October 3, 2025 • 6 mins
A view mass layoffs are imminent as the US Federal Government shutdown nears its third day.
Democrats and Republicans failed to get their respective bills through the senate, suspending thousands of government workers without pay.
US President Donald Trump's called it an unprecedented opportunity to slash spending.
US Correspondent Jonathan Kearsley told Andrew Dickens layoffs are coming, it's just a question of how deep and wide they are.
He says we know they're looking to slash spending to save billions, but the shutdown is also hurting the economy every day.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
International Correspondence with ends and Eye Insurance, Peace of Mind
for New Zealand business.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
And speaking of America. We're joined now by Jonathan Kurzley,
who's our US correspondent.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hello Jonathan, Andrew, Good afternoon to you and all the listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Are you fizziting with excitement in that Taylor Swift's album
is now twenty one minutes and thirty seconds away from
being released?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Twenty one minutes, twenty four seconds. We could do this
for the next twenty one minutes and twenty seconds now, Andrew.
But it is well and truly a champagne call that
is about to be released. I think when it comes
to Taylor Swift fans, look, there won't be any bad blood.
It may well be a love story for them. They
will have to shake off their excitement. They can look
forward to something that won't be a cruel summer, and
they may well feel enchanted and it will be all
(00:44):
too well for them all as they Let's just tick
off those Taliswift song names as we go through it.
How long did you?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
How long did you work on that?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
For about three and a half minutes, Andrew. But I
think I think we get the idea it's going to
be twelve tracks. The Life of the show Girl comes
out very soon. Indeed, here in the United States, there
are going to be watch parties for the music video
tomorrow movie cinemas across the country. There are listening parties
taking place across the country tonight. Is no doubt there
(01:12):
is in New Zealand, no doubt the officers there will
be grinding to a hold as we get ready to
listen to the next installment from Well, I suppose, the
biggest musician of the twenty first century, and it will
be happening across the pond in Australia, will be happening
right around the world as we embrace the new era
I suppose from Swift. But it's just going to be
(01:33):
astronomical and I think you can expect this to be
one of the biggest Spotify downloads that you will ever see.
So much is anticipated about this album. What are the lyrics,
what are the messages about? Who is she singing about?
But we'll find out, I suppose in well few minutes time.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
To be honest, Jonathan, I think Teller Swift now transcends music.
She could actually release her sort of humming Happy Birthday
over and over and over again, and it will still
go crazy. She has trendsit music. But when you put
that to Taylor Swift, fans like, oh no, the music
is everything, which I will do later on. Let's talk
about something a lot more serious, and that is the
shutdown and Donald Trump's plans to perhaps fillow some people forever.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, this is extraordinary, and I think we're going to
start seeing the initial movements probably in the coming hours.
The White House has already indicated there's going to be
mass layoffs in thousands, and they could begin as early
as tomorrow, as early as yeah, tomorrow, in the United States,
the president's itinery has been released. You likeily won't see
him in public again tomorrow. We didn't see him in
(02:35):
public today. He's been accusing Democrats of being the ones
behind this shutdown, but it is Republicans who control the House,
Republicans who controlled the Senate, and Republicans who control the
White House. Now what does it actually all mean. Well,
it means that a whole bunch of federal government run programs,
federal government run tourist attractions can effectively have their doors closed.
(02:56):
And we've seen that already. I mean the Statue of
Liberty is threatening with having its lights turned off. Alcatraz
Island in the Bay Area here in California that's been
closed down, the Washington Monument's been closed down. But in reality,
this is now going to mean what Donald Trump has
been trying to do, and that is shrieked the bureaucracy.
And I think in the coming hours you're going to
start seeing his first movements on how that's going to
(03:17):
play out, and there will be layoffs. He's already said that.
His Press Secretary Carolinelevit said at the White House today,
It's just how deep and how wide are they going
to go, because we know that they are trying to
cut their bottom line big time in order to try
and say minions across the economy. But the longer this
goes on, the more it hurts the economy too. I mean,
we're already hearing from places that help mothers and children
(03:43):
who are on low incomes and try and get food
vouches to them. Those organizations are going to be forced
to shut down in the coming days if this goes on,
and it is going to go on at least until
next week. That is because they have not been voting
on the Senate today because it is yon Kapoor. They
will return tomorrow. It will not get through. The spending
bills will not go through tomorrow, They will not sit
(04:04):
over the weekend. So we will go through to this
into what will be day six come Monday, and so
it will drag on and very very quickly you will
find that people financially will be hurting, them be hurting
very very badly. Indeed, they won't be able to afford
to get to work. They may not be a fabled
to afford to put the food on the table. And
the last time we saw a shutdown in Trump administration
(04:26):
twenty eight and twenty nineteen, it's thirty five days and
we saw lines at food banks. Now the president is
not going to want to see those images again, and
if he does, he's likely to shift the blood politically
onto his opponents. So maybe it will be shrink the workforce,
get done what he wants to get done, and then
tell his Republicans to go back and get something through
that reopens the government again.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, that's a big risk because everybody who's paid by
the fair will also vote, you know, and he'll find
he'll lose a lot of voters, and there's a perception thing.
But there we go. Vladimir Putin's not happy and unhappy
that he's not happy. But what's he not happy about, Well, he's.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Not happy, but a whole range of things. I mean,
he's not happy that NATO is involved in trying to
protect NATO's own airspace. He is seemingly unhappy with the
idea that the United States could re arm Ukraine with
potentially even stronger Tomahawk missiles that could reach well inside Russia.
He's issued a warning that essentially to the United States
that could be an escalation. He's told NATO essentially they
(05:24):
need to calm down to even though what NATO has
done is put up its own fighter jets to stop
Russian drones or drones launched from Russia going into their
own airspace. So what you're seeing is a very tense
situation play out between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine.
America's president has said he's not happy with the Russian
president that he thought he might have got a little
(05:44):
bit more out of the Alaska meeting. But I think
anybody who watched that Alaska summit take place between Vladimir
Putin and Donald Trump would have walked away in the
hours after thinking, well, America didn't really get anything out
of this, and peace in Ukraine doesn't seem any closer,
and right now it actually doesn't. And now you've got
the idea of the United States ramping up the supports
to Ukraine with missiles that could potentially reach well inside Russia.
(06:07):
And while that starts to become an extra big problem,
and with Vladimir Putin already saying that would be a
major escalation, well then you have to wonder what comes next.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Oh what a lovely thought to go into a weekend.
For Jonathan Kersey, I thank you so very much for
your time, Jonathan, our US correspondent.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
For more from Hither Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
International Correspondence with ends and Eye Insurance, Peace of Mind
for New Zealand business.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
And speaking of America. We're joined now by Jonathan Kurzley,
who's our US correspondent.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hello Jonathan, Andrew, Good afternoon to you and all the listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Are you fizziting with excitement in that Taylor Swift's album
is now twenty one minutes and thirty seconds away from
being released?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Twenty one minutes, twenty four seconds. We could do this
for the next twenty one minutes and twenty seconds now, Andrew.
But it is well and truly a champagne call that
is about to be released. I think when it comes
to Taylor Swift fans, look, there won't be any bad blood.
It may well be a love story for them. They
will have to shake off their excitement. They can look
forward to something that won't be a cruel summer, and
they may well feel enchanted and it will be all
(00:44):
too well for them all as they Let's just tick
off those Taliswift song names as we go through it.
How long did you?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
How long did you work on that?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
For about three and a half minutes, Andrew. But I
think I think we get the idea it's going to
be twelve tracks. The Life of the show Girl comes
out very soon. Indeed, here in the United States, there
are going to be watch parties for the music video
tomorrow movie cinemas across the country. There are listening parties
taking place across the country tonight. Is no doubt there
(01:12):
is in New Zealand, no doubt the officers there will
be grinding to a hold as we get ready to
listen to the next installment from Well, I suppose, the
biggest musician of the twenty first century, and it will
be happening across the pond in Australia, will be happening
right around the world as we embrace the new era
I suppose from Swift. But it's just going to be
(01:33):
astronomical and I think you can expect this to be
one of the biggest Spotify downloads that you will ever see.
So much is anticipated about this album. What are the lyrics,
what are the messages about? Who is she singing about?
But we'll find out, I suppose in well few minutes time.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
To be honest, Jonathan, I think Teller Swift now transcends music.
She could actually release her sort of humming Happy Birthday
over and over and over again, and it will still
go crazy. She has trendsit music. But when you put
that to Taylor Swift, fans like, oh no, the music
is everything, which I will do later on. Let's talk
about something a lot more serious, and that is the
shutdown and Donald Trump's plans to perhaps fillow some people forever.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, this is extraordinary, and I think we're going to
start seeing the initial movements probably in the coming hours.
The White House has already indicated there's going to be
mass layoffs in thousands, and they could begin as early
as tomorrow, as early as yeah, tomorrow, in the United States,
the president's itinery has been released. You likeily won't see
him in public again tomorrow. We didn't see him in
(02:35):
public today. He's been accusing Democrats of being the ones
behind this shutdown, but it is Republicans who control the House,
Republicans who controlled the Senate, and Republicans who control the
White House. Now what does it actually all mean. Well,
it means that a whole bunch of federal government run programs,
federal government run tourist attractions can effectively have their doors closed.
(02:56):
And we've seen that already. I mean the Statue of
Liberty is threatening with having its lights turned off. Alcatraz
Island in the Bay Area here in California that's been
closed down, the Washington Monument's been closed down. But in reality,
this is now going to mean what Donald Trump has
been trying to do, and that is shrieked the bureaucracy.
And I think in the coming hours you're going to
start seeing his first movements on how that's going to
(03:17):
play out, and there will be layoffs. He's already said that.
His Press Secretary Carolinelevit said at the White House today,
It's just how deep and how wide are they going
to go, because we know that they are trying to
cut their bottom line big time in order to try
and say minions across the economy. But the longer this
goes on, the more it hurts the economy too. I mean,
we're already hearing from places that help mothers and children
(03:43):
who are on low incomes and try and get food
vouches to them. Those organizations are going to be forced
to shut down in the coming days if this goes on,
and it is going to go on at least until
next week. That is because they have not been voting
on the Senate today because it is yon Kapoor. They
will return tomorrow. It will not get through. The spending
bills will not go through tomorrow, They will not sit
(04:04):
over the weekend. So we will go through to this
into what will be day six come Monday, and so
it will drag on and very very quickly you will
find that people financially will be hurting, them be hurting
very very badly. Indeed, they won't be able to afford
to get to work. They may not be a fabled
to afford to put the food on the table. And
the last time we saw a shutdown in Trump administration
(04:26):
twenty eight and twenty nineteen, it's thirty five days and
we saw lines at food banks. Now the president is
not going to want to see those images again, and
if he does, he's likely to shift the blood politically
onto his opponents. So maybe it will be shrink the workforce,
get done what he wants to get done, and then
tell his Republicans to go back and get something through
that reopens the government again.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, that's a big risk because everybody who's paid by
the fair will also vote, you know, and he'll find
he'll lose a lot of voters, and there's a perception thing.
But there we go. Vladimir Putin's not happy and unhappy
that he's not happy. But what's he not happy about, Well, he's.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Not happy, but a whole range of things. I mean,
he's not happy that NATO is involved in trying to
protect NATO's own airspace. He is seemingly unhappy with the
idea that the United States could re arm Ukraine with
potentially even stronger Tomahawk missiles that could reach well inside Russia.
He's issued a warning that essentially to the United States
that could be an escalation. He's told NATO essentially they
(05:24):
need to calm down to even though what NATO has
done is put up its own fighter jets to stop
Russian drones or drones launched from Russia going into their
own airspace. So what you're seeing is a very tense
situation play out between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine.
America's president has said he's not happy with the Russian
president that he thought he might have got a little
(05:44):
bit more out of the Alaska meeting. But I think
anybody who watched that Alaska summit take place between Vladimir
Putin and Donald Trump would have walked away in the
hours after thinking, well, America didn't really get anything out
of this, and peace in Ukraine doesn't seem any closer,
and right now it actually doesn't. And now you've got
the idea of the United States ramping up the supports
to Ukraine with missiles that could potentially reach well inside Russia.
(06:07):
And while that starts to become an extra big problem,
and with Vladimir Putin already saying that would be a
major escalation, well then you have to wonder what comes next.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Oh what a lovely thought to go into a weekend.
For Jonathan Kersey, I thank you so very much for
your time, Jonathan, our US correspondent.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
For more from Hither Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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