Government Shutdown Looms, Brazil's Ex-President on Trial, Earthquake in Afghanistan

Summary

Podcast Summary: Up First from NPR – “Government Shutdown Looms, Brazil's Ex-President on Trial, Earthquake in Afghanistan” (September 2, 2025)

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Overview

This episode of NPR’s Up First covers the three top international and national headlines shaping the day: the possibility of a U.S. government shutdown as Congress reconvenes, the historic trial of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, and the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Afghanistan. With sharp interviews and on-the-ground reporting, the episode delivers broad context, timely updates, and a few pressing quotes from key experts and affected individuals.

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1. Looming U.S. Government Shutdown and Congressional Priorities

Key Segments:

• Congress Reconvenes Amid Pressure
  [02:12–06:21]

Key Discussion Points

• Congress returns from recess as division over government funding continues. Angry voters have confronted lawmakers at town halls, urging them to address economic tumult and concerns over executive overreach.
• The current funding deadline is September 30.
  • Republican leaders are considering a stopgap measure, keeping funding levels unchanged.
  • Democrats want a complete appropriations plan.
• Executive overreach concerns dominate, with new actions from President Trump during the recess:
  • Clawed back billions in foreign aid via a "pocket rescission."
  • Imposed new tariffs, ousted the CDC director, and attempted to fire a Federal Reserve governor.

Notable Quotes

• “It's possible. That's the hardest job on tap for lawmakers as the parties remain deeply divided.”
  — Claudia Grisales, NPR (03:43)

• “The most recent example...the president unilaterally clawed back billions more in foreign aid using what's known as a pocket rescission.”
  — Claudia Grisales, NPR (03:10)

• “Lawmakers are going to have to make a political calculation here—how much do they want to pay the price in terms of pressures they may face because of these efforts by President Trump?”
  — Claudia Grisales, NPR (04:45)

Additional Issues

• Pressure to release Jeffrey Epstein files:
  Republicans’ base is demanding transparency around the Epstein case; Democrats argue efforts are limited and partial but are receiving some cross-party support.
  • “The committee intends to make records public. But Democrats say that Republicans are going to make that limited. It will be far from comprehensive.”
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR (05:29)

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2. Brazil’s Former President Bolsonaro on Trial

Key Segments:

• Unprecedented Trial in Brazil
  [06:29–10:09]

Key Discussion Points

• Trial Charges:

  • Bolsonaro faces five charges, including plotting a coup, violently attempting to overthrow democratic law, and participating in an armed criminal organization.
  • Additional charges relate to property damage during the January 8, 2023 Capitol riots by his supporters.
  • Prosecutors reference substantial evidence, including plots uncovered via texts and calls, and a plea deal from Bolsonaro's closest aide.

• Historic and International Significance:

  • This is the first time a Brazilian ex-president is put on trial for an attempted coup—testing the strength of Brazil's young democracy and judiciary.
  • The U.S. (under President Trump) has actively intervened:
    • “President Trump has said he is closely watching the case and has called it a witch hunt against Bolsonaro. He's demanded it be dropped. He slapped 50% tariffs against Brazil.”
      — Carrie Kahn, NPR (08:01)

Notable Quotes

• “This is unprecedented. There have been presidents accused of crimes before, but an ex leader has not been successfully brought to trial for trying to overthrow the government.”
  — Carrie Kahn, NPR (08:01)

• “Basically, Trump is restoring the democracy of Brazil.”
  — Claudia Grisales, quoting Eduardo Bolsonaro, Congressman (09:25)

• “Bolsonaro’s own words would be part of the evidence here.”
  — Steve Inskeep, NPR (07:55)

• “His son...actually moved to the US to lobby the Trump administration for help for his father.”
  — Carrie Kahn, NPR (09:00)

Outcome and Risks

• The trial is expected to last about two weeks. Conviction could mean up to 40 years in prison for Bolsonaro, age 70.
• There are concerns about further U.S. sanctions should Bolsonaro be convicted.
• So far, the Brazilian judiciary has withstood U.S. pressure—the Supreme Court continues the trial undeterred.

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3. Afghanistan Earthquake: Disaster Response and International Aid Crisis

Key Segments:

• Afghanistan Earthquake Aftermath
  [10:18–13:34]

Key Discussion Points

• Magnitude of Disaster:

  • The earthquake has killed more than 950, with thousands injured.
  • Rescue efforts are hampered by the extremely remote, mountainous terrain—some villages are accessible only by goat trails, requiring hours-long treks for help.

• Human Toll:

  • “They're taking those injured people walking for three hours till they arrive to the first point.”
    — Ibrahim Ahmed, Islamic Relief (11:14)

• Further Complicating Factors:

  • Heavy rains prior to the quake loosened the ground, increasing damage.

  • Aid capacity is severely diminished after U.S. aid was suspended under President Trump, over concerns about Taliban corruption.

    • “These cuts have had a calamitous impact. Hungry people are going without. Hundreds of medical centres have shut down in recent months.”
      — Dia Hadid, NPR (11:52)

  • Taliban’s restrictions on women make it difficult for female aid workers to assist female victims.

  • Many victims are believed to be recent deportees, refugees from Iran and Pakistan resettled in the quake-impacted areas.

Notable Quotes

• “Locals are just trying to dig out people by hand. But, Layla, the remoteness isn't the only thing that's making this crisis potentially worse than it should be.”
  — Dia Hadid, NPR (11:30)

• “What we know is from what one of our producers heard from a man who was trying to rescue people out of their homes, and he said he heard women and children crying out for help.”
  — Dia Hadid, NPR (13:01)

• “Donors are unlikely to hand over money directly to the Taliban, considering those allegations of siphoning off aid. And frankly, because of Taliban's restrictions on women, which have made it difficult for even female aid workers to help female victims.”
  — Dia Hadid, NPR (12:37)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:12] Congress returns, government shutdown threat
• [03:41] Congressional priorities: economy, executive overreach, “Epstein files”
• [06:29] Brazil: Bolsonaro’s trial begins
• [07:04] Details of coup plotting charges
• [09:25] U.S. intervention in Brazil’s trial
• [10:18] Afghanistan’s earthquake rescue struggles
• [11:52] U.S. aid cuts complicate relief, ongoing vulnerabilities
• [13:01] Testimonies from earthquake victims and aid workers

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Memorable Moments

• The image of villagers in Afghanistan walking for hours, carrying the wounded to safety ([11:14]), underscoring the human cost of both disaster and infrastructure collapse.
• Carrera Grisales’ breakdown of congressional dysfunction and political risk as lawmakers return under immense public pressure ([03:41]).
• The contrast between Brazil’s judicial resolve and escalating U.S. political pressure ([08:01]–[09:49]).

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This episode delivers a whirlwind but comprehensive overview of the globe’s most urgent stories—exploring the tensions inside U.S. politics, the historic judicial reckoning in Brazil, and a humanitarian crisis compounded by politics and geography in Afghanistan.

Transcript

[Steve Inskeep]

Congress returns to the Capitol today with Republican leaders under pressure to release the Epstein files.

[Layla Fadel]

There's also the small matter of funding the entire federal government. So how's that going to work?

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm Steve Inskeep with Layla Fadel. And this is up first from NPR News. The former president of Brazil goes on trial today, accused of plotting a coup. President Trump applied pressure for his preferred verdict and some Brazilians support that.

[Claudia Grisales]

Basically, Trump is restricted charring the democracy of Brazil.

[Steve Inskeep]

What's the evidence against the ex president?

[Layla Fadel]

And authorities in Afghanistan say they need the world's help with rescue efforts after an earthquake that's killed hundreds and injured thousands. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

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[Layla Fadel]

Congress returns to Capitol Hill today after an August recess that was anything but quiet.

[Steve Inskeep]

Angry constituents confronted some lawmakers at town halls across the country. They focused on economic turmoil and presidential overreach. And now lawmakers face those same issues. Washington, where a government shutdown deadline comes at the end of this month.

[Layla Fadel]

Joining us now is NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales. Hi, Claudia.

[Claudia Grisales]

Good morning, Layla.

[Layla Fadel]

Good morning. So the last day to fund the government is September 30. Could the government shut down by the end of the month?

[Claudia Grisales]

It's possible. That's the hardest job on tap for lawmakers as the parties remain deeply divided. Many House Republicans want to see another stopgap measure to keep funding levels static, but Democrats want a regular appropriations plan. Then underlying all this, we have seen this Republican led Congress cede their power of the purse to the president. The most recent example happening this past week when the president unilaterally clawed back billions more in foreign aid using what's known as a pocket rescission. That's when the president asked lawmakers to rescind funds so close to the end of the fiscal year runs out the clock on the 45 days Congress would have to deliberate for a traditional rescissions request. So we expect to hear a lot from President Trump during this process. And Democrats say they're going to fight these efforts, efforts in a new way after facing plenty of blowback from their base, that they are not doing enough.

[Layla Fadel]

Now that they're back, what else is set to take priority?

[Claudia Grisales]

Well, I did hear a lot from lawmakers who faced angry constituents while they were on recess. For example, I was traveling in Texas where redistricting just took place. A lot of voters there are really worried about the economy. And so we'll see if lawmakers want to take any steps related to addressing these concerns. And then meanwhile, they also heard a lot of complaints about the signature bill passed this summer. President Trump called it the big beautiful bill and even said that maybe they should rename it because it should focus on benefits for middle class families in terms of what that name would be. And that's a signal this plan is not landing as they intended. So that could shape discussions on Capitol Hill as well.

[Layla Fadel]

We also saw President Trump push the extent of his executive power this past month with tariffs. He tried to fire a Federal Reserve governor and ousted the CDC director. So once again, testing the checks and balances that many argue Republicans have just ceded, what do you expect Congress to do?

[Claudia Grisales]

Right. Lawmakers are going to have to make a political calculation here. How much do they want to pay the price in terms of pressures they may face because of these efforts by President Trump? For example, the ousting at the Federal Reserve could create new pressures for the economy, for the markets. And then when we look at the CDC director situation, there's concern that there's new confusion about U.S. vaccine policy. We're going to hear from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy before a Senate committee this week. And finally, President Trump's efforts on tariffs, that's under legal challenge now whether that power really rests with Congress. So that's something we could hear about in the coming days as well.

[Layla Fadel]

And really quickly, what happens with The Epstein files. Now that the Congress is back right.

[Claudia Grisales]

Lawmakers are going to return to a real crossroads here. Republicans continue to face demands from their base to release police records related to the Jeffrey Epstein case and be more transparent when it comes to the prosecution of this late sex offender. We did see the House Oversight Committee have a very busy period recently issuing subpoenas for documents for witness testimony. The Justice Department has started turning over files from its investigations, and the committee intends to make records public. But Democrats say that Republicans are going to make that limited. It will be far from comprehensive. And they have an ally in Kentucky, Republican Thomas Massie, who's teamed up with Democrats to try to force a full vote on the House floor to release the records comprehensively.

[Layla Fadel]

That's NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales. Thank you.

[Claudia Grisales]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

Today, Brazil's Supreme Court puts a former president on trial.

[Layla Fadel]

J.R. bolsonaro is the country's former far right leader. He's accused of plotting to stay in power after losing his 2022 reelection campaign. Many Brazilians see this trial as pivotal for their democracy. Bolsonaro has won support from overseas, where President Trump has tried to use U.S. power to stop the case.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Carrie Kahn is covering the story from Rio de Janeiro. Hey there, Kerry.

[Carrie Kahn]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, amazing story. What exact charges does the former president face?

[Carrie Kahn]

There are five charges, and they include attempting to violently end the democratic rule of law, plotting a coup, and forming part of an armed criminal organization. There are two other charges. There are lesser charges, and they're related to damage of property and historical Items during the Jan. 8, 2023, riots by Bolsonaro's supporters on the Capitol in Brasilia. Prosecutors say they have extensive evidence against Bolsonaro, including the discovery of a plot to assassinate President Luis Nacio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court justice Alejandro de Maraes. Much of the evidence is in text messages, electronic communications and cell phone calls between Bolsonaro and the seven other defendants that are on trial today. Bolsonaro's closest aide took a plea deal for a reduced sentence and is the prosecution's key witness.

[Steve Inskeep]

Really interesting to hear that Bolsonaro's own words would be part of the evidence here. Has Brazil ever had a trial like this?

[Carrie Kahn]

This is unprecedented. There have been presidents accused of crimes before, but an ex leader has not been successfully brought to trial for trying to overthrow the government. You know, Brazil's democracy is very young. It emerged from a military dictatorship just 40 years ago. So Bolsonaro's prosecution is really testing the strength of its institution, especially the judiciary and the Supreme Court, which hears criminal cases against politicians. And the other really unique thing about this is that there's a lot of interventions, intervention on the part of the United States. President Trump has said he is closely watching the case and has called it a witch hunch against Bolsonaro. He's demanded it be dropped. He slapped 50% tariffs against Brazil. And the US has sanctioned the lead justice overseeing the case and revoked visas for many of the justices on the Supreme Court.

[Steve Inskeep]

Hmm. All this before the Supreme Court has even judged the evidence. What does Bolsonaro say in his defense?

[Carrie Kahn]

He says he's done nothing wrong. He said if any discussions were had about not giving up power, they were all in search of constitutional ways to stay in the presidency. Bolsonaro has never conceded that he lost the election. His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a congressman here, actually moved to the US to lobby the Trump administration for help for his father. And I spoke with him before the trial, and he praised Trump's intervention in the case.

[Claudia Grisales]

Basically, Trump is restoring the democracy of Brazil.

[Carrie Kahn]

But there are also many in Brazil that are condemning the US Intervention, intervention in the case. And they've rallied around President Lula, the current president now, who says Trump is assaulting Brazil's sovereignty.

[Steve Inskeep]

I guess from what you're telling me, that the Brazilians have resisted the US Pressure so far. The tariffs, for example, did not cause the Supreme Court justices to suddenly drop this case.

[Carrie Kahn]

No, not at all.

[Steve Inskeep]

So what happens now?

[Carrie Kahn]

The trial could last about two weeks if convicted. Bolsonaro, who is 70 now, has few appeals ahead of him and could face as much as 40 years in prison. And there are also concerns that if Bolsonaro's conv. That the U.S. will impose even more sanctions against Brazil.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Carrie Khan is in Rio de Janeiro. Thanks so much.

[Carrie Kahn]

You're welcome.

[Layla Fadel]

More than a day after an earthquake devastated parts of Afghanistan, rescuers are still trying to reach victims.

[Steve Inskeep]

Afghanistan's Disaster Management Authority says more than 950 people are dead, and they expect that toll to rise.

[Layla Fadel]

On the line with us is NPR's Dia Hadid. She covers Afghanistan from her base in Mumbai. Hi, Diya.

[Dia Hadid]

Hi, Layla.

[Layla Fadel]

So what is happening with the rescue effort?

[Dia Hadid]

Well, aid workers and residents are telling us they're still trying to reach impacted areas, particularly a remote mountainous district called Kunar. You can get a sense of what it looks like from drone footage shared by the Disaster Management Authority. There's collapsed mudbrick homes, and they're perched on site. Steep hills that overlook narrow river valleys. One aid worker Told me some places were only accessible by goat trail before the quake. That includes one village called Dugal, and it appears to have been wiped out. This is Ibrahim Ahmed from the Islamic Relief Aid Group.

[Commercial Announcer]

They are taking those injured people walking for three hours till they arrive to the first point, close to Jugal, where Islamic Relief was one of the first respondents.

[Layla Fadel]

Wow. Walking for three hours with wounded people. What's happening in other areas?

[Dia Hadid]

Authorities are trying to rescue people in other places by helicopter and they're trying to reach places by car. But these are long, difficult journeys over dirt roads. Two residents told us locals are just trying to dig out people by hand. But, Layla, the remoteness isn't the only thing that's making this crisis potentially worse than it should be.

[Layla Fadel]

What else might be making it worse?

[Dia Hadid]

There's the heavy rains that came days before and it potentially loosened the ground and may have made these mountain villages more vulnerable to collapse. And this earthquake comes as aid groups already stretch thin. That's after President Trump suspended most aid early this year amid claims that the Taliban was siphoning off some of it. But America was the largest aid donor to Afghanistan, and these cuts have had a calamitous impact. Hungry people are going without. Hundreds of medical centres have shut down in recent months. Midwives were telling us as early as March that they were seeing more babies die because birthing women couldn't get to health centres on time. Yeah. Now the UN says they're trying to raise money for an emergency appeal.

[Layla Fadel]

Do we have any sense of whether the international community will step up?

[Dia Hadid]

Countries may donate to the un, but the spokesman of the Taliban's Disaster Management Authority told NPR they're also contacting national and international aid groups. But donors are unlikely to hand over money directly to the Taliban, considering those allegations of siphoning off aid. And frankly, because of Taliban's restrictions on women, which have made it difficult for even female aid workers to help female victims.

[Layla Fadel]

What do you know about the victims so far?

[Dia Hadid]

Well, what we know is from what one of our producers heard from a man who was trying to rescue people out of their homes, and he said he heard women and children crying out for help. That's to be expected because the quake occurred while people were sleeping in their homes. But a senior aid worker for World Vision also told us that the victims likely include some of the more than 2 million Afghans who were deported from Iran and Pakistan this year. She says many of those families were encouraged to settling areas that were impacted by this quake.

[Layla Fadel]

NPR's Dia Hadid. Thank you for your reporting.

[Dia Hadid]

You're welcome, Layla.

[Layla Fadel]

And that's up first for Tuesday, September 2nd. I'm Layla Falden.

[Steve Inskeep]

And I'm Steve Inskeep. For your next listen, consider Consider this from NPR News. Up first gives you three big stories of the day. Consider this drills down on one Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Layla Fadel]

Yes, today's episode of up first was edited by Anna Yukonov, Tara Neil, Ryland Barton, Lisa Thompson and Alex Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacy Abbott, and our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

[Carrie Kahn]

Foreign.

[Steve Inskeep]

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