NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-02-2025 10PM EST

Episode Date: November 3, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said SNAP benefits could return this week. After the two court rulings last week, ordering the White House to release billions of dollars in reserve funds, to the 42 million Americans who rely on the food assistance program to eat. That benefit ran out yesterday amid the shutdown, but just how fast the money will reach people in need isn't clear. Elizabeth Kiever is the chief resource officer at Harvesters, a food bank in Kansas City, Missouri.

She says the lines are very long. At one of the sites, the cars started lining up as early as four in the morning. By the time 1030 rolled around at Sheffield Family Life Center, we had to start turning cars away. And as I was leaving, we turned down 10 cars. So when the last trunks got full and the pallets ran out of food, it just was really hard to see. Speaking there to NPR's weekend edition, early voting has ended in the final weekend of the campaign as New Yorkers headed out in droves to cast their ballots for mayor. Gwen Hogan, a reporter with a local site the city, has more.

Mountrunner Zohran Mamdani greeted hundreds of volunteers in Queens before they headed out to knock on doors. It's part of the final push of his canvassing operation, made up of more than 100,000 volunteers, according to the campaign. Is this a campaign that believes in the dignity of each and every New Yorker, no matter what part of this city you call home? No matter what your religion is. No matter how much money is in your pocket. We believe in a city for you. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is running. as an independent after losing the primary to Mamdani.

A third candidate, Curtis Lewa, is running on the Republican line. For NPR News, I'm Gwen Hogan in New York. From rebel leader to global statesmen and now to Washington, U.S. and Syrian officials say Syria's new president will meet with President Trump at the White House this month. It's the first such visit by any Syrian president, as MPR's Lauren Freer reports. As a young jihadi fighter, Ahmed al-Shara helped establish an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. He later broke ties with that group, presenting himself

as a more moderate rebel leader. Last December, his forces ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad, ending nearly six decades of repressive rule. As President Al-Shara has sought to reverse Syria's global isolation, he met President Trump in May in Saudi Arabia. In September, he became the first Syrian leader in decades to address the UN General Assembly. Syria's foreign minister says this White House meeting will focus on the lifting of sanctions, the reconstruction of Syria and a quote opening of a new chapter between the

U.S. and Syria. Lauren Freyer NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Kenyan runners secured victory landing in top spots of two races in the New York City Marathon today. NPR's Chondalise Duster has

more. Benson Caputo narrowly beat fellow Kenyon Alexander Matisseau by a fraction of a second in the men's race. Both men finished with a time of two hours, eight minutes, and nine seconds. Helen O'Berry, a three-time Olympic medalist who is also from Kenya, won the women's race at two hours, 19 minutes, and 51 seconds. This was Caputo's first New York City marathon win and O'Berry's second win. More than 55,000 people are estimated to have participated in the 26.2-mile marathon. Champions of the Women's and Men's Open Division

will receive $100,000 each. Champions in the Women's and Men's Wheelchair Division will receive $50,000 each. Shandalees Duster and PR News. At the weekend box office, it was a near tie for the top spot, with Paramounts regretting you, taking an $8.1 million in ticket sales

and Universal's horror film, Blackbone 2, in a close second place, with $8 million. In third place, Sony Pictures and Crunchyrolls, Chainsaw Man, the movie, Rezae Arc, with $6 million, and rounding out the top five, the dark comediate thriller, Bologna, and the 40th anniversary re-release of the Back to the Future movie. The box office is wrapping up one of its slowest octobers of more than 25 years with a sluggish Halloween weekend. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.