NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-15-2025 12PM EST

Episode Date: November 15, 2025

NPR News: 11-15-2025 12PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Amy Held. U.S. military officials tell NPR the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford will be in the Northern Caribbean by tomorrow. Adding to an American force of some 15,000 soldiers and sailors, the U.S. has announced military drills and multiple deadly military strikes on vessels carrying people the Trump administration calls narco-terrorists, all seen as a pressure tactic on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela continues to prepare its military in response. Attorney General Pam Bondi has named a senior federal prosecutor to look into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's ties with prominent Democrats, banks and institutions. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports the Trump administration has publicly called for an investigation. In a post on social media, President Trump accused Democrats of using the controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files to deflect from their own actions in the recent government shutdown. He also called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate former President Bill Clinton and other prominent Democrats, whom Trump alleges were involved with Epstein. In her own social media post, Bondi said she's tapping the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, Jay Clayton, to take the lead on the matter.

The moves come as Trump continues to face questions about his own ties to Epstein, particularly after House Democrats released a batch of emails this week that raised questions as to what Trump knew about Epstein's activities with underage girls. Girls. Ryan Lucas NPR News, Washington. Member station WFAE is reporting that Border Patrol agents have arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina. A demonstration is planned there this afternoon. The governor has called for calm. This weekend, the FAA says flight reductions at dozens of airports will go down from 6% to 3%. As staffing at air traffic facilities bounces back after the shutdown, NPR's Joel Rose reports. 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. Ukraine's independent anti-corruption agencies say associates close to President Volodymyr Zelensky plotted to skim millions from the country's energy sector. This says Ukrainians face a fourth brutal winter with widespread power cuts amid Russia's full-scale invasion. NPR's Joanna Kisis reports. Investigators say this group manipulated contracts at Enairjo-Adom, which is Ukraine's state nuclear energy company,

and they got kickbacks laundering roughly $100 million. The scandal has forced the resignation of two ministers in Zelensky's government so far, but Zelensky has not been implicated in this probe, and he is calling for the prosecution of those accused of committing crimes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the September jobs report next Thursday, November 20th, more than six weeks late. The key economic indicator reveals unemployment and jobs added, this after the shutdown halted the release of nearly all government data. Most Britons are deeply dissatisfied with democracy, according to new polling. Vicki Barker reports from London. The nine-nation Ipsos survey found only 26% of Britons are satisfied with how their democracy is working.

And more than half say the situation has worsened in the past five years. Three out of four said they fear for the next five years and only one in five believe their governments doing a good job protecting democracy. Overall satisfaction with democracy remains low in all nine nations surveyed, including the U.S., with one exception, Sweden. Yet in all the country surveyed only tiny minorities, one to five percent, said democracy is not worth keeping. For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. As the NFL seeks to tackle an international fan base,

the game plan is Madrid. Tomorrow, the league's first ever game in Spain will see the Washington commanders take on the Miami Dolphins at Real Madrid's home field. Spain is the sixth country, outside the U.S. to host a game. This will mark the Dolphins' 8th international game the second most behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The commanders head into their second international game looking for their first win overseas. It's NPR News.