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NPR News Now

NPR News: 10-21-2025 12AM EDT

21 Oct 2025

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

2.073 - 16.108 Shea Stephens

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stephens. The U.S. Senate has once again defeated a proposal to reopen government at least through November 21st. Majority Leader John Thune says the debate over health care subsidies can wait.

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16.489 - 27 Chuck Schumer

I have made it clear from the beginning that Republicans are willing to have a discussion about how to address it. In fact, I'm perfectly willing to guarantee Democrats a vote.

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Chapter 2: What recent government proposal was defeated in the U.S. Senate?

27.723 - 31.508 Chuck Schumer

But none of that is going to happen until Democrats reopen the government.

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31.609 - 38.739 Shea Stephens

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says now is the time to discuss health care subsidies, which expire in just over two months.

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38.899 - 55.182 Unknown

The ACA premium crisis is not a fix-it-later issue, like Republicans keep pretending it is. It's a fix-it-now issue, because very soon Americans are going to have to make some really difficult choices about which health care plan they choose for next year.

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55.6 - 64.788 Shea Stephens

Meanwhile, the government shutdown has not impeded plans for a new White House ballroom. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports, demolition is already underway on parts of the East Wing.

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65.148 - 79.621 Tamara Keith

The construction is privately funded through donations, so a White House official says the government shutdown didn't delay the groundbreaking. Last week, during a dinner at the White House for large-dollar donors, President Trump pointed out toward the East Wing of the White House and explained.

79.961 - 86.239 Donald Trump

Everything out there is coming down, and we're replacing it with one of the most beautiful buildings ballrooms that you've ever seen.

86.46 - 88.221 Tamara Keith

That demolition is happening now.

88.562 - 93.086 Donald Trump

And you're going to see a ballroom the likes of which I don't think it'll be topped.

93.367 - 102.516 Tamara Keith

Trump now says the ballroom will hold 999 people, an increase from the 650 originally announced. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

Chapter 3: How are health care subsidies impacting the current political debate?

174.099 - 196.448 Shea Stephens

U.S. futures are flat and after-hours trading on Wall Street following Monday's gains. This is NPR. President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have signed a deal to share critical minerals. The move comes after China imposed stricter export rules on its rare earth minerals. A new study shows that marijuana can help with chronic back pain.

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196.648 - 205.805 Shea Stephens

The German company that ran the study says it expects to get approval to market the drug. But NPR's Will Stone reports that that will... won't be true here in the US.

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206.146 - 225.653 Will Stone

The findings come from a pair of major clinical trials on patients with low back pain, the leading cause of disability. The first showed that a blend of cannabis oil containing the psychoactive compound THC outperformed a placebo. The other compared it to opioids and showed cannabis had fewer GI side effects and provided better relief.

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225.633 - 237.41 Will Stone

The company tells NPR it's being required to repeat the studies in the U.S. before seeking approval from regulators here. Richard Price, a spine surgeon at UC Davis, says many of his patients ask about using cannabis.

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237.651 - 240.675 Unknown

It's a really good study, and it's one that we should repeat in the United States.

240.935 - 252.332 Will Stone

Because cannabis is a Schedule I drug, running large research trials comes with many obstacles, meaning it will likely be years before that additional research gets completed. Will Stone, NPR News.

252.312 - 278.843 Shea Stephens

Amazon's cloud computing service disrupted Internet use worldwide Monday, affecting social media, gaming, streaming, financial platforms, and more. Amazon says that the outage was resolved by evening. The incident is a reminder that much of society relies on only a handful of companies for reliable Internet technology. On Asia-Pacific markets, shares are higher. You're listening to NPR News.

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