NPR News Now – October 24, 2025, 11PM EDT

Host: Dale Willman
Duration: ~5 minutes
Theme: Concise national and international news roundup, delivering the latest updates on military activity, election integrity, government shutdown impacts, health research, weather threats, and international obituaries.

Key News Highlights

1. Pentagon Increases Military Presence in the Caribbean

[00:18 – 01:09]

• Main Point:
  The Pentagon is deploying more military assets to the Caribbean to intensify operations against alleged drug vessels.
• Details:
  • The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, previously docked in Croatia, was redeployed to the Caribbean (Tom Bowman).
  • Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell: deployment "will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities."
  • U.S. forces have conducted 10 strikes killing more than 40 people aboard suspected drug vessels.
  • Bipartisan concern over President Trump’s authority to conduct these extrajudicial actions.
• Quote:

  "Democrats and some Republicans have questioned President Trump's authority to order extrajudicial killings."
  — Tom Bowman, [01:02]

2. Pennsylvania Voter Registration Fraud Uncovered

[01:09 – 02:07]

• Main Point:
  Six individuals face charges for submitting fraudulent voter registrations ahead of the last presidential election.
• Details:
  • According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General, those charged were not attempting to influence the election but were trying to meet a job quota (Hansi Lo Wang).
  • Registration forms containing fake information were detected and flagged.
  • No illegitimate forms were added to the voter rolls as county officials verified information.
  • Baseless claims of voter fraud circulated, particularly by then-candidate Trump.
• Quote:

  "They were trying to keep their jobs by meeting a quota with voter registration forms containing fake information."
  — Hansi Lo Wang, [01:33]

3. Government Shutdown Disrupts Air Travel

[02:07 – 02:57]

• Main Point:
  Ongoing government shutdown causes significant flight delays due to staffing shortages, especially among unpaid air traffic controllers.
• Details:
  • Major delays at airports, notably at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental.
  • FAA faces a critical staffing-shortfall; controllers are working without pay.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns conditions may worsen if the shutdown continues past the next payday.
  • Funding for controller trainees may run out soon.
• Memorable Moment:

  "Their paycheck is going…to be a big fat zero."
  — Unidentified Interjector, [02:43]

4. Wall Street Rally

[02:57 – 03:18]

• Main Point:
  U.S. stock markets experienced strong gains.
• Details:
  • Dow Jones up 472 points (1.1%) to 47,207.
  • NASDAQ up 263 points; S&P 500 up 53 points.

5. UTI Source Traced to Meat

[03:18 – 04:16]

• Main Point:
  New research suggests up to 20% of urinary tract infections (UTIs) may originate from E. coli-contaminated meat.
• Details:
  • 60% of women experience UTIs in their lifetime.
  • Study in Southern California finds nearly 1 in 5 UTIs linked to E. coli found in turkey and chicken from local groceries.
  • Shifts understanding of some UTIs from personal hygiene to food safety issue.
• Quote:

  "While UTIs have long been considered a personal hygiene problem, the new findings suggest they're also a food safety problem."
  — Maria Godoy, [04:00]

6. Tropical Storm Melissa Threatens the Caribbean

[04:16 – 04:38]

• Main Point:
  Tropical Storm Melissa may intensify into a hurricane, with severe rain and flooding risks for Jamaica and Haiti.
• Details:
  • Potential for catastrophic flooding—up to 35 inches of rain in some Haitian regions.
  • Landslides and dangerous conditions expected.

7. Death of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit

[04:38 – 04:57]

• Main Point:
  Queen Mother Sirikit passed away at age 93.
• Details:
  • Known for supporting rural development, environmental protection, and traditional crafts.
  • Succumbed after a prolonged battle with a blood infection.

Notable Quotes

• "Democrats and some Republicans have questioned President Trump's authority to order extrajudicial killings."
  — Tom Bowman, [01:02]

• "They were trying to keep their jobs by meeting a quota with voter registration forms containing fake information."
  — Hansi Lo Wang, [01:33]

• "Their paycheck is going…to be a big fat zero."
  — Unidentified Interjector, [02:43]

• "While UTIs have long been considered a personal hygiene problem, the new findings suggest they're also a food safety problem."
  — Maria Godoy, [04:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Military buildup in the Caribbean: [00:18 – 01:09]
• Pennsylvania voter registration fraud: [01:09 – 02:07]
• Government shutdown/air travel: [02:07 – 02:57]
• Wall Street updates: [02:57 – 03:18]
• UTI source: contaminated meat: [03:18 – 04:16]
• Tropical Storm Melissa: [04:16 – 04:38]
• Thailand’s Queen Mother obituary: [04:38 – 04:57]

Overall:
This NPR News Now edition succinctly covers urgent developments: U.S. military action in the Caribbean, election integrity efforts in Pennsylvania, the far-reaching impacts of the government shutdown—particularly on air travel—improvements in Wall Street performance, significant findings in public health research, severe storm threats in the Caribbean, and an international royal obituary. Each story is delivered in NPR’s objective, factual style, with direct quotes providing depth and clarity.