NPR News: 11-25-2025 9AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – 9AM EST, November 25, 2025

Main Theme

This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers concise updates on major legal, political, international, and health developments, as well as a human-interest story, offering listeners a quick overview of the day’s most significant headlines.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Legal Setback for Trump Administration (00:14 – 01:11)

• Federal Judge Dismisses Charges:
  • Charges against former FBI Director Jim Comey and NY Attorney General Letitia James are dismissed because prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was appointed illegally at Trump's urging.
• Constitutional Scholar Weighs In:
  • Kim Whaley points out uncertainty for prosecutors, explaining that dismissals on these grounds mean there is likely “no six month grace period,” and that prosecutors are likely to seek a new grand jury.
    • Quote: “There was no actual indictment. There was no valid indictment for Letitia James... So I expect they'll just go back with a new grand jury and she'll be facing a similar process.” – Kim Whaley, 00:46

2. Latinos’ Growing Concerns Over Economy and Immigration (01:11 – 02:05)

• Pew Research Study Results:
  • Over 5,000 Latinos polled; 70% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.
  • 61% believe Trump’s policies have worsened conditions.
  • On immigration, two-thirds disapprove, and the majority believe Trump is too aggressive on deportations.
  • Notably, one-third have contemplated leaving the U.S. due to these concerns.
    • Quote: “Overall, a majority say they have serious concerns about their place in America, and one in three say they've contemplated leaving the country.” – Domenico Montanaro, 01:54

3. Brazil: Bolsonaro Faces Imminent Prison Term (02:05 – 03:05)

• Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Status:
  • Supreme Court panel unanimously supports Bolsonaro’s preemptive arrest; he could begin serving a 27-year sentence at any time.
  • His lawyers declined further appeals.
  • Arrest involved him tampering with his ankle monitor, citing hallucinations and suspicion of a wiretap.
    • Quote: “The court argued that tampering with the device indicated flight risk and a blatant violation of precautionary measures set by the judiciary under custody.” – Julia Carneiro, 02:36

4. U.S. Retail Sales Update (03:05 – 03:18)

• Retail Sales in September:
  • Government reports a 0.1% increase.
  • The report was delayed by the government shutdown.

5. Reduced Social Media and Improved Mental Health (03:18 – 04:19)

• New Study on Young Adults:
  • Study tracked 400 young adults’ social media use.
  • A one-week “detox” dramatically reduced symptoms of anxiety (16%), depression (24%), and insomnia (14%).
    • Quote: “We had 80% of participants opting to do detox.” – Dr. Ilambe Conrad, 03:58

6. Passing of a Beloved Zoo Resident (04:19 – 04:57)

• San Diego Zoo’s Galapagos Tortoise Dies:
  • “Grandma”, estimated to be 141 years old, dies after nearly a century at the zoo.
  • She was known for her gentle, shy personality and called “the queen of the Zoo” by keepers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim Whaley on Legal Aftermath:

  “There was no actual indictment. There was no valid indictment for Letitia James... So I expect they'll just go back with a new grand jury and she'll be facing a similar process.”
  – Constitutional Scholar Kim Whaley (00:46)

• Domenico Montanaro on Latino Sentiment:

  “Overall, a majority say they have serious concerns about their place in America, and one in three say they've contemplated leaving the country.”
  – Domenico Montanaro, NPR (01:54)

• Julia Carneiro on Bolsonaro’s Situation:

  “The court argued that tampering with the device indicated flight risk and a blatant violation of precautionary measures set by the judiciary under custody.”
  – Julia Carneiro, NPR (02:36)

• Dr. Ilambe Conrad on Social Media Detox:

  “We had 80% of participants opting to do detox.”
  – Dr. Ilambe Conrad (03:58)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:14] – Charges Dismissed Against Comey & James
• [00:46] – Legal Expert Kim Whaley’s Analysis
• [01:30] – Pew Research Latino Poll Results
• [02:22] – Bolsonaro’s Imminent Sentence in Brazil
• [03:05] – U.S. Retail Sales Update
• [03:29] – Social Media Use and Mental Health Study
• [04:19] – Death of San Diego Zoo’s Galapagos Tortoise “Grandma”

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Tone and Language

• The reporting is concise, neutral, and factual, consistent with NPR’s signature style.
• Subject matter experts and correspondents provide lucid analysis and synthesize complex legal and social issues succinctly.

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This episode delivers a brisk yet comprehensive update on legal controversies, immigration and economic anxieties among Latinos, significant international justice events, mental health research, and a notable obituary, all within a tightly packed format suitable for on-the-go listeners.

Transcript

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[Windsor Johnston]

U.com NPR LIVE from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Trump administration says it will appeal after a federal judge dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge found the prosecutor Lindsey Halligan appointed a President Trump's urging, was illegally named. Constitutional scholar Kim Whaley says the decision leaves major questions about what prosecutors can do next.

[Constitutional Scholar Kim Whaley]

There's another law that says you can extend for six months. There's this grace period if an indictment is dismissed. I think under this ruling, the argument would be there's no six month grace period because there was no actual indictment. There was no valid indictment for Letitia James. She's within these alleged crimes are within the statute of limitations. So I expect they'll just go back with a new grand jury and she'll be facing a similar process.

[Windsor Johnston]

Speaking in Memphis yesterday, Attorney General Pam Bondi defended Halligan's appointment. A new study from the Pew Research center shows a growing number of Latinos are concerned about the nation's economy and immigration. NPR's Domenico Montanaro reports they blame President Trump's policies.

[Domenico Montanaro]

The Pew Research center polled more than 5,000 Latinos in the past two months, which is more than 10 times the average of a national poll. And what they found was significant. 70% disapprove of the job that Trump is doing on the economy, four in five view it negatively, and 61% say Trump's policies have made things worse. On immigration, two thirds disapprove of how Trump's handling it. More than that say that he's doing too much when it comes to deportations. Overall, a majority say they have serious concerns about their place in America, and one in three say they've contemplated leaving the country. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington.

[Windsor Johnston]

In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro remains under preemptive arrest and could begin serving his 27 year prison sentence at any time. His lawyers declined to file any further appeals by yesterday's deadline. Julia Carnero reports the case against him can now be closed.

[Julia Carneiro]

A Supreme Court panel with four justices voted unanimously to maintain Bolsonaro's preemptive arrest. The far right leader was detained over the weekend hours after a vigil was called outside his home and he used a soldering iron to try to open his ankle monitor. The court argued that tampering with the device indicated flight risk and a blatant violation of precautionary measures set by the judiciary under custody. The former president told the judge he was having hallucinations after a change in medication and thought there was a wire tap in the ankle monitor. Bolsonaro has been sentenced to over 27 years in prison for attempting a coup after losing his 2022 re election bid. For NPR News, I'm Julia Carneiro. In Rio.

[Windsor Johnston]

The government report shows retail sales were up 0.1% in September. The report was delayed due to the government shutdown. This is NPR News. Researchers are linking reduced time on social media with fewer mental health symptoms. NPR's Ritu Chatterjee on a study published in Gem Network Open.

[Ritu Chatterjee]

Researchers recruited nearly 400 young adults aged 18 to 24 and tracked their social media use for two weeks using an app. On average, the participants use Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and other social media for about two hours a day. The scientists also screened participants for their mental health symptoms at baseline before offering them a week long social media detox. Dr. Ilambe Conrad is at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical center in Boston and an author of the new study.

[Dr. Ilambe Conrad]

So we had 80% of participants opting to do detox.

[Ritu Chatterjee]

Participants cut down their social media use to about 30 minutes a day. It was enough to reduce symptoms of anxiety by 16%, symptoms of depression by 24% and insomnia by 14%. Ritu Chatterjee, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

A beloved Galapagos tortoise named Grama, the oldest resident of the San Diego Zoo, has died at an estimated 141 years old. She first arrived from the Bronx Zoo nearly a century ago and quickly became known for her gentle, shy personality. Keepers affectionately called her the queen of the Zoo and visitors adored her for decades. Grandma had been struggling with age related bone issues before she was euthanized. I'm Windsor Johnston and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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