NPR News: 10-24-2025 8AM EDT

Summary

---

NPR News Now: October 24, 2025, 8AM EDT

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers the latest headlines from Washington and across the U.S. Topics include President Trump's abrupt halt to U.S.-Canada trade talks, a new Alaska oil and gas lease sale, federal investigations into NBA gamblers, ongoing impacts of the government shutdown, and Target's historic job cuts. Anchored by Korva Coleman, the program compiles essential updates from NPR correspondents.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. U.S.-Canada Trade Negotiations and Ontario Tariff Ad Controversy

• Trump Halts Talks: President Trump publicly ends trade talks with Canada, attributing the move to an anti-tariff commercial aired by Ontario's provincial government.
• Controversy Over Reagan Ad: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation claims the Ontario ad misrepresents a 1987 radio address by Ronald Reagan, depicting him as criticizing tariffs.
• Political Maneuvering: The ad, costing Ontario $75 million, targeted U.S. Republican voters and aired across major U.S. networks. Trump’s response included statements on Truth Social emphasizing tariffs' importance to U.S. security and economy.
• Lack of Canadian Response: As of the report, the Canadian government has not responded.

“Based on their egregious behavior, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated.”
— (President Trump, summarized by Dan Karpenschak, 00:38)

Timestamp: [00:17]–[01:23]

---

2. Oil and Gas Lease Sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

• Lease Sales Resume: The Trump administration announces plans for two new lease sales in Alaska’s ANWR, one of the largest wilderness tracts in the nation.
• Ecological Significance and Political Drama: The refuge, home to caribou, muskoxen, and polar bears, has been the focal point of energy and environmental policy debates spanning multiple administrations.
• Past Market Reaction: The last auction held under Trump’s presidency saw no bidders participate.

“The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is roughly the size of South Carolina… an area of Northeast Alaska with no roads but abundant wildlife...”
— Nate Rott (01:34)

Timestamp: [01:23]–[02:08]

---

3. NBA, Illegal Gambling, and Celebrity Involvement

• Federal Investigations: The NBA is cooperating with federal inquiries into illegal gambling and game rigging, encompassing two main cases:
  • Illicit sharing of player information for betting purposes.
  • Illegal gambling linked to underground poker games.
• Crime Ties and Celebrity Involvement: The cases involve organized crime groups and numerous defendants, notably Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups.
• Billups’ Charges: He faces conspiracy charges related to high-tech poker cheating schemes. An unnamed co-conspirator in a separate indictment matches Billups’ description.

“Prosecutors allege that organized crime groups basically run these games and... used Billups as a celebrity to sort of lure in victims.”
— Becky Sullivan (02:38)

Timestamp: [02:08]–[03:10]

---

4. Federal Government Shutdown Impacts

• Stalemate Continues: The federal government shutdown reaches its 24th day, with no agreement on a spending bill.
• Employee Hardship: This marks the first missed paycheck for federal workers.
• Temporary Fixes: President Trump reallocates Defense Department funds to pay U.S. troops and mentions an undisclosed private $130 million donation to support the military.
• Economic Consequences: The shutdown delays the government’s inflation report.
• Retailer Response: Target announces historic layoffs as part of its financial response.

“President Trump has directed the Defense Department to shuffle money to pay U.S. troops... a private individual is donating $130 million to help the U.S. military during the shutdown.”
— Korva Coleman (03:10)

Timestamp: [03:10]–[04:08]

---

5. Target Announces Massive Job Cuts

• Layoff Details: Target eliminates 1,000 corporate management jobs and cancels hiring for 800 open positions—one of its largest corporate layoffs (~8% of the workforce).
• Leadership Shift: Michael Fidelke, a long-time insider, will ascend to CEO despite investors' desire for an outsider.
• Rationale for Cuts: Sales have stagnated or declined over three years as competition intensifies. Job reductions aim to “simplify complexity” and reduce organizational inefficiencies.

“Fidelke in a memo says job cuts are meant to simplify complexity, quote, too many layers and overlapping work that slowed decisions and ideas.”
— Alina Selyuk (04:08)

Timestamp: [04:08]–[04:50]

---

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Trade Talks
  “Based on their egregious behavior, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated.”
  — President Trump (relayed by Dan Karpenschak, 00:38)

• On Environmental Policy
  “The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is roughly the size of South Carolina... an area of Northeast Alaska with no roads but abundant wildlife like caribou, muskox and polar bears.”
  — Nate Rott (01:34)

• On Crime in Sports
  “They say that they used Billups as a celebrity to sort of lure in victims... all this high-tech equipment like rigged shuffling machines and x-ray poker tables and special glasses to cheat and win.”
  — Becky Sullivan (02:38)

• On Retail Struggles
  “Job cuts are meant to simplify complexity, quote, too many layers and overlapping work that slowed decisions and ideas.”
  — Michael Fidelke (quoted by Alina Selyuk, 04:08)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• U.S.-Canada Trade & Reagan Ad: 00:17–01:23
• Alaska Oil Lease Sale: 01:23–02:08
• NBA Gambling Scandal: 02:08–03:10
• Government Shutdown Impacts: 03:10–04:08
• Target Job Cuts: 04:08–04:50

---

Summary prepared for those seeking a clear, concise, and accurate briefing on the latest major U.S. news as reported by NPR News Now for October 24, 2025, 8AM EDT.

Transcript

[NPR Sponsor]

This message comes From NPR Sponsor 1Password Secure access to your online world, from emails to banking, so you can protect what matters most with 1Password. For a free two week trial, go to 1Password.com NPR live from NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump says he is cutting off trade talks between the US And Canada. Trump is blaming an anti tariff commercial issued by the Canadian provincial government of Ontario. The Ronald Reagan Presidential foundation says the ad misrepresents a radio address given by the late former president. Dan Karpenchuk reports from Toronto.

[Dan Karpenschak]

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 behavior, 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.

[Korva Coleman]

The Trump administration says it'll hold an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska. NPR's Nate Rott reports. It would open the chance for drilling in one of the nation's largest tracts of wilderness.

[Nate Rott]

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is roughly the size of South Carolina, an area of Northeast Alaska with no roads but abundant wildlife like caribou, muskox and polar bears. It's also been the subject of a long running political dispute. The first Trump administration opened the area to oil and gas lease sales before the Biden administration closed it off again. The Interior Department now says sales are back on, with two planned later this winter. The last time an oil and gas lease sale was held in the refuge, though it ended with no bidders. Nate Rott, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The NBA says it's cooperating with two federal investigations into illegal gambling and sports rigging. One probe involves defendants who allegedly shared information about NBA players with people who wanted to bet on pro basketball games. The other probe involves alleged illegal betting on poker games. There are numerous defendants, including members of organized crime families. NPR's Becky Sullivan reports. One defendant in this group is the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, Chauncey Billups.

[Becky Sullivan]

He faces account of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to money launder. Both of those are related actually to an indictment about underground poker games. In that indictment, prosecutors allege that organized crime groups basically run these games and use Phillips the they say that they used Billups as a celebrity to sort of lure in victims. And then the organizers used all this high tech equipment like rigged shuffling machines and x ray poker tables and special glasses to cheat and win. But the other indictment that's about sports gambling, Billups is not named there, but there is an unnamed co conspirator described in a way that matches Billups Exactly.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Becky Sullivan reporting. This is NPR. This is day 24 of the Federal government shutdown. Republican and Democratic lawmakers cannot agree on a spending bill that would bring the shut down to an end. This is also the first day the federal government employees will miss their paycheck. President Trump has directed the Defense Department to shuffle money to pay U.S. troops. Separately, Trump says a private individual is donating $130 million to help the U.S. military during the shutdown. He would not reveal the donor's identity. Trump says the person has sent a check. The shutdown has also delayed the release of the latest government report on consumer prices, but the inflation report is supposed to be issued. Morning. Large retailer Target is cutting 1800 corporate jobs. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports. The company is trying to revive sales and increase customer traffic.

[Alina Selyuk]

Target says it's laying off a thousand corporate employees, particularly managers, and it will not hire for another 800 open positions. That's one of the biggest job cuts In Target's history, about 8% of the global team. And it's coming from Target's incoming CEO, Michael Fidelke. He's a longtime company executive who's getting the top job despite investors hopes for an outsider to shake up the retailer, Target. Sales have been flat or down for going on three years as shoppers look elsewhere for cheaper prices or more unique offerings. Fidelke in a memo, says job cuts are meant to simplify complexity, quote, too many layers and overlapping work that slowed decisions and ideas. Alina Selu, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

And I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.

[Carvana Sponsor]

This message comes from Carvana. Buy a car 100% [e-mail] with financing to fit your budget. Enjoy seven days to return. If it's not a fit, limitations and exclusions may apply. See return [e-mail].