NPR News Now — November 13, 2025, 10PM EST

Host: Ryland Barton
Duration: 5 minutes
Theme: Hourly national and international news roundup

Episode Overview

This fast-paced NPR News Now episode provides a snapshot of the day's most critical news headlines. Main topics include the end of a historic government shutdown, fallout from new Jeffrey Epstein revelations implicating former President Trump, shifting intelligence cooperation between the UK and US, a lawsuit by Google targeting international scammers, changes at the Federal Reserve, and an auction of Bob Ross paintings for public TV support.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown Ends With Short-Term Funding

[00:20–01:11]

• Congress Passes Temporary Funding:
  • The House passed a bill funding the government through January, ending the longest government shutdown in US history.
  • Final House vote: Yeas – 222; Nays – 209
• Partisan Blame:
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) blamed Democrats for the shutdown, citing their demand to extend expiring health care subsidies.
    • Quote:

      “Voters are going to remember which political party played games with their lives... so that they could look tough to the radical elements of their base. And real people suffered because of that game.”
      — Mike Johnson | [00:39]

  • House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D) pledged to keep fighting for Affordable Care Act subsidies.
    • Quote:

      “House Democrats will continue to fight to extend the Affordable Care act tax credits for tens of millions of Americans. This fight is not over. We're just getting started.”
      — Hakeem Jeffries | [01:00]

• Next Steps:
  • Senate Republican Leader John Thune agreed to a vote on the subsidy extension bill in December.

2. New Jeffrey Epstein Emails and Political Fallout

[01:11–02:04]

• Democrat-Released Emails:
  • House Democrats publish emails suggesting former President Donald Trump may have known about Epstein’s abuse of underage girls. Emails allege Trump spent hours with a victim at Epstein's house and “knew about the girls.”
• Democratic Concern, Transparency Demands:
  • Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) emphasized public right to clarity and questioned possible White House cover-up.
    • Quote:

      “I think the thing on everyone's mind, certainly those of us on the committee, is why the COVID up? Why won't the White House release the full Epstein files?”
      — Robert Garcia | [01:42]

• Action Item:
  • Bipartisan petition seeks to force a Justice Department release of all Epstein files; a congressional vote could come in early December.

3. UK Restricts Intelligence Sharing Over US Military Actions

[02:04–03:08]

• Tensions in UK–US Cooperation:
  • The UK begins denying certain US intelligence-sharing requests, particularly concerning US strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, which clash with UK foreign policy.
• International Fallout:
  • Colombian President Gustavo Petro announces Colombia will halt intelligence sharing with the US until such strikes cease.
• Trump Administration’s Justification:
  • They assert a right to target unarmed drug smugglers by labeling them “terrorist enemy combatants.”
• Contextual Note:
  • This shift marks rare distance between historic intelligence allies.

4. Federal Reserve Shake-Up Amid Presidential Pressure

[03:08–03:51]

• Retirement at the Fed:
  • Rafael Bostic, President of the Atlanta Federal Reserve, will retire at term’s end in February, opening a seat on the powerful rate-setting committee.
• Political Context:
  • President Trump is noted as seeking greater control over the central bank and has criticized the Fed for not cutting rates quickly.

5. Google Sues Over International Phishing and Scams

[03:51–04:32]

• Targeting Cybercrime:
  • Google files a lawsuit against “Lighthouse,” described as a “well organized criminal group” designing and distributing phishing tools, templates, and scam support, primarily in China.
• Legal Tactics:
  • Google, unable to identify individuals, seeks an injunction to disrupt Lighthouse’s business operations by targeting third parties.
  • Google alleges their logos appear on many fake sites, undermining user trust.
• Transparency Note:
  • Google is an NPR financial supporter.

6. Bob Ross Painting Auction Supports Public TV

[04:32–04:56]

• Fundraising Result:
  • Three paintings by TV legend Bob Ross sold for over $600,000 to support public TV stations facing funding cuts.
• Highlight Sale:
  • “Winter’s Peace,” created during a 1993 episode, fetched $318,000.

Notable Quotes

• Mike Johnson (House Speaker):

  “Voters are going to remember which political party played games with their lives…” [00:39]

• Hakeem Jeffries (House Democratic Leader):

  “…This fight is not over. We're just getting started.” [01:00]

• Robert Garcia (Democrat, CA):

  “I think the thing on everyone's mind...is why the COVID up? Why won't the White House release the full Epstein files?” [01:42]

Key Segment Timestamps

• Government Shutdown/Healthcare Funding: [00:20–01:11]
• Epstein–Trump Email Fallout: [01:11–02:04]
• UK–US–Colombia Intelligence Tensions: [02:04–03:08]
• Federal Reserve Retirement/Trump Criticism: [03:08–03:51]
• Google Phishing Lawsuit: [03:51–04:32]
• Bob Ross Paintings for Public TV: [04:32–04:56]

For listeners seeking the day's biggest national and global headlines, this five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers concise, high-impact updates with direct quotes, timely context, and a brisk, informative tone.