NPR News Now – November 1, 2025, 10PM EDT

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Main Theme:
A five-minute update on major U.S. and global news items, including a London train stabbing, increased demand at food banks amid SNAP funding uncertainty, changes to ACA health insurance subsidies, arrests in the Louvre jewel heist, new findings in CTE research, and a reminder about daylight saving time.

Major News Stories & Key Insights

1. Mass Stabbing on London-Bound Train

• [00:19] Jeanine Herbst: Reports a “major incident” on a train headed to London.
  • 10 people hospitalized, 9 with life-threatening injuries.
  • Police have declared it a major incident; counterterrorism police are investigating.
  • No information yet on a motive.

2. Food Banks React to SNAP Funding Uncertainty

• [00:53] Dana Cronin (KQED): Focus on the Bay Area, where food banks are seeing a spike in demand after two court orders requiring the Trump administration to provide SNAP (food assistance) funding.
  • Caitlin Sly, CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano:

    "Either way, we're looking at at least a week, probably more that are the hungry in our community are going to go without food." [01:12]

  • The food bank is increasing distribution sites and mobilizing extra resources.

3. Open Enrollment for ACA Marketplace Begins

• [01:34] Jeanine Herbst: Announces the start of health insurance open enrollment on healthcare.gov.
• [01:44] Selena Simmons-Duffin:
  • ACA participants may see "significantly higher" premiums because enhanced subsidies (introduced in 2021) are expiring.
  • 24 million people could be affected—includes small business owners, farmers, ranchers.
  • Complicating factors: ongoing federal government shutdown, and these subsidies are "a central issue".

4. Louvre Jewel Heist – New Suspects Charged

• [02:13] Jeanine Herbst: Two additional suspects charged in $100M Louvre jewel heist.
• [02:30] Eleanor Beardsley (Paris):
  • Total of four people in custody; jewels not yet recovered.
  • Two charged Wednesday:
    • One: organized theft and criminal conspiracy (part of the “four man commando team”)
    • A woman: complicity in preparing the crime
  • Two others, arrested earlier, also charged.
  • Key Evidence: DNA and fingerprints recovered at the scene.
  • Quote from France's culture minister (referencing a new report):

    “There has been a chronic underestimation of the risk of intrusion and theft at the Louvre for the last 20 years.” [02:56]

5. World Series Update

• [03:14] Ongoing Game 7: Toronto Blue Jays lead LA Dodgers 3-1 in the sixth inning.

6. Brain Damage, Sports & Genetics – New Research

• [03:43] John Hamilton:
  • Study in Science analyzes nerve cells from 19 people with repeated sports head injuries.
  • Findings: Distinctive genetic mutation patterns found only in brains with CTE; healthy brains (even with trauma) lacked these mutations.
  • Mutations similar to those in Alzheimer’s.
  • Both CTE and Alzheimer’s marked by an accumulation of tau protein.

7. Daylight Saving Time Reminder

• [04:26] Jeanine Herbst:
  • DST ends at 2am for most of the U.S.
  • “Clocks should be set back one hour before you go to bed.”
  • Not observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, and U.S. territories.

Notable Quotes

• Caitlin Sly (Food Bank CEO):

  "Either way, we're looking at at least a week, probably more that are the hungry in our community are going to go without food." [01:12]

• France’s Culture Minister (paraphrased by Eleanor Beardsley):

  “There has been a chronic underestimation of the risk of intrusion and theft at the Louvre for the last 20 years.” [02:56]

Helpful Timestamps

• [00:19] – London train mass stabbing update
• [00:53 – 01:22] – Food bank response to SNAP funding
• [01:34 – 02:13] – ACA open enrollment & subsidy changes
• [02:13 – 03:14] – Louvre heist charges and investigation
• [03:14 – 03:43] – World Series game update
• [03:43 – 04:26] – Genetic mutations and CTE research
• [04:26] – Daylight saving time reminder

This concise news update delivers crucial developments from around the world in under five minutes, reflecting NPR’s signature tone: clear, authoritative, and human-centered.