NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-11-2025 4PM EST

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Veterans Day commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery. NPR's Tamara Keith reports President Trump paid tribute to the men and women who served in the U.S. military. President Trump laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier before delivering remarks thanking America's military veterans for their service. We want to also say thank you for carrying America's fate on your strong, very broad, proud shoulders. Each of you has earned the respect and the gratitude of our entire nation. Trump did take a quick detour to celebrate what he called a win for Republican leaders in Congress getting a deal to reopen the government. The House of Representatives is set to vote on a short-term funding measure as soon as tomorrow.

Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House. Airports across the country have started donation drives to support federal workers who are not getting paid during the government shutdown. Wyoming Public Radio's Chris Clemens reports they include rural states such as Wyoming. Shelly Beasel works at an airport near Gillette, the biggest city around for over 100 miles. She says the work their 12 TSA agents do helps keep the lights on in a hub that supports other aspects of rural life. At least one agent had to get a second job to support his family, she says. Plus, even if the shutdown ends later this week, TSA workers will still miss two more paychecks. For NPR News, I'm Chris Clements and Laramie.

Millions of people across eastern, two-thirds of the U.S. began the day experiencing some of the coldest weather yet this season. Gusty chills in several inches of snow-blanketed areas along the eastern Great Lakes. By this morning, balmy weather turned to bone-chilling temps for as many as 18 million people across the southeast. In Florida, officials issued advisories for iguanas. It started to freeze and drop from trees as temperatures fell across the state. Jacksonville experienced something it never had before. Temperatures as low as 28 degrees. Iraq has held parliamentary elections.

Jane Raff with details. An election boycott by the movement led by Shia leader Mukta da Sutter led to relatively low turnout. As in other elections, Iran-backed parties dominated the political scene in Central in South Iraq. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani, who came to power with support from Iran-backed parties, but also maintains good relations with the U.S., is hoping for a second term. Initial results are expected Wednesday. But because Iraq's political scene is so fragmented, it will likely take weeks or even months of backroom negotiations to determine which coalition has the most support and the right to choose the president and prime minister.

Jane Reff reporting, it's NPR News. Sally Kirkland, the Oscar-nominated actress, perhaps best known for her roles in Anna and the Sting, has died at the age of 84. Her agent, Michael Green, confirmed NPR that Kirkland died today in Palm Springs, California. Kirkland's six-decade career spanned, stage, television, and film. Her breakout role was in Anna, for which she received a Golden Globe and an Oscar-nominated. for Best Actress. She appeared in more than 200 films, including The Way We Were, Revenge, JFK, Bruce Almighty, and Coffee Date. There is a new generation of artists bringing a familiar medium to TikTok, folk protest music. They're using the traditional style to cut through the chaos of a fast-paced

algorithm and endless scrolling. NPR's Isabella Gomez-Aviento reports. Jesse Wells posts dozens of short satirical protest songs to social media. His music addresses the Epstein list, the No King's demonstrations, and the war in Gaza. War isn't murder, good men don't die. Children don't starve and all women survive. On and offline, Well's songs are major hits. He's amassed more than 3 million followers across TikTok and Instagram. Last week, he received four Grammy nominations in the folk and Americana categories.

Wells is the most visible example of how digital savvy artists are reviving plain-spoken protest music for the masses. Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento, NPR News. The Dow closed up 559 points. It's NPR News.