White House Shutdown Cuts, Government Services Interrupted, Gaza City Evacuation

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🗓️ 2 October 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

President Trump’s budget director is canceling billions in projects and threatening mass layoffs as the White House uses the government shutdown to push for deeper spending cuts. The shutdown’s ripple effects are spreading nationwide, with key federal services slowing or stopping. And in Gaza, Israel has issued a final evacuation order, warning that anyone who remains in Gaza City will be treated as a militant as Hamas considers changes to Trump’s ceasefire plan.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Steve, how's Kentucky?
0:02.1	Oh, it's lovely. It's lovely. We've had a nice time. Beautiful weather. We've driven around,
0:06.5	talked to people, hung out with a governor, had some bourbon. Have you been doing all right without me?
0:12.5	It's been tough.
0:13.8	Yeah, I know.
0:14.5	Yeah, you've got to come back.
0:18.1	The White House plans to punish Democrats during the shutdown by slashing funding to blue states and also implementing mass layoffs.
0:26.1	Will the threats force Democrats to succumb to the president's will?
0:29.4	I'm Steve Inskeep with Leila Faville, and this is up first from NPR News.
0:36.9	Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are already furloughed or working without pay.
0:41.7	In the short term, it doesn't have to mean anything, but anything beyond that, there is a ripple
0:46.1	effect that can create quite a bit of challenge.
0:48.8	Which government programs are most affected?
0:51.2	And despite a peace plan on the table that Hamas is now weighing, Israel has
0:55.7	issued what it calls a final warning to Gaza city residents, leave now or be treated as militants.
1:01.7	Those who remain include the elderly and people in hospitals. Stay with us. We'll give you the
1:06.3	news you need to start your day.
1:13.9	The White House seems to be using the government shutdown to punish and pressure its opponents.
1:20.3	Last night, the president called on Republicans to use the shutdown to, quote, clear out dead
1:24.8	wood. He's also spoken of doing, quote, irreversible damage in ways
1:28.6	that are, quote, bad for his fellow Americans. The White House budget director Russ Vote is making
1:33.5	good on that promise. He announced the cancellation of $8 billion for energy projects in 16 states.
	...

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