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What a looming government shutdown means for McCarthy · Apple News Today

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  Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Friday, September 29th. I'm Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today." On today's show… Managing your finances now that student loans are coming due again, fighting to free reporter Evan Gershkovich six months after Russia locked him up, and the Ringling Brothers Circus returns with one major change.
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  But first, let's check in on some big political developments. Former president Donald Trump will not seek to move the Georgia racketeering case against him to federal court. That's a shift in strategy from what many legal observers expected. And it means that case will likely have cameras streaming the proceedings. In a separate civil-fraud case in New York, a court denied Trump's request to delay the trial. So it's now on track to start on Monday.
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  Yesterday in Arizona, President Biden gave a speech that focused heavily on Trump and his supporters. He called the MAGA movement "dangerous" and "extremist."
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  [START NBC NEWS ARCHIVAL CLIP]
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  President Joe Biden: This MAGA threat is a threat to the brick and mortar of our democratic institutions, but it's also a threat to the character of our nation that gives our Constitution life.
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  [END NBC NEWS ARCHIVAL CLIP]
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  Basu, Narrating: Now let's look in-depth at the situation at the Capitol, as a government shutdown starting Sunday looks more and more likely. Votes last night in the House showed there's still no clear path to getting the government funded in time. A few GOP hardliners still refuse to go along with the bipartisan spending deal advancing in the Senate that would establish a short-term funding extension. A shutdown would cut off pay for millions of federal workers. Vital services would stop. And this impasse puts future aid to Ukraine in question.
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  The man at the center of this is House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. We spoke to NBC's Sahil Kapur at the Capitol, who puts it this way: McCarthy is stuck between doing his job and keeping his job.
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  Sahil Kapur: Does he fund the government or does he save his speakership? It seems very difficult to see how he does both in this instance.
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  Basu, Narrating: McCarthy could make a deal with Democrats to keep the government open. But a handful of Republicans say they'd move to vote him out as Speaker if he does this.
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  Kapur: Remember, he has a very narrow majority. He needs the support of just about everyone. His hardliners in the House saying, "If you do that, we're going to overthrow you." So far, there's no clear way out of that conundrum.
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  Basu, Narrating: Back when he was fighting to become Speaker, McCarthy agreed to a rule that would allow House members to oust him with a simple up or down vote. Now, his critics are threatening to use it.
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  Kapur: He allowed these right wing hardliners to keep him on a short leash, to say, we're going to reinstate a rule, which by the way went away years ago, that allows any one person, any one member of the House, to go to the floor and call a motion to vacate the Speaker's chair. And then the chamber would have to vote on it. So, again, this is kind of McCarthy maybe hoisted by his own petard here. He granted this concession, and now it could come back to bite him.
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  Basu, Narrating: Kapur has covered every government shutdown in the last decade. And he says he's never seen a budget fight get this bad.
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  Kapur: You know, we're two days away, and the two chambers are not even negotiating on a viable solution. Where the Speaker of the House is simply trying to hold on from one day to the next for fear of losing his job… it's pretty bad.
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  Basu, Narrating: A deal could still get done, but for now, the U.S. government has officially notified federal workers that a shutdown appears imminent.
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  Even if there is a government shutdown on Sunday, federal student loan payments will still be due. The pandemic pause that began in March of 2020 is ending. Payments are due again starting in October. For millions of new borrowers, this will be the first time they've ever had to pay. NPR has some advice for borrowers.
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  First, get familiar with the federal government's loan portal. There you can update your contact info and access your account details. That'll also say who your loan servicer is, which is important because you'll need to go to the servicer's website and update your details there too. Otherwise, there's a risk they won't know how to contact you and your debt will accrue interest.
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  The Department of Education has a tool to help you decide the best repayment plan for you. Broadly, one path is lower monthly payments now, which costs more in the long run. Or you can pay more up front, saving money over time. What's best depends on your financial situation. Don't delay choosing your plan, or else the system will pick one for you. Also, if you set up automated payments, you'll get a discount on your interest payment.
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  Probably the most important thing is to move quickly, so you take control of your situation and have plenty of time to get questions answered. There's much more information in the full story on the Apple News app.
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  Today marks six months since "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in Russia while on a reporting trip. Russia is accusing him of espionage. Gershkovich, the "Journal," and the U.S. government deny the allegation.
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  We reached out to Charles Forelle, the deputy editor-in-chief at the "Journal," and he told us why it's important to elevate Gershkovich's story on the world stage.
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  Charles Forelle: The broader point is that this kind of thing is a real affront to the world order, for lack of a better way of thinking about it, that if a country goes and throws journalists into prison for doing journalism, it really tears at the fabric of the international order that has been operative for many, many decades in the world.
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  Basu, Narrating: Over the course of the last six months, Forelle said that communication with Gershkovich has been severely limited.
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  Forelle: We have repeatedly asked that Evan be granted consular access, which is his right under international law. That has been repeatedly denied by the Russian authorities. The U.S. ambassador has visited four times, so we have had that consular access four times. It is not enough.
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  Basu, Narrating: Gershkovich's legal process is shrouded in secrecy, so information about his case is limited. Last week, the White House said it was in "very active" discussions to secure his release, but warned that it may still take some time. Espionage conviction can carry sentences of 10 to 20 years. And Russian courts nearly always find defendants guilty. Forelle told us so much is on the line… for human rights more broadly, but also for a man who has a family and friends who miss him dearly.
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  Forelle: I think it's important to remind everybody that there are a lot of really serious and important questions of state to state relations, and journalism, and free press, but there's also a person stuck in a prison, and he has been there for six months. And at a personal and human level, to be stuck in a prison for six months, for no reason, is really terrible.
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  Basu, Narrating: The circus is coming back to town. After shutting down in 2017, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is returning with a national tour. But it's got one big change: no animals. Starting today, the show will have human-only acts. Things like high-wire, trapeze, BMX bike performances. Plus clowns and a 30-foot unicycle. Ringling Brothers is now done with animal acts, after years of criticism over their safety and health.
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  "National Geographic" spoke to animal welfare advocates who applaud the show's reinvention. The CEO of the Humane Society calls it a "beautiful step forward toward animal-free entertainment."
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  The circus that you and I grew up with was once heavily focused on animal performances. Lions jumping through rings of fire. Elephants balancing on balls. Animal-rights groups protested for many years. The Circus argued back, saying it treated the animals well. But in 2017, Ringling shut down, citing declining ticket sales.
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  Now that it's back, Ringling is hoping it can still earn the tile of "The Greatest Show on Earth," this time in a more humane way.
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  You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app.
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  And check out our weekly interview show, "In Conversation." This time, I talk to Martinus Evans, a self-proclaimed "back of the pack" runner who's on a mission to get one million people into running, no matter their experience, shape, or size.
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  [START IN CONVERSATION CLIP]
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  Martinus Evans: What if the world just took weight loss out of regular physical activity, period, and just made it about joy? Like, would that cure this epidemic that they say that we're having with, you know, physical activity?
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  [END IN CONVERSATION CLIP]
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  Basu, Narrating: If you're listening in the Apple News app right now, that episode is queued up to play for you next. Enjoy the weekend, and I'll be back with the news on Monday.
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