NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-26-2025 1PM EST

Episode Date: November 26, 2025

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I'm Jesse Thorne. So not that long ago, I stepped into our studio here, and I did 25 interviews. Back to back to back. Patten, Oswald. Hi, Patton. Mr. Rob Cordry. As always, Cameron Esposito. And this week, you'll hear a taste of it. That's bullseye. Find us in the NPR app, maximum fun.org, or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. A superior court judge has dismissed the election interference criminal case in Georgia against President Trump and allies at the request of the special prosecutor. For member station WABE in Atlanta, Alex Helmick, reports. Prosecutor Pete Scandalakis took over the massive RICO case that involved 14 others earlier this month after Fulton County D8 Fawney Willis was removed. In a statement, Scandalakis said he decided not to pursue the case against the president in the interest of justice. It was unlikely that legal action against Trump could have moved forward while he's president. The case stemmed from Trump narrowly losing Georgia to President Joe Biden in 2020,

launching a series of events, including Trump's phone call to state officials looking for 11,780 votes. Trump's attorney said the case should never have been brought. For NPR News, I'm Alex Helmick in Atlanta. Arizona, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly was on Jimmy Kim alive last night as he continues to publicly rebuke the Pentagon's investigation into him and other congressional Democrats. President Trump accused them of being traitors for telling U.S. service members in an online video, they are not obligated by law to follow illegal orders. All the lawmakers have either military or intelligence backgrounds. In addition to Kelly, the FBI has been contacting other Democrats, including Senator Lysa Slackin of Michigan.

The minute I saw the president said they should be hanged, in effect, I knew that our security situation was going to change precipitously. Obviously, I'm worried about my family. I'm worried about my staff. You know, I've served three tours in Iraq. I've done dangerous things. I signed up for this, but my family did it. Trump has said he does not want the lawmakers executed, but wants them held accountable for undermining his authority as commander-in-chief. The president has updated his original 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. NPR's Frank Ordone has reports, Trump says, there are now only a few remaining points of disagreement. President Trump says he's dispatching his special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, to Moscow to meet with

President Putin, while sending Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet with the Ukrainians to work out the final details. It's just the latest iteration of yo-yoing proposal that Trump has presented as he tries to cement his peacemaking legacy. Evo Dahlder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, says all Trump wants is a deal. He doesn't care what the terms of the deal are. He just wants it to end and to be seen as the person who ended it. But Daldor says the problem is that while the U.S. agreed to plans with both Russia and Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine have not reached an agreement on any plans with each other.

Franco, Ordeniaz. NPR News. The Dow is up 442 points. This is NPR. of the West African nation Guinea-Bissau reports of a coup. Sustained gunfire was heard near the presidential palace. Multiple news organizations are reporting that Guinea-Bissau's president has been arrested. NPR has not independently verified that development. NPR's Emmanuel Akunwatu has more on the violent aftermath of a presidential election in which the incumbent and his challenger each declared himself the winner. Witnesses in the capital Pissau have reported

heavy gunfire, including at the electoral body where provisional results were due to be announced on Thursday. Both President Umaru Sisoko Imbalo and his closest rival, Fernando Diaz, had claimed victory after a tightly fought election held on Sunday, where the main opposition candidate was barred from running. In recent years, President Imbalo has warned of multiple takeover attempts by the military, the latest in October, when several military officers were arrested. The tiny coastal nation, with a population of around 2 million people, is one of the poorest countries in the world with a history of military coups since independence from Portugal in 1974. Emmanuel Ackimoto, NPR News.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is expected to significantly increase the size of home loans the government can guarantee against default starting next year. The FHFA says mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which it oversees, will be able to acquire loans of up to $832,750 on single-family homes in most of the United States. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.