NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-09-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: November 9, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. With the Senate working through the weekend looking for a way to bring the government shut down to an end. Millions of Americans are planning for an uncertain future around federal food benefits. The Supreme Court ruled Friday night that the Trump administration can continue with holding some funding, at least for now. Blake Farmer of member station WPLN has more from a drive-through food distribution site in rural Tennessee. Cars and trucks started lining up hours before the start time, some before dawn. Crystal Tipton is among the more than 41 million Americans who rely on the benefits. She says she's never used a food pantry before.

You have to cut back on everything. I mean, I think it's the way it's going to be for a while. The nonprofit that organized this food distribution called OneGen Away has seen demand spike by more than 300%. It's been adding pop-up sites in the region over the last two weeks, but organizers say they're running. out of food and turning people away. For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Hickman County, Tennessee. Overseas, Ukrainian cities are facing power cuts of between 8 and 16 hours after massive Russian strikes on the energy grid wiped out power generating capacity.

Russia has intensified attacks on energy infrastructure each fall since its full-scale invasion more than three years ago. NPR's Duenica Kisses reports from Kiev. Ukraine's state-owned electricity generating company, Centranoigo, said that the Russian attacks had reduced capacity to, quote, zero at thermal power plants. Foreign Minister Andri Sibicha said that Russian drones also targeted two nuclear power substations deep in Western Ukraine. Every fall, Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine's power and heating grid to force a harsh winter on Ukrainian cities. Many Ukrainians have adapted by using backup energy storage devices and, generators in their homes and businesses. This year, Ukraine has attacked Russian oil depots and

refineries to weaken what it calls Russia's war machine. Joanna Kikisis and PR News, Kyiv. Nearly a million Filipinos have been evacuated from their homes as Super Typhoon Fung Wong batters of Philippines, less than a week after another typhoon killed more than 200 people, as Michael Sullivan reports. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. urged more people in the storm's expected path to evacuate while they still can, saying it could affect much of the country, including Metro Manila and Cebu, the province that bore the brunt of last week's Typhoon Kamagi.

Fung Wong is already knocking out power with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour and gusts up to 140. A powerful earthquake rattled northern Japan today. It struck off the coast with a magnitude of 6.9. There are two nuclear plants in the area of a public broadcaster, NHK, says no apt normalities have been reported. This is NPR.

Thousands of people attended a funeral today for the last Israeli-American hostage returned from Gaza. After being held there for more than two years, his remains were returned to Israel last week as part of a U.S. brokered ceasefire. NPR's Itai Stern reports from Tel Aviv. A military cantor, saying prayers for Italian. an Israeli-American soldier who was killed in combat on October 7th, 23, then taken into Gaza by Hamas-led militants. President Trump's special envoys, Steve Whitkoff, gave a eulogy by video, saying,

Chen reminded him of his own late son, Andrew. I've learned that life's truest measure is not in its length, but in the love that it ignites. Chen's father, Ruby, thanked President Biden and Trump for their efforts to bring home his sons remains, and he vowed to hold Israeli government accountable for not doing enough to bring more hostages home alive. He noted that 42 soldiers and civilians abducted to Gaza died during their time in captivity. Itai's turn, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Israel has received the remains of another deceased hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the remains were handed over to Israeli forces by the Red Cross today. There has been no form.

identification, but earlier Hamas said it would turn over the body of an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza more than a decade ago. The remains are to be examined by Israel's National Forensic Institute for identification. I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.