NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-17-2025 1PM EST

Episode Date: November 17, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. A federal judge is ordering the Department of Justice to turn over all grand jury materials to lawyers defending former FBI director James Comey against criminal charges. Today, magistrate judge William Fitzpatrick cited government misconduct in how a Trump-appointed prosecutor presented evidence. He said the DOJ had engaged in, quote, profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding, end quote. Komi has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements and obstruction of a congressional probe. He is also one of President Trump's most prominent critics. Temporary flight reductions at major airports have been lifted as more air traffic controllers return to work. NPR's

Joel Rose reports, commercial aviation is now back to normal following disruptions during the federal government shutdown. The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration say airlines can resume normal operations at dozens of major airports. The FAA said those restrictions had been 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 regulators say staffing conditions are now back to what they were before the shutdown. 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. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. The president of Venezuela says his country wants peace. President Trump says a Venezuelan leader has signal he wants to talk. The U.S. has been increasing its military presence in the Caribbean, NPR's Kerry Kahn has the latest. President Trump has been weighing military options against Venezuela. He says discussion with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro may be coming and that the Venezuelans, quote, would like to talk. Over the weekend, the U.S.'s most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean, joining nearly a dozen other U.S. naval warships there. In Venezuela, Maduro repeatedly called for peace at a rally over the weekend and on state TV praying with

religious leaders. On social media leading opponent, Maria Corrina Machado, urged Maduro's security apparatus to lay down its arms and join her independence movement. Carrie Khan and Pierre News, Bogotak, Columbia. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the newest advisor to Firepoint, the Ukrainian defense firm under investigation for corruption. The company is known for long-range drones that can reach deep inside Russian territory. U.S. stocks are trading lower this hour. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down nearly 200 points at 46,958. From Washington, this is NPR News.

An immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina over the weekend resulted in dozens of arrests in the state's largest city. Nick Delacconnell of member station WFAE has the latest. We started to see this crackdown Saturday morning when the city woke up to dozens of Border Patrol agents driving through Charlotte in unmarked vans, especially along the city's major immigrant corridors. And very quickly, videos started circulating online of agents chasing people down sidewalk.

breaking the car window of a man who later said he was a U.S. citizen. Agents were also filmed questioning landscapers who were putting up Christmas lights in a front yard. Nick Della Canal reporting. Early data show the number of first-time international college students is down sharply from last year. That's according to the Institute of International Education, nonprofit, that tracks global enrollment trends. From member station to GBAH in Boston, here's Kirk Carrapeza. The survey of 800 colleges shows the number of international students enrolling at U.S. colleges for the first time is down 17%.

Professor Gerardo Blanco directs Boston College's Center for International Higher Education. He attributes that decline to a shift in policy and tone coming from the White House. I think there is a sense that international students are not unambiguously welcome in the United States, and I think that is a significant change in the mood for higher education. The loss is a major blow to schools that depend on international. students to offset declining domestic enrollment and dwindling tuition dollars. For NPR News, I'm Kurt Carrapeza in Boston. This is NPR News.