NPR News Now: November 10, 2025 – 7AM EST

Main Theme:
A brisk overview of top national and international news stories, with a focus on the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, its ramifications, current weather disruptions, significant international diplomatic activity, and a historical maritime tragedy remembrance.

Key Stories and Insights

1. Senate Moves Toward Short-Term Government Funding

[00:18 – 00:49]

• Story:
  A group of Senate Democrats, joined by independent Senator Angus King, broke ranks to vote with Republicans, moving forward a short-term spending deal that would temporarily reopen the federal government, which has now been shuttered for 41 days.
• Background:
  Most Democrats oppose the deal, insisting on the extension of health insurance subsidies. However, Senator King argued that continuing to delay will not change Republicans' position on these healthcare tax credits.
• Notable Quote:

  “Would that change in a week or another week or after Thanksgiving or Christmas? And there's no evidence that it would.”
  — Senator Angus King [00:49]

• Details:
  The stopgap measure funds the government through January, with some agencies receiving a full year’s funding.

2. SNAP Food Assistance Restored Amid Shutdown

[00:58 – 02:01]

• Story:
  A federal appeals court ruled at midnight that the Trump administration must immediately restore full funding to the SNAP food assistance program, halting a previous cut to 65% benefits.
• Details:
  • Officials have two days to pay full SNAP benefits.
  • The administration could appeal to the Supreme Court, but the decision ensures immediate relief for recipients.
  • The ongoing shutdown caused operational backlogs, with food pantries expecting increased demand as recipients restock, and some food banks facing shortages.
• Notable Quote:

  “A deal to reopen the government could get full payments flowing almost as quickly. But the SNAP lapse may have longer term ramifications.”
  — Tovia Smith, NPR [01:31]

3. Travel Disruptions and Widespread Winter Weather

[02:01 – 03:14]

• Story:
  The shutdown's impact extends to air travel, with FlightAware.com reporting over 1,500 flight cancellations and up to 10% of air travel slowed. Meanwhile, a severe early winter storm is bringing heavy snow and record cold to much of the country.
• Details:
  • Major delays at East Coast airports.
  • Arctic air mass is dropping temperatures 10–15 degrees below normal.
  • Snowfall advisories from Illinois to Maine; freeze watches from Georgia to the Carolinas, reaching as far as northern Florida.
  • Conditions expected to return to seasonal norms by midweek.
• Notable Quote:

  “Temperatures in dozens of states are expected to hover 10 to 15 degrees below average. Daily records could fall, especially in parts of the South.”
  — Matt Bloom, NPR [02:54]

4. International Affairs: Diplomacy in the Middle East

[03:14 – 04:15]

• Story:
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. envoys—including Jared Kushner—following the exchange of remains between Israel and Hamas as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
• Further Developments:
  • President Trump is to host interim Syrian President Ahmed al Sharra, who led last year’s ousting of Bashar al Assad, at the White House. Al Sharra is expected to push for U.S. sanctions relief.
• Contextual Note:
  The handover of remains and high-level diplomatic visits signal ongoing U.S. involvement and shifting alliances in the Middle East.

5. 50th Anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking

[04:15 – 04:54]

• Story:
  Marking the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck, which claimed 29 lives on Lake Superior.
• Remembrance:
  • Popularized by Gordon Lightfoot’s song, the story is featured in John U. Bacon’s new best-selling book The Gales of November.
  • Focus on the personal lives and legacies of the lost sailors and the vigilance of their loved ones.
• Notable Quote:

  “It wasn't just 29 men. It were people with lives and futures and hopes and dreams and people on shore who are always worried about them, looking for them to come home.”
  — John U. Bacon [04:34]

• Impact:
  Improved safety standards have prevented similar disasters on the Great Lakes for five decades.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Senator Angus King on government shutdown stalemate:

  “Would that change in a week or another week or after Thanksgiving or Christmas? And there's no evidence that it would.”
  [00:49]

• Tovia Smith, on SNAP food assistance’s return:

  “A deal to reopen the government could get full payments flowing almost as quickly. But the SNAP lapse may have longer term ramifications.”
  [01:31]

• Matt Bloom, on extreme cold weather:

  “Temperatures in dozens of states are expected to hover 10 to 15 degrees below average. Daily records could fall, especially in parts of the South.”
  [02:54]

• John U. Bacon, on the Edmund Fitzgerald disaster:

  “It wasn't just 29 men. It were people with lives and futures and hopes and dreams and people on shore who are always worried about them, looking for them to come home.”
  [04:34]

Additional Information

• Host: Korva Coleman
• Reporters Featured: Tovia Smith (SNAP), Matt Bloom (weather), Neta Ulaby (Edmund Fitzgerald)
• Format: Concise newscast, five-minute rapid-fire overview of essential stories.

For listeners:
This episode of NPR News Now concisely covers critical government, social, weather, international, and historical developments as of the morning of November 10, 2025. If you missed the episode, this summary provides both context and direct insights from the broadcast.