NPR News Now — November 12, 2025, 5AM EST

Host: Dave Mattingly
Episode Theme: Morning update on current U.S. political developments, legal news, local reporting, economic data, and notable science updates, all within five minutes.

Main Topics Covered

• Efforts to end the record-setting U.S. government shutdown
• Human stories from affected federal workers
• Aftermath of President Trump’s pardons related to the 2020 election
• Major settlement in Kansas newspaper police raid case
• Noteworthy natural phenomena: potential visibility of the northern lights and weather advisories for the Southeast

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Congress Moves to End Government Shutdown

[00:15–00:58]

• The House Rules Committee advanced a Senate-passed resolution to reopen the government.
• Funding extension: Most of the government funded through January; some agencies through September of the following year.
• Democratic criticism: Health care subsidies expiring at the end of the year were not extended; this remains a sticking point for Democratic leaders.
• Notable quote:
  • Teresa Ledger Fernandez (D-NM) on why extending subsidies matters:

    "And it is true we only lose this fight if we give up the fight." — Teresa Ledger Fernandez [00:53]

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune promises a vote to extend subsidies by mid-December. [00:58]

2. Federal Employees Prepare to Return

[00:58–01:59]

• Many furloughed federal employees may soon return to work.
• Personal Impact:
  • Elise Gregg (reporting from Jackson, MS) profiles Joyce Robinson, National Guard employee and volunteer during the shutdown.
  • Robinson’s experience:

    "We have not been working for the last 40 days, and I just felt like giving my time back. Doing something that's rewarding to me made me feel like I was at work." — Joyce Robinson [01:26]
    "It's not like I don't have any food in the house. It's just, you know, the unknown, not knowing that I haven't received a check in 40 days." — Joyce Robinson [01:46]

  • Joyce is optimistic about returning soon.

3. Day 43: Longest Shutdown in U.S. History

[01:59]

• Today marks the 43rd day of the shutdown, a new record.

4. Trump Pardons and Georgia Legal Fallout

[01:59–03:04]

• President Trump pardoned 77 people linked to 2020 election interference, but pardons do not shield individuals from state charges.
• Case Focus:
  • Rudy Giuliani still faces state charges in Georgia.
  • New developments:
    • The Fulton County RICO case needs a new prosecutor after DA Fani Willis was removed due to conflicts of interest.
    • If a replacement is not named by November 14, indictments could be dismissed.
  • Notable quote:

    "Trump's pardons only apply to federal charges, not state, and his office is working on their assigned task without being influenced by outside actions." — Pete Scandalakis, Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys Council [02:50]

5. Kansas Newspaper Raid Settlement

[03:04–04:12]

• Marion County, KS, to pay $3 million related to a police raid on the Marion County Record newspaper.
• Events covered:
  • 2023: Full police force and deputies raided the newsroom and publisher’s home.
  • The publisher’s 98-year-old mother died of a heart attack the following day.
  • Police seized hardware over suspicions the paper improperly accessed legal information; they had not.
  • Settlement to publisher, reporters, and ex-vice mayor whose homes and offices were raided.
  • The police chief still faces criminal and civil investigations; city’s legal status remains in question.
• Memorable summary:

  "The $3 million payment will be split between the publisher, two reporters and the town's former vice mayor, whose home was also raided." — Frank Morris [03:49]

6. Science & Weather Updates

[04:12–04:54]

• Northern Lights Alert:
  • Severe solar storms may allow aurora visibility as far south as Alabama.
  • Potential for temporary disruption to radio and GPS communications.
• Weather Advisories:
  • Frost and freeze warnings in southeast Alabama, southern Georgia, and northern/central Florida.

Notable Quotes

• Teresa Ledger Fernandez:

  "And it is true we only lose this fight if we give up the fight." [00:53]

• Joyce Robinson, National Guard (on enduring the shutdown):

  "We have not been working for the last 40 days, and I just felt like giving my time back. Doing something that's rewarding to me made me feel like I was at work." [01:26]
  "It's not like I don't have any food in the house. It's just, you know, the unknown, not knowing that I haven't received a check in 40 days." [01:46]

• Pete Scandalakis, GA Prosecuting Attorneys Council:

  "Trump's pardons only apply to federal charges, not state, and his office is working on their assigned task without being influenced by outside actions." [02:50]

Breakdown by Timestamps

• 00:15–00:58: Congressional actions and Democratic criticism over government funding resolution.
• 00:58–01:59: Focus on federal workers, specifically Joyce Robinson's volunteerism during furlough.
• 01:59–03:04: Details on the Trump pardons and the status of Georgia prosecution.
• 03:04–04:12: Kansas county settles lawsuit over police raid on local newspaper.
• 04:12–04:54: Northern Lights possible across the U.S.; weather advisories for the Southeast.

Tone & Style

The episode maintains NPR’s signature brisk, factual tone, focusing on clarity, brevity, and balanced reporting, giving human context to political news, and highlighting both national implications and local impacts.

For more detailed news and full stories, visit npr.org.