NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-16-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2025

NPR News: 11-16-2025 10AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green is responding to the blow-up with President Trump, telling CNN today that he could be putting her life in danger. The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor. And that is so extremely wrong. And those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against. me and put my life in danger. Green has recently been critical at President Trump's focus on foreign affairs and she's taken on GOP leadership over the government shutdown. But she says it's the

Epstein files that prompted Trump to begin attacking her on social media. Green is one of four House Republicans who joined Democrats in signing a petition that forces a House vote on the Epstein files release. Trump officially rescinded his support in a post on Friday. North Carolina's largest city, now the latest to be targeted by a surge in federal immigration agents. The Homeland Security Department confirmed the surge in Charlotte last night, prompting several hundred protesters to gather in a city park to denounce the surge. Charlotte's Democratic mayor says the agents are causing unnecessary fear. U.S. aviation system is gradually returning to normal following the government shutdown,

but some effects will remain through the weekend. Here's MPR's Joel Rose reporting. Aviation regulators say there's been a rapid decline in staffing shortages at air traffic control over the past week. That's given the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration the confidence that more air traffic controllers are coming to work. Regulators lowered air traffic reductions at dozens of major airports from 6 percent of flights to 3 percent through the weekend, but they did not lift them entirely. 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 government reopened, air traffic controllers have

finally received some of the back pay they earned, and most are now back on the job. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. Mortgage experts are skeptical about the Trump administration's plan to offer home buyers a 50-year mortgage. NPR's Bill Chappell reports. Backers of the 50-year mortgage say it would help buyers get into a home they might not otherwise afford. But Bruce Marks, the CEO of the nonprofit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America,

says the longer loan would take decades to build equity. 30-year term has always been the sweet spot in this country. But the affordability crisis is real, Mark says. And in Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Hendricks of NBKC Bank agrees. What else is staggering is, the median age for that first-time home buyer is 40 years old right now. Hendricks says he wants the government to find ways to boost housing supply and help first-time homebuyers. Bill Chappell, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and one of the rebel groups in the country, the M23, have signed a framework agreement for a peace deal. Michael Koloki has more. Fighting in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces has been going on for decades now. Under a mediation effort hosted by the Qatari government and backed by the United States, both sides yesterday signed the framework agreement for a peace deal in the Qatari capital. capital Doha. According to Massad Bulos, President Trump's senior advisor for Africa, the deal covers eight protocols, which include the exchange of prisoners and the monitoring of a ceasefire. Bulos added that more still needs to be done to reach an agreement on how a number of the protocols will be implemented. According to the United Nations, since the start of this year, thousands have been killed in the conflict in Eastern Congo. For NPR News, and Michael Koloki

in Nairobi. President Trump has signed two pardons linked to the investigation into the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol. One is for a woman convicted of threatening to shoot FBI agents who were investigating a tip that she may have been at the Capitol. Trump issued the second pardon for a January 6th defendant who had remained behind bars despite the president's clemency grant issued when he regained the White House. He had been convicted on separate charges. Southern California has been getting us soaking this weekend and the National Weather Service says even more rain is on the way. The forecast is calling for additional heavy rain for tomorrow, prompting concerns for additional flash flooding and rock slides. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.