Trump administration threatens large-scale layoffs if government shuts down The government is just days away from shutting down if Congress can't reach a deal. President Trump upped the stakes, threatening large-scale layoffs if Democrats don't provide the necessary votes. Barbara Sprunt
Former FBI Director Comey indicted on criminal charges stemming from 2020 testimony Former FBI Director James Comey faces one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice in connection. Carrie Johnson
Hollywood now has dueling open letters over the Israel film boycott Over 1,200 Hollywood figures, among them Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik and Sharon Osbourne, signed a letter on Thursday rejecting a previous call to boycott Israeli film groups. Chloe Veltman
TV on the radio This week, we're talking TV. What we see on our screens and what goes on behind the scenes -- and how that shapes the political landscape. Scott Greenstone
New threats from the White House as a government shutdown looms If the government shuts down next week, the White House said it will look for ways to permanently eliminate some federal workers, rather than just temporarily send them home on unpaid leave. Barbara Sprunt
Trump is accusing the U.N. of 'sabotage.' The U.N. says Trump's team is to blame Trump says three "sinister events" disrupted his speech: a frozen escalator, a broken teleprompter and a too-quiet sound system. The U.N. says Trump's team is at fault, but opened an investigation. Rachel Treisman
Former special counsel Jack Smith warns that rule of law is 'under attack' In his first public remarks since leaving the Justice Department, Smith said he's sad and angry about the dismissals of career public servants and the loss of credibility the DOJ has suffered. Carrie Johnson
A judge ruled their firings were illegal. The government got to do it anyway A judge ruled the firing of thousands of federal employees was illegal. But he stopped short of ordering the government to reinstate them, predicting the Supreme Court would overturn it. Andrea Hsu
A question of intent: Is what's happening in Gaza genocide? As accusations of genocide in Gaza mount against Israel, NPR looks at how the term is defined legally and why previously reticent scholars have changed their minds. Majd Al-Waheidi
White House threatens layoffs — not furloughs — if the government shuts down In past government shutdowns, workers have been put on temporary furloughs until funding resumes. This time, the Trump White House is looking for bigger and more permanent cuts, a new memo shows. Tamara Keith