NPR News: 11-13-2025 4AM EST

Summary

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NPR News: 11-13-2025 4AM EST — Episode Summary

Overview
This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers the latest headlines from around the world, focusing on major political, social, and health developments. Anchored by Shea Stevens, the episode covers the end of the U.S. government shutdown, fresh disclosures in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, legislative efforts around immigration data privacy, the discontinuation of penny production, Reverend Jesse Jackson’s health, global tuberculosis efforts, and Israeli responses to violence in the West Bank.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. U.S. Government Shutdown Ends

• [00:18] President Trump signed a bill to reopen the government after bipartisan negotiation.
• Democrats attempted to secure debate on expiring health care tax subsidies, but the discussion is delayed until December.

2. Epstein–Trump Correspondence Disclosed

• [00:50] Stephen Fowler: House Oversight Committee released thousands of documents, highlighting three specific emails from Jeffrey Epstein about Donald Trump:
  • 2011: Epstein tells Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump is the “dog that hasn't barked,” mentioning Trump spending time at Epstein’s house with an alleged victim.
  • 2015: Author Michael Wolf suggests PR advantage for Trump denying links with Epstein.
  • 2019: Epstein claims, “of course Trump knew about the girls” in an email to Maxwell, but does not elaborate.
• Significant Quote [01:09] (Stephen Fowler):

  “Epstein emailed Ghislaine Maxwell...called Trump the, quote, dog that hasn't barked and says Trump spent hours at his house with one of the alleged sex trafficking victims.”

3. Democratic Lawmakers Warn on ICE Access to Driver’s License Data

• [01:45] Jude Joffe-Block: Forty Democratic senators and representatives urge 19 Democratic governors to block ICE’s access to state driver’s license databases, citing concerns over “unjustified politicized actions.”
  • Data sharing occurs via nonprofit NLETS with law enforcement across the U.S. and Canada.
  • Five states have already restricted ICE’s access; ICE did not comment.

4. End of the U.S. Penny

• [02:31] Rafael Nam: The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia has halted penny production.
  • A single penny cost nearly 4 cents to produce; discontinuation saves $50 million annually.
  • Retailers and banks face challenges making exact change, though pennies remain legal tender.
• Memorable Moment [02:51] (Rafael Nam):

  “Chances are, though, many of them will stay where they've probably been for years, in big jars, coffee cans or somewhere under the cushion of your couch.”

5. Reverend Jesse Jackson Hospitalized

• [03:13] Shea Stevens: Jesse Jackson is hospitalized in Chicago, under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy—a neurological disorder.
  • The Rainbow PUSH Coalition states Jackson has managed his condition for over a decade; no further details given.

6. Global Tuberculosis (TB) Developments

• [03:48] Gabriela Emanuel: For the first time since COVID-19, global TB cases have declined.
  • Over 1.2 million deaths last year; Africa saw a 46% drop in TB deaths in the past decade.
  • WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus notes hopeful vaccine development.
    • Quote [04:08] (Tedros):

      “For the first time in over a century, new effective TB vaccines for adolescents and adults are within reach.”

  • 18 TB vaccines in clinical trials, but funding cuts may jeopardize progress.

7. Israeli Leadership Condemns West Bank Settler Attacks

• [04:29] Shea Stevens: President Isaac Herzog and top Israeli military officials denounce attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank.
  • Herzog describes the events as “shocking and [crossing] a red line.”
  • Position echoed by Israel’s army chief.

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Memorable Quotes and Moments

• Stephen Fowler [01:09]:

  “…called Trump the, quote, dog that hasn't barked and says Trump spent hours at his house with one of the alleged sex trafficking victims.”

• Rafael Nam [02:51]:

  “Chances are, though, many of them will stay where they've probably been for years, in big jars, coffee cans or somewhere under the cushion of your couch.”

• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus [04:08]:

  “For the first time in over a century, new effective TB vaccines for adolescents and adults are within reach.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:18] — Government shutdown ends
• [00:50] — Epstein-Trump emails highlighted
• [01:45] — Lawmakers alert on ICE driver’s license access
• [02:31] — U.S. discontinues penny production
• [03:13] — Jesse Jackson hospitalized
• [03:48] — TB deaths decline, new vaccines within reach
• [04:29] — Israeli officials denounce settler violence in West Bank

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This concise news episode provides fast-moving updates on major U.S. and global events, giving listeners a clear picture of immediate political actions, legal developments, and public health trends.

Transcript

[Jackson Financial Inc. Representative]

This message comes from Jackson. Seek clarity in retirement [e-mail] Jackson is short for Jackson Financial Inc. Jackson National Life Insurance Co. Lansing, Michigan and Jackson National Life Insurance Co. Of New York, Purchase, New York.

[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The government shutdown has ended. President Trump signed a bill to reopen government last night, shortly after the House gave its final passage. Democrats held out for an extension of expiring health care tax subsidies, but won't get to debate the issue before December. The House Oversight Committee has released thousands more pages of documents on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As Stephen Fowler reports, Democrats are highlighting three emails that Epstein sent to Donald Trump.

[Stephen Fowler]

Those three email change that Democrats initially released. There's also another dozen or so pages they've highlighted online. They include the disgrace financier Epstein discussing Trump in 2011. Epstein emailed Ghislaine Maxwell, his associate who has been convicted on trafficking charges, called Trump the, quote, dog that hasn't barked and says Trump spent hours at his house with one of the alleged sex trafficking victims. There's a 2015 thread with author Michael Wolf that saw Wolf suggest Epstein could get, quote, valuable PR and political currency if Trump denied being on Epstein's plane or at his house. And a 2019 exchange that saw Epstein say that, quote, of course Trump knew about the girls as he asked Elaine to stop. That email does not elaborate further.

[Shea Stevens]

Stephen Fowler reporting. Congressional Democrats are warning the nation's governors that immigration officials are accessing driver's license Data. More from NPR's Jude Joffe block.

[Jude Joffe-Block]

A group of 40 Democratic senators and representatives sent a letter Wednesday to 19 governors from their party urging them to block ICE's access to their residents driver's license data and photos to stop the Trump administration from using them. From what the lawmakers call, quote, unquote, unjustified politicized actions. States share their residents driver's license data with each other and law enforcement across the U.S. and Canada through a nonprofit called NLETS. The lawmakers say ICE and Homeland Security investigators have made hundreds of thousands of queries through NLETS in the past year. Five states had already blocked ICE's access. ICE did not return NPR's request for comment. Jude Joffe Block, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

The U.S. mint in Philadelphia has stopped making pennies. NPR's Rafael Nam has details.

[Rafael Nam]

The end of this tiny digital coin had already been announced by President Trump back in February. Producing each penny was costing the U.S. government nearly 4 cents, and ending production would save the U.S. more than $50 million a year. But the move to phase at the penny has been a big pain for many retailers and banks, which are struggling to provide exact change. After all, pennies remain legal tender, meaning that they can still be used. Chances are, though, many of them will stay where they've probably been for years, in big jars, coffee cans or somewhere under the cushion of your couch. Rafael Nam, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

You're listening to npr. The Reverend Jesse Jackson has been hospitalized in Chicago and is under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy. A statement from the Rainbow Push Coalition he founded says Jackson has been managing a neurological condition for over a decade. No word on his condition. Tuberculosis cases have declined around the world for the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic disrupted health services. But NPR's Gabriela Emanuel reports that TB is still the world's leading infectious disease killer.

[Gabriela Emanuel]

TB claimed over 1.2 million lives last year. That's an improvement. And Africa in particular has made progress, with deaths down 46% in the past decade. Tedros Adhanom Gabrielses heads the World Health Organization. He says there's other good news, too.

[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]

For the first time in over a century, new effective TB vaccines for adolescents and adults are within reach.

[Gabriela Emanuel]

18 TB vaccine candidates are in clinical development, but he warns that funding cuts to international aid threaten to reverse the hard won gains. Gabriela Emanuel, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

Israel's president and high ranking military leaders there are condemning attack by Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Isaac Herzog says the attacks on Palestinians by a handful of perpetrators are shocking and cross a red line. Herzog holds a largely ceremonial role in the Israeli government. His position on the west bank violence has been largely echoed by Israel's army chief. You're listening to NPR News.

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