NPR News Now – October 24, 2025, 7AM EDT

Host: NPR (Korva Coleman)

Main Theme

This morning's NPR News Now delivers a concise update on major national headlines, focusing on the impacts of the ongoing federal government shutdown, controversial U.S. agriculture and trade moves by the Trump administration, high-profile legal news, and the release of new research on educational interventions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Government Shutdown and Food Assistance Cuts

• Overview:
  It's day 24 of the federal government shutdown, the first full missed payday for most federal employees. State governors are increasingly alarmed, particularly about the imminent end to food assistance (SNAP) for millions.
• Coverage:
  • Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry warns SNAP benefits will stop on November 1.
  • 1 in 5 Louisiana residents (~800,000 people) rely on SNAP benefits ([00:43]).
  • Food banks expect increased demand as SNAP stops; supply is already limited.
• Quote:

  “Once the SNAP benefits go away and people can no longer use their SNAP cards, it’s going to be a real challenge because we’re going to see people coming to us for help and we’re already very limited in the amount of food we have available.”
  — Mike Manning, President/CEO Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank [00:55]

• Political Tension:
  • Gov. Landry blames Senate Democrats.
  • Both parties accuse each other of using the shutdown for political leverage.

2. Economic Updates: Delayed Inflation Report

• Overview:
  • The shutdown is delaying the release of the government’s latest consumer price (inflation) report ([01:18]).
  • Wall Street is responding with higher futures in premarket trading ([03:11], [04:46]).

3. US Beef Imports from Argentina Controversy

• Trump Proposal:
  • President Trump proposes quadrupling beef imports from Argentina to lower U.S. beef prices and aid Argentina's right-wing president, following a recent $20B bailout ([01:18]-[02:29]).
• Reactions:
  • U.S. cattle ranchers oppose the move:
• Quote:

  “One of the few bright spots in pretty much all of agriculture was that the cattle industry was finally maybe making some profit.”
  — Kyler Brown, Southern Colorado rancher [02:01]

  • Critics cite lowest herd size in decades as a reason prices are high.
  • The administration defends the decision, prioritizing consumer costs.
  • No indication of changing course from the administration.

4. White House East Wing Demolition

• Demolition Complete:
  • President Trump has finished demolishing the White House East Wing despite calls from preservation groups to pause pending review ([02:29]-[03:11]).
  • Plans include a new 90,000 sq. ft. ballroom, with promises to modernize other key features, including security operations.
• Preservation Pleas Ignored:
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation urged delay for review – request was denied.

5. Legal and Political News

• NY Attorney General Letitia James:
  • Expected to appear in Virginia federal court, facing bank fraud charges ([03:11]).
  • President Trump demanded her prosecution; James accuses Trump of weaponizing DOJ against critics.
• Cryptocurrency:
  • President Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, previously convicted on money laundering charges.
  • Trump’s administration and family are heavily involved in the crypto industry.

6. Education Research: SEL Benefits

• SEL (Social & Emotional Learning):
  • Yale study reviewed 40 studies, confirming that routine SEL in schools leads to up to 8 percentile points improvement in academic achievement for students who participate for a full year ([04:05]-[04:45]).
• Quote:

  “Kids who got regular social emotional learning in school saw improvement in both test scores and grades in literacy and in math … their overall academic achievement improved by around 8 percentile points.”
  — Cory Turner, NPR reporter [04:05-04:43]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Manning (Food Bank):
  “Once the SNAP benefits go away… it’s going to be a real challenge…” [00:55]

• Kyler Brown (Cattle Rancher):
  “One of the few bright spots in … agriculture was that the cattle industry was finally maybe making some profit.” [02:01]

• Cory Turner (SEL Study):
  “Their overall academic achievement improved by around 8 percentile points...” [04:05-04:43]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Shutdown and SNAP Cuts: [00:17]–[01:18]
• Beef Imports Controversy: [01:18]–[02:29]
• White House Demolition: [02:29]–[03:11]
• Letitia James Charges & Crypto Pardon: [03:11]–[04:05]
• SEL and Academic Improvement: [04:05]–[04:45]
• Economic Overview/Market Update: [03:11], [04:46]

Summary

Even in just five minutes, NPR News Now offers a brisk but thorough snapshot of America’s current political, economic, and social news. The episode covers urgent consequences of the government shutdown, combative domestic and international policies, headlines about political legal cases, and positive news about educational research–all presented in NPR’s signature crisp, neutral tone.