NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-26-2025 5PM EDT

Episode Date: October 26, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skiyavoni. Trade negotiators from the U.S. and China say they have reached a tentative agreement that would head off some of the most onerous tariffs and export restrictions threatened by both countries. The progress was reported as leaders gathered for the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia. NPR's Emily Fang reports this sets up a highly anticipated meeting between President Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping. Issues like rare earths and China's refusal to buy American soybeans were top of the agenda. Chinese trade negotiator Li Chengg told reporters in Malaysia where the talks were held that the two countries had a, quote, substantive exchange. And also that the U.S. presented its views forcefully, but China protected its interests. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sunday morning talk shows that an extra 100% tariff that President Trump had threatened was, quote, effectively off the table now,

as was a potentially punishing export control regime that China was trialing for rare earth materials. Emily Fang and Pierre News. Israel has approved teams from the Red Cross and Egypt to enter Gaza to search for the bodies of hostages. NPR's Rob Schmits reports from Tel Aviv. The Egyptian team, which specializes in search and rescue operations and in dismantling explosive devices, entered the strip accompanied by several engineering vehicles to help locate the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages. Their bodies are believed to be in areas that have been booby-trapped. For days, there have been discussions over allowing teams into Gaza to help recover the remaining 13 deceased Israeli hostages,

as well as deceased Palestinians under the rubble. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump warned Hamas to return the bodies of hostages or the countries involved in the peace plan will take action. Among the bodies of hostages remaining in Gaza are two Americans. Rob Schmitz and Pierre News, Tel Aviv. The partisan redistricting effort kicked off by the president continues with the Commonwealth of Virginia. Lawmakers there will be holding a special session tomorrow, and PR's Mara Liason has details. Virginia Democrats will discuss redrawing the state's congressional district maps to favor Democrats.

This follows an unusual mid-cycle partisan redistricting effort by Republicans in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri. After President Trump called on red states with trifectas, that is, with Republican governors and state legislatures in the same state to create more seats favorable to his party. Three other blue states, California, Illinois, and Maryland have responded in kind and are looking at ways to increase seats favorable to Democrats. Normally, redistricting happens every 10 years after the census is taken, but that custom appears to be yet another political norm

cast aside during the Trump era. Mara Liason, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News. in Washington. The National Hurricane Center reports Hurricane Melissa is packing maximum sustained winds of more than 130 miles an hour, about 100 miles away from Jamaica. The forecast is for the hurricane to make landfall in Jamaica, Monday night or Tuesday morning, and for the hurricane to make landfall in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic later on in the week.

Americans are expected to spend a record $13 billion on Halloween this year. Lauren Patterson of Northwest Public Broadcasting has details. A survey by the National Retail Federation finds 73% of the participants plan to celebrate Halloween this year. That's up from about half in 2005. Over the past 20 years, there's been a dramatic increase in the number of people who are celebrating Halloween. That's Jay Zagorski, an economics professor at Boston University. who researches holidays. The data also show people are spending billions on costumes this year, and more people are dressing up their pets. Zagorski says that's due to social media.

One or two influencers start dressing up their pets, and then everyone's like, oh, I need to dress up my pet too. People are predicted to spend nearly a billion on pet costumes this year. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Patterson and Pullman, Washington. French media report two people were arrested overnight. in connection with the theft of millions of dollars worth of historic gems from the Louvre in Paris, the Paris prosecutor says one person was taken into custody as he was preparing to fly out of the country. I'm Louise Skiavoni and PR News, Washington.