NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-20-2025 3AM EST

Episode Date: November 20, 2025

NPR News: 11-20-2025 3AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump has signed the bill to release government files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It is now up to the Justice Department to share the information with the public. Here's U.S. Attorney General Pan Bondi. We have released 33,000, over 33,000 Epstein documents to the Hill, and we'll continue to follow the law and to have maximum transparent. Also, we will always encourage all victims to come forward. Some of Epstein's victims have come forward and recounted their trauma ahead of Tuesday's

House and Senate votes to release the files. Meanwhile, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is stepping down from the Board of OpenAI over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the move follows the release of emails showing a relationship between the two men. Summers joined the board of the chat GPT maker after a brief drama at the company when its CEO Sam Altman was ousted before he ultimately rejoined. New board members were appointed to Open AI, including Summers, to try to stabilize the AI firm following the Altman saga.

But newly released Epstein emails show Summers soliciting advice from the late sex offender and also speaking disparagingly about the intelligence of women. It's the latest fallout over the tranche of emails released by the House, showcasing a broad range of academics, executives, political players, and others bantering with Epstein. While Summer says he intends to step back from a number of public roles. He said in a statement he plans to continue working as a professor at Harvard. Bobby Allen, NPR News. A federal judge has resumed his probe into the Trump administration's defiance of a court order to turn back planes carrying Venezuelan deportees. Judge James Boseberg's contempt inquiry could lead to criminal prosecution. More from NPR's

Adrian Florido. Bozberg of the Federal District Court for D.C. had put his criminal contempt inquiry on hold while the Trump administration filed appeals. After an appeals court gave him the green light, he says he could start calling government officials to testify as soon as December 1st. Earlier this year, Bosberg ruled that the Trump administration had purposely defied an order he issued during an emergency hearing in March that it turned back planes carrying Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador. He said he would find out who had ignored that order and hold them accountable. He has said he could go as far as appointing a special prosecutor to pursue criminal charges. Adrian Flaredito, NPR News.

A federal judge is raising more questions about how the Justice Department brought its case against former FBI director James Comey. The full grand jury did not review a copy of the final indictment. Comey is asking the judge to dismiss the case on the grounds that the prosecutor is inexperienced and that his indictment is vindictive. He has pleaded not guilty to obstruction and lying to Congress during a probe of his investigation and potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.

This is NPR. President Trump says the Saudi Crown Prince has convinced him to become more involved in Sudan's civil war, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The U.S. already leads a group called the Quad, which hopes of reaching a humanitarian truce between the Sudanese armed forces and a paramilitary group. NPR's Michelle Kellerman has more. President Trump says it wasn't on his charts

to try to solve the conflict in Sudan, but he told an audience at a business conference that the Saudi Crown Prince explained to him how horrible the conflict is. And you know we've already started working on that, okay? He said that would be the greatest thing you can do. That would be greater than what you've already done. That was your expression.

Is that a correct expression? Pretty good. The Saudis have been encouraging Trump to try to stop the flow of weapons to the RSF, which is accused of widespread atrocities. The United Arab Emirates is accused of backing the paramilitary, and many observers want to see Trump use his influence with the Emirates to stop that. Michelle Kellerman and PR News, the State Department. According to a spokeswoman, former President Joe Biden will attend today's memorial for former Vice

President Dick Cheney. Janie served under President Bush who was set to deliver a tribute. It's unclear whether President Trump will attend today's ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral. Cheney died on November 3rd following complications from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease. He was 84 years old. This is NPR News.