NPR News Now – October 29, 2025, 6PM EDT

Host: Louise Schiavone
Duration: ~5 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode delivers concise updates on major news stories of October 29, 2025. Key topics include an upcoming high-stakes meeting between President Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping, the ongoing federal government shutdown, Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, significant changes at Character AI to protect minors, and the latest on Hurricane Melissa.

Key Discussion Points

1. US–China Summit: Tensions and Economic Talks

• Announcement: President Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea (00:19).
• Main Topics:
  • Addressing fentanyl controls
  • De-escalating an ongoing trade war affecting sectors such as agriculture (soybean farmers) and technology (rare earth materials)
• Backdrop:
  • Recent trade talks reduced threats of higher tariffs and export controls
  • The relationship between the US and China has become “exponentially more tense” since Trump’s first term (00:43–01:19)
  • Political and military competition in the Pacific region also highlighted

Emily Feng (00:52): “The two men will need to cool down a relationship that has become exponentially more tense since Trump’s first term.”

2. Day 29: Federal Government Shutdown and its Human Impact

• Situation: Over a million federal employees are furloughed and missing paychecks (01:19).
• Field Report:
  • At a food distribution center in Maryland, over 130 families received aid by 10 am; over 300 aided the previous week (01:36–01:58)
  • Personal Story:
    • Clara Henderson, an “excepted” federal employee, continues working without pay

Clara Henderson (01:58): “How am I going to pay my bills? ... The little money that I have, I’m just pinching off of it, trying to do what I can to make ends meet. But I mean, it’s just, it’s awful. It’s awful.”

• Local Impact: Montgomery County, MD, has over 50,000 federal workers (02:14)

3. Economic News: Federal Reserve Rate Cut

• Action: Fed cuts its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% (02:20).
• Rationale:
  • Support for a weakening job market (02:30)
  • Recent slowdown in hiring; some large-scale layoffs
  • Uncertainty about job data—regular tallies suspended due to shutdown
  • Inflation remains above the Fed’s target (03:11)

Scott Horsley (02:36): “Hiring slowed sharply over the summer and some big companies have announced large scale layoffs in recent days.”

4. Market Update

• Close of day:
  • Dow: Down slightly
  • NASDAQ: +130 points (03:11)

5. International Security: Nuclear Submarine Deal

• News: President Trump authorized South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine (03:11)
• Context: Follows recent US–South Korea trade negotiations and precedes the US–China summit

6. AI & Child Safety: Character AI Policy Changes

• Development:
  • Character AI to restrict minors’ interaction with its chatbot starting late November (03:54)
  • New “age assurance” function to offer only age-appropriate experiences
  • Minors will be barred from open-ended chats
  • Move follows lawsuit after a minor’s tragic suicide and broader regulatory concerns
  • Launching an independent nonprofit for next-gen AI safety (03:54–04:37)

John Ruich (04:14): “Character AI has already rolled out a series of measures to strengthen guardrails. Now it says it’ll introduce an age assurance function to target age appropriate experiences.”

7. Weather Update: Hurricane Melissa

• Situation:
  • Hurricane Melissa, Category 5 at Jamaican landfall, now downgraded to Category 1 (04:37)
  • Maximum sustained winds: 90 mph
  • After Jamaica, heavy rain over Cuba, storm now heading toward Bermuda

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Emily Feng (00:52): "The two men will need to cool down a relationship that has become exponentially more tense since Trump's first term."
• Clara Henderson (01:58): "How am I going to pay my bills? ... I'm just pinching off of it, trying to do what I can to make ends meet. But I mean, it's just, it's awful."
• Scott Horsley (02:36): "Hiring slowed sharply over the summer and some big companies have announced large scale layoffs in recent days."
• John Ruich (04:14): "Character AI has already rolled out a series of measures to strengthen guardrails. Now it says it'll introduce an age assurance function to target age appropriate experiences."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• US–China Summit Preview: 00:19–01:19
• Government Shutdown & Food Assistance: 01:19–02:20
• Federal Reserve Rate Cut & Economic Outlook: 02:20–03:11
• Stock Market Recap & National Security: 03:11–03:54
• Character AI Child Safety Measures: 03:54–04:37
• Hurricane Melissa Update: 04:37–04:58

This NPR News Now episode delivers a rapid rundown of the day’s biggest headlines, weaving national politics, economic updates, technology safety, and severe weather into a tight, informative package.