NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-14-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: November 15, 2025

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Instead of letting an algorithm throw mediocre podcast recommendations at you, sign up for NPR's Pod Club newsletter. We comb through hours of audio to find the gems, the episodes that will make you gasp, cry, or crack up in a public place. Then every week we send those picks to your inbox and tell you why they're worth your time. Subscribe now at npr.org slash podclub. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Federal aviation officials are easing restrictions, allowing more flights as more air traffic controllers return to work.

NPR's Joel Rose reports it's the latest sign that commercial aviation is gradually returning to normal after the government shutdown. The reductions in air traffic at dozens of major airports will be lowered from 6% to 3% of flights through the weekend. The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration say that reflects improvements in staffing levels at air traffic facilities. The FAA said the restrictions. were necessary to keep the airspace safe as the agency grappled with widespread staffing shortages of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. But with the shutdown over, air traffic controllers have finally received some of the back pay they earned, and most are now back to work. Airlines say they're confident they can ramp up quickly and should be able to

return to their full schedules before Thanksgiving holiday travel begins. Joel Rose and PR News, Washington. Kentucky's hemp farmers say a new federal limit on THC-infused products would be disastrous for their livelihoods. Shepard Snyder with member station W.E.KU reports the provision is part of the spending bill President Trump signed into law this week. The provision limits the amount of THC and sellable hemp to just 0.4 milligrams per container. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell added the provision, saying it's meant to close a legal loophole and keep mind-altering substances out of the hands of children. But Abram Phillips, who runs a hemp farm out of northern Kentucky, says imposing such a limit would necap their profits. At that point, your consumers don't care because that's not what they

want. So why would they buy something they don't want? We don't have consumers. We have no market. The provision passed despite opposition from fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. The ban would go into effect a year from now. For NPR News, I'm Shepard Snyder in Lexington, Kentucky. The Food and Drug Administration is requiring tough new warnings about the safety of a controversial gene therapy for muscular dystrophy. NPR's Rob Stein has more. The FDA is required requiring the drug company's Surrepta to include a black box warning, the agency's strictest on the company's gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The FDA is also restricting use of the gene therapy to patients who are at least four years old and can still walk.

The FDA's action comes in response to reports of liver failure in some patients who receive the gene therapy. The treatment is the only gene therapy approved for the devastating muscle disorder. It has long been controversial because of questions about how well it worked. and how safe it is. Rob Stein, NPR News. Researchers at an artificial intelligence firm say they found the first reported case of foreign hackers using AI to automate portions of cyber attacks. Anthropics says it identified a Chinese hacking operation that used its own AI program to direct some of the work. The company says the hacking campaign had limited success before it was spotted in September. This is NPR News from Washington.

The White House is preparing to host Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman next week. It's the first time bin Salman has been to Washington since he was connected to the murder of journalist Jamal Khosoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government. President Trump will host him in the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting. Three Chinese astronauts are back on Earth after being stuck in space for more than a week. Their return vessel had been struck by space debris damaging it. NPR's Emily Fang reports. After six months on a tiny space station, the three astronauts of China's Tian Gong space station were supposed to land back in Inner Mongolia at the start of this month.

Instead, space debris crack the window of their return vessel, the Shenzhou 20. Debris can travel at thousands of miles an hour in the vacuum of space, and even tiny particles can cause big damage to instruments and spacecraft. Adding to their troubles, a new rotation of three astronauts had already come up to really come up to relieve the initial crew. So China Space agencies that the stuck astronauts landed safely back on Earth using the new rotation spacecraft, the Shinjo 21. The three astronauts that just landed back on Earth spent a total of 204 days in space, China's record since they started their space program in 2003. Emily Fang and Peer News. Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former head of Spanish

soccer, was pelted by eggs as he presented his memoir. Rubioles was. was convicted of sexual assault after forcibly kissing a player after the team's victory at the 2023 Women's World Cup. The egg thrower was Rubialis' uncle. This is NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. Tease and Cs apply.