Government shutdown looms; Ukraine-Russia war : NPR

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Today’s top stories

President Trump canceled a Thursday meeting with Democratic leaders to discuss a possible government funding deal. This move increases the chances of a government shutdown on Oct. 1. Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries says that the Democrats’ position isn’t complicated. They want to “cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care.” The president posted on social media that the Democrats’ demands about attaching health care provisions to a funding bill were “unserious” and a meeting wouldn’t be productive.

• 🎧 It seems unlikely that a government shutdown can be avoided at this point, NPR’s Deirdre Walsh tells Up First. Congress can sometimes work fast when confronted with a deadline, but there have been no talks so far to help in this process. Republicans say Democrats need to back a seven-week funding bill without other policy demands. Some Republicans believe that Congress should implement a form of health care subsidies, but say that it doesn’t need to be connected to the current must-pass funding bill.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Trump declared that Ukraine could reclaim all the territory it has lost to Russia. He believes this is achievable with support from the European Union and NATO. This is a significant shift from the president’s long-held stance that Kyiv would need to concede some territory to Moscow in order to end the war.

• 🎧 Part of the reason for the shift is that Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders at the U.N., according to NPR’s Michele Kelemen. Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month and informed the public that they had made progress. However, since then, Putin has ramped up attacks on Ukrainian cities. In recent weeks, Poland and Estonia have called emergency U.N. Security Council meetings because Russian drones entered Polish airspace and Russian jets were spotted in Estonia. Europeans say that this shows Russia is not interested in peace. Kelemen adds that Trump may be recognizing that his friendship with Putin might not be enough to end the war.

Jimmy Kimmel last night received a standing ovation when he returned to television screens after his show was suspended for nearly a week. During his monologue, Kimmel was emotional as he thanked the network and those who support free speech. He went on to try to make it clear that it wasn’t his intention to make light of Charlie Kirk’s killing. He also referenced Erica Kirk expressing forgiveness to the man who killed her husband, saying she is an example we should all follow.

• 🎧 Trump posted on social media that he couldn’t believe that Kimmel is back on the air. NPR’s Mandalit del Barco says it appears the president is threatening the ABC network. Last year, ABC settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump. Now he has posted that this situation seems more lucrative than last time, when he received $16 million.
• ➡️ Kimmel opened the show joking that he didn’t know who had a weirder 48 hours: him or Tylenol. His comments come after the president suggested, without sufficient evidence, that a link exists between autism and acetaminophen, the painkiller’s active ingredient. Here are three thoughts from an autism researcher on the claim.

Today’s listen

Artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent every day, showing up in our lives in ways we can and cannot see. To zero in on how AI is affecting our day-to-day experience, It’s Been a Minute has introduced a new series AI + U. In “Can you trust AI search results?” host Brittany Luse discusses with NPR’s Bobby Allyn what transparency means for a rapidly changing industry and whether AI is a tool for its users or its creators. They also talk about best practices when they come across AI-generated content. Listen to learn more about the best ways to handle AI and read the transcript here.

Deep dive

This Irish sea moss, Chondrus Crispus, is dried, raw and full of nutrients.

Katerina Solovyeva/500px Plus/Getty Images

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Katerina Solovyeva/500px Plus/Getty Images

Sea moss is the latest social media superfood that wellness influencers say can boost gut health, provide radiant skin and help improve sleep. You have probably even eaten a sea moss product and didn’t even know it. It is often harvested for its carrageenan, which is used in the food industry as a thickening agent and an emulsifier in products like ice cream and puddings. Currently, the component can be found sold as pills, powders and gummies. But is there evidence to back up the hype? Here’s what we know.

• ➡️ Most of the claims are based on cell or animal studies, which may not apply to humans. Human trials have been small and brief, says Dr. Melinda Ring at Northwestern University.
• ➡️ Sea moss in its whole form is a good source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals like zinc, which do support gut health and the immune system, Ring says. However, those nutrients can be found in many other foods.
• ➡️ Consuming too much sea moss is a concern because it can accumulate heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury.
• ➡️ Another threat sea moss poses is its richness in iodine. Iodine is needed for good thyroid health, but too much can potentially trigger thyroid dysfunction.
• ➡️ If you are interested in trying sea moss, Ring advises eating it as a whole food or in gel form instead of taking supplements.

3 things to know before you go

Booker Prize 2025 shortlisted authors (left to right): Susan Choi, Andrew Miller, Kiran Desai, Ben Markovits, Katie Kitamura, David Szalay

Premiere Scotland Ltd.

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Premiere Scotland Ltd.

1. The six authors shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize are veterans, most of whom have published more than five books. The winner of the honor will be announced on Nov. 10 and will receive $67,600.
2. Beginning with the 2026 Major League Baseball season, players will have the ability to challenge called balls and strikes in both regular and postseason games for the first time.
3. Lara Friedman was walking her large rottweiler, The Dude, in July 2020 when fireworks went off, putting her dog in panic mode. The sidewalks were slippery due to rain earlier that day, and it was likely that they would be put in a dangerous situation. Then, a stranger named Blake and another man named Bubba offered to help, ensuring they got home safely. Friedman says she will never forget her unsung heroes’ kindness and will be paying it forward.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.