National Guard Portland, Gaza Talks In Egypt, SCOTUS Term Begins

Summary

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Up First from NPR – Episode Summary

Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Michelle Martin, Steve Inskeep
Main Topics: National Guard Deployment in Portland, Gaza Peace Talks in Egypt, Supreme Court Term Begins

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Episode Overview

This episode of NPR’s Up First covers three major news items: developments around the Trump administration’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Portland and other U.S. cities; new U.S.-brokered peace talks in Egypt aimed at ending the Gaza war; and the opening of the Supreme Court’s consequential new term, focusing particularly on cases shaping presidential power.

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1. National Guard Deployment and Legal Pushback

Segment Start: [02:02]

Key Points:

• Federal Judge Blocks Guard Deployment:
  • A judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops to Oregon, both from within and out-of-state forces.
• Administration’s Attempts to Circumvent:
  • The administration tried to sidestep a first ruling by dispatching the California and Texas National Guards instead ([02:27]).
• Local Response:
  • Oregon Governor Tina Kotak accused the administration of circumventing the law.
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom decried the move as "a breathtaking abuse of the law and power" ([02:54]).
• On-the-ground Reality:
  • Contrary to administration labeling Portland as “war ravaged,” local officials assert it is “business as usual,” with recent protests being relatively small and manageable by local police ([03:27]).
  • An incident over the weekend saw federal officers deploy tear gas on protesters without clear provocation.

Chicago and Other Cities ([03:58])

• National Guard Expansion:
  • At least 300 Illinois and 400 Texas National Guard members federalized for potential deployment.
  • Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker objected, calling it “Trump’s invasion.”
• Other Targeted Cities:
  • Trump mentioned plans for New Orleans, Baltimore, and Memphis, with Tennessee’s Republican governor supporting Guard deployment in Memphis ([04:59]).
• Strategic National Expansion:
  • Joe Hernandez: “Trump clearly sees this as a strategy that he can use in cities across the country.” ([05:23])

Notable Quotes:

• Joe Hernandez: “California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump’s sending the California Guard, quote, ‘a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.’” ([02:54])
• Joe Hernandez: “Oregon Governor Tina Kotak said ... their plans to send in the California Guard appeared to be an effort to circumvent that judge’s first ruling.” ([02:49])

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2. Gaza War: New Peace Talks in Egypt

Segment Start: [05:35]

Key Points:

• Launch of Talks:
  • Negotiators gather in Egypt following a U.S. peace proposal. Trump emphasizes urgency: “move fast.”
• Negotiation Complexities:
  • Talks focus on details for the release of hostages in Gaza.
  • Hamas expected to demand heavy concessions, including further Israeli withdrawal and a complete fire halt ([06:03]).
  • Agreement needed on Palestinian prisoner releases; Hamas claims some hostage remains are buried under rubble ([06:03]).
• What Prompted These Talks:
  • An Israeli strike on Hamas mediators in Qatar last month angered President Trump—spurring action from Arab allies, isolating Hamas and Israel ([06:57]).
  • Hamas facing battlefield losses and needing to improve its standing with Arab countries.

Mood on the Ground:

• Hope Amid Hardship:
  • Despite heavy casualties, some in Gaza experience hope over potential hostage releases and possible end to war.
  • Israeli hostage families are “full of nerves, but...finally are allowing themselves to hope” ([08:07]).

Memorable Moments & Quotes:

• Daniel Estrin: “Hamas is going to be coming to this negotiating table this week saying, Israel, you want the hostages. We need more guarantees to make that happen. And they’re likely to demand Israel withdraw its troops even farther than the line Israel already agreed to.” ([06:23])
• Daniel Estrin, reporting from Gaza: “He said it felt unbelievable joy and that it gave us a glimmer of hope, Hamas response, that maybe the war would finally come to an end.” ([08:05])

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3. Supreme Court: New Term’s High Stakes

Segment Start: [09:13]

Key Points:

• Major Docket:
  • Voting Rights Act, remaining campaign fundraising laws, Trump’s tariffs, and the fundamental structure of federal agencies all on the docket ([09:31]).
  • Also: State bans on transgender girl athletes participating in girls’ teams ([09:33]).
• Conservative Majority’s Record:
  • In eight months, the Court’s 6-3 conservative majority has repeatedly ruled in Trump’s favor via emergency decisions—granting 20 out of 23 administration requests ([10:16]).
  • Many of these emergency orders are temporary and made without public reasoning, some having permanent effect (e.g., mass federal employee dismissals) ([10:44]).
• Focus on Presidential Power:
  • Coming rulings may decide whether Trump exceeded his authority with efforts to end birthright citizenship ([11:49]).
  • The Court is set to clarify powers over firing independent regulatory agency commissioners—Trump has already removed many ([12:10]).
  • Exception: Trump temporarily blocked from firing a Federal Reserve governor ([12:53]).

Notable Quotes:

• Nina Totenberg: “The court has broken all records for granting the president’s wishes on its emergency docket. By the end of last week, the court had 20 times granted Trump’s request to block lower court orders opposed by the administration.” ([10:16])
• Nina Totenberg: “Coming soon is likely to be the unanswered question from last term. Did President Trump exceed his authority when he issued an executive order to undo the constitutional provision that guarantees automatic citizenship for every child born in the United States?” ([11:49])

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4. Other Headlines: Government Shutdown

Segment Start: [13:03]

• Sixth day of the government shutdown:
  • Democrats want to extend expiring healthcare tax credits; Republicans resist.
  • Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to call the House back until Democrats compromise.
  • Federal employee firings reportedly underway per Trump, but no official details released.

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Timestamps for Reference

• National Guard/Portland Legal Battle: [02:02] – [05:26]
• Gaza Peace Talks: [05:35] – [09:06]
• Supreme Court Term and Presidential Power: [09:13] – [13:02]
• Government Shutdown Update: [13:03] – [13:59]

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Summary & Tone

Throughout the episode, NPR’s reporters maintained a brisk, fact-driven, yet conversational tone—directly quoting officials for dramatic impact and weaving expert perspectives into the analysis. The hosts highlighted concerns about democracy, presidential power, and the human stakes in both national and international crises.

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For more in-depth coverage, listen to Morning Edition on your local NPR station or the NPR app.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

A federal judge blocked President Trump from deploying any National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.

[Steve Inskeep]

The judge stopped the administration from sidestepping an earlier decision by bringing troops from other states.

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin. I'm here with Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. A U.S. peace proposal led to new talks this week aiming to end the war in Gaza.

[Daniel Estrin]

We will know very quickly whether Hamas.

[Joe Hernandez]

Is serious or not by how these.

[Steve Inskeep]

Technical talks go in terms of the logistics.

[Michelle Martin]

You heard Marco Rubin refer to technical talks. Hamas is expected to demand larger concessions from Israel.

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, the Supreme Court opens a new term. The conservative majority delivered many temporary victories to President Trump. And now justices consider whether to make those rulings permanent. Stay with us. We've got the news. You need to start your day.

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[Michelle Martin]

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from sending any National Guard troops to Oregon.

[Steve Inskeep]

This second ruling from the same judge responds to an administration effort to send troops in from out of state. The drama is just one of the administration's efforts over the weekend to deploy troops into American cities.

[Michelle Martin]

NPR's Joe Hernandez is here to tell us more about this. Good morning, Joe.

[Joe Hernandez]

Good morning.

[Michelle Martin]

So first, could you just bring us up to date on this legal back and forth over sending National Guard to Portland?

[Joe Hernandez]

Yeah. So the Trump administration first tried to federalize the Oregon National Guard, which a judge temporarily blocked over the weekend. So the administration then tried to send the California National Guard to Oregon instead, which California's governor then Criticized. The administration also called on the Texas National Guard to go to Portland and Chicago. But in a hearing late on Sunday, that same judge temporarily blocked the the federalized Guard troops coming from any state and going to Oregon. So Oregon Governor Tina Kotak said the Trump administration, their plans to send in the California Guard appeared to be an effort to circumvent that judge's first ruling. And California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump's sending the California Guard, quote, a breathtaking abuse of the law and power. So this is all happening because the Trump administration says the federal government needs to step in and help, quote, war ravaged Portland.

[Michelle Martin]

All right, so the administration is calling Portland war ravaged. What do we know about what the situation is in the neighborhoods in the city, in Portland?

[Joe Hernandez]

Well, both the Oregon governor and the mayor of Portland have said that it's business as usual in the city. Now, there have been protests outside of ICE facilities there recently, like in many places across the country. And an Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter was outside one ICE facility over the weekend and saw federal officers firing tear gas at protesters without any signs of clear provocation. And the federal judge who ruled on the case said those protests that have been occurring there over the summer have generally been small and capable of being handled by the local police in Portland.

[Michelle Martin]

And then there's Chicago. You know, President Trump has been threatening to send the National Guard there for weeks. What's happening with that situation?

[Joe Hernandez]

Right, and this one has been a long time coming. The administration federalized at least 300 members of the Illinois National Guard who would likely be sent to Chicago. And then late Sunday, it also mobilized 400 members of the Texas National Guard. And that late Sunday revelation led to an outcry From Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker, who said he was not told of those plans. And he called the troop movements, quote, Trump's invasion. A Pentagon memo reviewed by NPR says the Guard will be used there to protect federal law enforcement officials and federal property. Again, Trump has criticized what he's characterized as high crime rates and lawlessness in Chicago. And again, the Democratic leaders there say that's just not the case.

[Michelle Martin]

Okay, so we've talked about Portland and we've talked about Chicago, but those are not the only cities the president has talked about sending federal forces to. What are some of the other areas that he's mentioned?

[Joe Hernandez]

New Orleans. Baltimore is one. And another area he's mentioned is Memphis, Tennessee. Now, this place is unlike most of the others because that plan actually has the support of Tennessee's Republican Governor, Bill Lee. And there's actually A federal law enforcement crackdown underway in Memphis now, which officials say will include the National Guard. Trump clearly sees this as a strategy that he can use in cities across the country.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR's Joe Hernandez. Joe, thank you.

[Joe Hernandez]

You're welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

These are dramatic days for the Middle East.

[Michelle Martin]

Negotiators begin talks today in Egypt to try to finally end the war in Gaza. The United States presented a peace plan and Israel agreed. The talks are to make sure Hamas and Israel get on board with the details on the release of the Roman remaining hostages held in Gaza. President Trump is asking everyone to, quote, move fast.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Daniel Estrin is following this from Tel Aviv. Hi there, Daniel.

[Daniel Estrin]

Hi, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, they're told to move fast, but how quickly can we expect these negotiations to go?

[Daniel Estrin]

It could take longer than what Trump has been suggesting. The sides have to agree on a lot, including which Palestinian prisoners Israel will release. And Hamas is also saying that some of the dead hostages in Gaza are buried under rubble and that it's going to take them time to exhume their bodies. Hamas is going to be coming to this negotiating table this week saying, Israel, you want the hostages. We need more guarantees to make that happen. And they're likely to demand Israel withdraw its troops even farther than the line Israel already agreed to. They'll probably insist Israel halt all its fire while they're locating the hostages. So we expect Hamas to seek maximal concessions, Israel to seek minimal concessions, and it's going to be up to the US and the mediating countries to bridge all of it.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so granting that this may not end this this week, we seem to be getting closer to some kind of conclusion. What has pushed the warring parties to this point?

[Daniel Estrin]

Israel's strike targeting Hamas mediators in Qatar last month really was the pivotal moment. It angered President Trump. Qatar, of course, is his close ally, and he got Arab countries on board with his peace plan. So this united front that they presented put Israel and Hamas in a corner. Trump brought Israel on board and. And Hamas calculated its standing. It knows it's losing militarily in Gaza. It's losing more territory with Israeli troops advancing in Gaza City. It needs relations with Arab countries if it wants any kind of future role in Palestinian life. And Trump is now showing a real desire to end the war. We know he wants a Nobel Peace Prize, and that's going to be announced this Friday. Who gets that prize? But Hamas saw the opportunity now to negotiate something with Trump, with the others may be to negotiate something in its favor. And I think that's why Hamas has finally agreed to do things that they had been giving a flat no to before. They've agreed to release all the hostages up front. They're even beginning to signal flexibility about giving up their weapons.

[Steve Inskeep]

Are people on the ground hopeful?

[Daniel Estrin]

They are, which is really an amazing thing to say. In Gaza, scores of people have been killed in Israeli strikes just in recent days. And still there are voices of hope. Our reporter in Gaza, NPR's Anas Baba, met a 31 year old man, Mohammad Nassar, who had fled an Israeli airstrike the very night before Hamas announced it was willing to release the 48 hostages. And here's what he said. He said if he felt unbelievable joy and that it gave us a glimmer of hope, Hamas response that maybe the war would finally come to an end. And in Israel, we are hearing similar voices from families of hostages. They're actually camped outside Prime Minister Netanyahu's home. They want to keep the pressure on him. They're full of nerves, but they finally are allowing themselves to hope.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, thanks so much, sir.

[Daniel Estrin]

You're welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

In this country, the Supreme Court opens a new term today.

[Michelle Martin]

The cases are hugely consequential and focused in large part on how much power the Constitution gives to the president.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg has covered the Supreme Court for decades and is here once again. Hi there, Nina.

[Nina Totenberg]

Hi there, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

What are you expecting?

[Nina Totenberg]

Well, we have a ton of issues on the court's docket. There's a case that could end what's left of the landmark Voting Rights Act, a case that could do away with one of the few remaining laws that limits campaign fundraising. There's a serious challenge to the Trump tariffs. And there are all the cases that involve quite literally the structure of the federal government. There are social issues, too. For instance, whether states can bar transgender female students from playing on women's sports teams in schools. It's a lot.

[Steve Inskeep]

There have been constant news stories involving the Supreme Court all through this second Trump administration almost daily it sometimes seems. But give us the overall view. How active has the court's 6 to 3 conservative majority been in just eight months?

[Nina Totenberg]

The court has broken all records for granting the president's wishes on its emergency docket. By the end of last week, the court had 20 times granted Trump's request to block lower court orders opposed by the administration. In contrast, the court ruled against the administration in these emergency cases just three times.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. Although I guess we should note the court will say these rulings are temporary, a final and Fuller argument is still to come correct.

[Nina Totenberg]

That's because the court did not hear arguments in these cases, nor was there full briefing. Instead, as befitting the, quote, emergency title, the court simply made a temporary decision. But in most cases, it gave no explanation at all for the ruling. And some of these cases will now come back for full briefing and arguments. And an actual real decision will happen in these cases. And it could be different from the emergency order. At the same time, though, in many of the cases where the court intervened quickly, the temporary intervention was a death knell for the case. Think the Education Department. It's already decimated the Trump takeover of private Social Security records. That's complete. Tens of thousands of expert federal workers have been dismissed from the National Weather Service, from fema, and from the National Institutes of Health, just to name a few of the affected agencies.

[Steve Inskeep]

And yet, is it correct that some of these cases nevertheless come back for the full arguments for a final decision in the coming months?

[Nina Totenberg]

Absolutely. Coming soon is likely to be the unanswered question from last term. Did President Trump exceed his authority when he issued an executive order to undo the constitutional provision that guarantees automatic citizenship for every child born in the United States?

[Steve Inskeep]

Now, with that said, do you feel there's a case that looms above all others?

[Nina Totenberg]

You know, it's hard to say which cases are the most important, but this term, there are a bunch of them that strike at the heart of how the government is structured. And first and foremost is the status of independent regulatory agencies, which typically have a majority of commissioners from the president's party and a minority from the other party. And although Trump didn't try to get rid of these agencies or their commissioners in his first term, he's been doing that almost since day one of his second term. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to do that, at least so far, to fire people, while at the same time strongly suggesting that the Federal Reserve Board governors are different somehow. Ah.

[Steve Inskeep]

And you reminded me this is one of Trump's few losses in the temporary rulings or emergency rulings, and that is that a fed governor gets to keep her job for now.

[Nina Totenberg]

Yes.

[Steve Inskeep]

Nina, thanks so much.

[Nina Totenberg]

Thank you, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

That's NPR's Nina Totenberg. We're also following the government shutdown in its sixth day. Democrats and Republicans are dug in. Democrats, you will recall, want to extend health care tax credits that expire at the end of this year, while Republicans say they can talk about that later. Speaker Mike Johnson says he will not bring the House back into session at all until Democrats give ground President Trump said the firing of federal employees is taking place right now, although his administration has not provided any details of that. If you want to hear more coverage of the shutdown, tune into Morning Edition, the radio show that Michelle and Layla and Amartenas and I host. It's on your local station or at the NPR app, And that's up first for this Monday, October 6th. I'm Steve Inskeep.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michelle Martin. Do you love starting your day with Up First First? You are part of the reason it exists. So support this show and the journalists in your [e-mail] UpFirst Today's Up first.

[Steve Inskeep]

Was edited by Alina Hartounian, Kate Bartlett, Krishnadev Kalamer, Mohamed El Bardisi and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Bache, Nia Demas and Chris Thomas. Chris, you're going by Chris, not Christopher these days, Christopher Thomas, we get engineering support from Stacey Abbott, and our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us tomorrow.

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