by Brittney Melton

October 22, 2025

Good morning. Spooky season wouldn't be complete without ghosts. But they weren’t always the malevolent spirits we see in pop culture today. For NPR’s Word of the Week, take a look at the origins of the term "ghost." Here’s the news we’re following today:

Vice President JD Vance is in Israel, where he is set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Gaza ceasefire has been in place for almost two weeks. Vance says the deal is continuing to progress despite the fighting between Israel and Hamas over the weekend. The vice president, along with several other U.S. officials in Israel, is working to get the two sides to take the next steps under the deal.

Vice President JD Vance waves as he leaves a press conference following a military briefing at the Civilian Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Oct. 21. He is wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images

🎧 The next phase of the ceasefire poses challenges as Gaza doesn’t have a government, and it isn’t clear when it will have one, NPR’s Greg Myre tells Up First. Vance says other things, like getting the people of Gaza food, medicine and security, should happen first. Other big issues that need to be addressed are the next phase's calls for Hamas to disarm, Israeli troops to pull back and international troops to take their place in Gaza as a stabilization force. To work on these priorities, U.S. troops built a civilian-military coordination center outside of Gaza for officials from the U.S. and other countries, as well as other organizations working in Gaza, so that they can synchronize efforts.

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries believes that public pressure will intensify on Republicans in the coming days to extend health insurance subsidies, which are a key sticking point in the shutdown fight. The federal government remains shut down after the Senate failed to pass a spending bill again on Monday. Congressional leaders continue to avoid negotiating an end to the shutdown. The White House has attempted to end the standoff between the two sides by threatening Democrats with more cuts to spending and the workforce.

🎧 President Trump has praised Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought for cutting "Democrat priorities" that the party will not get back. The president has repeatedly referred to "Democrat programs," but NPR's Stephen Fowler says there are no such things, because the federal employees who process Social Security payments and handle taxes work in a nonpartisan manner. Vought has announced plans to cancel grants for energy projects in Democratic-led cities and states and other efforts to make Democrats feel the fiscal impact. The off-year elections are on Nov. 4, and they could reflect voter discontent with Republican governance, including the shutdown, Fowler says.

Images of an excavator demolishing the facade of the East Wing of the White House went viral this week. The construction marks the groundbreaking for the president’s $250 million ballroom project. Trump has wanted to build the ballroom for more than a decade, but not everyone is pleased with the developments, and historic preservation groups are expressing concerns.

🎧 The demolition has taken many people by surprise because Trump downplayed the impacts when he announced the project in July, says NPR’s Tamara Keith. The National Capital Planning Commission would typically have a role in approving a project like this, but it is currently not operating due to the government shutdown. Trump says he is funding some of the ballroom project, and other donors include major corporations with business before the government, Keith says. Google is donating over $20 million to settle a civil suit that Trump filed. Watchdogs say this is one of many reasons the project is an ethical red flag.

Newsletter continues after sponsor message

Bronson Arcuri/NPR

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who served during the Biden administration, has released her new book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines. She wrote about how the Democratic Party’s internal dysfunction led to its downfall during the 2024 presidential election. Before her new book hit store shelves, Morning Edition host Michel Martin sat down with Jean-Pierre. During their conversation, Jean-Pierre reflected on her decision to leave the party she once represented and the scrutiny she faced in her role as press secretary. Watch their interview here. Listen to Jean-Pierre discuss her decision to identify as an independent and read five takeaways from the conversation.

A photograph shows hot coffee being poured simultaneously into two burnt orange coffee mugs on a white countertop. Steam rises from the mugs.

Stefania Pelfini la Waziya/Getty Images

From vibrantly colored leaves to comforting weather, fall is a favorite season for many people. With all the excitement the season brings, you might feel anxious about making the most of this time of year. Life Kit has put together a list of simple ideas to help make the lead-up to Halloween feel festive.

🍂 Make simple adjustments as the days shorten, like switching from a cold breakfast to a warm one or lighting candles, to prepare your nest.
🍂 When decorating, think about your commitment to putting away the decorations. This could be especially important as the end-of-the-year holidays approach.
🍂 Don’t feel pressured to find the perfect Halloween costume. It can be fun to try something unexpected, like dressing up as an inanimate object. Have you ever considered being a fruit or a bottle of Windex?

For tips on how to embrace a lifestyle of rest and coziness, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

new calls with clack! same lousy advice.

Ever wish you could still call Ray from Car Talk? Now you can.

Starting this month, as a new bonus feature on Car Talk+, members will get to hear the younger Tappet Brother yuck it up with listeners again on a semi-quasi-regularish basis. “Whenever I can fit it in between my yoga classes, Mahjong games, and mechanics’ romance book club meetings,” says Ray.

The best part of joining Car Talk+, aside from supporting public media? You can ask Ray a car question yourself by leaving him a message at 888-522-5478. If he picks your question, he’ll take your call and chat with you about your expiring Explorer or limping Lamborghini.

In other bonus episodes for Car Talk+, you’ll hear producer’s picks of some of the best moments from the series, highlights of Tom’s mail segments, and prehistoric excerpts from Weekend Edition, aired on NPR before Car Talk was even launched. And supporting Car Talk+ means you’ll also get archive access to 800+ OG Car Talk episodes.

Join Car Talk+ and join us in welcoming back Ray!

Listen to Clack, only on Car Talk+

Many peanuts in shells or unshelled against a black background.

Patrick Sison/AP

A new study in the journal Pediatrics reveals that a reversal in health guidance for when to feed babies peanuts helped prevent tens of thousands of peanut allergy cases in children under 3 in the U.S.

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will honor its founder, Robert Redford, who died in September at the age of 89. January’s event will also include a Park City legacy program with film screenings from previous editions and artist talks. (via KPCW)

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Defense to return books about gender and race to five school libraries on military bases, following claims that the removal violated students' First Amendment rights.

Stream your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more!

You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy