. It's going to be a real challenge because we're going to see people coming to us for help and we're already very limited in the amount of food we have available.

[Mel Bridges]

Governor Landry, a Republican, blames the lack of funding on Senate Democrats. Each party accuses the other of using the pain caused by the shutdown for political leverage. For NPR News, I'm Mel Bridges in Baton Rouge.

[Shea Stevens]

President Trump says Washington and Ottawa have terminated their talks on trade and tariffs. As Dan Karpenschuk reports, Trump is upset over an anti tariff television commercial.

[Dan Karpenschuk]

Trump says the ad from the Ontario government shows Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs is fake. On his Truth Social platform, Trump said he is calling off trade talks with Canada because of the ad, which he attributed to Canada. He also posted that tariffs are important to the national security and economy of the US and based on their egregious behav, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated. Ontario spent $75 million to broadcast the anti tariff ad focusing on Republican voters. It featured former President Ronald Reagan speaking in 1987, saying in the long term, tariffs do not work the ad has been airing on all major U.S. networks. So far, there's been no reaction from Ottawa to Trump's declaration. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenschak in Toronto.

[Shea Stevens]

President Trump plans to visit Japan and South Korea next week to promote investments in US Manufact manufacturing and other projects. Together, Tokyo and Seoul have pledged to invest about $900 billion in the US in hopes that Trump will lower tariffs on their exports. US Futures are flat in after hours trading on Wall street following Thursday's gains. You're listening to npr. The FBI has announced criminal charges alleging sports betting and rigged poker games involving the NBA and Mafia groups. Among over 30 people arrested, Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups is accused of rigging poker games run by organized crime. The indictment also names Miami Heat point guard Terry Rosier, who was cleared of wrongdoing last year, and former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter, who the MPA has banned for life. Last year, Porter admitted betting on his team's games and sharing information with other gamblers. Doctors have long known that antidepressants come with side effects for cardiovascular and metabolic metabolic health. But a major analysis from British researchers combines data from over 150 drug trials to compare the side effects of dozens of antidepressants. NPR's Will Stone has details.

[Will Stone]

The study in the Lancet this week details how each medication can affect weight, blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol and other areas of health. In some cases, the impact on weight could vary by as much as eight pounds or 20 heartbeats per minute. Dr. Toby Pillenger is a psychiatrist at King's College London and was the lead author of the study.

[Dr. Toby Pillenger]

The good news is that those medications that are most commonly prescribed actually aren't too bad for a number of physical health parameters. So that's reassuring.

[Will Stone]

Pillenger says the point is not to single out certain antidepressants as better than others, just to help doctors and patients pick the best medications. Will Stone, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

On Asia Pacific Markets, shares are mostly higher. US Futures are flat. You're listening to NPR News.

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