NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-30-2025 11AM EDT

Episode Date: October 30, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corvick Coleman. President Trump is flying back to Washington after his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The two leaders did not reach a deal on trade issues, but NPR's Emily Fang reports some critical issues have been paused. China's most devastating threat, and your total export ban on products containing rare earth materials the U.S. cannot make itself has now been paused. And Xi Jinping agreed China will again buy U.S. soybeans. Despite fears that China would push the U.S. to say something on

Taiwan, Trump said the topic never came up. China wants to control the Democratic island that Beijing claims is theirs. U.S. trade representative Jameson Greer weighed in on another heated point of contention, and that is China's desire to buy powerful invidious semiconductor chips that are crucial to some artificial intelligence capabilities. Greer said it would need to be discussed later. Emily Fang and Pierre News. Starting on Saturday, millions of Americans can start shopping for health insurance. About 24 million people using the Affordable Care Act marketplace may be surprised. Many of their monthly premiums are expected to more than double in cost. Health reporter Sarah Bowden says a lot of people will be affected unless Congress extends the subsidies that have helped them

pay for coverage. Rates are going to go up for people who have lower incomes as well. These subsidies also help them. Now, the price increases may not be as extreme, but they will feel it in their Wallets. Sarah Bowden reporting. Starting today, the grace period for immigrants who are renewing their work permits is going away. The Trump administration decision will likely affect thousands of people applying for green cards and seeking asylum. For member station GBH, Sarah Betancourt has warned. Immigrants can only apply to renew work permits six months before they expire, but the average wait time for processing is over six months, and often more than a year. The Biden administration had added an extended grace period for applicants. That ends today. Immigration attorney

Robin Nice said that we'll leave many without valid work permits in a few months. We're going to see people who are authorized to work based on their immigration status, but who will be fired from their jobs, won't be able to provide for their kids, because they could go months and months without having a document solely because immigration takes too long. The Trump administration says the changes are to boost the vetting process and reduce fraud. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Bettencourt. Hurricane Melissa is in the Atlantic Ocean with top sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. Forecasters say the hurricane is expected to hit Bermuda tonight. Officials in Alaska are moving hundreds of people from mass shelters into

hotels. People fled western Alaska earlier this month ahead of a typhoon. Hundreds of these people evacuated to Anchorage. Entire villages were destroyed. the storm. You're listening to NPR. It's been a month since the federal government shut down. Federal programs at risk include food assistance to millions of Americans. The federal preschool program Head Start will also lose funding. Now lawmakers and both parties warn that millions of needy Americans who get funding to help pay their heating bills could now have trouble getting those funds as cold weather sets in. News reports say the Pentagon is going to train hundreds of National Guard troops across the country. They'll be

told to join rapid response teams in each state that are focused on civil disturbances. The teams are supposed to be ready early next year. President Trump has turned to the National Guard to enforce his domestic goals in Democratic-led cities this year. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security published this recruitment ad on Instagram. Equally important as the task of securing our borders is the task of defending our culture and what it means to be an American. NPR's Jasmine Gar's reports on how the social media campaigns are playing with Latino voters. Homeland Security's social media posts often call on Americans to join ICE and quote, defend your culture. Peter Gonzalez, 66, is a retired Coast Guardsman. He voted for President

Trump because he wanted immigration control, but he finds these ads off-putting. Defend your culture? I don't agree with that defend your culture. because the American culture is all cultures. NPR reached out to DHS for comment and received no response. Jasmine Garst to NPR News, New York. And I'm Corvick Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.