--:-- Lakshmi Singh: On NPR's Wildcard Podcast, Jeff Hiller says fans of his character in Somebody Somewhere have a slogan. WWJD? What would Joel do? In the 80s they had, what would Jesus do? You've been deified. Oh no, this is what brought the Beatles down. Watch or listen to that Wildcard Conversation on the NPR app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
--:-- Jeff Hiller: [laughs]
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
--:-- Cody Balmer: [pleading guilty to charges]
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: The suspect in April's arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home is being ordered to serve 25 to 50 years in prison.
--:-- Josh Shapiro: [expressing guilt]
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Cody Balmer pleaded guilty today to two dozen counts, including attempted murder. Shapiro says he has carried an enormous sense of guilt that doing the job he loves has put his kids' lives at risk.
--:-- Josh Shapiro: How were they able to get so far into the governor's residence, the place that was supposed to be the safest place we could possibly be? As you saw from the videos that the district attorney played he was able to penetrate the residence right up to a door that led to the hallway where we were in our private living quarters
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: The Democratic governor says today is an example of real accountability for acts of political violence Democrats joined Republicans in issuing similar calls against political violence in the aftermath of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk's assassination in Utah last month.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Thousands of federal workers have received layoff notices since the government shutdown began two weeks ago.
--:-- Andrea Shue: The lawsuit originated with a memo issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget a week before the shutdown. It suggested that the Trump administration might permanently lay off some federal workers instead of temporarily furloughing them if funding for the government lapsed.
--:-- Andrea Shue: Unions representing more than 800,000 federal employees sued the budget office and its director, Russell Vogt, to block any shutdown-related layoffs.
--:-- Andrea Shue: The unions argue that the Trump administration has no authority in a shutdown to get rid of government functions mandated by Congress.
--:-- Andrea Shue: They also argue that the White House is violating federal law by requiring federal employees to perform work related to a reduction in force during the lapse in funding.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Andrea Hsu, NPR News.
--:-- Daniel Estrin: Israeli authorities have identified the bodies of four deceased hostages whom Hamas handed over from Gaza
--:-- Daniel Estrin: An Israeli autopsy has identified the remains of the four bodies handed over Monday
--:-- Daniel Estrin: The Israeli military says it believes one 26 Israeli hostage was injured in the October 7th attack two years ago and died of his wounds accusing Hamas of not giving him proper medical care.
--:-- Daniel Estrin: It says it believes another hostage, a citizen of Nepal, was killed in captivity during the first months of the war.
--:-- Daniel Estrin: The identities of the other hostage bodies returned have not yet been confirmed by Israel.
--:-- Daniel Estrin: Families of Israeli hostages have expressed surprise and anger that Hamas did not hand over more bodies.
--:-- Daniel Estrin: Some bodies are missing or under rubble, and there will be an international effort to recover their remains.
--:-- Daniel Estrin: It's unclear how many bodies Hamas has currently in its possession.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: That's Daniel Estrin.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: The army in Madagascar has seized power days after the president fled the island nation, citing threats on his life.
--:-- Kate Bartlett: A colonel in an elite army unit has announced the military has taken over the country.
--:-- Kate Bartlett: His statement came minutes after members of parliament voted to impeach President Andre Rajelina.
--:-- Kate Bartlett: Madagascar's youth took to the streets last month, demanding Rajelina resign amid anger over water and electricity shortages crippling the country
--:-- Kate Bartlett: Over the weekend the CAPSAT military unit announced they had sided with the protesters Radjelina then fled and is in hiding in an undisclosed location
--:-- Kate Bartlett: The former French colony in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa is no stranger to rebellions Radjelina himself first came to power as leader of a transitional government following a coup in 2009.
--:-- Kate Bartlett: He later ran for election and won.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: For NPR News, I'm Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Brilliant autumn shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown are surfacing across the northeastern U.S. but leaves may be falling to the ground earlier this leaf peeping season.
--:-- Andy Finton: The U.S. drought monitors map shows a vast majority of the country experienced abnormally dry to extreme drought earlier this month.
--:-- Andy Finton: But autumn in New England is still worth experiencing this year.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Across the country, states and counties are rushing to change their voting rules.
--:-- Stacey Abrams: These attacks on voting rights are part of the authoritarian playbook.
--:-- Stacey Abrams: You may not be into politics, but politics is into you and it is a stalker.
--:-- Lakshmi Singh: Listen to Code Switch in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
