NPR News: 10-28-2025 7AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – October 28, 2025, 7AM EDT

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update delivers key global and domestic headlines as of the morning of October 28, 2025. Covered topics include President Trump’s diplomatic travel in Asia, the ongoing U.S. federal shutdown and its impact on air traffic controllers, Hurricane Melissa’s threat to Jamaica, flooding in Florida, fuel disruptions in Mali, new data on obesity trends and medical treatments, and results from a dramatic Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series game.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump in Japan: Diplomatic Visits and Agreements

• [00:17–00:53] President Trump is in Japan, meeting troops and newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Taikachi, the country’s first female prime minister.
• They marked the bilateral relationship as entering a "golden era," highlighted by an official agreement.
• Quote:

  "Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there. We are an ally at the strongest level."
  — President Trump (00:47)

• Additional agreement signed to cooperate on rare earth minerals; a trade deal is in progress. PM Taikachi hinted at a significant Ford F150 truck purchase.
• Trump’s Asia itinerary includes visits to South Korea and future talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on trade issues.

2. Federal Government Shutdown: Air Traffic Controllers Affected

• [01:08–02:11] The federal shutdown nears a month, furloughing most government workers. Air traffic controllers remain on duty but are missing paychecks.
• Controllers plan to hand out informational leaflets at major U.S. airports to highlight the shutdown’s impact, with some already taking second jobs out of necessity.
• Quote:

  "Air traffic controllers will receive back pay after the shutdown ends, but their labor union says many started second jobs to pay their bills during the last shutdown."
  — Marlon Hyde (01:43)

3. Hurricane Melissa Approaches Jamaica: Record Threat

• [02:11–02:49] Hurricane Melissa, with sustained winds of 175 mph, heads directly for Jamaica. It’s the first storm of this power to make landfall on Jamaica since modern records began.

• Quote:

  "This is just the first time a storm of this magnitude has hit the island head on since modern records began. But storms like this one are getting more likely. You know, climate change makes large, powerful storms more common."
  — Rebecca Hersher (02:27)

• Separately, central Florida received over 1.5 feet of rain, causing flash floods unrelated to the hurricane.

4. Mali Fuel Crisis: Militants Disrupt Imports

• [02:49–03:54] In Mali, militants have blocked key fuel import routes, aiming to weaken the military government installed five years ago.

5. Drop in U.S. Obesity Rates Linked to Obesity Drugs

• [03:54–04:39] For the first time in decades, U.S. obesity rates have declined (now 37%, down from nearly 40%), correlating with a sharp increase in GLP-1 injectable medication use.
• GLP-1 usage has more than doubled in the past year and a half (now 12.4% of adults). However, diabetes rates have hit a new high of 13.8%.
• Quote:

  "Over the past three years and tracking with the increased popularity of injectable obesity medications, Gallup's National Health and Well Being Index finds obesity rates decreased to 37% in its most recent survey, down from 39.9% in 2022."
  — Yuki Noguchi (03:54)

6. Sports: Marathon Baseball in Los Angeles

• [04:39–04:57] The LA Dodgers edged out the Toronto Blue Jays 6–5 in an 18-inning, six-and-a-half-hour World Series Game 3. Game 4 is set for tonight.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• President Trump on Japan relations:

  "We are an ally at the strongest level." (00:47)

• Hurricane severity and climate change:

  "Climate change makes large, powerful storms more common. It also makes very rainy storms more likely." — Rebecca Hersher (02:27)

• Obesity medications and trends:

  "Use of GLP1 drugs more than doubled to 12.4% over the past year and a half." — Yuki Noguchi (03:54)

• Labor impact of shutdown:

  "Many started second jobs to pay their bills during the last shutdown." — Marlon Hyde (01:43)

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Timeline of Major Segments

• 00:17 – Trump in Japan, diplomatic meetings, and rare earth mineral agreement
• 01:08 – Trump’s Asia tour continues; shutdown impacts air traffic controllers
• 02:11 – Hurricane Melissa threatens Jamaica; Florida flooding
• 02:49 – Fuel blockade in Mali
• 03:54 – Obesity rates drop, GLP-1 medication use rises
• 04:39 – Dodgers win marathon World Series Game 3

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This NPR News Now segment succinctly encapsulates the pressing news stories of the morning—from global politics to climate impacts and shifting health trends—providing essential updates for listeners on the go.

Transcript

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This message comes From NPR sponsor 1Password. Secure access to your online world from emails to banking, so you can protect what matters most with 1Password. For a free two week trial, go to 1Password.com NPR live from NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump is in Japan, where he met U.S. troops on an aircraft carrier. NPR's Deepa Shivaram reports. Trump also met with Japan's newly elected prime minister.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Japanese Prime Minister Taikachi hosted Trump for a Biden bilateral meeting and a lunch in Tokyo. Trump congratulated the prime minister on her recent election win, becoming the first female prime minister of Japan. The two leaders signed an agreement affirming the U S. Japan relationship is in its, quote, golden era.

[President Trump]

Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there. We are an ally at the strongest level.

[Deepa Shivaram]

The two leaders also signed an agreement on rare earths minerals. A final trade agreement is still being finalized, but the Japanese prime minister has teased a purchase of Ford F150 trucks from the U.S. deepa Shivaram, NPR News, Tokyo.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump will also head to South Korea this week. He says he'll meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. The big item on the table would be trade disagreements. The Trump administration says it has worked out a trade framework with China that could be used as a basis to complete trade deals. The federal government's shutdown is nearly a month old. Most federal government employees are furloughed, but not the nation's air traffic controllers. They're still on the job. From member station wabe, Marlon Hyde reports. Air traffic controllers will miss their first full paycheck today.

[Marlon Hyde]

The National Air Traffic Controllers association says its members will hand out informational leaflets about the effects of the shutdown at 22 airports, including in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. some airports are already reporting shortages. Air traffic controllers will receive back pay after the shutdown ends, but their labor union says many started second jobs to pay their bills during the last shutdown. For NPR News, I'm Marlon Hodde in Atlanta.

[Korva Coleman]

Forecasters say Hurricane Melissa still has shocking top sustained winds of 175 mph. The hurricane is slowly creeping toward Jamaica. In the Caribbean, NPR's Rebecca Hersher says it's expected to make a direct hit on the island.

[Rebecca Hersher]

Hurricanes happen every year in the Caribbean. Jamaica has obviously been hit by lots of storms over the years. This is just the first time a storm of this magnitude has hit the island head on since modern records began. But storms like this one are getting more likely. You know, climate change makes large, powerful storms more common. It also makes very rainy storms more likely.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Rebecca Hersher reporting. Separately, central Florida was deluged by rain over the past couple of days. More than a foot and a half of rain in some areas triggered flash flooding that overflowed roads and caught motorists. And the amount of rain that fell was unusual for that part of Florida. It was not part of the Hurricane Melissa system. You're listening to npr. Militants in the West African nation of Mali have cut off fuel imports to much of that country. Mali is landlocked and imports its fuel from neighboring Senegal and Ivory Coast. The al Qaeda backed militants are targeting key roads. They're trying to undermine Mali's military government. Military officials in Mali staged a coup five years ago. Obesity rates have declined after hitting an all time high of nearly 40%. A Gallup poll finds that the drops correlate with sharp increases in the use of obesity treatments known as GLP1 medications. NPR's Yuki Noguchi explains.

[Yuki Noguchi]

For decades, obesity rates steadily climbed, evading various diet trends and public health attempts to curtail it. But over the the past three years and tracking with the increased popularity of injectable obesity medications, Gallup's National Health and well Being Index finds obesity rates decreased to 37% in its most recent survey, down from 39.9% in 2022. Meanwhile, use of GLP1 drugs more than doubled to 12.4% over the past year and a half. Still, the percentage of Americans diagnosed with diabetes hit an all time of 13.8%. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays at home last night six to five. That was game three and it went 18 innings and lasted more than six and a half hours. Game four is tonight in LA. This is NPR support for NPR.

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