NPR News Now – October 25, 2025, 6PM EDT

Host: Luis Schiavone
Main Theme:
A concise update on major world and national events, including President Trump’s Asia trip, an immigration legal battle, the federal shutdown’s impacts, the legacy of June Lockhart, and Hurricane Melissa’s threat to Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Key Stories and Discussion Points

1. President Trump's First Asia Trip Post-Return to the White House

• Bilateral Trade and Diplomacy
  • President Trump begins a six-day trip to Asia, starting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Main agenda: potential trade talks with Asian nations; uncertainty over a direct meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
  • Both sides are expected to make concessions in ongoing US-China trade talks.
  • US and Chinese officials hold de-escalation talks in Kuala Lumpur, but China hasn't confirmed a Trump-Xi meeting at the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea.
  • Trump expressed openness to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un while in South Korea; both leaders have made similar statements, but no meeting is currently planned.
• Notable Quote:
  • “He expects a good meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but that both sides may need to make concessions.” — Anthony Kuhn (00:18)

2. Controversial Deportation Case: Kilmar Abrego Garcia

• Background and Legal Complications
  • Justice Department now seeks to deport Garcia to Liberia, an unusual choice as he is from El Salvador.
  • A 2019 judge ruled it unsafe to return Garcia to El Salvador, but the Trump Administration deported him there “by mistake”; he has since been returned to the US.
  • Lawyer Simon Sandoval Moshenburg argues government’s insistence on Liberia is punitive; Costa Rica offered as an alternative.
  • DOJ describes Liberia as having “robust protections for human rights,” but won’t clarify if Liberia will prevent onward deportation to El Salvador.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “They are using the selection of the country of removal as a means of punishing him.” — Simon Sandoval Moshenburg (01:36)
  • “Justice Department calls Liberia a thriving democracy, which provides, quote, robust protections for human rights.” — Martin Kosti (01:41)

3. Impact of the Federal Government Shutdown (Day 25)

• Local Impacts in Pennsylvania
  • Over 300,000 households affected as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is delayed; no federal funding until at least December.
  • Families face tough choices: potentially sacrificing basic needs such as food and medicine.
  • Officials promise rapid program restoration once Federal funds resume.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I think a lot of people are going to sacrifice food, medicine, medical care, other life essentials. I think people will fall behind on their rent.” — Liz Marks, Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (02:36)

4. Remembering June Lockhart (1925-2025)

• Television Legacy and Career
  • June Lockhart, famed for her roles as Ruth Martin on Lassie and Maureen Robinson on Lost in Space, has died at 100.
  • Started in Hollywood as a child, debuting alongside her actor parents in MGM’s 1938 A Christmas Carol.
• Memorable Moments:
  • “There’s no room in this house for two stubborn females.” — June Lockhart as Ruth Martin in Lassie (03:24)
  • “Aren’t you forgetting a small ingredient for happiness known as love?” — June Lockhart as Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space (03:35)

5. Hurricane Melissa: Threat to Jamaica and the Caribbean

• Current Situation
  • Melissa has strengthened to a hurricane; torrential rains and flooding anticipated in Jamaica.
  • Vendors hurriedly selling and stocking goods; uncertainty and anxiety among locals.
• Community Response and Resilience:
  • “I may have asked Him this morning to keep me. Can turn back the storm. We cannot manage it.” — Diane Thompson, vendor (04:17)
  • “After the storm, there must be a camp, so we all come together and do a cleanup.” — Clive Davis, fisherman (04:29)
  • Haiti and the Dominican Republic are also bracing for impact.

Memorable Quotes and Moments (with Timestamps)

• 00:18 – Anthony Kuhn: “He expects a good meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but that both sides may need to make concessions.”
• 01:36 – Simon Sandoval Moshenburg: “They are using the selection of the country of removal as a means of punishing him.”
• 01:41 – DOJ via Martin Kosti: “...Liberia a thriving democracy, which provides, quote, robust protections for human rights.”
• 02:36 – Liz Marks: “I think a lot of people are going to sacrifice food, medicine, medical care, other life essentials. I think people will fall behind on their rent.”
• 03:24 – June Lockhart as Ruth Martin: “There’s no room in this house for two stubborn females.”
• 03:35 – June Lockhart as Maureen Robinson: “Aren’t you forgetting a small ingredient for happiness known as love?”
• 04:17 – Diane Thompson: “I may have asked Him this morning to keep me. Can turn back the storm. We cannot manage it.”
• 04:29 – Clive Davis: “After the storm, there must be a camp, so we all come together and do a cleanup.”

Additional Notes

• The episode’s tone remains balanced and factual, focusing on timely reporting and community voices.
• The episode moves swiftly across both national and international events, weaving in first-person perspectives with expert and official commentary.