NPR News Now: October 29, 2025, 10AM EDT

Podcast: NPR News Now
Host: Korva Coleman
Date: October 29, 2025
Episode Summary: NPR News Now delivers the top national and international news stories in a concise five-minute update. In this edition, key issues include President Trump’s trade talks in Asia, legal battles over the deployment of the National Guard in Portland, financial market highlights, a disruptive trend in AI-generated music, and a World War I historical discovery.

Main Theme

This episode centers on fast-moving political, legal, economic, and cultural stories: President Trump’s key trade negotiations, constitutional questions regarding presidential terms and federal authority, financial market headlines, new threats in the music industry from AI-generated songs, and an unusual World War I artifact discovery.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. President Trump’s Trade Negotiations in Asia

• President Trump claims to have reached a major trade deal with South Korea while attending an Asian economic summit.
  • Deal Details: The U.S. will lower tariffs on South Korean automobiles; South Korea pledges “hundreds of billions of dollars” of investment in the U.S.
  • Anticipation for further trade discussions with China is noted.
• Quote:
  • “No details of a deal have been released, but South Korea says the US will lower tariffs on autos and that Seoul will invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the US. President Trump will discuss trade again tomorrow when he meets China’s president.” (Korva Coleman, 00:18)
• President Trump addresses speculative conversations about seeking a third term:
  • Speaker Mike Johnson, a constitutional lawyer, says there is “no constitutional path.”
• Quote:
  • “If you read it, it's pretty clear I'm not allowed to run. Stupid.” (Donald Trump, 01:00)
  • Noted as Trump making light of the third-term rumors, which he’s joked about before.

2. Legal Challenge: Deployment of the National Guard in Portland

• Federal trial begins in Oregon to contest President Trump’s authority to deploy National Guard troops in Portland.
  • The legal questions: Presidential power vs. states’ rights.
  • Portland, Oregon, and California argue deployment should be a “last resort”; the Trump administration cites federal authority.
• Quote:
  • “Attorneys for the Trump administration argued the president has the authority to federalize… The city of Portland, along with the states of Oregon and California, say… the president should only call up the National Guard as a last resort.” (Conrad Wilson, 01:30)
• A separate federal appeals court revisits a related suit, indicating the ongoing nature and legal complexity.

3. Market and Financial Updates

• Stock markets open strong; investor focus is on an anticipated Federal Reserve interest rate cut.
  • Dow Jones jumps 250 points.
  • The Federal Reserve is expected to reduce its benchmark rate by a quarter percent to stimulate the “flagging job market,” which is hard to track due to a recent government shutdown.
• Notable corporate news:
  • Nvidia: $500B in AI chip orders; first company to hit $5T market value.
  • Boeing: Better than expected sales; still reporting losses.
• Quote:
  • “Nvidia is now the first corporation in history with a market value of $5 trillion.” (Scott Horsley, 02:32)

4. Weather and Natural Disasters

• Hurricane Melissa: Now weakened over Cuba (105 mph winds); few details from Jamaica after previous landfall (185 mph winds).
• Updates emphasize significant weather impact and ongoing coverage.

5. Music Industry & AI Threats

• Increasing issue of AI-generated songs falsely attributed to artists, especially affecting smaller/indie and deceased musicians.
  • AI-generated tracks have appeared on platforms like Spotify without artist authorization.
  • Streaming giants, notably Spotify, claim to be improving defenses; removed 75 million “spammy” songs in the last year, many made with AI.
• Quote:
  • “Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy's former band had an AI song pop up on its Spotify page… Blaze Foley, who died in 1989, had a new AI song appear.” (Bobby Allen, 03:59)
• Larger artists mostly protected, but “indie bands or artists who died are more susceptible.”

6. Historical Discovery

• An Australian family finds a World War I message-in-a-bottle:
  • Letters from two Australian soldiers, dated August 1916, written on the way to battle in France.
  • The letters are described as “optimistic about life aboard their ship.”
• Quote:
  • “The letters they wrote were dated in August 1916.” (Korva Coleman, 04:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Donald Trump on Third Term Limits (01:00):
  “If you read it, it's pretty clear I'm not allowed to run. Stupid.”
• Korva Coleman on Trade Deal (00:18):
  “No details… have been released, but South Korea says the US will lower tariffs on autos and… Seoul will invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the US.”
• Scott Horsley on Nvidia (02:32):
  “Nvidia is now the first corporation in history with a market value of $5 trillion.”
• Bobby Allen on AI Music (03:59):
  “Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy's former band had an AI song pop up on its Spotify page… Blaze Foley, who died in 1989, had a new AI song appear.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 – Trump’s Trade Deal Announcement & Third Term Discussion
• 01:30 – Portland National Guard Legal Battle (Conrad Wilson)
• 02:32 – Stock Market Update, Federal Reserve, Nvidia, and Boeing (Scott Horsley)
• 03:12 – Hurricane Melissa Update
• 03:59 – AI-Generated Music Controversy (Bobby Allen)
• 04:30 – World War I Message-in-a-Bottle Discovery

Summary

This NPR News Now highlights a busy morning in U.S. and global affairs, combining presidential diplomacy and political drama, constitutional legal challenges, pivotal financial news, worrying developments in AI and cultural rights, and a poignant story connecting the present to the past. The broadcast maintains a brisk, informative pace, providing listeners with a comprehensive snapshot of the day’s most pressing stories.