Nov. 15, 2025

The Big Picture: Open for Business (for now)

Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images

The government is back open. It was the longest shutdown in U.S. history at 43 days. There are lots of questions about what this means, how we got here and where we go from here.

Let’s try and answer some:

1. Why did it start? Government funding ran out at the end of September. The Democratic base was upset with Democratic leaders for not standing up for their priorities earlier this year and going along with a Republican spending plan. That wasn’t going to be the case this time, and Democrats coalesced around the issue of extending health care subsidies that expire at the end of this year.

2. How did it end? Eight moderate senators, who caucus with the Democrats, crossed over to open the government back up. They felt after 40 days that Republicans were not going to negotiate and Americans had felt enough pain.

3. So what does the bill do? It keeps the government funded through Jan. 30. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), benefits targeted at women, infants and children (WIC), the Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress, though, will all be funded until the end of September 2026.

4. If the government is only funded until Jan. 30, does that mean there could be another shutdown soon? There could be. But it depends on the political climate in the new year, what lessons Democrats took from this shutdown, if the fever within the party’s base cools down and if Republicans do hold some kind of vote on those health care subsidies.

5. What about those health care subsidies Democrats said they were fighting for? They got nothing on them except a promise in the Senate to hold a vote on them some time next month. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, though, won’t commit to a vote in the House.

6. If that’s the case, what was the point of the shut down? A lot of people are asking that same question. But Democrats did gain something from the shut down — elevating the issue of health care and putting increased costs squarely on Republicans.

7. What does this mean for federal workers and flight delays? Federal workers are back to work and the bill mandates that mass layoffs of them be reversed. As for airports, delays are starting to ease, but it will likely be several days at least until things return to normal.

8. Were there any surprises? Yes, in the package passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, there’s a provision that would allow senators to sue the Justice Department if they had their phone records accessed or subpoenaed as a result of the Jan. 6 investigation. Plus, there were a LOT of earmarks for all kinds of pet projects.

9. What does this mean for the Epstein files? There is likely to be a vote next week to try and compel the Justice Department to release the full files associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It’s unlikely to result in the full release because the Senate may reject it, and even if it goes along, Trump certainly won’t. But it’s meant more of a spotlight on them, something Trump does not want.

10. Who winds up with the political advantage out of the shutdown? It’s hard to see it not being the Democrats. They will likely have the issues on their side – affordability and health care – heading into the 2026 midterm campaign. That is, of course, if the party can mend fences with its base (again).

— Domenico Montanaro, NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent

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ICYMI: Top Stories

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Newly released emails revive Epstein issue for Trump: The House Oversight Committee this week released more than 20,000 documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that included more than a thousand mentions of President Trump. The White House dismissed the emails as part of a “hoax” orchestrated by Democrats, but the issue isn’t going away any time soon: This week, Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva became the 218th signature on a discharge petition that will force a vote to release more Epstein files. That vote could come as early as next week. To have any force, the measure would need to pass the Senate and have Trump sign it, neither of which seems likely.

Trump pardons 2020 election deniers: In a largely symbolic move, President Trump has pardoned a long list of political allies accused of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which Trump falsely claimed to have won. Dozens of the people listed were charged in multiple swing states that were the center of unfounded claims of election fraud, but none were ever charged with federal crimes (presidents do not hold the power to pardon state crimes). The list includes former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Sidney Powell, a former Trump attorney who spread conspiracy theories about ballot fraud.

It’s (still) the economy, stupid: Trump’s promise to “make America affordable again” helped secure him a second term. But now, his approval rating on the economy is severely underwater as polls show voters rank the economy and cost of living as their top concern. A senior administration official tells NPR that Trump will soon take his economic message on the road, but in recent interviews, the president has dismissed rising costs as a “con job” by Democrats and boasted about the strength of the stock market. Senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith breaks down Trump’s affordability problem.

These podcasters have “had it” with Republicans: And Democrats who don't fight back. NPR’s Stephen Fowler talked to the women behind “I’ve Had It,”the show targeting disaffected Democrats and trying to counterbalance a male-dominated political podcast space.

— Lexie Schapitl, NPR Politics producer

Quick question: Do you have a list of old books that you’ve always been meaning to get around to? You know — the sort of book that a friend recommended a hundred years ago, or maybe one that a teacher assigned (and you ignored), or a classic that everyone’s - allegedly - already read? Yep, us too.

Thankfully, we’ve just launched Books We’ve Loved, a brand-new, limited series from our Book of the Day podcast, with new episodes dropping on Saturdays throughout the fall. This is where we’ll be wrangling some of the most compelling lit nerds out there to make the case for picking up a book from the past.

We’re inviting a cast of literary luminaries – authors, critics, and familiar NPR voices – to argue why their book pick is worth your time. We’re asking our guests questions like — why can’t they get this book out of their head? How did this book shift a paradigm, shake the culture, or change their life? And, most importantly, why should you read it now?

Listen Now

Going Deeper: Tracking The Trump Administration’s Boat Strikes

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

For over three months, the U.S. military has repeatedly struck boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, claiming that the vessels were intending to carry drugs into the United States. Since the first attack was announced on Sept. 2, these strikes have occurred nearly every week, killing dozens of people.

The strikes are part of a larger Trump administration strategy to target what officials call "narco-terrorists,” but the administration has not publicly released evidence that the boats were actually carrying drugs and who was on board.

NPR has compiled a list of these boat attacks here.

— Lexie Schapitl, NPR Politics producer

The Shot: Northern Lights

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Geomagnetic storms brought the northern lights to much of the U.S. this week, painting the sky in vibrant hues of green and pink.

The Aurora Borealis was spotted in a large swath of states, including Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Washington state. Northern lights were visible as far south as parts of Florida and Alabama, a relatively rare occurrence that highlights the severity of this week's storms.

— Lexie Schapitl, NPR Politics producer

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