NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-29-2025 7PM EDT

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skiyavone. Senate Democrats tried and failed to pass a measure to fund nutrition benefits during the government shutdown. As NPR's Barberous Joint reports, the bill needed unanimous consent to pass. Come November 1st, more than 40 million people are in danger of losing federal nutrition assistance. Senate Majority Leader John Thune objected to the unanimous consent measure from Democrats. This isn't a political game. These are real people's lives that we're talking about. talking about. And you all have just figured out 29 days in that, oh, there might be some consequences. The Senate has tried to fund the government 13 times with a handful of Democrats

voting alongside Republicans. The rest of Democrats say they won't vote for a short-term spending measure unless Republicans agree to extend health care subsidies. Barbara Sprint and PR News. Officials in Jamaica say Hurricane Melissa left more than three quarters of the island's residents without power, but they do expect the island's airports to reopen by tomorrow. NPR's Greg Allen has more from South Florida, home to the nation's second-largest Jamaican community where anxious family and friends are working to send aid to the island. At a warehouse in Durrell, a Miami suburb, volunteers are packing boxes filled with food, water, and hygiene products that are being shipped to Jamaica by global empowerment mission.

Melissa was the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica, and it focused its destructive power on the island's western side. One of the volunteers, Adrian Long, was worried about his family who live in Southfield, near the spot where the hurricane made landfall. It's a smaller town. We have a family business there. My uncle lived there. I haven't heard a thing.

And I know it's bad because the last hurricane was terrible. The charity says it has planes loaded with aid for Jamaica ready to land when the airports reopen. Greg Allen, NPR News, Dural, Florida. Save the Children, says Israel is banning. it from operating in Gaza. NPR's Jaina Roth reports. Save the Children has been providing aid in Gaza and the West Bank for more than

70 years. But Israel has recently announced new rules for non-governmental organizations sending in staff and humanitarian aid. Those rules allow Israel to revoke registration for any group but deems anti-Israeli. Save

the Children said Wednesday it had been informed that it did not meet the new criteria and that it's international staff would soon have to leave Gaza. A UN study says almost 55,000 children in Gaza are acutely malnourished because of lack of aid. Israel denies that it restricts aid to Gaza. As part of the recent ceasefire, it had agreed to more than double the number of trucks allowed there. That has not yet happened. Jane Arraf, NPR News, Amman. The Dow closed down slightly off 74 points at 47632, the next.

NASDAQ up 130. This is NPR. In her first press conference since the Louvre theft, October 19th, the Paris prosecutor confirmed that two men arrested Saturday night will be charged in connection with the jewel heist. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, she also confirmed that the two other suspects and the jewels are still missing. Paris prosecutor Lorbecuo said police were forced to make precipitated arrest when one of the suspects tried to leave the country.

Both suspects have criminal records for theft. The men, age 34 and 39, have partially admitted to the crime. Becuo says police have leads on the other two, but that she could not give more information without compromising the investigation. She hinted at the possibility of a larger crime group directing the operation, and she also says they have no reason to believe

there was an accomplice inside the museum. I hold out hope, the jewels will be returned to the Louvre and the nation, she said. They are unsellable. It is not too late to hand them over. Eleanor Beardsley and Piernoes, Paris. France is poised to create a new law that describes any non-consensual sexual act as sexual assault. Francis Senate approved the measure today, stipulating that rape and other sexual assaults are included in the definition.

This follows a widely publicized case in January, resulting in the conviction of 51 men for the rape and abuse of Giselle Pelicoe, while she was under chemical sedation, the episodes of the abuse were orchestrated by the woman's husband. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. I'm Louise Skiavoni, NPR News, Washington.