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Today's top stories
At least one immigration detainee was killed and two others were injured following a shooting yesterday at the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. The suspect is also dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Federal authorities have described the shooting as an "act of targeted violence" and "an attack" against ICE. This marks at least the third occurrence of gun violence at immigration facilities in Texas this year, as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on immigration.
- 🎧 Authorities haven't determined a motive for the deadly shooting but have released images of five unspent bullet casings from the scene, one engraved with the words "ANTI ICE," Toluwani Osibamowo of NPR Network station KERA tells Up First. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons identified the shooter as Joshua Jahn on CBS News. NPR discovered that Jahn most recently lived in a suburb about 30 miles north of Dallas, and he had no history of any violent crimes. Sherry Davis, a neighbor of Jahn's, described the community as small and tight-knit but didn't know much about him. "I would have never imagined that such a thing, you know, someone that felt so disenfranchised would live so close to me," Davis said.
As a government shutdown looms, the White House has issued a memo instructing federal agencies to prepare mass firing plans in the event of a funding lapse. The plan would permanently cut jobs in programs that don't align with President Trump's priorities, instead of temporarily placing employees on unpaid leave. A key sticking point between Republicans and Democrats regarding the short-term funding bill revolves around health insurance premiums for the millions of Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act.
- 🎧 On Nov. 1, open enrollment begins on the ACA marketplaces for those without employer-provided insurance. If Congress doesn't extend ACA "enhanced premium tax credits," which keep premiums affordable, many people will experience sticker shock during open enrollment in the next week or two, says NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin. People will also see that the monthly amount they pay for health insurance will go up for next year. Simmons-Duffin says one West Virginia resident informed her that they plan to put money aside that would have gone to retirement to prepare for potential higher premiums next year. A Florida resident informed her that he is considering finding a new job with benefits if his premiums become unaffordable.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday, warning of a global arms race. He called on world leaders to help stop Russia's invasion of his country and for global rules on how artificial intelligence can be used in weapons. Zelenskyy stated that we are currently in "the most destructive arms race in human history" because of AI. His speech comes a day after Trump shifted his public opinion in support of Ukraine defeating Russia.
- 🎧 NPR's Joanna Kakissis reports that the Ukrainians she's talked to are grateful for Trump's acknowledgement that Russia is the aggressor in the war. Oleksandr Kraiev, the director of the North American program at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, tells Kakissis that while Trump seems to suggest that action needs to be taken to end the war, he has not provided any additional support from the U.S. Kraiev says the Trump administration might be distancing itself from the peace process and shifting the responsibility to the European Union. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has dismissed Trump's belief that Ukraine could win the war.
Today's listen
For the first time, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge has a returning champion: Ameya Desai. Last year, she won the fourth-grade prize for her podcast in which she interviewed her grandfather about his family's forced migration from India to Uganda to the U.S. Following her success, she interviewed her neighbor's 85-year-old grandmother, Linda Horikawa, a survivor of the Japanese incarceration camps during World War II. Horikawa shared her vivid, chilling memories and opened a trunk for the first time in 25 years, revealing identification cards, newsletters, and newspaper clippings. See photos from Horikawa's trunk and listen to Far From Home - Shikata Ga Nai, here.
Life advice
Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but it serves an important purpose by signaling to our body that we're in danger or out of alignment with our true feelings. But when anxiety hits, it can be challenging to remember its significance. Psychotherapist Britt Frank shares tips with Life Kit on how to turn down the dial on your anxiety symptoms, so you can better understand what they are trying to communicate.
- 🧠 When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself, "What are some things that help you feel safer?" It can be a show you like to rewatch or a person you like being around. Once you pick one, engage in it.
- 🧠 Try this grounding exercise: Name five things you can hear, taste, touch, smell, or feel. You can splash cold water on your face or smell something strong like lavender.
- 🧠 Acknowledge how you feel physically. If you feel anxiety in your stomach, say how you feel, and then pick a part of your body not in active pain and notice that neutral feeling.
For more guidance on how to manage anxiety, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you go
- A bronze-painted statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein, titled Best Friends Forever, appeared near the U.S. Capitol this week. It was removed within a day. Check out some of the other satirical statues that have emerged at D.C.'s National Mall over the years.
- This week, Far-Flung Postcards takes you to Antigua, Guatemala! During his trip, NPR's Greg Dixon went to a museum of Indigenous textiles and saw a hanging planter in the shape of a bird. It was entirely made of an old tire, showcasing how reusing trash can create something beautiful.
- In celebration of pumpkin spice season's arrival, NPR's Word of the Week explores the history of the word "spicy." Discover how this term, which has existed since at least 1562, evolved to take on a more figurative meaning by the 19th century.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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