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Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump is now in Japan on his trip to Asia. He met with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and is set to meet Japan's newly installed prime minister. The big focus is set for later this week. Trump is expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea. The Trump administration says it's reached a framework for trade issues with China. The framework is supposed to lead to trade agreements. Separately, China's foreign minister talked with Secretary of State Marco Rubio today. NPR's Emily Feng reports.
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China's Wang Yi is the country's top diplomat and he praised both President Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping as world class leaders on the call. The foreign minister also urged the US And China to build on a trade consensus that negotiating teams said they reached in Malaysia over the weekend. That consensus could broadly halt an additional 100% tariff that Trump has threatened on Chinese goods and stave off a punishing export control regime that China's been developing on rare earth products that the US Cannot refine itself. But that consensus has not been formalized and it now hangs in the balance during a highly anticipated Xi Trump meeting this week, the first between the two leaders since Trump started his second presidential term. Emily Feng, NPR News.
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The federal government shutdown is nearly a month old. A major federal government employees union is calling on Republicans and Democrats today to pass a clean stopgap spending bill and reopen the government. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler said says the shutdown hurts all Americans.
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The pain is the point. Every single day of this Shutdown has stopped 320 local businesses every single day from accessing $170 million in SBA loans for hiring and for expansion.
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Congressional Democrats say Congressional Republicans need to restore the significant cuts to federal health care programs before they agree to a spending bill. Hurricane Melissa is forecast to hit Jamaica as a dangerous Category 5 storm. NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports. This is the first time a storm of this magnitude has struck the island head on.
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Category 5 hurricanes have extremely powerful winds strong enough to knock down homes that are made of wood and rip off most roofs. And Hurricane Melissa is also moving extremely slowly, which means it will linger over land, dumping huge amounts of rain. The storm is expected to bring multiple feet of rain to some parts of Jamaica. That's particularly dangerous because the island has hills and mountains. When a large amount of rain falls in such an area, it can cause deadly flash flooding because the water picks up speed as it flows downhill. Climate change makes large rainy hurricanes like Melissa, more likely. Rebecca Hersher, NPR News.
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On Wall street, the Dow is up more than 200 points, or about half a percent. The Nasdaq is up about 350 points, or 1.5%. You're listening to NPR. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new medication to treat symptoms of menopause, hot flashes and night sweats. The drug Linquit is a once a day pill that does not use hormones. The drug maker Bayer says this could soon be available in the US Hot flashes and night sweats can be debilitating and long lasting, often for black women in particular. Game three of the World Series is set for tonight in Los Angeles. The the LA Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays have each won one game. Steve Futterman reports.
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The Blue jays won game one. The Dodgers took game two. Now the series has moved 2100 miles from Toronto to here in Los Angeles. Pitching tonight for the Blue Jays will be 41 year old Max Scherzer. This is his fourth World Series. He is doing it with his fourth different team. He says he's grateful just to be here.
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I mean, this is what you play for, to be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it.
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The Dodgers are still the clear favorite. Louisiana, with its power lineup, is trying to become the first team to win back to back World Series in 25 years. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.
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French police are still holding two of four suspects believed to have stolen historical jewels from the Louvre Art Museum in Paris. French media report the men had been under surveillance. One man was about to fly out of the country to Algeria. French police detained them this weekend, but they did not find the jewels. The suspects must be charged within a few days under French law or they cannot be held anymore. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.
Date: October 27, 2025, 11AM EDT
Host: Korva Coleman (NPR)
Duration: 5 minutes
This NPR News Now episode delivers a condensed update on global politics, domestic affairs, severe weather, science and health news, sports, and a notable international crime. Major themes include President Trump’s Asia trip and U.S.–China relations, the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, the threat of Hurricane Melissa to Jamaica, medical advancements for menopause, World Series developments, and an art theft in France.
[00:00]
China’s Diplomatic Engagement
[00:31]
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised both Trump and Xi as “world class leaders” during a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He urged the U.S. to build on a “trade consensus” reportedly achieved in Malaysia, which could prevent a threatened 100% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods and stave off Chinese export controls on rare earth products.
This consensus remains informal and its future is tied to the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, the first direct meeting since Trump began his second term.
“That consensus could broadly halt an additional 100% tariff that Trump has threatened on Chinese goods and stave off a punishing export control regime...”
— Emily Feng, NPR Correspondent ([00:38])
[01:15]
The shutdown is nearing its one-month mark.
Major federal employees’ unions are urging Congress to pass a clean stopgap spending bill and reopen the government.
Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler underscores the shutdown’s pervasive economic impact:
“The pain is the point. Every single day of this Shutdown has stopped 320 local businesses every single day from accessing $170 million in SBA loans for hiring and for expansion.”
— Kelly Loeffler ([01:34])
Congressional Democrats demand restoration of significant federal health care funding as a precondition to supporting a spending bill.
[01:48]
Hurricane Melissa is poised to make landfall in Jamaica as a devastating Category 5 storm — a historic event for the island.
The hurricane’s slow movement will bring “multiple feet of rain,” posing severe threats of flash flooding, especially in Jamaica’s mountainous regions.
“When a large amount of rain falls in such an area, it can cause deadly flash flooding because the water picks up speed as it flows downhill.”
— Rebecca Hersher, NPR Reporter ([02:23])
Expert commentary links the storm's severity to climate change, noting increased frequency of large, rainy hurricanes.
[02:48]
[03:00]
[03:32]
The LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are tied at one win each as the series shifts to Los Angeles.
Veteran pitcher Max Scherzer, now with the Blue Jays, will start Game 3—his fourth World Series with a fourth team.
“I mean, this is what you play for, to be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it.”
— Max Scherzer ([03:52])
The Dodgers are favored, aiming to become the first back-to-back champions in 25 years.
[04:12]
This five-minute newscast delivers rapid, clear updates on pivotal stories in U.S. government, international diplomacy, natural disasters, medical advances, sports, and global crime, with concise contextual reporting and memorable firsthand statements.