NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-16-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: November 17, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Border Patrol agents continue to make arrests in Charlotte, North Carolina today. Charlotte is the latest city to experience a federal immigration crackdown from member station WFAE. Nick Dela Canal has more. Agents arrested 81 people on Saturday, the first day of the operation, according to Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino. Around Charlotte, agents were seen detaining people outside laundromats, auto shops, supermarkets, front yards, even a church. Outside in East Charlotte Walmart, construction worker Lopez Nunez says he fears for his undocumented wife and newborn. He's keeping them home.

You really need to go outside for an emergency. If you try to stay, just stay home, be safe and don't open the door for ice. Charlotte Mayor Vailail says agents are causing unnecessary fear. It's unclear how long the operation will last. For NPR News, I'm Nick Delac Canal in Charlotte. The FAA says air travel in the U.S. will be back to normal starting Monday morning. Thousands of flights were canceled because of the federal government shutdown, which caused a drop in air traffic controllers. But the announcement comes too late for some travelers, including Rick Caldwell of New Hampshire, who was trying to fly out of Boston today.

When we first were coming to the airport, as we were literally driving here, we got a notice that our flight was delayed. It was initially going to be delayed a couple hours. But when it was just about all the way here, they canceled it. Full flight schedules will resume starting at 6 a.m. Monday. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the country's largest aircraft carrier, has arrived. arrived in the Caribbean. As NPR's Lydia Colitri reports, the arrival comes as tensions with Venezuela grow. The carrier is bringing more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft to the Northern Caribbean. They join around 15,000 service members that are already in the region.

Rear Admiral Paul Lanzalata says the deployment of the strike group is a step to, quote, protect our nation's security and prosperity against narco-terrorism. A U.S. military official told NPR Saturday that the U.S. is gearing up for possible military action against Venezuela. It remains unclear, however, if President Trump plans to use military action against the country. In recent weeks, the U.S. military has conducted multiple strikes on boats in the region for allegedly carrying drugs trafficked from Venezuela. Lydia Kalitri, NPR News, Washington. In a reverse of course, President Trump said tonight that House Republicans should vote to release any files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump had long been opposed to the release, calling at a democratic hoax. But in a social media post, he now says there's nothing to hide, and it's time to move on. Russian drone strikes this weekend have hit more energy infrastructure sites in Ukraine, officials in that country, say a solar power plant was among the targets hit. Russia fired 176 drones and one missile. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, struck a major oil refinery in Russia's Samar region, along with the warehouse storing drones. You're listening to NPR news. Stargazers may notice bright streaks high in the sky late tonight, as NPR's

Chandelisse Duster tells us, the Leonid Meteor shower is expected to peak tonight, and it will continue to be seen in the night skies through Tuesday morning. The Leonid Meteor shower happens every November. The meteors are known to be bright, colorful, and very fast, traveling at 44 miles per second. Meteor rates are as low as three meteors per hour, but NASA says stargazers can catch up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour this year. The best chances of seeing the meteors will be after midnight and into the early morning hours. The American Meteor Society says to go to a dark location away from city lights and look to the eastern sky and the constellation Leo.

Meteors will be seen streaking from there in various directions. The moon will also be less than 10% full, making it easier to see the Leonids. Shandalee Duster, NPR News. For the fifth straight week, Ohio State, Indiana, and Texas A&M hold on to the top three spots in the AP College football rankings. Georgia moved up one spot to number four after easily beating Texas on Saturday, 35 to nothing. Ole Miss also moved up to take the number five spot while Texas Tech climbed two spots into number six after beating UCF 48 to 9. They're in a tie now with Oregon. Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Alabama round out the top ten.

and North Texas is ranked for the first time since 1959 at number 22 with a win over University of Alabama, Birmingham, 53 to 24. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.