Today's Headlines: White House Uses Shutdown to Maximize Pain and Punish Political Foes
‘Dangerous Cities,’ the Military, Trump and the Founding Fathers
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

October 2, 2025, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

White House Uses Shutdown to Maximize Pain and Punish Political Foes

The Trump administration forged ahead with plans to conduct mass layoffs, as the fiscal standoff appeared to intensify.

‘Dangerous Cities,’ the Military, Trump and the Founding Fathers

The U.S. armed services have long sought to preserve the tradition of a nonpartisan military.

Jane Goodall, Who Chronicled the Social Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91

Her discoveries as a primatologist in the 1960s about how chimpanzees behave in the wild were hailed as “one of the Western world’s great scientific achievements.”

World

Israel Intercepts Boats Headed to Gaza With Humanitarian Aid

The boats were part of a flotilla, carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists, that was organized to break Israel’s blockade and protest the war.

Israel Escalates Gaza Offensive as Hamas Mulls Trump Plan

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled Israel’s assault on Gaza City, but many are believed to remain, having nowhere to go or no means to leave.

‘She Could Have Killed Me’: Scientist Survives Shark Bite to His Head

“My whole head was inside of her mouth,” Mauricio Hoyos, a marine scientist from Mexico, said from a hospital in Costa Rica.

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U.S.

Drones, Helicopters, Hundreds of Arrests: Trump’s Immigration Crackdown in Chicago So Far

The administration announced a federal operation in the Chicago area more than three weeks ago. Agents have appeared along downtown streets, and National Guard troops are expected.

The Be-Careful-What-You-Wish-For Shutdown

Unlike in shutdowns past, President Trump is the wild card.

Vance Laughs Off Fake Video of Hakeem Jeffries: ‘I Think It’s Funny’

President Trump posted the video meme, which Representative Hakeem Jeffries called racist and bigoted. Vice President JD Vance said the president was “joking, and we’re having a good time.”

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Politics

Supreme Court Allows Lisa Cook to Remain at Fed, for Now

The justices deferred a decision on the president’s efforts to oust Ms. Cook and instead set oral arguments in the case for January.

Trump Fires Members of Humanities Council

The White House told members of a group of scholars who advise the National Endowment for the Humanities that their positions had been terminated.

Even the Statue of Liberty’s Torch Could Go Dark During the Shutdown

New York Democrats, led by Gov. Kathy Hochul, warned of the damage the government shutdown could cause across the state and blamed Republicans.

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Business

Republicans Take Aim at ‘Industry Behind the Curtain’ of College Prices

In letters to consultants and the College Board, House and Senate Judiciary leaders invoked antitrust law and asked how student data feeds pricing algorithms.

Reality TV’s Bad Boyfriend Is Angry Again. This Time, He’s Yelling at Gavin Newsom.

After losing his house in the Palisades fire, Spencer Pratt has gone from the archetype of celebrity emptiness to community activist — and become a magnet for Republican politicians.

Heaviest Users of Snapchat Will Face a Small Charge for Storage

The social media company will charge after users reach five gigabytes of free storage, which is in line with other tech giants’ policies.

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New York

Trump to Withhold $18 Billion for New York-Area Transit Projects

Funds for two of the nation’s largest infrastructure projects, the Second Avenue subway and Hudson River tunnels, are being held up in apparent attempts to pressure Democrats amid a government shutdown.

She Loved Eric Adams. She Kept It a Secret. Now She’s Talking.

Jasmine Ray, who served at City Hall in a $160,000-a-year job, had an undisclosed romance with Eric Adams years before he became mayor. In her memoir, she describes their relationship.

Man Charged After Mass Shooting at Brooklyn Bar That Was Caught on Video

Footage showed bar patrons crawling for cover amid gang-related violence in August that killed three people. Elijah Roy, 25, is accused of assault in aid of racketeering.


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Arts

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Naked Baby on Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’

The man pictured as a naked baby on the cover of Nirvana’s seminal second album argued that the band had engaged in child sex abuse imagery.

When Taylor Swift Met Pop’s Supreme Hitmaker, Max Martin

The pop star and the Swedish producer connected on her 2012 LP, “Red.” They’ve reunited (with his collaborator Shellback) for “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Florida Court Rejects Free Speech Argument in Book Removal Case

The lawsuit was an effort to keep ‘And Tango Makes Three,’ about two male penguins raising a chick, in a county’s school libraries.

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Food

This Simple Checklist Makes Throwing Parties Easy

Use this guide to plan any type of gathering and start with this effortless but stunning fall menu.

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Science

How Trump’s Online Drugstore May Affect Your Drug Costs

President Trump and top health officials announced a deal with Pfizer to try to lower Medicaid prices, and a website to help consumers buy drugs directly from manufact