NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-18-2025 9AM 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 in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Americans across the country will take to the streets today to protest against the Trump administration. NPR's Joel Rose reports the No King's protests are planned at more than 2,000 locations. The organizers of the no kings protests say they're expecting millions of people to demonstrate against what they call the Trump administration's authoritarian agenda.

Leah Greenberg is with the nonprofit group Indivisible, one of the organizers of the events. There is nothing more American than saying that we don't have kings and exercising our right to people. peaceful protest. Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to portray the protesters as radical and violent. House Speaker Mike Johnson has described the event as a hate America rally, while other GOP leaders suggested the events are likely to turn violent. The organizers reject those claims as an attempt to smear the protesters and emphasize that the events are intended to be peaceful. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. And it leads to Republican governors are mobilizing their state's National Guard. Texas

Governor Greg Abbott is sending guard troops to the state capital in Austin and a spokesman for Virginia Governor Glenn Yonkin says he has put troops on active duty in case they're needed. The sale last week of Dominion voting systems caught many of the state and local governments that used the company's equipment off guard. The announcement seemed geared toward people who are skeptical of elections, which added to government concerns. Here's MPR's Miles Parks. NPR has spoken to voting officials in numerous states who say they found out the servicer of their elections equipment was changing hands from reading about it in the media. It didn't help that the buyer of Dominion voting systems, former Republican election official Scott Linedecker,

seemed to lean into some of the unfounded suspicions surrounding the company since Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. As of today, Dominion is gone, read the first line of the press release announcing the sale. It's unclear what's actually changing, though. Company representatives in Georgia sent an email the counties there that said Liberty Vote shares the same values as Dominion. Same team, same support, different name, the company wrote. Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington. Navy Admiral is leaving U.S. Southern Command because of concerns about deadly U.S. strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean. That's according to a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly, as NPR's Quill Lawrence reports. Secretary of Defense Pete Higgseth announced that Admiral Alvin Halsey would retire after 37 years in the military.

But it's almost unheard of for an officer not to finish the full three years of a command like this, especially in the middle of a military building. up. Thousands of U.S. troops have moved into position off the Venezuelan coast, and the U.S. has destroyed several vessels the White House claims were carrying narcotics. Critics say those strikes amount to execution without trial. A U.S. official told NPR that Halsey recently met with Hegseth at the Pentagon to express his concerns about these strikes and that his resignation was announced by Hegs shortly after. Quill-Larns NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. Alaska's governor says damage to remote villages hit by flooding last week is so bad that many evacuees will not be able to return to their homes for at least 18 months. He's made a request to the White House for a major disaster declaration.

More than 2,000 people have either taken shelter in their communities or have been evacuated by military planes to Anchorage. One person was killed and two remain missing. Authorities in Cincinnati say at least 10 people were taken to the hospital. hospital last night after a third floor balcony collapsed. Police A. Five have serious injuries and one is in critical condition. The building is located near the University of Cincinnati. It's described as a place where a lot of students live. Photos and videos posted online show the balcony on the ground and first responders working nearby. Stocks gained ground this week. NPR Scott Horsley reports that markets were boosted by some big profits at some of the

nation's biggest banks. J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Wells, Fargo and other big banks all reported solid profits for the most recent quarter, thanks in part to big deal-making fees. It was a busy summer for mergers and acquisitions, and the banks that helped broker those deals all took their cut. It was a less rosy season for some regional banks that reported trouble with borrowers, but after some initial jitters, investors seemed to shrug off those concerns. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to send mixed signals on the trade outlook with China. For the week the Dow gained one and a half percent, the S&P 500, index rose 1.7%, and the NASDAQ jumped more than 2.1%.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. And I'm Jail Snyder. You're listening to NPR News.