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Lakshmi Singh
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The U.S. house has approved a bill compelling the Justice Department to release all documents on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The vote was 4:27 to 1. Today's outcome marks a rare moment of unity between Republicans and Democrats. It's also an important moment for Epstein's accusers, who'd spent years fighting for justice. Before today's vote, Jenna Lisa Jones railed against President Trump, who'd long resisted the House vote, then did an about face over the weekend and accused Democrats of fueling a hoax targeting him.
Jenna Lisa Jones
I beg you, President Trump, please stop making this political. It is not about you, President Trump. You are our president. Please start acting like it. Show some class, show some real leadership. Show that you actually care about the people other than yourself. I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment.
Lakshmi Singh
President Trump maintains he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, is imprisoned on sex trafficking charges. The measure that passed the House today now goes to the Senate, where some lawmakers are pushing for amendments to put further guardrails around what information can be released. Meta has prevailed in the government's antitrust lawsuit. Today, a US District judge ruled the Federal Trade Commission failed to show that Facebook's parent company tightened its dominance of social media with the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. And in 2012 and 2014, respectively, the FTC had argued in favor of breaking up Meta. A federal court has blocked Texas from using the congressional map that Republican lawmakers passed over the summer at the urging of President Trump. The map would give the GOP an edge in winning five more seats in the U.S. house. Today's development is a major blow to Trump's effort to maintain the GOP's narrow hold on the U.S. house in next year's midterm elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several other prominent Israeli officials condemned violent settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied west bank, which have been on the rise in recent weeks. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports. Such attacks rarely face legal consequences.
Kat Lonsdorf
Israeli settlers stormed a village outside the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, torching cars and homes Monday evening. In another part of the west bank, in the town of Sinjil, settlers shot live ammunition at several people, according to the mayor. They're the latest in what the UN Says is now an average of eight settler attacks a day in the territory, an all time high that has coincided with the Palestinian olive harvest. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned the violence, saying he gives, quote, full backing to security forces in the west bank to act against the perpetrators. Netanyahu also gave his full support to law enforcement and the military to counteract the attacks. Still, such settler violence is rarely prosecuted. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
Lakshmi Singh
This is npr. Researchers say early vaccinations of infants against measles surged in Texas in the first few months of the year amid a record outbreak that quickly spread statewide. NPR's Maria Godoy reports on a new analysis published in the journal JAMA Network.
Maria Godoy
Open Children usually get their first dose of the measles vaccine between the ages of 12 and 15 months. But in March of this year, as a massive measles outbreak spread rapidly in Texas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that infants in the state get their first dose early between 6 and 11 months of age. Now an analysis finds that in the months after that recommendation, early vaccinations among Texas children spiked by 20%. By contrast, less than 1% of kids in the state got an early first dose in prior years. In a related commentary, researchers say this rapid early uptake of the vaccine likely contributed to the slowing of measles transmission in Texas by May of this year. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh
Amazon's Zoox robo taxis will be giving free rides in parts of San Francisco as it attempts to compete with Waymo's progress in the arena of self driving taxi service. The Amazon Zooq's service is expected to be restricted to a handful of major neighborhoods in the city. It will also be limited to people who put their names on a waiting list for the robo taxis. Roughly three months ago, the Amazon owned company launched its first ride hailing service in Las Vegas. The dow is down 286 points or more than half a percent. It's NPR News.
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Host: Lakshmi Singh
Date: November 18, 2025
Episode Theme:
A concise roundup of major national and international news, highlighting legislative actions in Washington, court rulings on tech and election maps, escalating tensions in the West Bank, public health developments in Texas, and advancements in robo-taxi services.
[00:16–01:17]
Notable Quote:
"I beg you, President Trump, please stop making this political. It is not about you, President Trump. You are our president. Please start acting like it. Show some class, show some real leadership. Show that you actually care about the people other than yourself. I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment."
— Jenna Lisa Jones [00:53]
[01:17–01:52]
[01:52–02:31]
[02:31–03:13]
Reporter: Kat Lonsdorf, Tel Aviv
Notable Quote:
"Israeli settlers stormed a village outside the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, torching cars and homes Monday evening… such settler violence is rarely prosecuted."
— Kat Lonsdorf [02:31]
[03:13–04:22]
Reporter: Maria Godoy
[04:22–04:55]
Jenna Lisa Jones’s emotional appeal to President Trump on Epstein:
"I beg you, President Trump, please stop making this political... I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment." [00:53]
Kat Lonsdorf on the frequency and consequences of settler violence:
"The UN says [there is] now an average of eight settler attacks a day in the territory, an all-time high..." [02:31]
Maria Godoy on the rapid response to a measles outbreak:
"...early vaccinations among Texas children spiked by 20%. By contrast, less than 1% of kids in the state got an early first dose in prior years." [03:33]
This episode delivers a whirlwind yet nuanced survey of today's pressing headlines—spanning politics, law, public health, and technology—underscored by objective reporting and compelling voices from those affected.