NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-03-2025 8AM EST

Episode Date: December 3, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth is saying more about U.S. military strikes on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean last September. As NPR's Greg Myrie reports, Hegsaith says he did not order a follow-up attack that killed survivors of the initial strike. Defense Secretary Hegeseth described his actions during the first U.S. attack in the Caribbean on September 2nd. I watched that first strike lot. As you can imagine in the Department of War, we got a lot of things. to do. So I didn't stick around, so I moved on to my next meeting. Nine people were killed initially, but two people survived. A second U.S. strike killed them, but Hegss said he only learned hours later that this follow-up strike took place. He said the commander of the operation made the correct decision to, quote, sink the boat

and eliminate the threat. But critics have raised the possibility the attack could be a violation of U.S. law or the laws of war. Greg Mirey, NPR News, Washington. Republican Matt Van Epps has won a special election for a U.S. House seat in Tennessee. The race drew millions of dollars in outside spending and national attention. NPR Stephen Fowler reports that Democrats are also claiming a victory, of sorts. President Trump won Tennessee's 7th Congressional District last November by about 22 percentage points. This week, Matt Van Epps won by nine. After super PACs from both parties poured millions of dollars into this high-profile contest,

Democrats say the 13-point overperformance by their candidate, Afton Bain, is a good sign for 26. In 60 state legislative and congressional special elections this year, Democrats have improved from their 2024 margins by an average of 13 percent. Stephen Powell, NPR News. Israel says it will soon open Gaza's border with Egypt, allowing Palestinians to leave Gaza for the first time in a year and a half. But Egypt says it won't open the border until Palestinians can return. NPR's Jerome Sakalovsky reports. Rafa Crossing has been closed since Israel took control of the border area in May 2024. Israel's government says the reopening is in line with the October ceasefire deal with Hamas.

An official briefed on the matter, but not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR, it was the result of a phone call on Tuesday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump, who wants to see progress on the deal. Israel says the crossing will be opened only to one-way traffic, of Gaza. But Egypt controls the other side of the border and its government says in a statement that the crossing will only open if passage is allowed in both directions. Jerome Sokolovsky NPR News Tel Aviv. Many regions in South and Southeast Asia remain in disaster mode. They're recovering from deadly flooding and landslides following tropical storms. At least 1,400 people have been

killed in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, and nearly 800 of the victims perished in Indonesia. This is NPR. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the Trump administration is preparing a bridge payment for farmers. During a cabinet meeting yesterday at the White House, she said the program will be announced next week. No details have been revealed. The farmer's bridge payment is supposed to provide farmers with short-term relief. For decades, scientists have struggled to develop a cure for HIV, the virus associated with AIDS. But the disease can be controlled with daily medication. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports new studies out this week bring researchers closer to controlling the virus without taking a pill once a day. HIV is a wily virus that comes roaring back

if a patient stops their daily medication. To try to prevent that from happening, two research groups trained the immune system to fight off the virus without the pills. The idea is to coax patients to produce antibodies that can attack many forms of the virus. In two very small studies published in the journal Nature, the approach showed promise. Several patients kept the virus controlled for months and even over a year without medication. Crucially, the researchers homed in on the immune cells responsible, called CD8 T-cells, knowing this could make it much easier to eventually develop a cure. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

Tomorrow night is the last supermoon of this year. The media outlet, space.com, says the moon will reach its full phase just after 6 p.m. Eastern Time. A supermoon happens when the full moon also reaches the closest point it can to Earth. This is NPR.