NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-16-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

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In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. The Justice Department has charged former National Security Advisor John Bolton with 18 counts of mishandling classified documents. Bolton worked in President Trump's first administration, but later became one of his fiercest critics. Now he's been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland.

Bolton is the latest example of the Justice Department targeting Trump's perceived political enemies, including former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. But the investigation against him predates Trump's second. term. President Trump says he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. In an effort to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump says his success in the Middle East will help negotiations to end this war. NPR's Deepa Shivaram has more. Trump posted the news on social media and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will first lead a meeting of high-level U.S. and Russian advisors next week. The location of that meeting is not yet announced. Then Trump and Putin

will meet in Budapest to end what Trump called the, quote, inglorious war between Russia and Ukraine. The president's post came after he spoke with Putin over the phone, which Trump said was a, quote, productive call. The two also discussed trade between the U.S. and Russia for when the war ends. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit the White House this week for a meeting with Trump. Deepa Chivaram and PR News, the White House. A judge says federal immigration officers in Chicago will be required to wear body cameras after the use of tear gas against peaceful protesters and reports of a high-speed chase through a residential area. Federal Judge Sarah Ellis says she was, quote, a little startled after seeing TV images of clashes between agents and the public during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. A lawyer for the government says news media reports have been one-sided. Senate Democrats voted down a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government for the time. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed. Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are demanding that Congress extend health care subsidies set to

expire at the end of the year. Republicans are demanding something that hasn't happened in previous negotiations. They're saying our way or the highway, no negotiation, no Democratic input. This is a highly partisan bill. Senate Republicans also held a vote that would have paved the way to paying salaries for troops. Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized Democrats for voting it down. If we can't reopen the entire government, we can at least make some progress toward securing paychecks for our troops and for defending our country. The bill would have required approval by the House, which has been out of session during the shutdown. Stocks slumped after another turbulent day of trading today. The Dow and S&P 500 both fell more than six-tenths of a percent.

This is NPR News from Washington. One of the most significant rescue events in Alaska history continues as emergency responders airlift hundreds of people from coastal villages ravaged by high surf. Remnants of a typhoon washed away homes in low-lying Alaska native communities. At least one person was killed and two are missing. About 1,500 people are living in makeshift shelters. The Vatican's Child Protection Board is calling for reparations for victims of clergy abuse. and tougher sanctions for abusers. The body said the Catholic Church has a moral obligation to help victims.

A new Vatican report suggests abuse is happening unchecked in vast parts of the developing world. An 80-year-old grandmother has become the oldest woman to finish the Iron Man World Championship triathlon, NPR's Bill Chapel reports. The year Natalie Grabeau turned 60, she started learning to swim. But that was 20 years ago. On Saturday, Grabo finished the grueling Iron Man course in Hawaii. Iron Man officials share the moment on Instagram. You are an Iron Man! At 80 years old, she swam more than two miles in the ocean,

biked 112 miles, and then ran a marathon-length course. She set a new record as the oldest female athlete to finish the race. That brought wide praise for Grubaud, who trains at her local YMCA and a high school track near her home in New Jersey. In an email to NPR before her flight home, Grabeau says she's grateful she can still compete. As for learning to swim, she said it proves it's never too late to take on a new challenge. Bill Chappell, NPR News.

I'm Rylan Barton. This is NPR News from Washington. Latin music has never been bigger, but it's always been big on all Latino. 15 years in, we continue celebrating Latinidad through a music lens, transcending borders through Ritmo. Get to know artists from La Cultura on a deeper level and throw some new Latin music wrecks into your rotation. Listen to Alt Latino in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.