NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-02-2025 12PM EST

Episode Date: November 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The U.S. military has conducted another lethal strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea. The announcement came from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday. This is the 15th strike of an alleged drug smuggling boat since early September. NPR's Sam Greenglass reports from West Palm Beach, Florida. Secretary Hegseth wrote on social media that three people were killed on the vessel, which he said was carrying narcotics and was operated by. by a group the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization. The military has now killed at least

64 people in similar strikes. The administration has justified the attacks using a legal authority President George W. Bush used to declare war on terrorism after 9-11. But some members of Congress have pressed for more information about the attacks and the legal rationale for them. On Saturday, Trump wrote that he's also ordered the Pentagon to begin preparing for potential military action in Nigeria for allegedly failing to restrain the persecution of Christians. Sam Greenglass, NPR News, West Palm Beach, Florida. Food banks across the country are scrambling to try to make up for the end of SNAP, the Federal Food Assistance Program.

Benefits stopped yesterday, affecting 42 million Americans. Elizabeth Kiever is the chief resource officer at Harvesters, which distributes food in Kansas City, Missouri. She says at some sites, cars are lining up for help as early as 4 in the morning. I was in Jackson County. There are 92,000 folks in that county who are on SNAP benefits. And the monthly distribution that is anticipated for that county alone is $19 million. That's more than our organization receives and charitable contributions for an entire year. So it's nearly impossible to make up the gap that SNAP is leaving us. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to make the payments out of an emergency fund. It's not clear when that might happen. Voting continues in New York City for a new mayor.

Gwyn Hogan is a reporter with the local site, the city, and has more in the story. Frontrunner 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 is 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 Mom Dani. A third candidate, Curtis Lewa, is running on the Republican line. For NPR News, I'm Gwen Hogan in New York. Tuesday is also Election Day. in New Jersey and Virginia, voters there are selecting a new governor. This is NPR News in Washington. The surge continues in western Kenya for at least 25 people missing after a landslide yesterday. Officials say at least 22 people were killed.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv last night to mark 30 years since the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. An Israeli extremist killed him in 1994. for pursuing peace with the Palestinians. From Tel Aviv Ait Stearn reports. The song of peace was sung in this Tel Aviv Square just minutes before Rabin was shot here in 1995. The song echoed once again Saturday night,

performed by the same singer. Political leaders from Israel's centrist and left-wing parties addressed the crowd. They urged the country to turn towards peace now that the war in Gaza has come to an end. Among the speakers was Gadi Moses, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, 2020, and held in Gaza for 482 days. He called for Israelis to choose peace for the sake of their children and nation.

He said, if I, after the pain, the loss and the grief, can stand here and say these words out loud, then we all can. For NPR news, I'm Uthai Stern in Tel Aviv. More details are emerging about the suspects in the jewelry heist at the Louvre two weeks ago. The Paris prosecutor said today two of the three suspects now in custody were convicted together for theft 10 years ago. Officials say it appears the daytime robbery was conducted by petty thieves rather than by organized crime professionals. The jewels have not been recovered. I'm Nora Rahm. NPR News in Washington.