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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
On Planet Money, we have covered a lot of topics. Like, just try searching something on the internet and adding Planet Money to the end of it. Tariff prices, Planet Money, that's an episode. Stop sign war, Planet Money, that too. Alaska halibut derby, Planet Money. If you can ask it, we have probably answered it. Planet Money, listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Large sections of the government are shut down. President Trump is urging House Republicans to support a funding package that passed out of the Senate last week as part of a compromise with Democrats. But as NPR's Claudia Grisales reports, Speaker Mike Johnson is facing objections among Republicans.
The Senate made changes to the House-passed bipartisan package after federal agents shot and killed Alex Preddy. They kept five funding bills in place but paused full appropriations for DHS. Senate Democrats agreed to a deal that would fund DHS for two weeks as they negotiate reforms for agents involved in immigration raids.
However, it's not clear the House has enough bipartisan votes to approve the plan, with some Democrats saying it falls short and some Republicans saying it goes too far. The funding plan would allow several agencies to reopen, including the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Health and Human Services.
For now, workers for those agencies and more are either furloughed or working without pay. Claudia Gonzalez, NPR News.
Last week's release of more than three million files relating to Jeffrey Epstein continues to shine new light on his powerful associates. NPR's Stephen Fowler reports.
Jeffrey Epstein surrounded himself with notable and influential figures in politics, academia, science and more. The latest batch of Epstein vials reveal how deep and personal those ties got.
Epstein wrote about meeting with the founder of the 4chan image board website, texted with wellness icon Deepak Chopra about financial advice, and invited many people to his homes in Ireland even after he was convicted of sex crimes. Conversing with Epstein and being in the files do not imply any wrongdoing or affiliation with those crimes. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.
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Chapter 2: What are the latest updates on the government shutdown?
President Trump says the U.S. is creating a nearly $12 billion stockpile of rare earth elements.
Just as we have long had a strategic petroleum reserve and a stockpile of critical minerals for national defense, we're now creating this reserve for American industry, so we don't have any problems.
The move is an attempt to counter China's dominance in these metals, which are crucial for modern electronics. China controls about 70% of the world's rare earth mining. and about 90% of processing, giving it leverage in trade talks. President Trump says he is moving to close the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for two years.
He made the announcement after a wave of cancellations by artists since he ousted the performing arts venue's leadership and added his name to the building. He says the proposal is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which he has stocked with allies.
And President Trump says he will lower tariffs on goods from India to 18 percent from 25 percent after Indian President Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. Trump has been pressuring India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude to pressure Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine. This is NPR News from Washington.
A landslide last week collapsed tunnels at a mine in eastern Congo, killing at least 200 people. The mine has been controlled by M23 rebels since 2024, though the rebels and Congolese government have traded accusations over responsibility. It's one of the deadliest disasters in recent memory in an area already facing a displacement crisis.
An international sports tribunal in Switzerland denied an appeal by U.S. sled racer Katie Ulander today. She hoped to compete in the Milan Cortina Winter Games, but she says she was cheated out of competition by a point rigging scheme. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled it lacks jurisdiction in the case, as NPR's Brian Mann reports.
This scandal began last month when Ulander competed well in a qualifying skeleton sled race and hoped to win enough qualifying points to secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. But she alleges a Canadian coach manipulated the point system, costing her what would have been a sixth trip to the Winter Games. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee called Ulander's treatment unfair.
A major international sled federation also said point manipulation did occur. But Ulander was still sidelined, so she filed one last appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A review panel ruled that for technical reasons, they lacked jurisdiction, leaving Ulander out of these Olympics. Brian Mann, NPR News, Milan.
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