NPR News Now – November 18, 2025, 9AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman
Episode Theme:
A concise round-up of the morning’s top national and global news stories, including U.S.-Saudi relations, the Epstein files, federal aid delays, major tech outages, holiday economic concerns, and Southern California weather forecasts.

1. U.S.-Saudi Relations and Crown Prince Visit

[00:16–01:17]

• Story: President Trump is hosting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. The Prince arrives with major investment promises but significant demands in return.
• Key Details:
  • The Crown Prince is expected to invest "hundreds of billions of dollars in the US under Trump."
  • Trump praises the prince as a “great guy” and “visionary leader,” despite the prince’s record of cracking down on critics.
  • This is Prince Mohammed’s first U.S. visit since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA linked to him (a claim he denies).
  • Saudi Interests:
    • A formal U.S. defense pact
    • New deals in artificial intelligence
    • Purchase of advanced F-35 jets, currently exclusive to Israel among Mideast countries
• Notable Quote:
  • “The prince wants a US defense pact, new deals in AI, and he's eyeing the purchase of advanced F35 jets that only Israel currently flies in the Mideast.” — Ayah Bataawi, 01:07

2. Jeffrey Epstein Files and Political Fallout

[01:17–02:10]

• Story: The House prepares to vote on forcing the release of all Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein. President Trump tells Republicans to support the measure while also calling for investigations into Democrats’ links to Epstein.
• Key Details:
  • Trump at first tried to block the vote, then reversed his stance.
  • Focus on former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who faces scrutiny for past contact with Epstein.
  • Summers’ Response: He is “stepping away from public commitments,” expressing “deep shame” and “full responsibility” for maintaining contact with Epstein up to 2019.
• Notable Quote:
  • “In a statement, Summers said he takes full responsibility for what he called a misguided decision to remain in contact and that he is deeply ashamed.” — Giles Snyder, 01:58

3. Slow Restart of Federal Utility Assistance

[02:10–03:14]

• Story: Although the federal government has reopened, Tennessee’s utility assistance program hasn’t resumed due to federal delays.
• Key Details:
  • Tennessee typically receives $72 million per year for gas and electric aid.
  • State officials await updated guidance and funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Over 12,000 households have applied in the last two weeks, but most—including nursing student and mother Denise Simpson—have received no relief yet.
• Memorable Moment:
  • “I don't care what nobody says. You have to be super mom with assistance. It takes a village.” — Denise Simpson, 02:58

4. Technology Service Outages

[03:14–03:36]

• Story: Major internet platforms faced service interruptions due to issues with Cloudflare, an internet infrastructure provider. Cloudflare is “now deploying a fix.”
• Impacted Platforms:
  • X (formerly Twitter), ChatGPT, Spotify, and more.
• Significance: Disruptions affected a broad spectrum of online users and services.

5. Home Depot Earnings and U.S. Economic Indicators

[03:36–04:01]

• Story: Home Depot released its quarterly earnings, revealing lower-than-predicted profits.
• Key Details:
  • The company attributes the decline to consumer anxieties about costs.
  • There’s evidence of a slowdown in big-ticket home improvement spending.
  • Home Depot’s results are often viewed as a reflection of broader U.S. economic conditions.

6. Higher Grocery Costs Ahead of Thanksgiving

[04:01–04:44]

• Story: Shoppers should expect higher grocery prices for Thanksgiving, with notable increases in turkey costs.
• Key Details:
  • Wholesale turkey prices are up 40% from the previous year, largely due to bird flu outbreaks.
  • The Trump administration recently eased tariffs on commodities like beef and coffee, hoping to slow—not reverse—price increases.
  • Market Insight: Professor David Ortega points out that the policy change won’t reduce prices, but may moderate increases.
  • Consumers are encouraged to shop early and look for sales.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “So while we may not see prices go down for the holidays, it helps in terms of moderating the price increases.” — David Ortega, 04:24

7. Weather: Southern California Flooding Risk

[04:44–04:58]

• Story: Meteorologists predict more rain and possible flooding in Southern California this week.
• Key Details:
  • The ground is already saturated after recent powerful storms, increasing flood risk.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On US-Saudi relations:
  • “The prince wants a US defense pact, new deals in AI, and he's eyeing the purchase of advanced F35 jets that only Israel currently flies in the Mideast.” — Ayah Bataawi, 01:07
• On Larry Summers’ statement:
  • “He takes full responsibility for what he called a misguided decision to remain in contact and that he is deeply ashamed.” — Giles Snyder, 01:58
• On living with federal aid delays:
  • “You have to be super mom with assistance. It takes a village.” — Denise Simpson, 02:58
• On grocery price relief:
  • “So while we may not see prices go down for the holidays, it helps in terms of moderating the price increases.” — David Ortega, 04:24

This episode delivers rapid, up-to-date coverage of developing political relationships, tech infrastructure, social aid challenges, economic indicators, and practical consumer news—all in NPR’s signature, succinct tone.