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Today's top stories
Top Democratic and Republican congressional leaders left yesterday's meeting with President Trump without a plan to fund the government. Federal agencies run out of money at midnight tonight. The meeting, which also included Vice President JD Vance, was a last-minute attempt to resolve a weeks-long standoff between the parties over spending. Vance made it clear that the GOP wouldn't agree to Democrats' demands to attach health care provisions to a spending bill. Here's what a government shutdown could affect around the country.
- 🎧 NPR's Deirdre Walsh tells Up First she doesn't see any way to avoid a government shutdown after talking with lawmakers from both parties last night in the Capitol. Both sides admitted to Walsh that there are no negotiations and no viable path to avert the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to bring up two proposals for votes today: one for the House-passed bill that extends current funding levels through Nov. 21 and another for the Democrats' alternative plan that attaches health care changes. Both are expected to fail.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's meeting with top U.S. military leaders today in Quantico, Va., just got even more notable with the president announcing he will attend. Trump informed NBC News that it will be a "very nice meeting talking about how well we're doing militarily, talking about being in great shape." These details are currently the most public yet to emerge about the gathering, which Hegseth ordered hundreds of generals and admirals to attend.
- 🎧 The meeting is unique because of the wide geographic spread of the people expected to attend, as well as the logistics and security around bringing them together, says NPR's Quil Lawrence. Trump's message that the event is a pep talk has caused some military analysts and former officers to flip as they find it troubling that flag officers would be pulled away to be told how to do their jobs by Hegseth, who was not seen as a defense heavyweight until being appointed to his role. The meeting has also led to speculation that Hegseth is looking to fire some military leaders.
Trump announced a plan to end the war in Gaza after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday at the White House. This marks the first time Trump has outlined both an end to the war and a potential future for the two million Palestinians living in the region, nearly two years after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Here are five takeaways from the plan.
- 🎧 The plan includes releasing all Israeli hostages held in Gaza, along with allowing hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza daily, aimed at reversing the man-made famine. Israel would also release approximately 2,000 male detainees and all women and children in Israeli prisons since the Oct. 7 attack. NPR's Aya Batrawy says this isn't the ultimate victory over Hamas that Netanyahu desired, as it doesn't allow for the full occupation of Gaza and the continuation of war. However, Netanyahu is attempting to sell this as a major win. The plan allows Israel to keep its boots on the ground in much of Gaza for the foreseeable future, which raises uncertainty about how Hamas might react.
Today's listen
Olivia Dean, the 26-year-old English singer, is rising to the top of the charts with songs from her second studio album, The Art of Loving. She has reached the ranks of Adele, becoming the first British artist since her to have three simultaneous Top 10 hits on the U.K. charts. Her song "Man I Need," which can be heard all over social media, is her first song to chart on Billboard's Hot 100. She is now making her way across the U.S., sharing her music as the opener for Sabrina Carpenter's tour. Her songs discuss not only romantic love, but self-love and platonic love as well. There is even some heartbreak woven into it. Dean breaks down the vulnerability in the lyrics of the songs she writes and what they mean to her in an interview with Morning Edition host Leila Fadel. Listen to snippets of Dean's music and what she has to say about her musical journey, or read the transcript.
Living better
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
As autumn arrives, our bodies start to recognize the change in light, signaling the approach of the dark winter months. This transition can lead to your mood dimming. Approximately 1 in 20 adults have seasonal affective disorder, which is seasonal depression. And millions more experience a milder form of "winter blues." One way to combat these feelings is by using light therapy, with the help of a light box, starting in the fall. Here's what you should know about light therapy and how it works:
- 💡 Typically, people sit in front of a light box every morning for about 30 minutes, making it part of their morning routine.
- 💡 Light therapy is as effective as standard antidepressant medication in alleviating symptoms, according to a study referenced by Dr. Dorothy Sit, a psychiatrist and associate professor at Northwestern University. Studies indicate that improvements in symptoms can be observed within one week of starting the therapy.
- 💡 If interested in buying a light box, you should get one that emits 10,000 lux of light, and larger screens are better.
- 💡 Remember, lack of light isn't the only trigger of a low mood. If it's cold and snowy outside, people go out less, which can cause social isolation. Reach out to friends and family and stay engaged in activities that keep you in contact with people.
3 things to know before you go
- 831 Stories, a romantic fiction company that launched one year ago this month, is working to create a vibrant world around the books it publishes, complete with fanfiction and merchandise. As the romance genre grows in popularity, this unique experience may be just what readers want.
- When Tanya Eby was in sixth grade, her friend group decided not to hang out with her anymore, her brother moved away to live with their dad and her stepdad also left. Overcome with grief, she cried in class. Her teacher, Mrs. Welch, pulled her into the teachers' lounge to find out what was wrong. Eby explained, and Welch wrapped her in a hug, allowing her to cry. The embrace from Eby's unsung hero centered her in the moment and impacted her whole life.
- Authorities are investigating the death of a stowaway discovered Sunday morning within the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight that arrived recently in Charlotte, N.C., from Europe.
This newsletter was edited by Yvonne Dennis.
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