FBI Director Kash Patel appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for a second day of questioning by lawmakers.

He faced questions about his leadership of the bureau including the firing of dozens of FBI agents and officials, the release of investigative files related to alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and the shooting of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.

Patel began his hearings on Wednesday by defending the agency under his leadership.

What were some of the biggest takeaways from the the hearing?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Various states in the U.S. are locked in a fight over redistricting.

It’s all centered on which party will keep the House next year. Republicans now have a slim majority, 219 seats to 213.

It started this summer when President Donald Trump asked Republicans in Texas to redraw the state’s congressional maps early. The goal he said, was to improve Republicans’ shot at winning five more seats in the House of Representatives during the 2026 midterm elections. After a standoff with Democrats in the state legislature, Republicans passed a map that did just that.

Democrats in California, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, responded with their own map. It’s a redraw aimed at giving Democrats five more seats in the House. Newsom signed that bill into law in late August, saying it would “neutralize” what happened in Texas. Unlike Texas, California’s map goes to the voters this November for approval. It would last through the 2030 elections.

But the redistricting fights don’t end there. Another GOP effort is nearing the finish line in Missouri. Republicans pushed a new map that will set them up to win seven seats instead of the usual six. Democrats currently hold two House seats in Missouri.

Missouri Senate Republicans passed their redistricting bill on Friday. Now, it’s at the desk of Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe for his signature. So, what does this mean for the state, the Democrats, and the midterms?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.


Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer broke the norm when he handed President Donald Trump an invitation for a second state visit.

The pomp begins on Wednesday, and leadership across the pond is making no secret of its intention to woo President Trump. But there’s more on the docket than making nice – and more at stake, too.

What does the visit mean for both the U.S. And the UK?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

On Friday, law enforcement authorities announced the arrest of a 22-year-old for the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. 

Kirk, a Trump ally and the co-founder of Turning Point USA, died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University. He was speaking to a large crowd at an outdoor “Prove Me Wrong” debate, where he invited students to challenge his political and cultural views. 

At a press conference, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox asked Americans to consider what happens from here – an escalation or an off ramp.

Kirk’s killing is the latest in a spate of rising political violence across the country. A Minnesota state legislator was murdered in her home in June. The Pennsylvania governor’s house was set on fire in April. And last year on the campaign trail, Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts.

Experts who study political violence say the frequency and seriousness is increasing significantly. So, how did we get here. And is it possible to pull back? We examine the effect political violence has on the health of our democracy.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Republican provocateur and online personality Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while hosting an event at Utah Valley University this week. Despite authorities searching for the person responsible, no suspects are in custody.

Donald Trump’s takeover of the Washington D.C. police department expired Thursday evening. Trump signaled that he would seek an extension, but that desire has reportedly cooled.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to harm Hamas, Israel bombed the Qatari capital of Doha this week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that he and his forces are prepared to do so again despite a rare condemnation of Israeli military strategy by the U.S.

Poland invoked NATO’s Article 4 this week after Russian drones entered its airspace, leading to consultations between representatives of the alliances member nations.

France’s government has collapsed again. Now, President Emmanuel Macron has appointed outgoing defense minister Sébastien Lecornu as the country’s next prime minister.

We get into all this and more during this week’s News Roundup.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The nation’s patchwork system of abortion laws is once again being challenged.

This time, opponents are targeting telehealth abortions. That’s when a provider in a state where abortion is legal meets virtually with a patient and sends them pills to take at home.

Those patients come from states all over the country – even those with abortion bans. A quarter of all abortions in the U.S. are done via telehealth. That’s according to a June report from the Society of Family Planning.

Now, attorneys general in Texas and Louisiana are suing a doctor in New York for prescribing pills to patients in their states, where abortion is almost completely banned. New York is one of several states that’s enacted shield laws after Roe was overturned. These statutes ban cooperation with other states’ attempts to enforce abortion bans.

Now that this has evolved into a battle between states, the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in soon. Their decision could drastically change access to abortion nationwide.

So, what’s at stake in this case? And how did states’ rights become the latest flashpoint in the battle over abortion access?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

What’s behind Donald Trump’s ongoing battle with the Federal Reserve? That’s the question on some analysts minds as the White House proposes staff shakeups at the historically independent central bank.

Trump has been attempting to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook since Aug. 25. Cook was nominated by Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2022.

The administration is attempting to fire her based on allegations that she committed mortgage fraud before joining the Fed – that’s despite the fact that she hasn’t been convicted or charged with any crime.

On Tuesday night, a federal judge temporarily blocked the president from removing Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. She’ll continue to serve as she contests her dismissal.

The Fed has operated independently since its inception more than a century ago. How do the Trump administration’s proposed changes threaten that independence? And what effect could changes at the Fed have on the U.S. economy?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

President Donald Trump has tested the limits of the law since the day he took office at the start his second term.

This includes signing an executive order to end birthright citizenship, terminating or freezing billions of dollars in federal funding, and enacting sweeping tariffs on foreign goods without congressional approval.

But these actions have not been met with silence.

Over the last eight months, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by state attorneys, physicians, media organizations, international students, and others to challenge the Trump administration’s policies.

We check in on major lawsuits against the administration. Where do they stand now? What do they mean for our country’s system of checks and balances?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

In recent weeks, we’ve seen a seismic shakeup inside the Department of Health and Human Services and unprecedented discord between the agency, scientists, and doctors.

HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. is bucking the science-backed guidance of physicians on vaccines. That’s angered some Democrats. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren went after Kennedy over his pseudoscientific approach to running the agency during a Senate hearing Thursday.

So, what happens when political ideology outweighs medical consensus?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Jobs numbers are out. They indicate a stalling labor market, with U.S. employers adding just 22,000 jobs in August and unemployment rising to 4.3 percent.

After rumors about the president’s supposedly failing health swirled online last weekend, Donald Trump appeared in public at a press conference this week announcing the relocation of the Space Force headquarters from Colorado to Alabama.

Florida announced this week that it’s set to become the first state in the U.S. to end vaccine mandates in schools, including for young children.

The leaders of China, India, Russia met this week in a display of friendship meant to signal unity to the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping convened in China for a summit of powers not aligned with the West.

Meanwhile, Putin told officials in Kyiv he was willing to try and negotiate the end the war in Ukraine should “common sense prevail.” However, he also threatened that he was prepared to continue should he not find terms agreeable.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy