North Carolina Republicans approve Trump-backed congressional maps

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🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

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Summary

North Carolina Republicans on Wednesday approved new congressional maps in an effort to boost their chances of holding onto Congress in next year's midterm elections. It's the latest redistricting battle since President Trump pushed Texas to redraw its maps. Political scientist Chris Cooper explains the implications.

And, a new study by the independent health research organization KFF found that health insurance premiums are up 6% from last year. That’s more than double the inflation rate. Matthew Rae explains the price hike.

Then, parts of the East Wing of the White House are being demolished as construction starts on President Trump’s ballroom. The East Wing has historically been the home of the First Lady's offices. Author Kate Andersen Brower talks about the history of the space.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:05.0	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
0:09.5	On our new show, Sources and Methods.
0:11.5	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
0:15.3	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
0:18.8	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:25.4	WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
0:31.0	This is sort of the Babe Ruthie era of redistricting, right?
0:34.8	They're calling their shot and they're putting the ball exactly where they told us they're going to. North Carolina Republicans deliver for President Trump.
0:42.9	It's Wednesday, October 22nd, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WBR. I'm Chris Bentley. Today on the show, if you get your health insurance through your employer, like more than
1:03.1	150 million Americans do, your premiums are going up faster than inflation. Also, the Trump administration is doing some work on the White
1:13.5	House, demolishing part of the East Wing to make space for a new ballroom. But first,
1:23.4	Republicans in North Carolina have passed their plan to gerrymander their way to another seat in Congress.
1:30.4	The state legislature approved new district maps that break up a competitive district currently represented by a Democrat.
1:38.8	And what happens in North Carolina could affect policy for the whole country,
1:42.4	since the changes should make it easier for the
1:44.6	GOP to keep their majority in Congress in next year's elections. States usually redistrict
1:50.6	every 10 years, based on new census data, so the next time would have been 2030. North Carolina
1:57.0	has done mid-decade redistricting like this before, but when it was forced to by
2:02.6	court decisions, striking down maps for being drawn unfairly. This time, though, it's being
2:08.7	done with the express purpose of helping the party in power avoid losing seats in the upcoming
2:14.2	midterms. For more, we called up Christopher Cooper, a political science professor
	...

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