NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: November 19, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the Justice Department will comply with the law if President Trump signs legislation, as he says he will do, to release the files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As NPR's Joe Hernandez reports, a bill passed by the House and Senate yesterday now goes to Trump's desk. Bondi said at a press conference officials would protect any information that could put Epstein's victims at risk before making the files public. We will continue to follow the law with maximum transparency while protecting victims. The Justice Department has released thousands of Epstein-related files to Congress already,

but other documents, including witness interviews, have not yet been made public. Trump previously resisted the vote to release more Epstein files but changed course over the weekend, while claiming the push to release more Epstein documents is a hoax perpetrated by Democrats. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. Saudi Arabia has selected GE Aerospace Gen X-1B engines to power new 787 Dreamliners for the Kingdom's National Airline. The multi-year agreement includes the supply of engines, maintenance, and repairs. This, as Saudi Arabia also announced, it would invest $1 trillion in the U.S., mainly in the tech sector. At the U.S.-S.-S.-S.-Saudi Investment Conference in Washington today, President Trump praised the development,

saying it will help the middle class with new jobs and factories. And he says he welcomes foreign workers into the U.S. to train U.S. workers. If you have to bring people to get those plants open, we want you to do that. And we want those people to teach our people how to make computer chips and how to make other things. U.S. tech leaders are at the meeting along with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Tensions escalating in Lebanon after Israel attacked two villages in the South. the day after launching a drone strike on a Palestinian refugee camp. Jane Reff has more.

The Israeli military bombed the two villages after warning residents to leave. Earlier on Wednesday, Israel killed one person and wounded several others, including students on a bus, in a separate drone strike, according to Lebanese authorities. That's despite a ceasefire signed with Lebanon a year ago, halting its war with the militant group Hezbollah. While Hezbollah has not attacked Israel,

the Israeli military has launched almost daily strikes. It says it's targeting Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. And Israeli attack Tuesday killed at least to 13 people in a Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Tyre, according to Lebanese authorities. Palestinian officials said it hit a sports field. For NPR News, I'm Jane Araf in Amman. On Wall Street, the Dow is up 37 points. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

The movie Wicked for Good opens this weekend. It's expected to be one of the year's biggest blockbusters. And as NPR's Netta Ulibee reports, fans of this 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 20.

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. Neda Ulippi and PR News. A federal judge in Washington says META did not violate competition laws when it acquired WhatsApp and Instagram. U.S. District Judge James Bosberg ruled META doesn't hold a monopoly in social networking this week after the historic antitrust trial wrapped up in late May. That decision follows two separate rulings that branded Google and a legal monopoly in both search and online advertising,

delaying yet another regulatory blow to the tech industry that for years enjoyed nearly unbridled growth. On Wall Street, the Dow is up 37 points. The NASDAQ is ahead by 71. The S&P 500 up 15. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.