by Brittney Melton

October 19, 2025

Good morning. This week, President Trump showcased models for a new monument to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S., Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa faced off in the first general election debate for New York City mayor, and Madagascar’s military seized power following anti-government protests.

Stressed out by credit card debt? You’re not alone

by Malaka Gharib, Life Kit digital editor

When I was in my early 20s, responsible for my own credit card for the first time, I made a critical mistake: I used a huge chunk of the little savings I had to pay off a balance I was anxious to get rid of.

Instead of feeling relieved, I felt vulnerable. I was working an entry-level job and living paycheck to paycheck. Now, I had no financial buffer. If anything happened, like an emergency room visit, I’d be back at square one: using my credit card to pay for my life and racking up debt again.

An illustration of a purple credit card in a faux purple sky with clouds surrounding it and the sun behind it. The images give the shape of a construction paper cutout.

Reina Takahashi for NPR

For many Americans, credit card debt is a big source of stress. That’s why Life Kit launched our Guide to Paying Off Credit Card Debt, a month-long newsletter series to help you get a handle on your debt.

In the newsletter, financial educators offer best practices on how to find the money to throw toward your balance and create a sustainable payment plan — while saving for emergencies and future expenses — so you don’t end up in the position I found myself in as a young person.

Here's a sampling of what you'll get in your inbox:

✅ How to reframe your relationship with debt
✅ Moves you can take right now to slow down the growth of your debt
✅ How to find money in your budget to put toward your debt
✅ How to decide which card to pay off first
✅ Expert advice on how to stay off the hamster wheel of debt

Ready to go on the journey with us? Sign up for Life Kit’s Guide to Credit Card Debt now.

Since we launched this newsletter series in early October, we’ve been asking subscribers: What would being free of credit card debt mean to you?

Many imagined that a debt-free life would mean less stress and anxiety over money. Here’s what a few of them had to say:

💳 The amount we're paying to credit card debt is really holding us back. If it was paid off and done with, we could have over a thousand dollars a month back in our pockets every month. That's life-changing. — Brittney Whitehouse

💳 If these debts were eliminated, I would have a decent amount of money to live on and it would be a huge relief. — Alicia Keenon

💳 This newsletter is coming at just the right time for me, as I am getting married next year. I am so excited to enter the next phase of life with my partner, but my debt is dragging me down. I want to feel free from the debts of my past so I can truly move forward joyfully. — Charlotte Cwikowski

👉 If this resonates with you, join the more than 18,000 people who have signed up for this series, and get expert advice on how to save the money to pay off credit card debt. Sign up for our debt newsletter here.

Check out more great reads from the NPR network you may have missed:

At least 27 states have shared data with the Trump administration on millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, NPR found. The U.S. Department of Agriculture framed the data demand as needed to address waste and fraud. Democratic state officials have argued the data demand is unlawful.
James Antaki, a biomedical engineer at Cornell University, was developing an implantable artificial heart for vulnerable infants for over 20 years, but the Trump administration canceled the federal grant for the research. Now, his research, which was posed to help the 1 in 100 U.S. children born with a congenital heart defect, is on hold.
NPR has learned that a Starshield satellite network built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX is emitting a mysterious signal that may violate international standards.
A billion birds die every year in the U.S. from collisions with windows because evolution has not prepared them to deal with glass. Here is how you can help fix this problem at home.

Newsletter continues after sponsor message

new calls with clack! same lousy advice.

Ever wish you could still call Ray from Car Talk? Now you can.

Starting this month, as a new bonus feature on Car Talk+, members will get to hear the younger Tappet Brother yuck it up with listeners again on a semi-quasi-regularish basis. “Whenever I can fit it in between my yoga classes, Mahjong games, and mechanics’ romance book club meetings,” says Ray.

The best part of joining Car Talk+, aside from supporting public media? You can ask Ray a car question yourself by leaving him a message at 888-522-5478. If he picks your question, he’ll take your call and chat with you about your expiring Explorer or limping Lamborghini.

In other bonus episodes for Car Talk+, you’ll hear producer’s picks of some of the best moments from the series, highlights of Tom’s mail segments, and prehistoric excerpts from Weekend Edition, aired on NPR before Car Talk was even launched. And supporting Car Talk+ means you’ll also get archive access to 800+ OG Car Talk episodes.

Join Car Talk+ and join us in welcoming back Ray!

Listen to Clack, only on Car Talk+

Pod Club

A collage of two book covers. On the left is The Killer Question by Janice Hallett and on the right is Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson.

Atria Books/?William Morrow

Thanks for tuning in last week to the TED Radio Hour episode “What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change,” in which renowned cellist Joshua Roman talked about how long COVID has impacted his life. “I was moved by his return to playing the cello for the connection it gave him to himself,” NPR listener Lorraine Boose says. “Feeling the vibration in his chest/heart brought the life back and reminded me to come back to my intuition and to the roots of what gives me joy.”

Today, we’re listening to NPR's Book of the Day. The episode “These new mystery novels are 'whodunits' that might as well be called 'whydunits'” features two mystery novels with special twists. The Killer Question by Janice Hallett follows a new trivia team that becomes suspiciously successful, and as egos are hurt, a body is found in the river. Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson is a novel written in reverse, with the murderer revealed in the first chapter. The authors join the podcast to discuss what makes their books tick.

After listening, did either of these books spark your interest? If so, let us know why by clicking here. Your response could be featured in next week’s newsletter.

Love podcasts? For handpicked episode recommendations every week, check out Pod Club — a newsletter written FOR podcast fans BY podcast fans. Subscribe here!

In today’s episode of The Sunday Story from Up First: A discussion about how a homeless encampment in Oakland, Calif.’s Union Point Park led a radical experiment.

Anagrams from a hotel room

The words "Sunday Puzzle" over a white background. The name "Will Shortz" is under the Sunday Puzzle title, etched into red dice.

NPR

It's time for the Sunday Puzzle! Every answer is an anagram of something you would or might find in a hotel room. For example, “MAP+L,” would have an answer of “lamp.” Test your skills here. Check the page later to hear the answers, or catch them live on Weekend Edition at 8:41 a.m. ET.

This week’s challenge comes from Dan Pitt of Palo Alto, Calif. Think of something to drink in two words. Rearrange the letters to spell a famous prison and a means of getting out of prison. What words are these? Submit your answer here and you could win a chance to play next Sunday's on-air puzzle.

Stream your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream.

This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.

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