Washington, D.C.'s vending machine LitBox distributes books, with a serving of hope as local writers struggle with arts funding cuts.

The shutdown entered its 14th day with the Senate returning from its holiday break, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to call lawmakers back to Washington and President Donald Trump’s budget director vowing to keep firing federal workers.

A mass shooting killed four and injured several others on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, home to the largest Gullah community.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been using a full-body restraint device called the WRAP during deportations.

The White House budget office says that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.

A new draft White House memo suggests a 2019 law signed by President Trump that guarantees that federal employees get paid after a shutdown ends would not apply to furloughed workers.

Show aired October 2, 2025.