NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-23-2025 9PM EDT

Episode Date: October 24, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Virginia is joining the nation's redistricting frenzy. It's the second state where Democrats are pushing back against President Trump's attempt to expand the Republican majority in Congress. Jad Khalil from Member Station VPM reports. The clerks in the Virginia House and Senate told members they would be back in Richmond on Monday, but didn't specify the reason. Republicans in the Virginia legislature confirmed that Democrats are planning to begin the process of redistricting. Delugate Terry Kilgore is the House Minority Leader. We have been told that's what we're coming back for, and it's reliable sources, so we know that we are coming back for redistricting.

Virginia amended its Constitution in 2020 to have a bipartisan commission draw its electoral maps. Constitutional amendments usually involve a multi-year process, but it appears Democrats are attempting to make the change more quickly. The session is in the final week before this year's election, and would also take the Republicans nominee for governor off the campaign trail. Lieutenant Governor Winsom Earl Sears presides over the state Senate. For NPR News, I'm Jad Khalil in Richmond. President Trump is threatening to expand his military campaign against alleged drug cartels. The administration says it launched two strikes against drug boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Last night, seven previous strikes targeted vessels in the Caribbean.

In total, the operations have killed 37 people. Now Trump is threatening a land invasion and says he might even seek approval from lawmakers. You know, the land is going to be next. And we may go to the Senate. We may go to the, you know, Congress and tell them about it. But I can't imagine they'd have any problem with it. Experts have questioned the legality of the strikes. Trump justifies them by saying the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels.

Some ranchers are mad at President Trump over his plan to import more beef from Argentina. As Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports, ranchers largely supported Trump, but say the move would undercut American beef. Domestic cattle are scarce. The U.S. herd has shrunk to its smallest size since the 1950s because for decades it was hard to make a living raising cattle. Now, beef prices are soaring and President Trump wants to import more meat from Argentina to bring consumer costs down. Kansas rancher Mike Caligrate says Trump's plan would undermine a recent push to rebuild the domestic cattle industry. I just think it's a bad deal. And just when we're getting our ranchers back on their feet again, you know, we're going to pull the rug out from under him. Trump's plan to import beef from Argentina comes on the heels of his $20 billion bailout of Argentina's economy.

That angered U.S. soybean farmers who are losing export sales to their Argentine competitors. For NPR News, I'm Frank Morris. President Trump says he's backing off sending federal agents to San Francisco after speaking to the mayor as protesters gathered outside a U.S. Coast Guard base where they were located. Trump now says Mayor Daniel Lurie was making progress in reducing crime. He says he'll let San Francisco keep trying on its own. This is NPR News. Michigan is scrapping an electric vehicle battery plant project after pushback from locals and national Republicans and problems with the Chinese company behind it. The state is trying to suspend incentives and reclaim millions of dollars from that company.

The state's accusing Goshen, Inc. of abandoning the project after a lack of activity for more than 120 days. Nearly two weeks into the ceasefire, Gaza's damaged health systems can't meet the needs of the population, according to the World Health Organization. As NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports, health officials are calling on countries to accept medical evacuees from Gaza. More than 170,000 people have injuries in Gaza. People are missing limbs, suffering from severe burns, and tens of thousands will require long-term rehabilitation. That's according to WHO Director General Tedros Adonam Gabriesus. The demands on the health systems are huge, but significant parts of the system have been destroyed or badly degraded. No hospitals in Gaza are fully functional.

In the 14 of 36 hospitals that are partially open, medical staff and supplies are limited. The WHO says 15,000 patients need to. treatment outside of Gaza and is calling on Israel to open more humanitarian crossings to help them get out. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. The state of Michigan has acquired a life ring that washed a shore 50 years ago from the legendary sunken oil tanker Edmund Fitzgerald. The artifact became part of a settlement in a lawsuit that had nothing to do with the famous shipwreck. U.S. stocks rose today. The S&P 500 climbed 6 tenths of a percent near its all-time high set earlier this month. This is NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you

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