NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-14-2025 4PM EST

Episode Date: November 14, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. City leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina say they are still largely in the dark about a planned border patrol operation that could start this weekend. Nick Delacanel with Member Station WFAE reports. Border Patrol agents are expected in Charlotte on Saturday or early next week. The local sheriff says he's not involved and Charlotte police say they don't take part in federal immigration enforcement. At a news conference, local Democrats argue the operation isn't needed and appears politically motivated. Here's city councilman elect J.D. Masuera Arias, himself an immigrant. This is not about public safety. It is not about finding criminals.

It is about fear. It is about quotas. And it's about control. State Representative Aisha Doe also questioned why a border operation is planned for Charlotte, noting the nearest border is South Carolina. For NPR News, on Nick Della Canal in Charlotte. After enduring nearly seven weeks of a government shutdown, air traffic controllers are finally getting paid for their work. NPR's Joel Rose reports the Federal Aviation Administration is updating the staffing shortage status. The number of staffing shortages at FAA facilities has declined a lot this week. The FAA has confirmed that controllers have gotten the first chunk of their back pay today.

It's about 70% of their total take-home pay. But that is only part of what they're owed. They're supposed to get the rest later in the month, including any overtime, and shift differential pay that they're owed. NPR's Joel Rose reporting. At the National Institutes of Health, a critic of the Trump administration's policies was put on leave on her first day back to work.

NPR's Andrea Shue has that story. The notice Jenna Norton received said she was being put on paid leave, not for disciplinary reasons. But she suspects it is in response to public comments she's made, warning that funding and staffing cut to NIH are harming the American public. Norton believe she has a right and an obligation to speak out about matters of public interest.

I fully believe we have those rights, but I also understand that this administration is not following the law. I mean, that is the whole reason why I am speaking up. The Trump administration faces multiple lawsuits over its firing of federal workers and cancellation of grants, including at NIH. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH, did not respond to NPR's request for comment. Andrea Shue and PR News. The 2020 election interference case against President Trump and allies in Georgia has a new prosecutor now. Peter Scandalakis, executive director of Georgia's prosecuting attorney's counsel, is taking over from Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis. Willis was disqualified because of an appearance of impropriety stemming from an intimate relationship with the lead investigative prosecutor.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down 309 points. It's NPR News. The Bureau of Labor Statistics plans to release a September jobs report Thursday, November 20th. The jobs report was originally due to have come out October 3rd, but the government shut down, halted the release of almost all government data. The BLS had already largely compiled the September jobs data, so its release had been expected. BLS has not said yet when the October jobs report, as well as the inflation report for last month, will be released. The CEO credited with expanding Walmart's economic and technological footprint over the last decade is leaving the company. Today, Walmart announced that Doug McMillan, who is 59, plans to retire early next year. As of February, John Ferner, the 51-year-old head of Walmart's U.S. operations, will take the reins of the retail giant.

In a couple of weeks, two classic snacks will look different. Some Doritos and Cheetos are losing their bright orange color. And Pierce-Christin-Rite reports their maker says it's going to stop using artificial dyes. The new Doritos and Cheetos are called Simply Naked. PepsiCo, which makes the snacks, says they're made with no dyes or artificial flavors. And so they're lighter in color instead of bright orange. Synthetic food dyes have been under extra scrutiny as the federal governments make it America Healthy Again initiative, urges companies to get rid of them. Craft Hines and General Mills announced

earlier this year, they're planning to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products. In April, PepsiCo said it would speed up its plan to shift to natural ingredients. The new Cheetos and Doritos roll out December 1st, although PepsiCo says you'll still be able to buy the original snacks for the time being. It's NPR.