NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2025 11AM EST

Episode Date: November 19, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corvick Coleman, the Senate has given its final approval to a bill that requires the Justice Department to publish all its files on late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. An act to require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein and for other purposes. On the previous order, the bill is considered read three times and passed. The bill is now on its way to President Trump's desk. He said he would sign it. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously tried to block the measure, but to gain support. Trump did an about face earlier this week and told Republicans to vote for it. They did. President Trump will attend the U.S.-S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington this morning. He'll be joined by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman.

Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince say they've reached several deals. Saudi Arabia will invest nearly $1 trillion in the U.S. Trump says Saudi Arabia will now become a major non-NATO ally. The Polish government says it'll force Russia to close its last operating consulate in Poland. This is Poland's response to a railway sabotage incident that it blames on Moscow. Kremlin officials deny any involvement. NPR's Rob Schmidt's reports Russia is now left with only its embassy in Warsaw. Polish Foreign Minister Radislav Sikorski says he's withdrawing consent for the operation of Russia's consulate in the port

city of Gondanksk. This comes just days after two sections of a rail line connecting Warsaw to Lublin were damaged by what Poland is calling Russian operatives. The line is a strategic link between Poland's capital and Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says two Ukrainian citizens working for Russia are suspected of the act while collaborating with Russian Secret Services. He said their identities are known but could not be revealed due to ongoing investigations. And he said the pair has already left Poland crossing the border. order into Russian ally Belarus. Rob Schmitt and Pierre News, Berlin.

In the U.S., three school districts in Florida will be part of a new statewide effort to use drones to improve safety at K-12 schools. From Central Florida Public Media, Danielle Pryor, has more. The Florida Department of Education has invested $557,000 in a pilot program which will outfit schools in Leon Broward and Volusia counties with drones. The drones designer, Campus Guardian Angel, says, as they can distract a disarm and assailant during a school shooting. Here's CEO Justin Marston describing how the drones work.

So we start off with the siren and we tell the person to drop the gun, lay on the ground, surrender. If they don't surrender, our next step in that escalation is to use pepper spray. There's some opposition. Matt Johnson is chair of the Florida Libertarian Party. He says the program treats children as subjects of a quote state-run surveillance system. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Pryor in Orlando. You're listening to NPR News. The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on last year's collapse of the key bridge near Baltimore.

Six people were killed. The bridge fell after it was rammed by an out-of-control cargo ship. The report says a loose wire on the ship was responsible. The agency also cites lapses in communication to the construction workers who died. Transit authorities in Maryland now say the cause to build a new bridge, is double than what was initially predicted. It could be more than $5 billion. A man accused of starting one of the deadly Los Angeles wildfires this year

will stay behind bars till his trial. Prosecutors say Jonathan Rindernecht is a flight risk. He's pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Palisades Fire killed 12 people. The movie Wicked for Good opens this weekend. As NPR's Netta Ulibe reports, fans of the film about the Wicked Witch of the West, include plenty of self-identified witches. In The Wicked Movies, The Witch is the Good Guy.

I'm off to see The Wizard. The first Wicked movie was the fifth highest-grossing movie of 2024, and advanced sales are brisk for the second one. Wicked Superfans include two self-identified witches at a recent witch-themed street festival in Wayne, Michigan. It's just a beautiful film, and I'm very excited to see the second one. We're going to have to go together. Yeah, we should go together.

Tiffany Walker and her friend who calls herself Mama Rainbow say Wicked is a film that finally gives witches a fair shake. Netta Ulippi, NPR News. On Wall Street, the Dow is down 55 points. This is NPR.