--:-- Corva Coleman: This message comes from NPR's sponsor, Odoo Business Management Software. Some say Odoo is like fertilizer because it promotes growth. Others say it's a magic beanstalk, scaling with efficiency. Odoo, exactly what a business needs. Sign up today at odoo.com.
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--:-- Corva Coleman: Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The Trump administration has appealed a federal judge's order requiring the full payment of food assistance benefits. These are known as SNAP. The federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the government failed to consider the harm to millions of Americans who rely on these benefits.
--:-- Tovia Smith: U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. accused the Trump administration of delaying food aid for, quote, political reasons. He said the president's own social media posts prove his intent to defy a previous order to keep SNAP assistance flowing.
--:-- Corva Coleman: The Trump administration has said benefits would be partially restored, but it could take weeks or months. Now the judge says additional funding must be tapped to ensure full benefits are restored immediately. Anti-hunger groups call the decision a major victory, but worry the administration's appeal will mean more delays for needy Americans.
--:-- Tovia Smith: The Trump administration issued a short statement blaming Democrats for the lapse in benefits.
--:-- Corva Coleman: The federal government shutdown is slowing air traffic. The government is moving to gradually reduce airline traffic by up to 10 percent. This will affect dozens of airports across the country, including major hubs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark.
--:-- Brian Kelly: It's not just canceled flights. Because of these canceled flights, there's going to be thousands more delays as well. There are staffing shortages at airports around the country. Air traffic controllers are required to work through a shutdown, but they don't get paid. Many are looking at other work.
--:-- Corva Coleman: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military attacked another boat in the Caribbean, killing three people. Writing online last night, he alleged the boat was part of drug trafficking, but he provided no evidence.
--:-- Corva Coleman: This comes after the Republican-led Senate blocked a bipartisan bill yesterday. It sought to limit President Trump's ability to attack Venezuela.
--:-- Corva Coleman: Shareholders at Tesla's annual meeting in Texas have approved a massive pay package for CEO Elon Musk. As NPR's Camila Domenoski reports, the package is potentially worth a trillion dollars.
--:-- Camila Domenoski: Elon Musk's previous pay package is currently tied up in a legal battle after a shareholder challenged it. That pay package was a world record, too. Stock worth more than $55 billion if Musk hit all the targets, which he did. The new one, an order of magnitude larger, is linked to a new set of targets for valuation and earnings and the number of cars and robots sold.
--:-- Corva Coleman: Musk has said it's not the money that he values so much as the influence the stock represents, influence over Tesla, and more specifically, over the humanoid robots and other AI-powered tech that Tesla might build and sell.
--:-- Corva Coleman: You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Trump administration is moving to lower some drug prices, including on popular obesity and type 2 diabetes drugs. NPR's Sydney Lepkin says medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are part of the deal.
--:-- Sydney Lepkin: It expands coverage to some, but not all, Medicare beneficiaries with obesity. They have to have additional health conditions or a body mass index over 35. People with Medicare will be able to get them for a copay of $50 a month. State Medicaid programs will have to opt in, but the lower cost of the drugs to the government, per patient per month is something that I'm hearing will likely push them toward this.
--:-- Corva Coleman: NPR News The World Meteorological Organization says 2025 may be the second or third hottest year on record. NPR's Alejandra Barunda has more.
--:-- Alejandra Barunda: WMO says the planet is about 1.4 degrees Celsius hotter than it was during the pre-industrial era. And all that planetary heating means it's almost more surprising when a year doesn't come with the tagline, hottest year ever. So it doesn't look like 2025 will end up with that superlative. That's probably due to natural cycles and Earth's weather systems that dragged global temperatures down slightly this year.
--:-- Alejandra Barunda: But overall, the pattern of global warming is clear. That's according to WMO Deputy Secretary General Coe Barrett. Each fraction of a degree matters for communities facing floods, droughts, and heat extremes.
--:-- Corva Coleman: The report comes as the United Nations Annual Climate Summit starts next week.
--:-- Alejandra Barunda: And I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.
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--:-- Corva Coleman: This message comes from Mint Mobile. Starting at $15 a month, make the switch at mintmobile.com slash switch. $45 upfront payment for three months. Five gigabyte plan equivalent to $15 a month. Taxes and fees extra. First three months only. See terms.
