Roundup: A Trade War With Canada, Inflation Ticks Up, And The Shutdown Persists

Summary

NPR Politics Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Roundup: A Trade War With Canada, Inflation Ticks Up, And The Shutdown Persists
Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Ashley Lopez, Tamara Keith, Domenico Montanaro

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Main Theme

This episode dives into a whirlwind week of U.S. politics, focusing on the persistent government shutdown, the Trump administration’s escalating trade conflict with Canada, shifting inflation figures, and evolving U.S. policy on Ukraine. The hosts explore what’s driving these developments, how President Trump’s personal brand influences the country’s governance, and the real-world impact on Americans and international allies.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown: Stalled and Prolonged

• Current Status:

  • The shutdown is on day 24, now the longest in history, impacting more than a million federal workers. There appear to be no active negotiations or urgency in Congress or the White House to resolve the impasse.
  • [01:38] Ashley Lopez: “Let's start with the government shutdown, which is now on day 24. Today marks the first four for more than a million federal workers. Domenico, let's start with you. I mean, are there any signs that the shutdown could be nearing a resolution?”

• Political Stalemate:

  • Democrats demand continued ACA tax subsidies; Republicans call for government reopening without conditions. The House hasn’t met all month; the Senate has left for the weekend, signaling political inertia.
  • [02:21] Tamara Keith: “The House has not been in session the entire month of October. The Senate has gone home for the weekend. There is no sense of urgency at all.”

• White House Response:

  • The Trump administration is attempting to soften the shutdown’s impact by reallocating funds to pay active-duty military, a move described as “budget twister” and legally questionable.
  • President Trump claimed an anonymous donor sent $130 million to cover military pay shortfalls, a gesture mired in legal uncertainty.
  • [03:19] Domenico Montanaro (paraphrasing Trump): “A friend of mine ... said, 'I'd like to contribute any shortfall you have... today he sent us a check for $130 million.'”
  • [04:05] Domenico Montanaro: “130 million. I don't think it's gonna go very far for very long.”

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2. Inflation and Economic Indicators

• Inflation Report Delayed, Then Released:

  • The shutdown caused a delay in the Labor Department’s inflation report, but new numbers show a 3% annual rise in consumer prices for September, slightly less than anticipated.
  • [04:31] Domenico Montanaro: “Consumer prices rose 3% in September from a year ago. You know, that was slightly below forecasters expectations ... it's not as bad as people thought it could get to.”

• Broader Impacts:

  • The shutdown disrupts the release of federal economic data, complicating the Federal Reserve’s policy decisions and potentially leaving the country without job or inflation numbers.
  • [05:06] Domenico Montanaro: “A lot of this federal data that the country relies on to tell what the economic health of the country is, is either going to be delayed or potentially Non existent.”

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3. US-Canada Trade War Escalates

• Catalyst:

  • President Trump ends trade negotiations with Canada in response to an Ontario ad using Ronald Reagan’s anti-tariff remarks, which Trump called misleading and an attempt to influence the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending tariff case.
  • [05:45] Tamara Keith: “It was an ad ... using selectively edited clips, audio and video of Ronald Reagan ... talking about ... why tariffs are a bad idea ... President Trump objects to that ad.”

• Political and Economic Stakes:

  • Trump’s tariffs define his domestic and foreign policy, and he remains steadfast in defending their “success.” Canadian PM Carney indicated openness to restart talks, but relations remain tense.
  • [06:28] Tamara Keith: “President Trump objects to that ad. He says it is fake. And he says because of the way Canada is behaving, all negotiations are off.”

• Prospects:

  • The hosts agree such disputes have blown over before and likely will again due to the deep trade ties between the countries.
  • [07:44] Tamara Keith: “These things have blown over before. They are likely to blow over again. Canada is an incredibly important trading partner for the United States.”

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4. Shifting Approach on Ukraine and Russia

• Summit Whiplash:

  • Trump announced, then swiftly canceled, a summit with Putin. The president claimed Russia made moves counter to the “great call” they’d just had.
  • New U.S. and European sanctions target Russian oil companies, aiming to curb funding for the war in Ukraine.
  • [08:07] Tamara Keith: “President Trump had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Coming out of that call, he announced that they would be having a summit but within a few days, the summit was off.”

• Unpredictable Policy:

  • Trump’s vacillations frustrate allies. NATO partners are trying to maintain his support for Ukraine via indirect measures (e.g., U.S. arms routed through Europe).
  • [09:00] Domenico Montanaro: “Trump has done more flip flopping on Ukraine and Russia than, than John Kerry windsurfing.”

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5. The Trump “Brand” and Presidential Aesthetics

• Physical Changes and Messaging:

  • Trump is building a ballroom at the White House, introducing gold accents, and has ordered all federal architecture to be classic or neoclassical, part of an aesthetic and symbolic rebranding effort.
  • [11:55] Tamara Keith: “Trump's brand is winning. Trump's brand is wealth. He describes this time as a golden age for America, golden because he is in office and he's putting gold everywhere.”

• Political Implications:

  • The hosts argue his self-presentation as a “winner” shapes both policy and the psyche of supporters and opponents—a dynamic unique in presidential history.
  • Losing the 2020 election challenged the “winner” image, leading to the 2020 election denial and January 6th attacks, and now drives his current projection of “invincibility.”
  • [13:58] Tamara Keith: “When he lost the election in 2020, that was a real low point. And to this day he has refused to acknowledge it... he overstates his mandate and he's governing in a way that reflects the self image that he is projecting.”

• Nuanced Control:

  • Trump exerts unmatched brand control in politics, right down to small aesthetic details, but is less involved in long-term policy.
  • [16:50] Tamara Keith: “He is very involved in the minutia of the aesthetics, but somewhat less involved in, like, the long term underlying policy.”

• Polarization Effects:

  • Trump’s approach solidifies his base while further alienating opponents, increasing partisan polarization but raising the “floor” of support that won’t erode.
  • [20:02] Domenico Montanaro: “He has a real locked in base of people ... never gonna go much lower ... but never gonna go much higher ... this new era of hyperpolarization and partisanship that Trump has ... certainly hardened.”

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6. Notable/Quotable Moments

• Domenico Montanaro on stalemate:
  “There are no signs this is likely headed for the longest government shutdown in history. I mean, there's no signs that there's any negotiations, that there are any talks whatsoever.” — [01:56]

• Tamara Keith on Trump’s brand:
  “Trump's brand is wealth. He describes this time as a golden age for America, golden because he is in office and he's putting gold everywhere.” — [11:55]

• Ashley Lopez reflecting on branding:
  “Yeah, it's not surprising that someone who was like a television producer and real estate developer, like, is putting his name and his touch on every part of the White House.” — [13:40]

• Domenico Montanaro on polarization:
  “What it's done in political terms is to raise his floor. He has a real locked in base of people ... but never gonna go much higher either. This is this new era of hyperpolarization and partisanship that Trump has really kind of ... hardened.” — [20:02]

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Timestamps — Important Segments

• Government Shutdown Drama: [01:38 – 04:18]
• Inflation & Economy Update: [04:18 – 05:36]
• Trade War with Canada: [05:36 – 07:59]
• Ukraine & Russia Policy: [07:59 – 10:16]
• Trump’s Branding/Aesthetics: [11:34 – 16:50]
• Polarization & Democracy: [19:06 – 20:35]

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Memorable “Can’t Let It Go” Segment

• Domenico Montanaro: Celebrates the end of D.C.’s mosquito season while lamenting the climate-change-driven arrival of mosquitoes in Iceland.
  • [22:23]
• Ashley Lopez: Fascinated by a major jewel heist at the Louvre, highlighting the power of confidence and disguise.
  • [23:27]
• Tamara Keith: Awed by Shohei Ohtani’s “possibly the best personal performance in baseball history” as both pitcher and hitter.
  • [25:06]

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Tone & Style

Conversational, occasionally humorous, with clear-eyed political analysis delivered in NPR’s signature measured and accessible style. The hosts blend wonky detail with human interest, making complex issues engaging for listeners.

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Conclusion

This episode encapsulates the current turbulence of American politics—protracted government dysfunction, economic worries, international drama, and deepening political polarization. The podcast illustrates how branding, both aesthetic and ideological, shapes not just public perception but the very reality of governance in the Trump era.

Transcript

[Tamara Keith]

NPR is a special place where music journalism and discovery remains freely accessible. Public radio Music Day is coming, but you don't have to wait until October 29th to show your support. Amplify the sound of public media today. Visit donate.NPR.org hi, this is Michael Summers.

[Domenico Montanaro]

75 year old, retired, 41 years in the classroom teacher out of Nehalem, Oregon. When Covid started in 2020, my dog Squishy and I started taking daily hikes. And we're out now about to cross our 4,000th mile. Whoa.

[Ashley Lopez]

This show was recorded at 12:37pm Eastern Time on Friday, October 24, 2025.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Things may certainly have changed since you hear this, but Squishy and I will still be walking the stunningly beautiful hills of the Northwest. Enjoy the show. Squishy and I will.

[Ashley Lopez]

I love that. I aspire 4,000 miles in my 70s.

[Tamara Keith]

That's amazing. Also, Squishy, possibly the best dog name ever.

[Ashley Lopez]

I love it as someone with a silly dog name as well. Buckets.

[Tamara Keith]

I love buckets.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Aw.

[Ashley Lopez]

Love a dumb dog name.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Also, Squishy, the gravel beneath his feet because I was very impressed by the Nat sound or as the kids call it, asmr.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah, there we go. Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Ashley Lopez. I cover politics.

[Tamara Keith]

I'm Tamara Keith. I cover the White House.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Ashley Lopez]

And today on the show, we're going to try to make sense of another busy week in Washington. Let's start with the government shutdown, which is now on day 24. Today marks the first four for more than a million federal workers. Domenico, let's start with you. I mean, are there any signs that the shutdown could be nearing a resolution?

[Domenico Montanaro]

There are no signs this is likely headed for the longest government shutdown in history. I mean, there's no signs that there's any negotiations, that there are any talks whatsoever. Democrats are still holding out, wanting to make sure that those tax subsidies for Affordable Care act premiums can be extended beyond this year. Republicans say open the government. And I feel like we've said that many times on this podcast.

[Tamara Keith]

President Trump is leaving tonight for a trip to Asia. The House has not been in session the entire month of October. The Senate has gone home for the weekend. There is no sense of urgency at all.

[Ashley Lopez]

I mean, has the White House at least changed its messaging on this at all? Because we're now almost a month in.

[Tamara Keith]

The Trump administration has been doing some things to try to sort of lessen the impact and that includes moving some money around so that for the last pay period, members of the active duty military would actually get paid. The head of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vogt, called it something like budget twister, though it is legally dubious that they can just move money around that has been appropriated by Congress, for one thing, and then put it to another. And then yesterday, President Trump announced something that raises a lot of both legal and ethical questions.

[Domenico Montanaro]

A friend of mine, a man. That's great. I'm not going to use his name unless he lets me do it. Susie can tell you about this, but he was, he called us the other day and he said, I'd like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown. I'd like to contribute personally contribute any shortfall you have with the military, because I love the military and I love the country. And any shortfall, if there's a shortfall, I'll contribute it. And today he sent us a check for $130 million.

[Tamara Keith]

We don't have any idea whether this is legal or how it would work or if it is even going to happen. Our team reached out to the Office of Management and Budget and the White House and they don't have answers to these questions.

[Domenico Montanaro]

130 million. I don't think it's gonna go very far for very long.

[Ashley Lopez]

My thought exactly.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, to be able to fund this, even though it sounds like a big number and certainly is to any individual, but no way to run a government.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. Well, I do want to shift gears a little bit. Because of the shutdown, the Labor Department has delayed its release of September inflation data, which everyone was looking out for, but it was released this morning. Domenico, can you tell us what we Learned?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Consumer prices rose 3% in September from a year ago. You know, that was slightly below forecasters expectations. This was on a delayed report for what prices were in September. That's still not terrible. It's not as bad as people thought it could get to. Of course, the Federal Reserve has to balance the idea of, you know, inflation going up versus lowering interest rates. And we know that the Fed cut interest rates by a little bit. And we've seen mortgage rates to some of their year lows recently. But we're also seeing a lot of food prices that are pretty volatile also spike. So this is one of the issues, though, when you have a government shutdown is a lot of this federal data that the country relies on to tell what the economic health of the country is, is either going to be delayed or potentially Non existent. If you don't have the Bureau of Labor Statistics potentially putting numbers out. And, you know, we're supposed to get job numbers the first week of November, and, you know, we'll see what, if anything, we get out of that.

[Ashley Lopez]

Well, I do want to stick with economic news, Tam. So President Trump has said he's ending all trade negotiations with Canada. Now, can you tell us what prompted this?

[Tamara Keith]

Yes, it was an ad. An ad run by the province of Ontario using selectively edited clips, audio and video of Ronald Reagan in a 1987 radio address talking about the problem with tariffs and why tariffs are a bad idea and that they can hurt American consumers and hurt American jobs.

[Domenico Montanaro]

When someone says, let's impose tariffs on foreign imports, it looks like they're doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes for a short while, it works, but only for a short time. But over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.

[Tamara Keith]

President Trump objects to that ad. He says it is fake. And he says because of the way Canada is behaving, all negotiations are off. The. The President said that he was concerned that this ad was trying to influence the U.S. supreme Court, which early next month will be hearing a case related to tariffs. And, and you know, tariffs are central to both President Trump's economic policy and his foreign policy. They are just a key part of his second term agenda. And it is something that he just does not want any counterfactuals on the amazing success that he sees coming from tariff. Prime Minister Carney did respond, saying that Canada will be ready to resume negotiations whenever the U.S. is ready. Uh, this is like one of these soap operas that has been going on the entire term. This whole year. President Trump has been having an on again, off again trade war with Canada, was wanting it to be the 51st state. On again, off again, on again, off again. Part of me just wants to unsubscribe from this until we get to the answer.

[Ashley Lopez]

Well, Tam, where does this leave relations between the United States and Canada? Like, where do things go from here?

[Tamara Keith]

You know, these things have blown over before. They are likely to blow over again. Canada is an incredibly important trading partner for the United States. And so I think the likelihood is that in the end, this will get itself resolved.

[Ashley Lopez]

All right. And speaking of international relations, there was a shift this week in Trump's approach to the war in Ukraine. Tam, can you give us an update?

[Tamara Keith]

President Trump had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Coming out of that call, he announced that they would be having a summit but within a few days, the summit was off. And President Trump said, you know, it basically wouldn't be worth his time that once again he had had a great call with Vladimir Putin. And then Russia did the exact opposite of what Trump thought they were going to do. So that led to sort of the whiplash of going from we're going to have a summit to the White House and other European nations announcing sanctions against two Russian oil companies. And it is important to note that Russia has been funding the war in a big way by selling natural resources. And so these sanctions are a big step. That said, Russia is downplaying the significance.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I mean, Trump has done more flip flopping on Ukraine and Russia than, than John Kerry windsurfing.

[Tamara Keith]

It is, that is a throwback to.

[Domenico Montanaro]

2004, my friends, a 20 year throwback. But go look it up, kids. The fact is this is one of the two major conflicts that President Trump had said coming into office that he was going to solve essentially on day one. And it has really eluded him. And he's come around to the idea that maybe Vladimir Putin might be leading him on. And then he gets a call from Putin and he thinks that he's gonna work with him and then he doesn't, and then he throws sanctions on. No one's sure where we're gonna wind up with this. One thing is true is that the Europeans have continued to push for ways to be able to support Ukraine, whether it's by having the US Sell arms to Europe and then Europe funnels them to Ukraine or whatever. But you saw that this week with the NATO Secretary General at the White House really sort of trying to walk this very fin about trying to maintain Trump's support to be able to help Ukraine in any way. But Trump is really the wild card here.

[Ashley Lopez]

All right, we're going to take a quick break. More in a moment.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Hey, it's Mike Danforth, executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Here's a great way to get the perks of being an NPR producer without doing any of the work. Join npr. With npr, you get extended interviews, inside looks at your favorite shows and more, all while supporting NPR and never having to pull an all nighter. Or if you work on one of the new shows, an all morning sign [e-mail] I love space, I love physics.

[Tamara Keith]

And I love movies. And when I tell people all three.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Of those things, they often ask me.

[Tamara Keith]

About one specific movie. Interstellar. In the words of a 2013 Facebook relationship status.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's complicated.

[Tamara Keith]

So on NPR shortwave podcast. We rewatched Christopher Nolan's Interstellar to separate the science facts from the science fiction. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ashley Lopez]

A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story, but right.

[Tamara Keith]

Now you probably need more on up.

[Ashley Lopez]

First from NPR, we bring you three.

[Tamara Keith]

Of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes, because no one.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Story can capture all that's happening in.

[Ashley Lopez]

This big crazy world of ours on any given morning.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Listen now to the upverse podcast from npr.

[Ashley Lopez]

And we're back. And for those who heard yesterday's podcast, we talked about the ballroom Trump is building at the White House. He has made his physical mark on the White House in other ways, of course, from changes to the Rose Garden to new gold touches in the Oval Office. Tam, I do want to zoom out. Like, do all these physical changes go beyond just like a basic interest in aesthetics here?

[Tamara Keith]

Trump's brand is winning. Trump's brand is wealth. He describes this time as a golden age for America, golden because he is in office and he's putting gold everywhere. So it's aesthetic, but it's also part of his brand, part of what he has been selling to the American people ever since he came down that escalator in Trump Tower. So what he is selling is winning. And it gets beyond that. It goes to power. He is wielding power by wielding an image of himself as a very powerful man.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah. And I mean, that's what Trump has always been, right? He's a brander. He's somebody who's licensed his name to be on the sides of buildings that he didn't own. And a lot of this is reflective of how he's governed. So much of what he's doing here and in his life in business has been about image. You know, that power of positive thinking. You say it's true, and it is. You dress for success and you're a success. You know, it's someone who took four companies into bankruptcy, and yet with the help of the Apprentice, you know, and his name on the sides of all those buildings, he didn't own the he was able to convince a lot of people that he was wildly successful. He represented luxury when that just wasn't what his reputation was in New York. But half the country now has really bought into that, or a little bit less, perhaps, than that. But they've really bought into this lifestyle brand of Trump, and it's turned off another half of the country who believes that the presidency should be one where you have somebody in who's more humble and at least pays lip service to the idea that they will govern for everyone.

[Tamara Keith]

Right. Like MAGA isn't just a political slogan. It is now a social identity. Like being a die hard fan of a football team.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's not surprising that someone who was like a television producer and real estate developer, like, is putting his name and his touch on every part of the White House. But to what extent does this matter though? If you're like a voter and you're trying to figure out like what I should make of all this, like how much does this actually matter?

[Tamara Keith]

Here's just one example of how it matters, because his image has always been that he's a winner. When he lost the election in 2020, that was a real low point. And to this day he has refused to acknowledge it. January 6th happened in part because people were trying to stop the certification of the election. He won in 2024, fair and square, definitely won, but he still inflates the size of his win. He overstates his mandate and he's governing in a way that refle the self image that he is projecting, that of dominance, of inevitability, of invincibility that according to a political scientist I spoke to, has the effect at times of demoralizing his opposition.

[Domenico Montanaro]

When Trump lost, it went against his brand and what he views as what's important, which is projecting an image of being a winner. He had to figure out an off ramp to not look like a loser, but to be a winner. And he decided to blame it on cheating, which there was not only no evidence of, but was proved in court repeatedly that there wasn't any. And that led to January 6th and the siege at the Capitol and winds up getting back into the White House here. And this is what's really putting the stamp on his legacy. He can sort of take a victory lap and feel like I was right. 2020 was an aberration. People really do love me and that's who I really am. And that's the power that I'm projecting. This massive ballroom, these ornate finishes, the all powerful presidency. And that's really what Trump wants to govern as, unilaterally, without approval, without a lot of input from Congress or from the public at large.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah, I mean, I do think that like Trump isn't obviously the first politician that is trying to control messaging here. I mean, although for him it's more like also brand management, as you guys are saying. But I mean, is there a way that Trump is doing this like Any specific examples where it feels different than the way other politicians have tried to control their message or their sort of brand as a politician?

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's different beyond almost any politician and what they've ever done. I mean, politicians are very careful about curating their image, no doubt about it. But Trump takes it to new levels, right? I mean, he's done this his entire life. I mean, you can't really think of other politicians who've put their name on so many things to represent them. I mean, even during COVID you know, Trump was sending out checks and wanting to make sure that his signature was on it, right? I mean, to the point where the Biden administration was like, how do we take credit for the infrastructure bill? You know, in ways that that showed that Biden was to be given credit for? Just goes way beyond anything to different scale and size that anyone's ever done. I mean, there was never really like a Biden store or an Obama store where you had the same level of things that were branded in the way that Trump does.

[Tamara Keith]

But the remarkable thing is that it is both on this grand scale. Like, he has signed an executive order to mandate that federal buildings have classical and neoclassical and traditional architecture, all the way down to absolute minutia, which includes things like, we're gonna make sure we replace the tile in the tunnels in Washington, D.C. because those tiles look bad and they should be beautiful white tiles. He is very involved in the minutia of the aesthetics, but somewhat less involved in, like, the long term underlying policy. So, like, you bring in the National Guard and they're putting mulch down in parks, but you aren't dealing with the underlying problem of homelessness. You aren't dealing with the underlying problems of crime. What happens when the National Guard leaves? Well, by then President Trump will have declared victory, and then he won't be paying attention and won't be talking about the crime data anymore, because he has always wanted to be treated with deference. And at this point, with very little resistance from Congress with adoring supporters, he is being treated with deference. And when he isn't, like this past weekend with the no Kings protest, where millions of people showed up in thousands of cities and towns to say that they didn't support him and they thought that he was overreaching. You know, that conflicted with his curated image of ultimate power and adulation. And so when he was asked about it on Air Force One, of course he downplayed it and he dismissed the.

[Domenico Montanaro]

People, right, and called them names and said that they were whacked out. I mean, you know, to dismiss them and say, you know, these aren't real Americans. Essentially, he's trying to make, you know, an idea of what America is. This Make America Great Again MAGA idea. People have always sort of been like, what does that mean? You know, what is the sort of moving image of this? I think we have a much clearer picture of what Donald Trump thinks Make America Great Again is 10 years after he's come onto the scene. And, you know, he's not someone who is in search of the many to create one. It's really one's idea to create the type of country and vision that he wants.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. I wonder what you guys think are the real world consequences, though, of him being able to effectively, like, discredit or wave off, like a big part of the country that is not happy with how he's doing.

[Tamara Keith]

So the reality is that Trump is not a popular president. He is governing like he has an incredible mandate. And in reality, he's not that popular. He is putting pressure on legislatures in Republican states, getting them to redraw their congressional district lines to improve the numbers for Republicans to avoid losing control of Congress, because he is openly saying his whole agenda will be destroyed if Republicans lose control of Congress. You know, like, rather than campaigning or trying to win over people, they are trying to change the rules of the road.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You know, there's old idiom about really buying into something where you say, you know, I got the hat, I bought the T shirt. Literally, people on Trump's side have bought the hat, wear the T shirt. What it's done in political terms is to raise his floor. He has a real locked in base of people, you know, who he's really never gonna go much lower than kind of where he is, but never gonna go much higher than where he is either. And this is this new era of hyperpolarization and partisanship that Trump has really kind of not ushered in, but certainly hardened.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. All right, well, we're going to take a quick break and when we get back, it's time for Can't Let It Go.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air. Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians and musicians. The people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the Fresh Air podcast from NPR and whyy.

[Ashley Lopez]

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I interviewed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro about his lifelong obsession with Frankenstein and his new adaptation in which the creature is tormented by eternal life. I'm a huge fan of the I'm a groupie for death. You can find my interview on the Fresh Air podcast. When someone you love is diagnosed with.

[Ashley Lopez]

Cancer or another serious illness, all you want to do is help. But where do you start?

[Tamara Keith]

On the Life Kit podcast, we have tips for you. Your agenda should be I'm going to.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Be with you and be totally present to whatever comes up.

[Tamara Keith]

Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts for different ways to offer support.

[Ashley Lopez]

Support. I'm Rachel Martin.

[Tamara Keith]

If you're tired of small talk, check out the Wild Card podcast. I invite influential thinkers to open up about the big topics we all think about, but rarely talk about. Tune in this fall to hear Mel Robbins, Malala Yousafzai and Brene Brown talk about everything from grief and God to ambition and forgiveness. Watch or listen on the NPR app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ashley Lopez]

And we're back. And it's time to end the show like we do every week with Can't Let It Go. This is the part of the show where we talk about the things from the week that we just can't stop thinking about, politics or otherwise. I want to start with you, Domenico. What can't you let go of this week?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, you know, everyone knows in Washington, D.C. throughout much of the year it's very humid and that has meant a lot of mosquitoes. And one thing that I saw this week is that we're going to have a frost advisory for the first time in a while this year. And that means no mosquitoes. They get to be killed off. So by mosquitoes. I love that. However, I was listening to a story on NPR in which they said that for the first time ever, Iceland has gotten its first mosquitoes.

[Ashley Lopez]

Oh, no, sorry, Iceland.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Which I was really surprised by, number one, that they'd never seen mosquitoes before. But also number two, I mean, what that means obviously, with the, the climate warming. But now they're gonna get the joy, we could say, of mosquitoes.

[Ashley Lopez]

I grew up in Florida and I gotta say, my biggest op, as the kids would say, are mosquitoes. Op, op opposition. Like my nemeses are those little blood sucking jerks. Yeah, they love me. I don't know what it is. It might be something I'm eating, but yeah.

[Tamara Keith]

And Ashley, what can't you let go of?

[Ashley Lopez]

Oh, okay. So what I can't let go of this week happened over this past weekend. I'm sure you've seen a little bit about it. I have not been able. About the Louvre heist.

[Tamara Keith]

Yes. It's so crazy.

[Ashley Lopez]

For those who don't know, by the way, there are some thieves who stole over $100 million worth of jewels from the Louvre in Paris. And there has been a hunt going on to find these folks and these obviously very precious jewels. This is, like, pieces of history that were stolen, but there's, like, little bit of trickles of information coming out of who these thieves were and how they pulled this off. And some of them were dressed as construction workers, and this is how they were able to get in and apparently put a truck with a ladder up to, like, one of the top floors of the Louvre. That's how they got in. And how they were able to sneak in an angle grinder, like actual tools to come in and break open walls and stuff. Anyways, very crazy. But it does remind me of this prank I saw once where some guys were carrying around a ladder and found out that they were able to basically walk into anywhere without being asked questions because they were holding a ladder. So if you just look like you're useful in some way, you can pretty much do anything, include walk into the Louvre and steal stuff.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah. Really? One of the things I was really interesting about this story, that was sort of a side story. Have you seen the photo of the guy who's supposedly a detective who's looking into it, who's, like, dressed very dapper? French detective with fedora? And I think I saw someone saying that he didn't have a cigarette, but he looked like he was smoking even though there was. He didn't even have one.

[Ashley Lopez]

Classic French detective.

[Tamara Keith]

Love it.

[Ashley Lopez]

All right, Tam, what can't you let go of this week?

[Tamara Keith]

Mine is also from literally a week ago, and I'm still thinking about it, because Shohei Ohtani, a pitcher for the Dodgers, had the single best sometimes pitch personal. Well, yeah. Single best personal performance in baseball history. Possibly. I don't know. Maybe I'm. Maybe I'm using some hyperbole, but maybe not. He pitched. He got 10 strikeouts. He also was the first batter up and hit a home run. Then he hit another home run out of the park. Like, I don't know that they've ever found the ball. And then he hit a third home run.

[Ashley Lopez]

Whoa.

[Tamara Keith]

All in one game.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's kind of amazing. And considering Ohtani had gone like 3 for 29 in the playoffs before that, and the Dodgers, by the way, were still being kind of a remarkable machine. So, you know, I know that he. He never really takes batting practice, which I thought was interesting. And he started to do that in the championship series because he was trying to break that slump. You know, he is the first one, really, since Babe Ruth to be able to do what he's doing. It's very remarkable.

[Tamara Keith]

And I don't think, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think that Babe Ruth was an amazing hitter at the same time that he was an amazing pitcher.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Oh, interesting. I don't know. I don't know. I know he was both. So you're saying Shohei Ohtani is better than Babe Ruth?

[Tamara Keith]

That's what I'm saying.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Dodgers fans are becoming almost as insufferable as Yankees fans.

[Ashley Lopez]

All right, that's a wrap for today. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Our editor is Rachel Bay. Our producers are Casey Morrell and Bria Suggs. Thanks to Kelsey Snell and Kreshnad of Calmer. I'm Ashley Lopez. I cover politics.

[Tamara Keith]

I'm Tamara Keith. I cover the White House.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Ashley Lopez]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

[Tamara Keith]

This week on Consider this ICE detained him for three days and he's a US Citizen.

[Domenico Montanaro]

They didn't say what I was charged with. They never told me I was being arrested. I asked for a lawyer. They just completely ignore it.

[Tamara Keith]

What Democratic lawmakers say they will do in response.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Plus fact checking the president claims about.

[Tamara Keith]

Left wing violence, whether it's truly rising this week on Consider this Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, I have to ask, with.

[Ashley Lopez]

This endless stream of sellable content, do.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You think Taylor Swift is exploiting her fans? No. I'm going to say yes with an asterisk. Every pop star exploits their fans. Is Taylor Swift exploiting her fans or.

[Ashley Lopez]

Is she feeding them?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Listen to It's Been a minute on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.