How The Shutdown Is Affecting Federal Workers And Services

The NPR Politics Podcast

NPR

Politics, Daily News, News

4.5 • 24.9K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The federal government shutdown is in its seventh day, with negotiations on Capitol Hill over reopening the government at a stalemate. We discuss how the shutdown is affecting federal workers and the services they keep running, as well as warnings by the White House that they will lay off workers as a result of the shutdown.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, labor and workplace correspondent Andrea Hsu, and political reporter Stephen Fowler.

This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.

Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	There's something wrong with the plumbing in Cincinnati.
0:02.8	Billions of gallons of raw sewage ends up in waterways every year.
0:06.2	And for some, that raw sewage is a lot closer to home.
0:09.7	When it's coming out of the drain down there, it's sewage.
0:12.4	The stench was terrible.
0:14.7	Listen to the Backed Up podcast from the NPR Network and Cincinnati Public Radio.
0:20.1	Hey, everybody, Tamara Keith here. Before we start today's show, I wanted to remind you of
0:24.5	something fun. The NPR Politics Podcast turns 10 years old this fall. And to celebrate,
0:30.7	we are doing a live show later this month. That's right, a live show. We are back with a live
0:36.6	audience, and you can be part of it.
0:38.7	You can join me and some of the other voices you hear every day in person here in Washington on Thursday, October 30th.
0:45.8	You can find information on tickets and more at npr.org slash politics live show.
0:52.4	Again, npr.org slash politics live show. All right, here's today's show.
0:58.7	Hi, this is Steve. Coming to you from the wilds of Taney County, Missouri, part of the greater Branson rural Politin area, where I'm celebrating the end of our long drought by finally burning my ever-expanding brush pile.
1:12.6	This podcast was recorded on Tuesday, October 7th at 12.6 p.m.
1:18.6	Things may have changed by the time you hear this, but I'll still be out here, Chorin.
1:22.7	Enjoy the show.
1:27.1	That is fabulous. I was like, what is that sound? It's the best kind of
1:32.5	timestamp where we have to guess what the sound is. Hey there, it's the NPR Politics
1:36.7	podcast. I'm Tamara Keith. I cover the White House. I'm Stephen Fowler. I cover politics.
1:41.3	And we're joined by NPR Labor and Workplace correspondent, Andrea Shue.
1:45.1	Hi, Andrea.
	...

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