NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-18-2025 1AM EDT

Episode Date: October 18, 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, I'm Dale Wilman. President Trump says Russia and Ukraine. should stop fighting and negotiate an end to their war. Trump met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House Friday. Afterwards, Zelensky spoke with the media.

One of the topic what we discussed with President Trump was about security guarantees. We want the United States be a part of security. We count on the leadership of the United States. We spoke about it. Earlier this year, Trump had hinted that the U.S. may offer Ukraine long-range tomahawk missiles that could reach deep into Russia as an incentive. for Moscow to stop fighting, but Trump Friday seemed to back away from the offer after a Friday phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. A bipartisan group of senators will force a vote to limit President Trump's powers to enter into war with Venezuela. M.P.R.S. Claudio Grasalis

reports that this comes amid fears that Trump will unilaterally take the U.S. into a new military conflict with no end in sights. Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine is leading the bipartisan group to force the vote in the Senate following a 10-day waiting period. Kane says he's worried Congress is running out of time to stop Trump's escalating campaign against Venezuela. The pace of the announcements about the authorization of covert activities and the military planning makes me think there's some chances to be in. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul and California Democrat Adam Schiff have also signed on to force the vote. The move follows Trump ordered military strikes in the Caribbean, new covert operations and plans to begin military operations in. inside Venezuela.

Claudi Rizales, NPR News. A Palestinian man living in Louisiana has been arrested and charged in connection with his alleged involvement in the Hamas-led attack on Israel more than two years ago. MPIR's Ryan Lucas reports. Court papers identify the defendant as 33-year-old Mahmoud Amin Jakub al-Mukhtadi, originally from the Gaza Strip, but currently living in Lafayette, Louisiana. A criminal complaint unsealed in federal court says Al-Muktadi is an operative for the armed wing of a military.

group based in Gaza that took part in the Hamas-led October 7th attack on Israel. Prosecutors say Al-Muktadi crossed into Israel on that day to assist in the attack. In 2024, he allegedly lied on his U.S. visa application about his ties to a militant group and never taking part in terrorist activity. Now al-Muktadi faces charges of visa fraud and material support to a terrorist organization. Ryan Lucas and PR News, Washington. Prince Andrews says he's giving up his royal. Royal title of the Duke of York after his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has

returned to the media headlines. Andrew says he and the royal family have decided the continued accusations against him are distracting from the work of the royal family, but Prince Andrew continues to deny the accusations against him. You're listening to NPR News. President Trump Friday commuted the sentence of former U.S. Representative George Santos. was serving more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges. The New York Republican was sentenced in April after admitting last year he deceived donors and stole the identities of 11 people. The civil war in Sudan continues and it's keeping millions of displaced civilians from having access to clean water, sanitation, or

health care. And as NPR's Faumantanus reports, a major cholera outbreak has already claimed the lives of several thousand people. Overcrowded displacement camps and heavy rains have contributed to a cholera outbreak that is spreading with what the aid group care calls terrifying speed. The World Health Organization says they have registered more than 110,000 cases so far and more than 3,000 deaths from cholera. In the last month, aid groups say they have increased their response to the crisis, including a vaccination campaign, testing water sources for contamination, and distributing soap and chlorine tablets. But they warn that the response remains underfunded, and that could undermine the ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak.

Potmatanis, NPR News. In college football, Louisville pulled off an upset against the second-ranked Miami Hurricanes Friday night. Miller Moss threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score in the 24-21 win. Louisville intercepted four of Carson Beck's passes with the last one stopping on Miami Drive in the game's final minute. And Minnesota set a school record for sacks as the Golden Gophers beat number 24. Nebraska 24 to 6. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News. Jane Austen turns 250 in December, and what better way to celebrate than reading her most famous book, Pride and Prejudice. This week on Books We've Loved, we explore Austin's seminal work with pop culture happy hours, Linda Holmes, and hear from superfan author Casey McQuiston.

Find Books We've Loved in NPR's Book of the Day podcast feed on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcast. Thank you.