From the BBC World Service: Greece's government is voting on a bill authorizing private sector employees to work up to 13 hours a day, if both employee and employer agree. Labor unions have called mass strikes in protest, paralyzing the public sector. This comes as Greece faces high debt, rising inflation, and lower wages than much of the European Union. Plus, Japan is holding its biggest-ever technology trade show, centered on integrating AI into our daily lives.
WSJ What’s News - Democratic States Band Together to Counter RFK Jr.
A.M. Edition for Oct. 15. Governors from 15 mainly blue states are forming a shadow public-health alliance, in a sign of growing resistance to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda. Plus, with the fight against Israel on pause, Hamas launches a violent crackdown on rival militias, seeking to assert its authority in Gaza. The WSJ’s Benoit Faucon explains how the infighting could complicate a peace plan that Israel has conditioned on Hamas disarming. And Beijing plays hardball on trade, in a bet that President Trump will fold before launching new tariffs that would roil markets. Caitlin McCabe hosts.
Want to know how changes to 2026 Medicare plans could affect you? Check out our explainer.
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WSJ Minute Briefing - China Plays Hardball With Trump on Trade
Plus: The State Department revokes the visas of at least six people over their comments on the killing of Charlie Kirk. And, LVMH posts higher sales for the first time this year, setting a positive tone for luxury-goods makers. Kate Bullivant hosts.
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Marketplace All-in-One - FCC cuts expansion to broadband, hotspot access
Before the government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission voted to end funding for Wi-Fi on school buses and the lending of hotspot devices from libraries. Nicol Turner Lee, author of “Digitally Invisible,” said this could further the digital divide for marginalized communities.
Big Technology Podcast - Where Are The AI Startups? — With Rick Heitzmann
Rick Heitzmann is the founder and managing director of FirstMark Capital. Heitzmann joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss whether AI startups can compete against the ChatGPTs of the world, or whether the big AI bots have ingested all the opportunity. Tune in to hear Heitzmann break down the economics of AI investing today and whether the application layer is investable. We'll also break down the big funding deals in AI today, looking at the potential for the frenzy to pay off. Tune in for a sensible discussion of the potential future of AI innovation.
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Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - The Post-Pandemic Price Hike Conspiracy
During the height of the Covid lockdown, prices for all sorts of things skyrocketed -- global supply chains broke, numerous companies (and, more importantly, families) struggled to survive. Economists, CEOs and politicians alike assured the public that after the pandemic passed, prices would return to 'normal.' Fast forward to 2025: it's post-lockdown... and, if anything, prices have continued to rise. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel ask what's going on -- and discover a very real conspiracy at play.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/2e824128-fbd5-4c9e-9a57-ae2f0056b0c4/image.jpg?t=1749831085&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }Headlines From The Times - D’Angelo Dies at 51, California Storm Warnings, Shutdown Fallout, CA Ballot False Conspiracy Theory, Newsom Signs Wildfire Relief Law, New CA AI Laws, Long Beach Self-Checkout Law
R&B legend D’Angelo has died at 51 after a battle with cancer, remembered as a defining voice of neo-soul with albums like Voodoo and Black Messiah. A major storm is soaking Southern California, bringing flash flood warnings and dangerous driving conditions across the region. The federal shutdown enters a third week as thousands of government workers face layoffs and pay uncertainty. California’s secretary of state is refuting false claims that mail-in ballots expose voters’ choices. Governor Newsom has signed new wildfire insurance laws to speed relief for victims. In business, Newsom signs new AI safety rules into law to protect minors and Long Beach enforces the nation’s first staffing requirements for self-checkout lanes to reduce retail theft.
Curious City - How a group of volunteers saved a rare Illinois wildflower
The Kankakee mallow is one of the rarest plants on the continent, according to the Smithsonian Garden in Washington D.C. It’s a pink flower that grows on tall stalks and is native to just one small island in the middle of the Kankakee River, about an hour south of Chicago.
But when botanist Rachel Goad paddled over to take a look back in 2014 with a group of native plant enthusiasts, instead they found an island overgrown with invasive honeysuckle.
Was this special native plant gone for good?
Perhaps, if not for the efforts of a small group of volunteers, initially led by conservationist Trevor Edmonson.
“Hearing the phrase that the Kankakee mallow only grows on this island — anywhere in the world, like that is the extent of its remaining natural habitat — is such a draw for anybody, especially someone early on in their career,” Edmonson said.
Today, reporter Claire Keenan-Kurgan from the Points North podcast at Interlochen Public Radio guides us on this floral rescue mission.
Points North is a podcast that tells great stories from the Great Lakes. For more stories like this one, go to pointsnorthpodcast.org.
The Daily - The Border Czar and a Bag of $50,000
For the past few weeks, Trump officials have repeatedly dodged questions about an undercover F.B.I. investigation of the border czar, Tom Homan, and what became of $50,000 in cash that was delivered to him.
Devlin Barret, who covers the F.B.I. for The New York Times, discusses the inquiry, which was closed after President Trump came to office.
Guest: Devlin Barrett, a New York Times reporter covering the Justice Department and the F.B.I.
Background reading:
- Mr. Homan was said to have received $50,000 from agents. He may not have to return it.
- Democrats have opened inquiries into the Trump administration’s decision to close the F.B.I. investigation of Mr. Homan.
Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
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Up First from NPR - Gaza Ceasefire Tested, Shutdown Stalemate, SCOTUS Voting Rights
Hamas hands over more bodies of deceased hostages as tensions rise in Gaza over the next phase of the ceasefire deal. The government shutdown stretches into its third week with no negotiations underway, as pressure builds on both parties to break the stalemate. And the Supreme Court takes up a major case on Louisiana’s congressional map that could weaken the Voting Rights Act nationwide.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Miguel Macias, Jason Breslow, Anna Yukhananov, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas
We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange. And our technical director is Stacey Abbott.
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