NPR News: 10-22-2025 5PM EDT
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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org.
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The federal debt now tops $38 trillion for the first time ever. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the government has added a trillion dollars in new debt in just the last two months.
Even with big swaths of the federal government temporarily idled by the shutdown, spending continues to outpace tax revenues, leaving the government to rely on borrowing to make up the difference. The cost of the growing debt is compounded by today's interest rates, which are higher than they were a few years ago. Last month alone, the government had to spend $91 billion just to cover interest payments on the debt. That outpaced every other line item in the federal budget except for Social Security. Fiscal watchdog Michael Peterson warns interest costs are likely to crowd out other important investments, acting like a drag on the broader U.S. economy. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
North Carolina Republicans finished passing a new congressional map today. They hope it'll ease the party's path to winning an 11th seat in the state. The North Carolina newsroom's Adam Wagner reports from Raleigh.
North Carolina's new map shifts hundreds of thousands of voters between the 1st and 3rd districts in the eastern part of the state. Republicans have said their goal is to gain an advantage in the state's only swing district, one currently held by Don Davis, a Democrat. But Democrats, like State Representative Gloristein Brown, say the new map intentionally dilutes the power of Black voters.
You claim that racial data was not used. You didn't need to use racial data because every single member of this body knows about the black population in the northeastern part of this state.
North Carolina's governor can't veto the new map, but a lawsuit is expected. For NPR News, I'm Adam Wagner in Raleigh.
Tasked with keeping a fragile ceasefire in Gaza on track, a high-level U.S. delegation is spending another day in Israel. Vice President J.D. Vance met today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. NPR's Greg Myrie reports on the mission. as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire brokered by the president nears two weeks.
Vice President Vance met Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Afterward, Vance told reporters, quote, We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza. Vance is part of a high-profile U.S. team in Israel this week with the mission of extending the ceasefire to a more challenging second phase. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are also in Israel and have also held talks with the prime minister. Netanyahu is universally known in Israel as Bibi. The Israeli media is calling the visiting American contingent the babysitters.
Greg Myrie, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Tropical storm Melissa has dumped heavy rain on parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Friday. This is NPR News from Washington. A Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine says he's covered a tattoo on his chest to no longer reflect an image widely recognized as a Nazi symbol that he got nearly 20 years ago. Graham Plattner says he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police. He's among the Democrats trying to oust Republican Susan Collins. Global health officials are warning of a significant shortfall in funding of efforts to eradicate polio. NPR's Fatma Tanis reports.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which includes the World Health Organization, is facing a 30% budget cut next year and a $1.7 billion funding gap through 2029. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the WHO's head of polio eradication, Jamal Ahmed, said the shortage was driven mainly by the Trump administration's foreign aid cuts.
the significant reductions in funding, especially for outbreak response and surveillance, mean that certain activities will simply not happen
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