NPR News: 11-16-2025 10PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – November 16, 2025, 10PM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Podcast: NPR News Now
Date: November 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

This 5-minute NPR News Now episode highlights the latest headlines from U.S. politics, international affairs, and global markets. Main topics include President Trump urging release of the Epstein files, California’s National Guard troop dynamics, a critical runoff election in Chile, controversy over a Holocaust-related auction in Germany, and the midpoint of the COP30 UN climate negotiations in Brazil.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump Reverses on Epstein Files Release

00:17 – 01:35

• President Trump’s new stance: Trump is now urging House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files, calling for the party to “move on” from what he describes as a Democrat “hoax.”

• House moves towards a vote: The House is preparing to vote after a successful discharge petition forced the issue onto the floor.

• Rep. Thomas Massie’s warning: Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, urges transparency, warning colleagues that their votes to block release will be recorded for posterity.

• Potential cover-up fears: Massie raises concerns about new Trump administration investigations being used to indefinitely delay the files’ release, calling them “a big smokescreen.”

• Senate and White House resistance: Even if successful in the House, the bill faces tough odds in the upper chamber and with the administration.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “He’s not going to be the president and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don’t vote to release these files and the president can’t protect you.”
    — Rep. Thomas Massie (01:03)
  • “If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can’t be released. So this might be a big smokescreen.”
    — Rep. Thomas Massie (01:19)

2. California National Guard Returns After Federal Deployment

01:35 – 02:16

• Background: About 200 California National Guard troops, previously federalized by President Trump for immigration-related deployments, are coming home after a protracted period away.
• Legal and political complications: Troops were originally sent to respond to protests, later redeployed to Portland, Oregon, until a federal judge blocked the move.
• Governor Newsom’s reaction: California’s governor’s office described the soldiers’ return as “long overdue.”

3. Chile’s Presidential Runoff Sets Up Hard-Left vs. Far-Right Contest

02:16 – 03:09

• First round results: Communist Jeanette Hadda is in first with 27% of the vote—narrower than expected—while far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast follows with 24%.
• Kast’s campaign: Described as “Trump-like,” focusing on crime, border security, and anti-immigration rhetoric.
• Prospects for runoff: The upcoming December 14 runoff is expected to be fiercely competitive, with Kast likely to consolidate the right-wing vote.
• Compulsory voting in effect for both rounds.

4. German Auction of Holocaust Artifacts Canceled Amid Outrage

03:09 – 04:17

• Details of the auction: Items included a yellow Star of David from Buchenwald, prisoners’ letters, and Gestapo documents.

• International backlash: Jewish groups, survivors, and Germany’s foreign minister condemned the sale as profiting from the Holocaust.

• Call for proper handling: The International Auschwitz Committee insists such artifacts belong with families or museums, not private collectors.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “Any attempt to profit from the crimes of the Shoah is abhorrent.”
    — Johann War, German foreign minister (03:47)
  • “The artifacts belong to the victims’ families or to museums and should not be degraded to mere commodities.”
    — Report on International Auschwitz Committee’s statement (04:11)

5. COP30 UN Climate Talks Reach Midpoint

04:17 – 04:55

• Location: Brazil, hosting the major climate conference.
• Key issues: Nations are debating stricter emissions targets, climate aid, and phasing out fossil fuels.
• Shift to high-level talks: Ministers will take over negotiations for the final, decisive week.

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• [01:03] Thomas Massie: “He’s not going to be the president and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don’t vote to release these files and the president can’t protect you.”
• [01:19] Thomas Massie: “If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can’t be released. So this might be a big smokescreen.”
• [03:47] German FM Johann War: “Any attempt to profit from the crimes of the Shoah is abhorrent.”
• [04:11] International Auschwitz Committee (reported): “The artifacts belong to the victims’ families or to museums and should not be degraded to mere commodities.”

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Markets & Brief Updates

• US futures: Trading higher; Dow futures up slightly. (03:09)
• Asian markets: Trading lower; Nikkei down about 0.7%. (04:55)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump/House Epstein Files Reversal: 00:17 – 01:35
• CA National Guard Troops Return: 01:35 – 02:16
• Chilean Election Runoff: 02:16 – 03:09
• Holocaust Auction Cancellation: 03:09 – 04:17
• UN Climate Talks (COP30): 04:17 – 04:55

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This episode packs significant developments in U.S. politics, Latin American elections, European history, and climate diplomacy into just five minutes, providing listeners with urgent context on several ongoing and high-stakes stories.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Trump, in a reversal, is now urging House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files to move on from what he calls the Democr hoax. He made the comment on social media saying Republicans have nothing to hide. Meanwhile, the House is set to vote on the files this week after lawmakers gathered enough signatures to force a ballot. NPR's Luke Garrett reports. One of the lawmakers behind the discharge petition is now warning of a last minute cover up.

[Luke Garrett]

Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky helped gather the 218 signatures needed to force the vote. On ABC News, Massie cautions his fellow Republicans that this ballot record will live on beyond President Trump in 2030.

[Thomas Massie]

He's not going to be the president and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don't vote to release these files and the president can't protect you.

[Luke Garrett]

But Massie says new Trump administration investigations may be an effort to bar the release of the Epstein documents indefinitely.

[Thomas Massie]

If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can't be released. So this might be a big smokescreen.

[Luke Garrett]

Even if the House advances the Epstein file bill, it faces difficult odds in the Senate and and the White House. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington.

[Jeanine Herbst]

California Governor Gavin Newsom's office is happy that about 200 of the state's National Guard that had been sent to Portland, Oregon are coming back to the state. From member station kqed, Rachel Vasquez has more.

[Rachel Vasquez]

Newsom's office confirmed the news Saturday, saying the troops return was long overdue. President Donald Trump federalized the troops over the summer, originally sending them to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles. In October. Trump attempted to deploy guard members from California to Portland as the city saw protests outside of immigration enforcement offices. A federal judge in Oregon ruled against the deployment last week. For NPR News, I'm Rachel Vasquez in Sacramento.

[Jeanine Herbst]

A Communist Party politician and far right candidate will go through a runoff next month after today's first round of voting in Chile. John Bartlett has more.

[John Bartlett]

Communist Jeanette Hadda is expected to take a first round victory in Chile with 27% of the vote, but by a much narrower margin than pols had predicted. Far right Jose Antonio Cast, who has run a Trump like campaign based on crime, border security and illegal immigration, shared the right wing votes with several other candidates, but outstripped expectations by winning a projected 24% of the vote. Communist Hadda and far right caste will face off in a second round on 14 December, with cast widely expected to inherit the vote of the other right wing candidates and win the presidency. As was the case in Sunday's vote, voting will be compulsory in the runoff. For NPR News, I'm Jon Bartlett in Santiago, Chile.

[Jeanine Herbst]

US Futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. Dow futures up a fraction. You're listening to NPR News. In Germany, an auction house planning to sell off items belonging to former concentration camp prisoners has cancelled the sale after widespread criticism. As Esme Nicholson reports, Holocaust survivor groups are calling the auction organizers shameless.

[Esme Nicholson]

Among the items up for auction was a yellow star of David Patch from Buchenwald concentration camp, its condition described as having signs of wear, letters belonging to the murdered camp prisoners and Gestapo documents, were also among the collection due to go up for auction this week. In the city of Neuss, near Dusseldorf, Germany's foreign minister, Johann War expressed his regret and outrage to his Polish counterpart, adding that any attempt to profit from the crimes of the Shoah is abhorrent. The International Auschwitz Committee says the artifacts belong to the victims families or to museums and should not be degraded to mere commodities. For NPR News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Berlin.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The annual UN Climate negotiations in Brazil are at the halfway point as several nations say they want stronger commitments on several issues, and that includes cutting emissions, getting financial aid to countries hit hardest by climate change, and also getting serious about phasing out fossil fuels. But that would be up to high level ministers who take over the action during the second and final week of what's known as COP30. Asian markets are trading lower at this hour than Nikkei. The main market in Japan is down about 0.7%. I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington. This message comes from Mint mobile. Starting at $15 a month, make the switch at mintmobile. Com Switch $45 upfront payment for 3 months, 5 gigabyte plan equivalent to $15 a month. Taxes and fees extra first 3 months only see terms.