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Today’s best stories
Israel and Hamas agree to first phases of ceasefire deal aimed at ending Gaza warwhich entered its third year on Tuesday. The agreement is based on the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians detained and imprisoned by Israel. The announcement comes just hours after President Trump informed reporters at the White House that he was prepared to travel to the Middle East as early as this weekend.
People ride in horse-drawn carts past destroyed buildings along Al-Rasheed Street, west of Gaza City, October 7, 2025. Displaced Palestinians endure harsh conditions with little access to clean water, food or shelter.
Abood Abusalama/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
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Abood Abusalama/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
- 🎧 Within 72 hours of signing the agreement, Hamas announced that it would release all living hostages.which would be 20 people, said NPR’s Carrie Kahn, who is in Tel Aviv. First. Israel says it will carry out a partial withdrawal from the territory, but will remain deep inside Gaza. Israel plans to release 2,000 detainees and prisoners. But some major sticking points still need to be resolved beyond this phase. In Gaza, the population is relieved by the news of the agreement, but fears to find hope again. In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where celebrations erupted after the news, Kahn spoke with Dani Miran, the father of Omri, a hostage held in Gaza. Miran says it is a supreme feeling that he can see his son anytime now.
The Senate will vote today on government funding. So far, lawmakers have held six failed votes, and today’s attempt is expected to have the same result. The impasse remains as the GOP accuses Democrats of blocking the bill because of pressure from the Democratic base, NPR’s Deirdre Walsh said. Republican leaders say no health care deal can be reached unless Democrats cooperate to pass a bill ending the shutdown.
- 🎧 The end of confinement could be influenced by pressures from outside WashingtonWalsh said. Airports are facing delays because of staffing issues among air traffic controllers, and both political parties are concerned about military pay. Soldiers face missing pay on October 15. A bipartisan group of senators worked to craft a compromise on health care. These factors could play a crucial role in finding a solution to the closure.
Hundreds of National Guard troops are stationed outside Chicago at Trump’s request. The deployment follows recent protests against immigration and customs enforcement operations in the city. The president has called Chicago a war zone and called for the arrest of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson because he says they are failing to protect ICE agents.
- 🎧 Johnson says he’s protecting Chicagoans and will fight the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard. NPR’s Sergio Martinez-Beltran spoke with Johnson yesterday, who said he also rejects the president’s assertion that the city is dangerous. This summer, Chicago saw its lowest number of homicides since the 1960s. According to the census, about one in five Chicagoans was foreign born. Today, these residents say they don’t feel safe in a city where immigrants have created a community and made enormous contributions.
- ➡️ The conditions to legally justify the deployment of troops in Chicago do not existsaid Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Morning edition. The state filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday. Here’s what Raoul had to say about it.
Life advice
Open enrollment season is upon us and it’s time to decide on a health insurance plan for the next calendar year. While this task may seem a bit daunting during this spooky season, there is some good news: Life kit consulted experts to simplify the process for you. Here is a checklist to consult when making a decision:
- ➡️ Even if you’ve been on the same plan for years, check your plan’s latest benefit summary to see if anything has changed.
- ➡️ Make sure your preferred primary care doctor and prescription medications remain covered by insurance. If not, find a plan that will cover these things.
- ➡️ Learn what common health insurance terms like “cost sharing” and “CHIP” mean. This can help you better understand what you are signing up for.
- ➡️ Even with a simple plan with high deductibles, screening and other preventive services should be included in your coverage.
For tips on getting the most out of your health insurance plan, listen to this episode of NPR Life kit. Subscribe to THE Life kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
Image exhibition
Fans, many wearing pink and cowboy hats, get off the streetcar at Union Station before the show. Chappell Roan, who exploded in popularity last summer, chose just three cities on his recent pop-up U.S. tour: New York, Los Angeles and Kansas City, which is in his home state of Missouri.
Katie Currid for NPR
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Katie Currid for NPR
Singer Chappell Roan stopped in Kansas City, Mo., this weekend as part of her “Visions of Damsels and Other Dangerous Things” pop-up tour. The tour only included three cities, making the Midwest stop particularly important because it was located in Roan’s home state of Missouri. To celebrate her arrival, the city went all out by lighting many downtown buildings pink, painting a mural of the “Midwest Princess” where she saw her first drag show, and creating special menus at local bars and restaurants. Photographer Katie Currid captured images of fans attending the tour stop and said the singer’s bringing joy to the Midwest queer community is deeply meaningful to the community.
3 things to know before you leave
Twenty-two new MacArthur Fellows were announced Wednesday. They include, clockwise from top left, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Jeremy Frey, Heather Christian, Nabarun Dasgupta, Margaret Wicker Pearce, Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, Hahrie Han and Tommy Orange.
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- The 2025 MacArthur Fellows have been announced. Twenty-two winners, including a cartographer, a composer, a neurobiologist and a novelist, will each receive a no-obligation prize of $800,000.
- The Actors’ Equity Association, the union representing Broadway actors and stage managers, resumed negotiations yesterday in an effort to prevent a strike. Health care is the main sticking point in the negotiations.
- Dozens of Bob Ross paintings, many created live on his PBS series The joy of paintingwill be auctioned from November to support public television.
This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.
