NPR News Now – November 4, 2025, 4AM EST

Host: Giles Snyder
Duration: ~5 minutes
Main Theme:
A concise update on the day’s top political, national, and cultural stories as Americans head to the polls in key elections, with highlights on government, the economy, international news, Hollywood, and a notable obituary.

Election Day: Focus on Virginia, New Jersey, and New York

[00:19–01:54]

Virginia Gubernatorial Election

• Key Candidates:

  • Abigail Spanberger (Democrat): Former congresswoman and CIA officer.
  • Winsome Earl Sears (Republican): Current lieutenant governor since 2021.

• Context:

  • Refers to the trend of Virginia choosing a governor from the party opposite to the sitting president.
  • Issues such as a possible government shutdown and federal workforce cuts loom large, as many Virginians are government employees.
  • Quote [00:36]:
    • “Earl Sears has been lieutenant governor since 2021. That’s when current Governor Glenn Youngkin was elected after running on a platform of rejecting Covid restrictions and criticism of how race was taught in schools. That was a Republican sweep and in keeping with Virginia’s tendency to reject governors who are in the president’s political party at the time. That logic is helpful for Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer. Looming over the race, too, is the government shutdown and reductions in force for federal workers. Virginia is home to hundreds of thousands of government employees.”
      — Jad Khalil, NPR, Richmond

Other Elections

• New Jersey: Gubernatorial election ongoing.
• New York City: Closely-watched mayoral race.
  • Democrats’ Iran Mamdani is the frontrunner, followed by former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

SNAP Benefits Amid Government Shutdown

[01:17–02:22]

• Federal Aid:

  • Trump administration to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), after two federal court orders.
  • Funds will come from a contingency reserve and represent only half of standard benefits.
  • Challenges:
    • Payouts are delayed due to the complexity of reconfiguring distribution systems, especially in states with outdated technology.
    • Recipients in some states may wait weeks or months for benefits.

• Quote [01:54]:

  • “I will say this money, the way it goes out is complicated. It goes from the federal government to states, then through contractors onto the debit-like cards that people use...recalculating for partial payments does take time. But...it could be weeks, if not months, especially...in some states with decades-old systems. So it leaves this possibility that people in some states might see benefits before others.”
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR

FDA Resignation: Dr. George Tidmarsh

[02:22–03:16]

• Resignation:

  • Dr. George Tidmarsh, head of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, has resigned.
  • Following a lawsuit by Orinia Pharmaceuticals accusing him of defamation and acting on a personal vendetta.

• Background:

  • Tidmarsh’s tenure at the FDA began in July 2025 after time in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • He was placed on leave after authorities were alerted to the lawsuit and left the position effective immediately.

• Quote [02:30]:

  • “He’s being sued by Orinia Pharmaceuticals...The company alleges that Tidmarsh posted false and defamatory remarks on social media about one of its drugs following a ‘long-standing personal vendetta’ against one of its executives.”
    — Sidney Lupkin, NPR

Middle East: Ceasefire and Hostage Update

[03:16–03:51]

• Israel-Hamas Ceasefire:
  • Three bodies returned to Israel by Hamas, including Israeli-American soldier Omer Nutra (age 21, killed on October 7).
  • Israel reciprocated by handing over 45 Palestinian bodies as part of a U.S.-brokered deal.

Entertainment: Record-Low Weekend at the Box Office

[03:51–04:36]

• Hollywood Slowdown:

  • Past weekend was the worst at the box office since at least 1997, outside of the pandemic years.
  • Only $50 million in box office receipts; attributed to lack of new releases and competition from sports and Halloween.
  • Titles like "Black Phone 2" and "Regretting You" topped weak sales, while several other films floundered.
  • Noted that Netflix’s "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is unquantified due to unavailable data.
  • Big titles from major franchises (Wicked, Zootopia, Avatar) expected over the holidays.

• Quote [03:51]:

  • “To be fair, there was lots going on—college sports, trick or treating, and Major League Baseball, and no new major film releases...That’s not only the worst weekend of the year, it ended the worst October since 1997, not counting the year of the pandemic.”
    — Neda Ulaby, NPR

Obituary: Diane Ladd

[04:36–04:59]

• Legacy:
  • Acclaimed actor Diane Ladd died at age 89 at her home in Ojai, California.
  • Her daughter, Laura Dern, called her “an amazing hero and a profound gift.”
  • Three-time Academy Award nominee with a prolific filmography.

Memorable Segment List

• [00:36] Virginia governor’s race impact and context (Jad Khalil)
• [01:54] Explaining SNAP benefit delays during shutdown (Jennifer Ludden)
• [02:30] FDA resignation and lawsuit explained (Sidney Lupkin)
• [03:51] Worst box office weekend in decades (Neda Ulaby)
• [04:36] Diane Ladd’s passing and legacy

Tone:
Direct, neutral, and concise, with a focus on factual reporting. The episode moves briskly through urgent political, economic, and cultural topics, giving listeners a clear, up-to-date snapshot of headlines at the top of a consequential news day.