NPR News: 11-14-2025 9AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – November 14, 2025, 9AM EST

Host: Windsor Johnston (with reporting by Jennifer Ludden, Joel Rhodes, Amy Held, Nate Rott)
Theme: The episode delivers a concise rundown of top stories: changes to federal homelessness policy, air travel recovery post-shutdown, a major baby formula recall, Bad Bunny’s Latin Grammy sweep, a devastating bird flu outbreak, and the best cheese in the world.

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1. Major Overhaul to U.S. Homelessness Policy

[00:16–01:17]

• Key Points:
  • The Trump administration announces large-scale budget cuts to federal support for permanent, long-term housing with services, shifting focus toward transitional housing that mandates work and addiction treatment.
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) claims this is to “restore accountability and promote self sufficiency.”
  • HUD will also stop the automatic renewal of existing homeless programs.
• Critics’ Concerns:
  • Advocates warn the timing and scale of cuts are catastrophic, risking months without federal funding for many localities.
  • Estimated 170,000 people may lose stable housing, forcing many back onto the streets.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Critics warn it could push many thousands of people back onto the streets.”
    —Windsor Johnston, host [00:29]
  • “Starting in January, it will leave many places around the country with no federal funding for months...put 170,000 people at risk of losing their housing again.”
    —Jennifer Ludden, NPR Reporter [01:09]

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2. Air Travel Ramps Back Up After Government Shutdown

[01:17–01:58]

• Key Points:
  • Airlines anticipate rapid recovery as air traffic control staffing normalizes after the shutdown, aiming for pre-shutdown levels within about a week.
  • CEO of Airlines for America, Chris Sununu, is optimistic about resuming normal operations before the busy Thanksgiving period.
  • However, disruptions persist: over 600 flight cancellations and 500 delays reported.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Airlines seem pretty confident that they can ramp up quickly. I mean, once the air traffic control situation is stabilized, maybe within just a few days of getting the word from the FAA.”
    —Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America [01:34]
  • “He is optimistic that they can get there before the Thanksgiving holiday rush that begins in Earnest next week.”
    —Joel Rhodes, NPR Reporter [01:51]

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3. Baby Formula Recall and Lawsuits After Botulism Outbreak

[01:58–03:11]

• Key Points:
  • Families whose babies contracted botulism are suing formula maker Bihart after a nationwide recall.
  • Plaintiffs allege defective products and negligence; the FDA ties at least 15 infant illnesses in over a dozen states to the formula.
  • One parent, Steven Dexter, describes his daughter's alarming symptoms and prolonged hospitalization.
  • The recall is ongoing while FDA investigations continue.
• Memorable Moments:
  • Parent Steven Dexter recounts:
    • “Most babies in the US Rely on formula at some point. I have to trust what's on the label. I have to trust where I'm getting it.” [02:25–02:31]
    • “Then I came home from work and she was sleeping and went to pick her up to feed her, and I couldn't wake her up.” [02:41]
  • “Hospitalized for weeks, she was diagnosed with infantile botulism, part of a broader outbreak.”
    —Amy Held, NPR Reporter [02:48]

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4. Bad Bunny Sweeps Latin Grammy Awards

[03:11–03:31]

• Key Points:
  • Bad Bunny wins five trophies at the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas.
  • Among his wins: Best Album and Best Urban, securing his status atop Latin music charts for 2025.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny dominated the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas last night.”
    —Windsor Johnston, host [03:11]

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5. Bird Flu Devastates Elephant Seal Population on Remote Island

[03:31–04:31]

• Key Points:
  • Bird flu (H5N1) outbreak hits South Georgia Island, the world’s largest breeding spot for elephant seals.
  • A study found nearly half the breeding females gone in just one year.
  • Marine ecologist Connor Bamford explains the loss could trigger a “double dip” decline (loss of females and pups).
  • Some hope for long-term recovery, but the immediate outlook is grim.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “An aerial survey the following year found that by then nearly half of the seals breeding females were gone.”
    —Nate Rott, NPR Reporter [03:59]
  • “The loss of breeding females and the loss of the pups that they would have produced over the few years that will really cause this sort of double dip in the population.”
    —Connor Bamford, Marine Ecologist [04:13]

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6. Switzerland’s Gruyere Crowned World’s Best Cheese

[04:31–04:56]

• Key Points:
  • More than 200 judges in Switzerland evaluated over 40 cheeses each to determine the world champion.
  • Swiss Gruyere from a small western Alpine dairy wins the coveted title for 2025.
• Memorable Moment:
  • “They spent hours stroking, sniffing and tasting more than 40 samples each. The winner is Swiss Gruyere…now officially the world champion of 2025.”
    —Windsor Johnston, host [04:37–04:50]

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End of News Summary (ads and sponsorships omitted).

Transcript

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[NPR Host]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Trump administration is upending its homelessness policy with deep cuts to funding for long term housing. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. Critics warn it could push many thousand thousands of people back onto the streets.

[NPR Reporter Jennifer Ludden]

The change slashes two thirds of the funding that's long been used for permanent housing with services. Instead, it will ramp up spending on transitional housing that requires work and addiction treatment. In a statement, the Department of Housing and Urban Development says the new policies will restore accountability and promote self sufficiency. In another change, HUD will no longer automatically renew existing programs. Advocates to end homelessness say the timing of this major overhaul is terrible. Starting in January, it will leave many places around the country with no federal funding for months. They estimate it will put 170,000 people at risk of losing their housing again. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

[NPR Host]

Air travel is picking back up after the government shutdown, but it will take some coordination to get everything fully running again. NPR's Joel Rhodes reports. Airlines say they're ready to move fast once air traffic control is completely staffed.

[Industry Expert Chris Sununu]

Airlines seem pretty confident that they can ramp up quickly. I mean, once the air traffic control situation is stabilized, maybe within just a few days of getting the word from the faa. Chris Sununu is the CEO of Airlines for America, the industry trade group. He addressed this question on a call with reporters yesterday. Sununu says it might take about a week for airlines to get back to full pre shutdown normal, as he put it, but he is optimistic that they can get there before the Thanksgiving holiday rush that begins in Earnest next week.

[NPR Host]

NPR's Doll Rose reporting. According to FlightAware.com, airlines are reporting more than 600 cancellations in the U.S. today and more than 500 delays. Two families of babies sickened in a botulism outbreak are suing the formula maker behind a nationwide recall. NPR's Amy Held reports. They allege the product was defective and the company was negligent.

[Parent Steven Dexter]

Most babies in the US Rely on formula at some point.

I have to trust what's on the label. I have to trust where I'm getting it.

Steven Dexter of Flagstaff, Arizona, said that trust was broken after his four month old daughter had Bihart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and grew weaker and sicker.

Then I came home from work and she was sleeping and went to pick her up to feed her, and I couldn't wake her up.

Hospitalized for weeks, she was diagnosed with infantile botulism, part of a broader outbreak. The FDA says that includes at least 50, 15 babies who drank the formula across a dozen states. Dexter is suing Bihart, seeking payment for medical bills and distress. Bihart is expanding its recall as the FDA investigates. Amy Held, NPR News.

[NPR Host]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny dominated the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas last night. The singer took home five trophies, including best album and best urban. So it's the latest milestone for the global star who's led the Latin music charts all year. An outbreak of the bird flu has broken out on a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean. NPR's Nate Rott reports. A new study shows that it's had devastating consequences for wildlife.

[NPR Reporter Nate Rott]

South Georgia, a sub Antarctic island hundreds of miles east of the tip of Argentina, is home to the largest breeding population of elephant seals on the planet. In 2023, the bird flu H5N1 was first reported there, and an aerial survey the following year found that by then nearly half of the seals breeding females were gone. Marine ecologist Connor Bamford authored the new study in the journal Communications Biology.

[Marine Ecologist Connor Bamford]

The loss of breeding females and the loss of the pups that they would have produced over the few years that will really cause this sort of double dip in the population.

[NPR Reporter Nate Rott]

He's hopeful the population will recover, but the amount of loss, he says, is jarring. Nate Rott, NPR News.

[NPR Host]

More than 200 judges gathered in Switzerland this week to crown the best cheese in the world. They spent hours stroking, sniffing and tasting more than 40 samples each. The winner is Swiss Gruyere from a small Alpine dairy in western Switzerland, now officially the world champion of 2025. This is NPR.

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