NPR News: 11-04-2025 12PM EST
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What is the current status of the government shutdown?
This message comes from Subaru, celebrating the Subaru Share the Love event now through January 2nd. By year's end, Subaru and its retailers will have donated more than $350 million to charity. Subaru, more than a car company.
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Senate Republicans are again attempting to overcome Democratic opposition to a short-term spending measure that would reopen the government. They were unable to do so the last 13 times. And that's dragged out the shutdown to 35 days, tied now for the longest in U.S. history. Last time it went that long was during President Trump's first term. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed or working without pay. Services are limited. The federal food assistance program, SNAP, ran out of money over the weekend. Even though the Trump administration said it was tapping into contingency funds, it says it can only pay out 50 percent this month of what people normally get.
That stands to affect tens of millions of people, such as Phoenix resident Shalise Hooks, who is unemployed and has a 15-year-old son. It's hard because he's in high school, and when he comes home, he's hungry.
How are federal workers affected by the ongoing shutdown?
It's okay, Mama. No, it's not okay.
Hooks is among 42 million people who depend on federal food assistance. Voters across Virginia are heading to the polls. In central Virginia, where demographics and political leanings have led to a blue shift in the once red state, Radio IQ's Brad Kuttner spoke to voters about what got them to the polls early today.
Though they didn't want to say who they voted for in the race for Virginia governor between Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earl Sears, two voters talked about why they voted. Keisha Spencer is a preschool center director in Chesterfield. She said federal cuts to programs inspired her to vote.
Cutting things like Head Start is terrible for our community. These are children that's going to be taking care of us once we're old.
68-year-old retired CPA James Walker says he's voted every year since he was 18. He said it was his duty, responsibility, and privilege to vote.
I'm worried about my country, and I'm more concerned about that. And so to that extent, I think a more conservative approach in this country is better at this time.
For NPR News, I'm Brad Kuttner in Richmond.
What issues are influencing voters in Virginia's elections?
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died. He was 84. NPR's Don Gagne looks back at Cheney's long tenure as a Washington power player.
Dick Cheney grew up in Nebraska, flunked out of Yale, but eventually headed back to school. By age 34, he was chief of staff to President Gerald Ford. He won a congressional seat in Wyoming and later was defense secretary to President George H.W. Bush. After a stint as CEO of the energy firm Halliburton, Cheney was named George W. Bush's running mate. He was an unusually influential vice president and an unwavering proponent of an aggressive U.S. military policy following the 9-11 attacks. That included going to war in Iraq to confront Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were ever found. Cheney, though, was unrepentant to the end. Don Gagne, NPR News. It's NPR.
How did Dick Cheney's career shape U.S. politics?
The World Health Organization estimates foreign aid from the U.S. and other countries will drop by as much as 40 percent this year. NPR's Jonathan Lambert says the WHO is advising those countries receiving aid to adapt long-term.
Thank you for having me. But the agency is also prompting countries to think about a future that's less reliant on foreign aid. In part, that would require governments to change tax policies to generate more revenue to spend on health care. WHO is also calling on countries to expand insurance access to ensure that more people can get that care. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
Comedian Jon Stewart says The Daily Show will keep going another year. Here's NPR's Madalita El Parco.
Jon Stewart told his audience the news on last night's show. The Daily Show will be coming back for another year. Stewart will continue to be executive producer for the series through its 30th year, and he'll host the satirical news show every Monday through December of 2026.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the current status of the government shutdown?
0:00–1:12
2
How are federal workers affected by the ongoing shutdown?
1:12–2:19
3
What issues are influencing voters in Virginia's elections?
2:19–3:17
4
How did Dick Cheney's career shape U.S. politics?
3:17–4:36
5
What impact will the WHO's foreign aid cuts have on global health?
4:36–4:55