NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-30-2025 2AM EDT

Episode Date: October 30, 2025

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Both President Trump and China's President Xi left their meeting in South Korea sounding upbeat about easing trade tensions between their nations. She spoke through an interpreter heading into the gathering. And in the face of winds, waves, and challenges, you and I at the helm of China-U.S. relations should stay the right course and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-U.S. Trump says he struck a deal to reduce terrorists on China after Beijing agreed to share rare earth minerals, resume buying U.S. soybeans, and crack down on fentanyl trafficking.

Radio Free Asia is shutting down its news operations after the Trump administration gutted funding for the independent agency that oversaw it. NPR's Emily Fang reports that the move follows numerous court cases that delayed funding cuts. This is the first time in 29 years that RFA, which has broken news on China's repression of ethnic minorities and COVID-19, has stopped its news operations. Earlier, it had laid off or furloughed some 90% of its staff and closed much of its language services, which broadcast in Burmese, Cambodian, and Mandarin Chinese. Voice of America, another U.S.-funded broadcaster impacted by cuts is still battling in court against the Trump-appointed head of the agency, which has been trying to effectively shut down VOA and RFA. They argue the Trump administration broke legal precedence, limiting executive power, and trying to fire VOA's director and cut its congressional grants. Emily Fang and Pierr News. Hurricane Melissa is on track to strike the Bahamas

and the Turks and Cape Coast Islands overnight. Meanwhile, the British Commonwealth of Jamaica says recovery efforts are in full swing in the western part of the island, as NPR's Ada Peralta reports. The country's Prime Minister Andrew Holness took a helicopter to St. Elizabeth Parish. Footage shows devastation.

Homes with roofs ripped away, vast tracks of land that have been stripped of trees. The images show the town of Black River, was reduced to rubble. The government of Jamaica says crews are working to open up roads. Local government minister Desmond McKenzie tried to reassure the island's western residents. We are all in your corners, and we are hoping for the best. Hurricane Melissa is still in the Atlantic, now headed for Bermuda.

Adirr-Pralta, NPR News, Mexico City. Defense Secretary Pete Hegsef says the United States has carried out another lethal strike on a boat in the Pacific killing four people. Heggseth says U.S. intelligence shows the vessel was hauling narcotics in international waters. In his announcement on X included a video of the attack and comes a days after the U.S. struck another boat in the area claiming 14 lives. Dozens of people have been killed in a series of U.S. attacks on boats deemed to be hauling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific. This is NPR. A former Illinois sheriff's deputy has been convicted of second-degree murder in the July 2020,

24 shooting death of Sonia Massey, who had called 9-1-1 for help. Sean Grayson faced fatally shot Massey as she stood in her kitchen holding a pot of hot water. He now faces four to ten years in prison or probation at sentencing in January. The Toronto Blue Jays now lead the Major League Baseball's best of seven series three games to two after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five. The Blue Jays will host game six of the World Series on Friday with hopes of winning their first championship since 1993. Steve Futterman has more from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Toronto Blue Jays are one game away from winning the World Series after a six-to-one win here in game five. The Blue Jays took a one-nothing lead on the very first pitch. Davis Schneider hit the ball over the left field fence. Then the very next batter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the same thing. After just three pitches, it was two-nothing Toronto. The first time in World Series. history, the first two batters have hit home runs. The other part of the Game 5 story was the

pitching of 22-year-old Toronto rookie Trey Yassavage. He held the Dodgers to one run on three hits and seven innings. He struck out 12, a World Series record for a rookie. The series resumes on Friday in Toronto. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman at the World Series in Los Angeles. U.S. futures are slightly lower in after-hours trading on Wall Street. On Asia-Pacific market shares are mostly lower but up a fraction in Tokyo. This is NPR News.