NPR News: 11-14-2025 12AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – November 14, 2025, 12AM EST

Host: Shea Stevens
Date: November 14, 2025
Podcast: NPR News Now
Episode Description: The latest national and international news summarized in five minutes.

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Episode Overview

In this concise news roundup, NPR News Now covers the reopening of the U.S. government after a six-week shutdown, ongoing legal and political battles regarding congressional redistricting in California, escalations of violence in the West Bank, new Russian attacks on Kyiv, legal proceedings involving high-profile former officials, a major Starbucks strike, and a historic scheduling change in Major League Soccer (MLS).

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Key Segments & Highlights

1. U.S. Government Shutdown Ends: Economic Data Challenges

[00:17–01:01]

• Federal agencies are reopening following a six-week shutdown, with federal workers returning to monitor key economic indicators like unemployment and inflation.
• Data gap: There have been no official jobs, unemployment, or inflation reports for October. Omar Sharif of Inflation Insights notes the task ahead will be daunting:

  “You have to call thousands of people to ask what they were doing a month ago now and even before the shutdown.”
  — Omar Sharif, 00:47

• The agency in charge was already understaffed due to job cuts under the Trump administration.

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2. Justice Department Sues over California Congressional Maps

[01:01–02:04]

• The Justice Department and California GOP are challenging new congressional district lines approved by California voters via Proposition 50.
• The lawsuit claims the lines unfairly benefit Latino voters, allegedly violating equal protection and voting rights.
• Governor Newsom characterizes Prop. 50 as a strategic counter to recent GOP-led redistricting efforts in Texas and other states:

  “Republicans lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.”
  — Newsom spokesperson, quoted by Guy Marzirati, 01:54

• Democrats in other states, such as Virginia, are also taking action to counter Republican maneuvers.

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3. Surge in Settler Violence in the West Bank

[02:04–02:59]

• The UN reports unprecedented violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, with Israeli settlers attacking at a rate of eight times per day—an all-time high.
• Latest incident: A mosque outside Nablus was torched and graffitied by settlers.

  “Israeli settlers set it on fire and scrawled graffiti on a remaining wall in Hebrew that read, quote, we are not afraid and keep condemning.”
  — Kat Lansdorf, 02:21

• The violence coincides with the annual Palestinian olive harvest and has drawn concerns from Israeli officials, military, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Despite official condemnation, most attacks go unpunished.

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4. Russian Attacks on Ukrainian Capital

[02:59–03:34]

• Kyiv residents were instructed to seek shelter following new Russian attacks, which injured at least 11 and damaged crucial infrastructure and private residences.
• The ongoing conflict continues to disrupt daily life and safety in the Ukrainian capital.

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5. Legal Battles for Letitia James and James Comey

[03:34–03:56]

• Letitia James (NY Attorney General) and James Comey (former FBI Director) are moving to dismiss federal charges against them, arguing the indictments came from an improperly appointed interim prosecutor.
• Both are considered political targets ("perceived enemies of President Trump"), with James facing mortgage fraud accusations and Comey charged with making a false statement and obstructing Congress.

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6. Starbucks Workers Strike Nationwide

[03:56–04:11]

• Over 1,000 unionized Starbucks employees are on strike at 65 stores in 40+ cities, citing pay and working condition disputes.
• The action coincides with the company’s high-profile “Red Cup Day” promotion.

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7. Major League Soccer Announces Schedule Overhaul

[04:11–04:51]

• MLS will switch from a spring-fall to a summer-spring schedule beginning in 2027, aligning its season with European leagues.

  “MLS Commissioner Don Garber called the shift one of the most important decisions in our history.”
  — Becky Sullivan, 04:37

• The new schedule should ease player transfers and international competition participation, with a planned winter break to accommodate cold-weather locations.

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8. Financial Update

[04:51–04:56]

• U.S. futures remain flat during after-hours trading, rounding out the brief business headlines.

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Notable Quotes

• Omar Sharif, Inflation Insights:

  "You have to call thousands of people to ask what they were doing a month ago now and even before the shutdown." (00:47)

• Guy Marzirati quoting Newsom Spokesperson:

  "Republicans lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court." (01:54)

• Kat Lansdorf, on West Bank violence:

  “Israeli settlers set it on fire and scrawled graffiti on a remaining wall in Hebrew that read, quote, we are not afraid and keep condemning.” (02:21)

• Becky Sullivan, on MLS schedule change:

  “MLS Commissioner Don Garber called the shift one of the most important decisions in our history.” (04:37)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:17 – Government shutdown ends; economic reporting challenges
• 01:01 – DOJ lawsuit over California's new congressional maps
• 02:04 – UN on rise in West Bank settler violence
• 02:59 – Russian attacks injure and damage Kyiv, Ukraine
• 03:34 – Legal motions by Letitia James and James Comey
• 03:56 – Starbucks workers' strike on Red Cup Day
• 04:11 – Major League Soccer adopts international schedule
• 04:51 – U.S. market update

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In Summary:
This NPR News Now episode offers a brisk yet comprehensive snapshot of complex political, economic, and social developments in the U.S. and around the world as of November 14, 2025.

Transcript

[Jackson Financial Representative]

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[Shea Stevens]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Government agencies are beginning to reopen after a six week long shutdown. Federal workers who keep tabs on unemployment, inflation and spending will soon return to measuring the health of the economy. But NPR Scott Horsley reports that it won't be easy compiling recent data.

[Omar Sharif]

So far, we have not seen reports for October on either jobs or unemployment or inflation. Omar Sharif, who runs a firm called Inflation Insights, says the unemployment numbers might be the hardest to reconstruct. You have to call thousands of people to ask what they were doing a month ago now and even before the shutdown. The bureau that compiles that report was shorthanded because of the Trump administration's job cuts.

[Shea Stevens]

NPR's got hoarsely reporting. The Justice Department is joining a lawsuit that seeks to overturn California's new congressional maps favoring Democrats. From member station kqed, Guy Marziroti reports that the lawsuit came after Californians voted to draw new lines to offset a maneuver by Texas.

[Guy Marzirati]

The Trump administration is teaming up with the California Republican Party to ask a federal judge to block the new congressional map from taking effect. They argue the Proposition 50 district lines were drawn to unfairly benefit Latino voters, violating the equal protection and voting rights of other Californians. Governor Gavin Newsom frames Prop. 50 as an effort to counter moves by Republicans in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and possibly others. Democrats in Virginia have also countered, and other states are considering it. In a statement, a spokesperson for Newsom says Republicans lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court. For NPR News, I'm Guy Marzirati in San Francisco.

[Shea Stevens]

The United nations is reporting rising violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlers torched a mosque in a Palestinian village in the territory late Wednesday. As NPR's Kat Lansdorf reports, the mosque.

[Kat Lansdorf]

Was outside the city of Nablus in the central West Bank. Israeli settlers set it on fire and scrawled graffiti on a remaining wall in Hebrew that read, quote, we are not afraid and keep condemning. After an Israeli military commander issued a rare call for a crackdown on the viol this week. It's the latest in what the UN Says is an average of eight settler attacks a day in the west bank, an all time high that has coincided with the Palestinian olive harvest. The attacks have provoked expressions of concern from top Israeli officials military leaders and members of the Trump administration, including U.S. secretary of State Marco Rubio. Still, most such attacks go unpunished by Israel. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Shea Stevens]

Residents in the Ukrainian capital were urged to stay indoors early Friday amid a series of Russian attacks that left at least 11 people injured. Critical infrastructure, multiple apartment buildings and private homes in Kyiv were damaged in the attack. This is npr. Attorneys for New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey are asking a federal court to dismiss the government's cases against them. They argued that the charges were brought by an interim federal prosecutor whose temporary appointment had expired. James is fighting charges of mortgage fraud, while Comey is charged with making a false statement and obstructing Congress. Both are perceived enemies of President Trump. More than 1,000 unionized Starbucks workers are on strike at 65 locations in over 40 cities in a dispute over pay and working conditions. The strike began on the company's Red Cup Day, a holiday themed annual promotion. Major League Soccer has announced it is switching to a summer to spring schedule, aligning its league calendar with the rest of the world's top international soccer leagues. The new schedule goes into effect in 2027. NPR's Becky Sullivan has details.

[Becky Sullivan]

For nearly 30 years, MLS has played a spring to fall schedule. Its seasons run from February through the summer and into the fall. But other international soccer leagues, including the English Premier League, begin in August and run through the spring. That incompatibility caused problems for players transferring between leagues and complicated participation in international competitions like the FIFA World Cup. MLS Commissioner Don Garber called the shift one of the most important decisions in our history. The league will begin the new calendar in 2027. It includes a winter break from mid December to mid February. But winter will be new for mls. There are a handful of MLS teams in wintry locations like Montreal and Minnesota. Becky Sullivan, NPR News.

[Shea Stevens]

U.S. futures are flat in after hours trading. This is NPR.

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