NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-16-2025 1AM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2025

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President Trump promised the Gaza peace plan would end the war between Israel and Hamas and bring a new era of peace to the Middle East. This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? But a month into this ceasefire progress is stalling. Why is it so fragile? And what comes next for the people of Gaza? Listen now to the Sunday story on the Up First podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The world's largest air conference. craft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, will arrive in the Northern Caribbean on Sunday. That's according to a U.S. military official. The arrival takes place, his tensions with Venezuela grow.

MPIRS. Laura Sullivan has more. The USS Gerald Ford will be joining some 15,000 soldiers and sailors already in the region. A U.S. military official told NPR, the U.S. is gearing up for possible military action, saying, quote, the table is being set. High-level meetings with members of Congress and foreign leaders are continuing. along with ongoing military exercises. It remains unclear, however, if President Trump will use military force against the country. The U.S. has conducted multiple strikes on boats in the region.

President Trump has also repeatedly called on Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro to resign. Officials told NPR the arrival of the USS, Gerald Ford, could be just another pressure tactic on Maduro, who has put his own forces on high alert. Laura Sullivan, NPR News. A major corruption investigation is underway in Ukraine. Independent corruption agencies say associates close to President Vlodymer Zelensky plotted to skim around $1 million from the country's energy sector. That should be $100 million from the country's energy sector.

And Pierre's Geronica Kisses, explained. This probe is extensive. It took 15 months, used about 1,000 iris of wiretaps. There were seven alleged participants, including Timmer Mindich. He's a close business associate of Zelensky's. Investigators say this group manipulated contracts at Enerho Adam, which is a 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. NPR's Joanna could kiss us with that report.

The season's first heavy rainfall is pounding Gaza this weekend, its flooding tents and hampering recovery after two. years of war. With winter approaching, the United Nations says the needs of refugees are immense. NPR's Lauren Freyer has this report. Wind and rain are hampering efforts to stay warm and dry in places like Al-Muwasi, where up to half a million displaced Palestinians are staying, mostly in temporary tents. A spokesperson for Gaza's civil defense agency, Mahmoud Basal, says rain has inundated those makeshift shelters. In a statement, Hamas decried what it called Israel's continued obstruction of humanitarian aid into the strip. Israel says it opened a border crossing this week into northern Gaza, where the U.N. declared a famine last summer. The U.N. now says,

quote, full and sustained opening of existing and additional crossings is required, and that the transport of aid within Gaza remains limited and highly congested. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, Tel Aviv. And you're listening to NPR News. Columbia's human rights on Bud's woman says seven children were killed earlier this week in a controversial air strike against a rebel camp. The attack occurred in the country's southern region. The revelation comes as the government steps up its efforts to regain control of rural areas. The strike was aimed at the FARC EMC rebel group. The Trump administration has requested that a former Colorado election clerk served time in a state prison to be moved to a federal prison while she appeals her state conviction.

from Colorado Public Radio, Benson Berkland reports. Tina Peters is serving a nine-year sentence for helping an unauthorized person access her county's voting machines in 2021. Many prominent Republicans, including President Trump, have alleged she's a political prisoner. Trump cannot pardon Peters because it's a state conviction.

Her lead attorney, Peter Tickton, says she's at risk in the state prison. For somebody who's perhaps a little more genteel, a little bit more educated, a little bit more established. It puts her in a more difficult position. For sure, she's been threatened. The Colorado Department of Corrections did not say whether she's faced threats, but said it's received the request and we'll review it.

For NPR News, I'm Benta Berkland. Michaela Schifrin opened the Olympic slalom season and convincing style Saturday she dominated the World Cup race and finished Lapland for her record extending 100 second career win. the American built on her first run of more than a second to beat second place Laura Coulter by 1.66 seconds, Germans Emma Echer placed third. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.

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