NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-03-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: November 4, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. The Trump administration says it will restart SNAP food benefits, but will pay out only half the amount recipients normally get. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. It's also not clear how soon that money will get to those who rely on SNAP. The Trump administration says it will use just over $4.5 billion in a contingency fund for SNAP payments. That comes after they stopped for millions of people this weekend. And after two federal judges ruled that freezing payments for the country's biggest anti-hunger program is unlawful. But the contingency fund covers only about half the full cost of SNAP benefits each month. States who administer SNAP will now have to recalculate for partial payments. And in its court filing, officials say that could take weeks or even months,

especially in states with older systems. The administration also says depleting its contingency fund means there will be. be no money to sign up new people for SNAP in November. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. The government shutdown is taking a growing toll on the nation's air traffic controllers. NPR's Joel Rose reports that staffing shortages over the weekend were among the worst since a shutdown began more than a month ago. The Federal Aviation Administration was forced to limit and re-root flights over the weekend because of staffing shortages at dozens of air traffic control facilities. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told C.E.

NBC, it is still safe to fly, but there may be more severe delays ahead. If we thought that it was unsafe, again, we'll shut the whole airspace down. We won't let people travel. Air traffic controllers are required to work without pay until the government shutdown ends. Dozens of facilities were short-staffed on Friday night, which was Halloween. Nearly 80% of controllers were absent at facilities around New York City, according to the FAA, making for one of the worst days to fly since the shutdown began. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. lawsuits are trying to stop the Trump administration from making a big change to the public service loan forgiveness program. NPR's Curry Turner explains. PSLF, as it's known, was created by Congress

in 2007 and offers borrowers a quid pro quo, work in public service for 10 years, and the government will erase your federal student loans. Now, though, the administration says, starting in July, it will deny forgiveness to employers that engage in activities with substantial illegal purpose. Today's lawsuits filed by a host of democratic-leaning cities, counties, and states argue the education department could use this rule to punish places that defy the administration's positions on immigration, equity, gender-affirming care. The department has insisted the rule, quote, provides strong, clear standards anchored in law, not ideology.

Corey Turner, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. President Trump is again warning New Yorkers against electing Democratic socialists are on Mamdani to be the city's next mayor. On social media Monday, Trump reiterated his threat to withhold federal money. Mondani is a front runner in the Tuesday election over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Lewa. Voters in New Jersey and Virginia will also be casting ballots Tuesday for governor in California. voters will decide on a ballot measure to redraw the state's congressional districts to counter Trump-initiated redistricting in states including Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina.

Actor Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89. She was known for her roles and Alice doesn't live here anymore in Chinatown. She's also the mother of actor Laura Dern. Here's NPR's Andrew Limbong reporting. In the 1974 Martin Scorsese movie Alice doesn't live here anymore, Diane Ladd played flow, a tough talking diner, who has to show the titular Alice, The Ropes. Well, honey, I sure would hate to have breakfast with you every morning of my life. Lad got a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars for the movie, and her daughter, Laura Dern, got a gig as an extra. Jump ahead to 1991, and they're acting opposite each other in the drama Rambling Rose. Is it true you were a orphan?

Yes, after the age of seven. In his statement, Dern called her mother an empathetic spirit that, quote, only dreams could have seemingly created. Andrew Limbong and Pierre News. On Wall Street, the Dow dropped half a percentage point today. Both the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 rose two-tenths of a percent. This is NPR.