NPR News: 10-31-2025 8PM EDT

Summary

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NPR News Now — Episode Summary

Episode: NPR News: 10-31-2025 8PM EDT
Date: November 1, 2025
Host: Jeanine Herbst

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Overview

This rapid-fire news update from NPR covers the top news headlines as of October 31, 2025, at 8PM EDT. The episode spotlights federal court rulings affecting food assistance and voter registration, U.S. senators’ reactions to the Sudan civil war, a concerning spike in RSV infections, and a rare botanical spectacle at the New York Botanical Garden.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. SNAP Benefits Amid Federal Shutdown

[00:19]

• President Trump urges courts to clarify if contingency funds can be used to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running as benefits risk expiring due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
• Two federal judges have ruled the administration must continue SNAP payments, but practical timing remains uncertain.
• Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski voices logistical and humanitarian concerns:
  • “When you have a lapse in programs, oftentimes it may not be possible to just flip that switch immediately, that you will see a gap there. At a minimum, you would hope that at least partial payouts could be made so that you don’t have a situation where individuals have absolutely nothing.” — Lisa Murkowski, [00:46]

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2. Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Voter Registration Changes

[01:14]

• President Trump’s March executive order sought to require proof of citizenship on national voter registration forms.
• A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled the President lacks the legal authority to implement such changes, emphasizing that:
  • “Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the states, not the president, with the power to regulate federal elections.” — Judge’s ruling, cited by Jude Joffe Block, [01:33]
• The White House and Justice Department had no immediate comment. Other elements of the executive order remain under litigation.

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3. U.S. Senators Demand Terrorism Designation for Sudan’s Paramilitary RSF

[02:15]

• Bipartisan Senate leaders call for the Trump administration to consider listing Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organization, citing attacks on civilians amid Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict.
• Senators urge designation due to atrocities in Darfur; both RSF and the Sudanese military are implicated.
• The senators highlight foreign involvement:
  • The United Arab Emirates backs the RSF; Russia, Iran, China, and others are “fueling the conflict.” — Michelle Kellerman, [02:33]

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4. Surge in RSV Cases Among Infants

[03:15]

• RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is now the top cause of emergency room visits for infants, per Yale School for Public Health data.
• Key stats:
  • Approximately 1.2% of ER visits for under-1-year-olds are due to RSV—three times higher than a month earlier.
  • RSV causes up to 300 child deaths and 80,000 hospitalizations yearly in the U.S. (CDC, cited).
• Vulnerable groups: infants, older adults, immunocompromised.
• Vaccines recommended for at-risk groups, including those over 75 and people in later pregnancy.
  • “RSV is particularly dangerous for babies, older adults and people who are immunocompromised.” — Scott Maucione, [03:35]

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5. Corpse Flower Blooms at NY Botanical Garden

[04:20]

• The rare “corpse flower” is blooming at the New York Botanical Garden, drawing crowds eager to experience its famously foul aroma—likened to rotting meat.
• The bloom is unpredictable and fleeting, lasting just 24–48 hours. The Garden is live-streaming the event for those who can’t visit in person.

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Memorable Quotes

• Lisa Murkowski, on SNAP payment logistics:
  “You would hope that at least partial payouts could be made so that you don’t have a situation where individuals have absolutely nothing.” [00:46]
• Judge’s ruling on voter registration authority:
  “Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the states, not the president, with the power to regulate federal elections.” [01:33]

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• SNAP Benefits & Shutdown: [00:19]–[01:14]
• Voter Registration Court Ruling: [01:14]–[02:15]
• Sudan RSF Terrorism Blacklist Call: [02:15]–[03:15]
• RSV Surge Among Infants: [03:15]–[04:20]
• Corpse Flower Bloom: [04:20]–[04:58]

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This concise bulletin delivers essential updates with clear explanations and direct quotes, providing listeners a snapshot of the latest national and international news as of the evening of October 31, 2025.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Trump says he wants the courts to give his administration direction on using contingency funds to pay for SNAP food, food assistance benefits that are set to expire tomorrow. This after two federal judges today ruled the administration has to continue paying the benefits despite the federal government shutdown. But it's not clear how fast that could happen. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski Keep in mind.

[C]

That when you when you have a lapse in programs, oftentimes it may not be possible to just flip that switch immediately, that you will see a gap there. Certainly, at a minimum, you would hope that at least partial payouts could be made so that you don't have a situation where individuals have absolutely nothing. So I don't know logistically how this happens.

[B]

Speaking there on NPR's All Things Considered, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. ruled today that President Trump doesn't have the legal authority to order changes to the national voter registration form and and add a requirement to show documents proving citizenship. NPR's Jude Jaffe block has more.

[D]

Trump signed an executive order in March that calls for sweeping changes to voting and election procedures, including changing the national voter registration form to add a new requirement that would be voters show proof of citizenship documents to register to vote. Democrats and civil rights and voting groups sued, arguing the president doesn't have that authority. The judge agreed, writing in her order on Friday, quote, our Constitution entrusts Congress and the states, not the president, with the power to regulate federal elections. Neither the White House or the Justice Department responded immediately to NPR's request for comment. Other parts of Trump's executive order on voting continue to be litigated. Jude Joffe Block, NPR News.

[B]

Some leading Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are urging the Trump administration to consider putting a paramilitary group fighting in Sudan on a terrorism blacklist. They say the rapid support forces the rsf, is carrying out a targeted assault on civilians and Darfur. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports.

[E]

The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch, and the ranking Democrat, Jeanne Shaheen, were joined by four other senators in sounding the alarm about the atrocities in Sudan's civil war, now in its third year. They say the US should designate the RSF as a foreign terrorist organization or put it on another terrorist blacklist. They blame both sides, the RSF and the Sudanese armed forces of committing atrocities. And they say several countries are fueling the conflict, and that includes the United Arab Emirates, which backs the rsf, as well as Russia, Iran, China and other governments that are involved. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington.

[B]

You're listening to NPR News. A wave of rsv, a common respiratory virus, is sweeping over the United States. It can cause pneumonia and severe inflammation in the lungs. The the disease is hitting infants especially hard. As Scott maccione from member station WYPR.

[F]

Reports, RSV is now the leading cause of emergency room visits for infants. According to data from the Yale School for public health, about 1.2% of ER visits nationwide among those under one year old is due to the disease. That's three times more than a month earlier. RSV is particularly dangerous for babies, older adults and people who are immunocompromised. It's responsible for as much as 300 deaths in children under the age of 5 in the US each year and hospitalizes up to 80,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV vaccines are recommended for infants, people in later pregnancy, those with medical conditions and everyone over the age of 75. For NPR News, I'm Scott Moscione.

[B]

The corpse flower is in bloom, sending out its scent on Halloween. And at the New York Botanical Garden, visitors flock to the Bronx to get a whiff of a flower that's supposed to smell like death or, as many describe it, like rotting meat. The corpse flower doesn't have a blooming season like most flowers, meaning it's unpredictable and it's short, lasting only 24 to 48 hours. The NYBG is currently live streaming the event for the brief bloom. Wall street was higher by the closing bell. Hi, I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

[G]

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