NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-29-2025 1PM EDT

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Hurricane Melissa is losing wind strength, but with top winds near 100 miles per hour, it remains a dangerous storm as it turns toward the Bahamas and Bermuda from Cuba. Meanwhile, millions across Jamaica are recovering from Melissa's cat 5th strike yesterday. At 185 miles per hour, it was the most powerful hurricane known to ever strike Jamaica. Based in Kingston, Nick Davis reports on. the aftermath. Right now, I can see helicopters flying overhead. They're going to be super useful over the next few days to be able to do the sort of reconnaissance. So many communities

are isolated around the island, isolated physically because of damage to the road infrastructure, isolated because of trees which have been sort of chopped down by the wind and also even power lines which have come down. Nick Davis reporting Hurricane Melissa's linked to at least seven deaths in Jamaica and Hispaniola. The State Department says it is deploying disaster response teams to the islands affected by that storm. On XE agency also says it has activated U.S.-based urban search and rescue teams. A federal trial is underway in Oregon over a lawsuit challenging President Trump's ability to deploy members of the National Guard in the city of Portland.

from Oregon Public Broadcasting, Conrad Wilson reports. The trials before the same judge who blocked the deployment earlier this month. U.S. District Court Judge Karen Immigate will examine whether the law and constitution give the president the authority to deploy the National Guard or whether those efforts in Portland infringe on the state's rights. Attorneys for the Trump administration argued the president has the authority to federalize and deploy the Oregon National Guard. The city of Portland, along with the states of Oregon and California, say, when Congress wrote the law, it was clear the president should only call up the National Guard as a last resort. For NPR News, I'm Conrad Wilson in Portland.

Israel says the ceasefire has resumed in Gaza after a deadly wave of attacks. NPR's Anasbaba reports from a hospital in Gaza's city. It was one of the deadliest nights since the war in Gaza began. Over 100 Palestinians were killed, including 66 women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. hospital morgues were overwhelmed and families searched for loved ones and they mourned their children pulled from the rubble.

Halima Abu Hanna held her 10-year-old son Fadi's body in her arms. He was killed in the strikes. She says, why didn't they take my soul away from me? Till the world enough. Israel says it was targeting militants retaliating for the killing of a soldier. Anasbaba and Pure News, Gazistie. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 231 points.

This is NPR News. Nobel Prize winning author, while late Shoyinka accuses the Trump administration of turning down his request for a non-resident visa because of his recent criticism of the U.S. government. Shoyinka says he is not interested in returning to the United States, but is speaking out for better treatment of visa applicants. The 91-year-old Nigerian author won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1986. He was the first African to do so.

As the federal government shutdown heads toward a fifth week, hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain furloughed. NPR's Ava Pukatch reports on how one person is using his newfound freedom to pursue a passion project. Isaac Stein decided he'd finally pursue a childhood dream of running his own home. hot dog stand this summer. He opened up Scheister's dogs in September on weekends and after work. Then the government shut down and he was furloughed from his job as a lawyer at the IRS. So now he slings dogs seven days a week, including what he calls a quote, correct dog. Which is mustard and sauerkraut. If someone wants other things, that's totally fine, no judgment.

But I do reserve the right to assess an additional dollar as a penalty. He's looking forward to getting back to his IRS job as soon as possible, but he also hopes to keep the hot dog business running on weekends. Eva Pukatch, NPR News, Washington. The NASDAQ has gained 146 points. SMPs up 18, and the Dow is now up 232 points. It's NPR News.