NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-01-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

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During the holidays, there's a lot of pressure to make things perfect, but that can actually make the season less merry and bright. And I remember thinking, oh my gosh, in all the doing, I am not here, I'm not present, I am missing being. This week on the Life Kit podcast from the NPR Network, tips to make your holiday season actually enjoyable. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. The White House is defending a U.S. military attack on a boat allegedly carrying drugs as lawful and says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not order a second strike on survivors. But as NPR's quo Lawrence reports, sources dispute that.

One of the strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in September left survivors. They were killed by a second U.S. attack. Military experts say that would be a war crime or with no declared war, simply murder. NPR and others reported that the second strike was authorized by Hegseth. President Trump said he knew nothing about it, and the White House says Navy Admiral Frank Bradley carried out the order, including the second strike that killed all survivors. But a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly told NPR

that Hegseth was the target engagement authority and gave an either verbal or written command to the admiral, ordering two strikes to kill and two additional strikes to sink the boat. Hegseth is expected to appear soon in Congress to defend the controversial strikes. Quill Lawrence NPR News. Son of the infamous Sinaloa cartel leader El Chapo has pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to drug trafficking charges. Joaquin Guzman Lopez is the latest Sinaloa cartel figure to face justice in the United States. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas reporting.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in continuing criminal enterprise charges. He was arrested by U.S. authorities in July. 24 in Texas, along with Ismail El Mio Zambada Garcia, who helped found the Sinaloa cartel and was one of Mexico's biggest drug lords. Guzman Lopez is the latest senior Sinaloa cartel figure to plead guilty in U.S. federal court following his brother Ovidio, as well as El Mayo, who both pleaded guilty earlier this year. Guzman Lopez's father, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was convicted in 2019 for his role leading the Sinaloa cartel and is currently serving.

a life sentence in U.S. prison. Ryan Lucas NPR News, Washington. Thousands of truck driving schools could be forced to close after a review by federal regulators. NPR's Joel Rose reports that the Federal Department of Transportation found many schools may not be complying with government regulations. The Transportation Department says it plans to revoke the accreditation of nearly 3,000 trucking schools unless they can prove they're up to federal standards. The DOT is warning another 4,000 schools that they could face similar actions.

The crackdown on trucking schools is part of the Trump administration's broader effort to ensure that drivers are qualified and eligible to hold a commercial driver's license. The DOT has also proposed significant new restrictions on which immigrants can get a CDL, but a court put those rules on hold. Truckers say there are safety problems in the industry, but immigrant advocates argue the administration is targeting qualified drivers because of their citizenship status. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR. Authorities in California are asking for help from the public as they search for anyone responsible for the Saturday evening shooting at a toddler's birthday party. Officials say three children ages 8, 9, and 14, and a 21-year-old man were killed and 11 others were wounded when gunfire erupted inside a banquet hall in Stockton. No arrests had been made, and authorities are urging witnesses to come forward.

The wintry weather in Illinois led to a groundstop Monday evening at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration says the groundstop was issued due to snow and ice after more than eight inches fell at the airport over the weekend. In the Northeast, forecasters say parts of Northern New England could see up to 10 inches on Tuesday. Rihanna has not released an album since 2016, but this week she scored a major milestone on the Billboard charts, as NPR's Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento reports. Rihanna's anti just hit 500 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. The album came out nearly a decade ago in January 2016. Fans and critics have long awaited a follow-up release from the pop star and Fenty Beauty entrepreneur.

But it looks like anti is the gift that keeps on giving. It's now the first album by a black female soloist to spend that much. time on the Billboard 200. In a post on X, the singer celebrated writing, God ain't forget about me. No word about future musical projects, but for now, anti still going strong. Isabella Gomez-Armiento, NPR News. This is NPR. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.