NPR News: 10-29-2025 2AM EDT

Summary

NPR News Now – October 29, 2025, 2AM EDT

Host: Shea Stevens (NPR News Anchor)
Length: 5 minutes
Episode Theme: The latest major news updates from around the world, with special focus on U.S. politics, weather emergencies, shifting global alliances, economic policies, tech workforce changes, and sports highlights.

---

Main Stories Overview

This concise five-minute NPR news update covers significant global and domestic events. Major topics include a North Korean missile launch timed with President Trump’s visit to South Korea, Hurricane Melissa’s threat to Cuba, a major U.S. Senate decision on Brazilian tariffs, looming SNAP food aid funding issues, large-scale corporate layoffs at Amazon and UPS, and World Series baseball action.

---

Key News Highlights & Insights

1. North Korea Launches Cruise Missiles Ahead of Trump Visit

[00:19-01:13]

• Event: North Korea launched nuclear-capable cruise missiles from a warship, just before President Trump’s arrival in South Korea for a regional summit.
• Details:
  • Missiles flew for about two hours over the Yellow Sea, hitting a target en route to South Korea.
  • No confirmed meeting planned between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though Trump indicated he “would return to meet him soon.”
  • Trump is in Gyeongju, South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
  • Scheduled meetings: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (Wednesday), China’s Xi Jinping (Thursday).

Notable Quote:

"President Trump said the north has been test firing missiles for decades and this is just another one."
— Anthony Kuhn, NPR Correspondent [00:37]

---

2. Hurricane Melissa Heads for Cuba

[01:13-01:47]

• Event: Hurricane Melissa, labeled “the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record,” is advancing toward Cuba after impacting Jamaica.
• Impact:
  • Over 700,000 people evacuated in Cuba.
  • Forecasters warn the Category 4 storm could cause catastrophic damage.

---

3. Senate Votes to Block Brazilian Tariffs

[01:13-02:22]

• Event: U.S. Senate approved a resolution blocking President Trump’s 50% import tariffs on Brazilian products.

  • Vote: 52-48, with 5 Republicans (including Rand Paul) siding with Democrats.

• Sen. Rand Paul’s Stance:
  [01:47]

  "I for one still believe in the principle of no taxation without representation and will vote to terminate this contrived emergency and end these unconstitutional import taxes."

• Democratic Response:
  [02:00-02:22]

  "It's a financial nightmare for working in middle class households. So today Democrats will present Republicans with a simple vote. Do you want lower costs for families? Tie yourself to Donald Trump as he runs our economy into the dirt with his trade war."
  — Democratic spokesperson (voiced by Chuck Schumer)

• Outlook: Senate will address a similar resolution regarding Canadian import tariffs later in the week.

---

4. SNAP Food Aid Program Funding Crisis

[02:22-03:15]

• Event: Federal SNAP food aid may run out of money by the weekend. Democratic-led states are suing to force federal intervention.
• Louisiana’s Response:
  • Officials threaten to furlough staff tied to SNAP.
  • Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency; asked legislature to fund benefits for vulnerable populations through November.
  • The state Senate will vote on emergency funding Wednesday.

Notable Quote:

"The state may have to furlough staff who work directly with SNAP or have roles supported by SNAP funding… Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency over the lack of SNAP funding last week."
— Mel Bridges, WRKF Reporter [02:44]

---

5. Corporate Layoffs at Amazon and UPS

[03:15-03:49]

• Amazon:
  • Cutting approximately 1,400 corporate jobs—the largest tech sector cut since 2023.
  • Cited reason: shifting focus toward artificial intelligence.
• UPS:
  • Announced up to 48,000 layoffs so far this year.
  • Despite layoffs, UPS reported better-than-expected earnings and projects $21B in revenue.

---

6. World Series Update: Blue Jays Even Series

[03:49-04:49]

• Result: Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2, evening the series at two games each.
• Game Highlights:
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a two-run homer off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning.
  • Blue Jays scored four runs in the seventh, putting the game out of reach.
  • Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday; series will return to Toronto.

Notable Quote:

"One night after losing a marathon 18 inning game, the Toronto Blue Jays respond with an impressive win… In the third, the Blue Jay slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two run homer off of LA's Shohei Ohtani."
— Steve Futterman, NPR Sports Reporter [04:04]

---

7. Financial Markets Brief

[04:49-04:57]

• U.S. stock futures: Flat in after-hours trading.
• Asia-Pacific markets: Mixed performance.

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Anthony Kuhn, NPR:
  "President Trump said the north has been test firing missiles for decades and this is just another one." [00:37]

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY):
  "I for one still believe in the principle of no taxation without representation and will vote to terminate this contrived emergency and end these unconstitutional import taxes." [01:47]

• Democratic Spokesperson (Chuck Schumer):
  "It's a financial nightmare for working in middle class households... Do you want lower costs for families? Tie yourself to Donald Trump as he runs our economy into the dirt with his trade war." [02:04]

• Mel Bridges, WRKF (Louisiana):
  "The state may have to furlough staff who work directly with SNAP or have roles supported by SNAP funding." [02:44]

• Steve Futterman, NPR Sports:
  "The Blue Jay slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two run homer off of LA's Shohei Ohtani. Toronto continued to lead 2-1 until the seventh. That's when the Blue Jays scored four more runs." [04:04]

---

Summary Table: Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------------------|-----------| | North Korea Missile Launch | 00:19-01:13 | | Hurricane Melissa Approaches Cuba | 01:13-01:47 | | Senate Votes to Block Brazil Tariffs | 01:13-02:22 | | SNAP Food Aid Crisis | 02:22-03:15 | | Amazon and UPS Layoffs | 03:15-03:49 | | World Series Update | 03:49-04:49 | | Financial Markets Brief | 04:49-04:57 |

---

Tone & Language

The episode maintains NPR’s trademark clear, measured, and factual journalistic style, delivering rapid-fire but thorough coverage of high-impact global and domestic developments, with direct speaker attributions and occasional pointed political rhetoric from both parties.

---

End of recap. For ongoing updates, tune in to NPR News Now hourly.

Transcript

[The Economist Announcer]

This message comes from the Economist. Introducing the Economist Insider, a new video offering with twice weekly shows featuring in depth analysis and expertise to make sense of an increasingly complex and dangerous world. [e-mail] Insider.

[NPR News Anchor]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. North Korea launched cruise missiles just ahead of President Trump's arrival in South Korea today for regional summit and bilateral meetings. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports that there are no plans for Trump to meet with North Korean leaders during the trip.

[NPR Correspondent Anthony Kuhn]

North Korean state media reported that the nuclear capable cruise missiles were fired from a warship and flew for about two hours over the Yellow Sea west of the Korean Peninsula and hit their target en route to South Korea. President Trump said the north has been test firing missiles for decades and this is just another one. He said he didn't know if he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on this trip, but said that he would return to meet him soon. Trump is in the southern city of Gyeongju for an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He's expected to meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday and China's leader Xi Jinping on Thursday. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Gyeongju, South Korea.

[NPR News Anchor]

Hurricane Melissa is barreling toward Cuba after hitting Jamaica on Tuesday. Melissa is considered the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. Authorities in Cuba had evacuated more than 700,000 people and forecasters say the Category 4 storm could unleash catastrophic damage in Cuba. The U.S. senate has approved a resolution to block President Trump's 50% tariffs on most imports from Brazil. The vote was 52 to 48, with five Republicans siding with Democrats, including Rand Paul of Kentucky.

[Senator Rand Paul]

I for one still believe in the principle of no taxation without representation and will vote to terminate this contrived emergency and end these unconstitutional import taxes.

[NPR News Anchor]

New York Democrat Chuck schumer says the U.S. tariffs amount to a national sales tax.

[Democratic Spokesperson]

It's a financial nightmare for working in middle class households. So today Democrats will present Republicans with a simple vote. Do you want lower costs for families? Tie yourself to Donald Trump as he runs our economy into the dirt with his trade war.

[NPR News Anchor]

The Senate is expected to take up a resolution to end tariffs on Canadian goods later in the week. The federal food aid program known as SNAP could run out of money this weekend and Democratic led states are suing to force the Trump administration to use emergency funds to keep the program afloat. WRKF's Mel Bridges reports that in Louisiana, officials are threatening to furlough staff who work with snap.

[WRKF Reporter Mel Bridges]

Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein said the state may have to furlough staff who work directly with SNAP or have roles supported by SNAP funding. This comes as state officials are considering alternatives to funding SNAP once federal funding runs out. On November 1st, Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency over the lack of SNAP funding last week. He asked the Legislature to approve state money to cover benefits to children, the elderly and the disabled through November. The state Senate is expected to vote on the measure Wednesday. For NPR News, I'm Mel Bridges in Baton rouge.

[NPR News Anchor]

This is NPR. Amazon says it is eliminating roughly 1,400 jobs in its corporate workforce, the largest cuts in the tech industry since 2023. The online retail giant cites the need to shift its spending to focus on artificial intelligence. UPS says it has eliminated as many as 48,000 jobs so far this year. That announcement is included in a regulatory filing that comes months after the delivery company said it was cutting costs as part of a sweeping turnaround. UPS is also reporting better than expected earnings and projects revenue of over $21 billion for the year. At the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays have evened things out at two games apiece after a 62 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Steve Futterman has details.

[NPR Sports Reporter Steve Futterman]

One night after losing a marathon 18 inning game, the Toronto Blue Jays respond with an impressive win over the LA Dodgers. The series is now tied at two games apiece. Louisiana took an early one nothing lead in the second, but in the third, the Blue Jay slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Hit a two run homer off of LA's Shohei Ohtani. Toronto continued to lead 21 until the seventh. That's when the Blue Jays scored four more runs. That essentially put the game out of reach. In the ninth, the Dodgers were able to score one run to make the final score 6 2. Game five is set for Wednesday night and with the series now even at two games apiece, it's assured of returning to Toronto. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman at the World Series in Los Angeles.

[NPR News Anchor]

US Futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall street on Asia Pacific markets, shares are mixed. This is NPR News.

[NPR Sponsor Announcer]

This message comes From NPR sponsor eBay, who is home to millions of parts for your next project and free returns. If it doesn't fit or it isn't what you expected. EBay has your back. Eligible items only exclusions apply. EBay things people love.