NPR News Now: October 23, 2025, 3PM EDT

Host: Lakshmi Singh, NPR
Duration: ~5 minutes

Overview

This episode delivers a concise update on top news stories from across the U.S. and the world, highlighting breaking legal developments in professional sports, a high-profile presidential pardon, new sanctions on Russian companies, controversy in the international chess community, and the latest music chart records.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Major Crackdown on Illegal Sports Betting – NBA Involved

[00:19]

• Dozens Charged: Authorities announce sweeping charges in an illegal gambling and sports betting probe, implicating prominent NBA figures.
  • Specific Arrests: Portland Trailblazers head coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups (Oregon) and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier (Florida) are among those arrested and expected in federal court.
  • Organized Crime Links: The investigation connects major organized crime families with large-scale wire fraud and money laundering.
• FBI Commentary:
  • Quote — “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.”
    — FBI Director Kash Patel [00:53]
• NBA Responds: The league is reportedly cooperating with authorities.

2. President Trump Pardons Binance Founder

[01:12]

• Who: Changpeng Zhao (“CZ”), founder of Binance, jailed for money laundering.
• What Happened: Trump pardoned Zhao, with the White House presenting this as a political contrast to the previous Biden administration.
• Political Context:
  • Trump’s Press Secretary cited the pardon as a reversal of the Biden-era “war on cryptocurrency.” Trump’s recent campaign emphasized pro-crypto positions, and his family has crypto business ties.
  • Summary of Zhao’s Charges: Zhao pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four months prison in 2023 before stepping down as CEO.
  • Quote — “Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says Zhao was prosecuted in the previous administration’s, quote, war on cryptocurrency.”
    — Danielle Kurtzleben [01:32]

3. Trump Reverses Federal Agent Deployment to San Francisco

[02:14]

• Initial Plan: Trump called for a surge of federal agents in San Francisco scheduled for Saturday.
• Change of Plans: He is now backing off after discussion with the mayor, per his post on Truth Social.

4. U.S. Sanctions Russia’s Biggest Oil Companies

[02:30]

• Sanction Targets: Rosneft and Lukoil—companies responsible for nearly half of Russia's oil exports.
• Russian Reaction:
  • Maria Zakharova (Russian Foreign Ministry): Calls Western sanctions “counterproductive,” argues Russia’s economy has “developed a strong immunity.”
  • Dmitry Medvedev (Former Russian President): Describes the sanctions as “an act of war against Russia.”
  • Background: Trump connects new sanctions to Putin’s refusal to negotiate peace with Ukraine.
  • Quote — “The move amounted to an act of war against Russia.”
    — Dmitry Medvedev via Charles Maynes [02:30]

5. Chess World Controversy Amid Grandmaster’s Death

[03:10]

• Vladimir Kramnik (Russian chess legend): Accuses International Chess Federation of harassing him amid his investigations into cheating allegations against the late American grandmaster Daniel Narditsky, who died at 29 (cause not public).
• Community Response: Other grandmasters voice concerns about Kramnik's behavior and the implications for their professional security.

6. Taylor Swift’s Chart Dominance Continues

[03:58]

• Album: “The Life of a Showgirl,” record-breaking debut with 3.4 million first-week copies sold.
• Current Week: Still #1; 101,000 more copies sold, maintains nearly all top ten singles but yields two spots to other hits (notably Huntrix’s “Golden”).
  • Quote — “At least for this week, it would easily top the chart based on streaming alone.”
    — Stephen Thompson [04:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The fraud is mind boggling...tens of millions of dollars.”
  — FBI Director Kash Patel [00:53]
• “Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says Zhao was prosecuted in the previous administration’s, quote, war on cryptocurrency.”
  — Danielle Kurtzleben [01:32]
• “The move amounted to an act of war against Russia.”
  — Dmitry Medvedev via Charles Maynes [02:30]
• “At least for this week, it would easily top the chart based on streaming alone.”
  — Stephen Thompson [04:41]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:19] — NBA illegal gambling arrests and FBI comments
• [01:12] — Trump’s pardon of Binance founder, crypto industry politics
• [02:14] — Trump calls off federal agent surge in San Francisco
• [02:30] — U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants and Russian responses
• [03:10] — Chess grandmaster death and controversy
• [03:58] — Taylor Swift’s chart performance update

This episode offers a rapid but thorough round-up of legal, political, and cultural events shaping the headlines on October 23, 2025.