NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-16-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jail Snyder. North Carolina's largest city is now the latest to be targeted by a surge in federal immigration agents. The All-Man Security Department confirmed the surge in Charlotte last night, and agents have been seen making arrests. A crackdown to spark protest, Vanessa Javier, was among the demonstrators. Every corner, every area that I saw today is, like, somewhere my family does tend to go for their groceries, for the restaurants that they want to go eat and stuff like that. So, yeah, it was definitely nerve-wracking and scary for me and for my parents.

The Homeland Security Department says the surge is aimed at ensuring public safety, but Charlotte's Democratic mayor says it's causing unnecessary fear. Mortgage experts are skeptical about the Trump administration's plan to offer home buyers a 50-year mortgage in Pierce 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. The 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 Chapel, NPR News. The season's first heavy rainfall is pounding Gaza this weekend. It's flooding tents and hampering recovery after two years of war. With winter approaching, the U.N. says the need of refugees is immense, NPR's Lauren Freyer has more. Wind and rain are hampering efforts to stay warm and dry in places like El Mouasi, 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 UN declared a famine last summer. The UN 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 and PR News Tel Aviv. The Ukrainian president of Vladimir Zelenskyy says Ukraine is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia. Zelensky made the announcement in a social media video a day after his national security chief announced progress and negotiations for the release of 1,200 Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, Zelensky is promising an overhaul of state-owned energy companies following a corruption scandal. And you're listening to NPR News. Southern California remains on alert for the potential for high water and mud and rock slides following heavy rain from an atmospheric river storm. The drenching rain prompted flood warnings in areas of coastal Los Angeles that were scarred by those January wildfires. Voters in Chile are going to the polls today in the first round of a presidential election in which crime and immigration are among top concerns.

And in Ecuador, voters are deciding today whether to be. who once again allow foreign military bases as part of the fight against drug trafficking. Critics cite sovereignty concerns. Disability rights activist Alice Wong has died, according to her friend and fellow activist, Sandy Ho. Wong died Friday in San Francisco from an infection. She was 51 in a winner of the MacArthur Genius Grant, MPR's Chloe Veltman reports. Alice Wong was best known as the founder of the Disability Visibility Project. The group highlighted disabled people and disability culture through storytelling projects,

social media and other channels. Wong also received a claim for her 2022 memoir, Year of the Tiger and Activist's Life, edited several works on disability, and wrote a column for Teen Vogue. Disability Justice organizer Yomi Sachiko Young spoke about Wong in an interview earlier this year with NPR member station KQED. Alice is my comrade in political struggle. She is my friend. She's a foodie.

She's an artist. She's a bit boozy, which I love. Alice Wong was born. in Indiana in 1974 to immigrant parents from Hong Kong. She was diagnosed at birth with muscular dystrophy, a progressive neuromuscular disease. Chloe Valtman, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. 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.