NPR News Now – November 16, 2025, 2PM EST

Host: Amy Held
Duration: 5 minutes
Episode Theme:
This episode delivers a concise roundup of the latest national and international news, focusing on political developments, ethical issues in government, legal victories in higher education, international negotiations, scientific discoveries, and a unique natural phenomenon.

1. U.S. Counter-Drug Operation: Aircraft Carrier in the Caribbean

[00:16] — [00:49]

• Key Details:

  • The Trump administration has escalated its so-called counter-drug operation, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford, the country's most advanced aircraft carrier, to the Caribbean Sea.
  • While it’s still unclear whether the military might take direct action against Venezuela, this significant military presence is widely seen as a pressure tactic aimed at the Maduro regime.

• Notable Moment:

  • Amy Held summarizes:

    "...it's unclear whether the military will be used against Venezuela, but the buildup is seen as a pressure tactic against the Maduro regime." [00:28]

2. Federal Reserve Ethics Violation and Resignation

[00:49] — [01:31]

• Key Details:

  • Former Fed Board member Adriana Kugler violated ethics rules by trading individual stocks, including during restricted “blackout periods” around Federal Reserve meetings.
  • Kugler claims her husband conducted these trades without her knowledge.
  • This revelation sheds light on her abrupt resignation three months ago, prior to her term’s end. It allowed President Trump to appoint Stephen Myron, a White House economist advocating for aggressive interest rate cuts, to the Fed board.

• Notable Quote:

  • Scott Horsley reports:

    "Paperwork released by the Office of Government Ethics shows Adriana Kugler bought and sold individual stocks last year in violation of Fed policy... Coogler says the trades were made by her husband without her knowledge." [00:49–01:10]

3. Legal Win for University of California Against Federal Sanctions

[01:31] — [02:25]

• Key Details:

  • A federal judge ruled the Trump administration cannot impose fines or withhold federal funds from the University of California over alleged discrimination.
  • The suit centered on demands to pay $1 billion and reverse campus policies, such as a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
  • The court sided with faculty, staff, and student groups who opposed what they saw as federal coercion.

• Notable Quote:

  • Connie Chan, counsel for plaintiffs:

    "The ruling is really significant. It requires the government to refrain from using its pressure tactics to try to coerce the University of California into adopting the administration's preferred ideological views." [02:04]

4. Ukraine Seeks Resumption of Prisoner Exchanges with Russia

[02:25] — [03:14]

• Key Details:
  • Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, is in talks with Turkey and the UAE to restart prisoner-of-war (POW) exchanges with Russia.
  • Ukraine aims to bring home over 1,000 citizens before Christmas.
  • The last exchange occurred in October, and these swaps mark the only tangible progress in Ukraine–Russia negotiations since their renewal in the spring.

5. Chile’s High-Stakes Presidential Election

[03:14] — [03:45]

• Key Details:
  • Chile is holding elections for both president and parliament.
  • The presidential race features sharply contrasting candidates, from the Communist Party to an ultra-conservative. Both frontrunners have prioritized tackling crime.
  • The two top vote-getters will proceed to a runoff next month.

6. Ancient Dog Diversity Surfaces in New Study

[03:45] — [04:24]

• Key Details:

  • New research challenges the belief that modern dog diversity is a recent phenomenon.
  • Scientists analyzed over 600 ancient dog skulls, finding that by 10,000 years ago, half of today’s dog diversity was already present in the Neolithic era.
  • Dr. Carly Amin, bioarchaeologist, highlights the startling age of canine diversity.

• Notable Quote:

  • Carly Amin:

    "By about 10,000 years ago, half of the amount of diversity present in modern dogs is already present in the Neolithic." [04:07]

7. Record-Breaking Spider Web Discovered on Balkan Border

[04:24] — [04:55]

• Key Details:

  • Scientists have found what they believe to be the world’s largest spider web: over 1,100 square feet, in a sulfur-rich cave between Albania and Greece.
  • Tens of thousands of spiders from two species cohabitate peacefully—an uncommon scenario in the spider world.
  • An evolutionary biologist compares their communal lifestyle to densely packed apartment living for humans.

• Notable Moment:

  • Amy Held jokes,

    "This story has legs." [04:24]

End of summary