NPR News Now - October 23, 2025, 1PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Duration: ~5 minutes
Episode Overview:
This NPR News Now episode covers major national and international headlines, including President Trump's high-profile pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, arrests in a major NBA gambling investigation, a lawsuit between Reddit and AI company Perplexity, the latest on Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and new research on the side effects of antidepressants.

1. Presidential Pardon: Changpeng Zhao and the Crypto Debate

[00:18]

• Story: President Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange.
  • Zhao had pleaded guilty in 2023 for failing to establish sufficient safeguards, enabling money to flow to terrorists and criminals. He was sentenced to four months in prison.
  • The pardon is framed by the Trump White House as correcting an alleged Biden administration “war on cryptocurrency.”
  • Democratic lawmakers have raised ethical concerns regarding the pardon.

Notable Quote:

“President Trump’s pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. The crypto billionaire had pleaded guilty to failing to establish enough guardrails in the world’s largest crypto exchange to block money from flowing to terrorists and other criminal groups.”
— Lakshmi Singh [00:18]

2. NBA Gambling Scandal: Arrests and Insider Trading

[01:15]

• Headline: NBA Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier among dozens arrested in investigation into illegal gambling.
• Key Details:
  • FBI alleges NBA insiders, including Rozier, shared confidential info with organized crime groups for illicit betting.
  • Rozier’s lawyer: “Rozier was not a gambler and that he, quote, looks forward to winning this fight.” [01:30]
  • Second indictment: Former NBA stars (like Billups) used to lure people into high-stakes, rigged poker games.
  • Both Billups and Rozier put on leave by the NBA pending further investigation.

Notable Quotes:

“This is the insider trading saga for the NBA.”
— Lakshmi Singh [01:25]

“Rozier was previously investigated by the NBA back in 2023 after the league was alerted to suspicious bets on a game of his that year. The league had cleared him of wrongdoing.”
— Becky Sullivan [01:30]

3. Reddit Sues Perplexity AI: Data Scraping Under Fire

[01:58]

• Story: Reddit is suing Perplexity, an AI search engine, accusing it of “industrial scale unlawful collection” of Reddit user comments.
  • Reddit likens the actions to “would-be bank robbers who can’t get into a vault so they break into an armored truck instead.”
  • Perplexity denies wrongdoing, claiming its data practices are “principled and responsible.”
  • This lawsuit is part of a broader pushback from online publishers and platforms as AI companies use massive, sometimes unlicensed data sets to train chatbots.

Notable Quote:

“A wave of lawsuits are now playing out centered on how AI companies train chatbots to become so powerful. Vast corners of the Internet have been scanned without permission, spurring copyright lawsuits from publications like the New York Times.”
— Bobby Allen [02:22]

4. Russia’s Ongoing Aggression in Ukraine & European Anxiety

[03:05]

• Update: Russia is intensifying its attacks on Ukraine.
  • Diplomatic efforts from the US and NATO allies continue.
  • Washington Post columnist David Ignatius highlights European apprehension as US support appears uncertain.

Notable Quote:

“Europe is frightened. They see Russia coming at them. They’re used to having the United States as their friend and protector. And Trump increasingly seems to want to back away from European complex and the Ukraine war in particular. That scares Europeans—should scare all of us.”
— David Ignatius [03:33]

5. Major Study on Antidepressants’ Physical Side Effects

[03:50]

• Research News: Landmark UK study in The Lancet analyzed more than 150 drug trials, identifying how different antidepressants affect weight, heart rate, cholesterol, and other physical health parameters.
  • Some medications can differ in impact by as much as eight pounds or 20 heartbeats per minute.
  • Lead author Dr. Toby Pillenger (King’s College London) notes commonly used antidepressants are generally not too harmful to physical health.
  • The research aims to better inform patients and clinicians on medication choices.

Notable Quotes:

“The good news is that those medications that are most commonly prescribed actually aren’t too bad for a number of physical health parameters. So that’s reassuring.”
— Dr. Toby Pillenger (voiced by Bobby Allen) [04:32]

“The point is not to single out certain antidepressants as better than others, just to help doctors and patients pick the best medications.”
— Will Stone [04:39]

6. Market Update

[03:05, 04:49]

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rises by over 123 points to 46,716; S&P up 37 points.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Lakshmi Singh’s summary of the NBA “insider trading saga.” [01:25]
• David Ignatius’s warning on US retreat from European security. [03:33]
• Dr. Toby Pillenger’s reassurance about widely prescribed antidepressants. [04:32]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:18] Presidential Pardon: Changpeng Zhao
• [01:15] NBA Gambling & Insider Trading Scandal
• [01:58] Reddit Sues Perplexity AI
• [03:05] Market/World News: Russia & Ukraine
• [03:50] Antidepressants Side Effects Study

This concise yet comprehensive bulletin spotlights high-stakes legal, geopolitical, sports, tech, and health news, offering listeners a whirlwind tour of the top stories of the hour in NPR’s signature crisp, informative style.