NPR News: 11-26-2025 11PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – November 27, 2025, 11PM EST

Podcast: NPR News Now
Host: Giles Snyder (and NPR Team)
Episode Summary: The latest pressing national and international news, focusing on a shooting incident involving National Guard members in Washington D.C., updates on a Trump legal case in Georgia, U.S.-Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, a deadly fire in Hong Kong, Warner Music's AI licensing deals, and the Winter Olympics torch relay.

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Main Theme

This five-minute news update covers breaking events in U.S. politics, international diplomacy, public safety, technological change in the music industry, and sports, offering concise but comprehensive coverage of headline stories as of late November 2025.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. National Guard Shooting in Washington, D.C.

• Incident & Reaction:
  • Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot and critically injured in Washington, D.C.
  • President Trump increased National Guard presence in the city following the incident.
• Political Commentary:
  • Trump identified the suspect as an Afghan refugee who entered the U.S. in 2021, calling for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted during the Biden administration.
  • “And we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven't already done that.” – Jacqueline Diaz, quoting Trump [00:39]
• Ongoing Investigation:
  • FBI, Secret Service, and D.C. Police continue to investigate; the assailant is in custody.
  • D.C. Mayor Bowser called the attack “targeted.”
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced 500 more troops being sent to the capital per Trump’s order.

2. Georgia Election Interference Case Dismissed

• A Georgia judge dismissed the election interference case against Trump and others after the new prosecutor decided not to pursue charges.
• Marks the end of legal efforts tied to Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

3. U.S.-Russia-Ukraine Peace Plan Developments

• Envoy to Moscow:
  • White House envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to Moscow seeking Putin’s approval for a revised Ukraine draft peace plan.
• Leaked Phone Call:
  • Eleanor Beardsley reported on a mid-October call (leaked, authenticity unconfirmed):
    • Witkoff expresses “deep respect for Putin.”
    • Advises a Putin aide to “call President Trump and flatter him over his recent Mideast peace deal.”
    • [Quote] “He instructs the adviser to tell Putin to call President Trump and flatter him…” – Eleanor Beardsley [02:29]
• Ukrainian Perspective:
  • Oleksandr Marezko, Ukrainian parliamentarian, criticized Witkoff’s pro-Russian leanings and praised those “who continue to support Ukraine.”
    • [Quote] “We know that we are dealing with people in the entourage of President Trump who take pro Russian position. Unfortunately. Luckily, there are people who stand firm with American national interests and who continue to support Ukraine.” – Oleksandr Marezko [02:56]

4. Deadly Fire in Hong Kong

• Incident:
  • Hong Kong police arrested three connected to a fatal high-rise fire, the city’s deadliest in years.
  • At least 44 confirmed dead, around 300 missing; fire still burning and hampering rescue efforts.

5. Warner Music—AI Licensing Deals

• Industry Shift:
  • Warner Music Group, previously suing the AI song generators Suno and Udio, signed licensing agreements allowing AI-made songs to use artists’ voices and songwriters’ compositions (with permission).
  • “The new deals will allow paid users of the AI platforms to create songs with the voices of artists and compositions of songwriters who agree to participate.” – Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [03:51]
• Major Warner artists include Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Dua Lipa.
• Commitment for proper compensation to artists and songwriters for AI-driven works.

6. Olympic Flame for Milan-Cortina 2026

• The Olympic torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, in an indoor museum ceremony due to rain.
• Torch relay will traverse all 110 Italian provinces over 63 days before the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Justice After the D.C. Shooting:
  “And we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven't already done that.”
  — Jacqueline Diaz, quoting President Trump [00:39]

• On Pro-Russian Sentiment:
  “We know that we are dealing with people in the entourage of President Trump who take pro Russian position. Unfortunately. Luckily, there are people who stand firm with American national interests and who continue to support Ukraine.”
  — Oleksandr Marezko [02:56]

• On AI in the Music Industry:
  “The new deals will allow paid users of the AI platforms to create songs with the voices of artists and compositions of songwriters who agree to participate.”
  — Isabella Gomez Sarmiento [03:51]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:17] – D.C. National Guard shooting, Trump’s remarks, refugee investigation
• [01:12] – Scene report, law enforcement response, troop deployment
• [01:44] – Georgia election case against Trump dismissed
• [02:29] – Leaked call: U.S.-Russia-Ukraine peace plan, Witkoff’s controversial comments
• [03:11] – Hong Kong fire: casualties, rescue efforts
• [03:51] – Warner Music embraces AI-generated music
• [04:30] – Olympic torch relay preparations, ceremony indoors due to rain

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Conclusion

This NPR News Now segment presents a rapid, informative tour of breaking and developing stories from global politics to local tragedy, cultural transformation, and the world of sports, all in NPR’s succinct, factual style.

Transcript

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[Giles Snyder]

Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. President Trump says he is beefing up the presence of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. he spoke in a social media media video posted by the White House following the shooting of two West Virginia Guard members and identifying the suspect as someone who entered the US from Afghanistan in 2021.

[Jacqueline Diaz]

And we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice if the bullets going in the opposite direction haven't already done that.

[Giles Snyder]

Trump is now calling for a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered the US during the Biden administration. Officials say those two Guard members are hospitalized, reported to be in critical condition. Authorities are still searching the area where the Guard members were shot and critically injured, looking for clues as to why it happened. Here's NPR's Jacqueline Diaz reporting.

[Jacqueline Diaz]

A few hours after the attack, officers from several law enforcement agencies are still walking through the blocked off areas of what is normally a busy intersection during the day. FBI, U.S. secret Service and D.C. police were among the officers on scene. D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser is calling the attack on two National Guardsmen as, quote, targeted. The assailant was also shot and is in custody. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today President Trump has instructed him to send 500 more troops to the nation's capital. Jacqueline Diaz, NPR News.

[Giles Snyder]

A judge has dismissed the Georgia election interference case against President Trump and others. The decision Wednesday came after the prosecutor who replaced Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said he would not pursue the charges, ending the last effort in the courts over Trump failed push to overturn the 2020 election. White House envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow next week looking for approval from Russian President Vladimir Putin for a draft peace plan with Ukraine. The plan now said to be fine tuned after Kyiv had dismissed the initial plan because it favored Moscow. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports on leaked telephone conversations that appear to show Witkoff coaching a Putin aide on how to handle President Trump.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

NPR can't independently confirm the authenticity of the mid October call leaked and published Bloomberg. But in the call, Witkoff expresses his, quote, deep respect for Putin. He instructs the adviser to tell Putin to call President Trump and flatter him over his recent Mideast peace deal. Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksandr Marezko believes Witkov should have been replaced after an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson highlighted his lack of knowledge about Ukraine and the conflict.

[Jacqueline Diaz]

We know that we are dealing with people in the entourage of President Trump who take pro Russian position. Unfortunately. Luckily, there are people who stand firm with American national interests and who continue to support Ukraine.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News.

[Giles Snyder]

Keith. This is NPR News. Police in Hong Kong have arrested three people in connection with Hong Kong's deadliest fire in years. At least 44 people are now confirmed dead and nearly 300 reported missing. The fire erupted Wednesday afternoon at a high rise apartment complex. It's still burning, and rescuers are reported to be struggling to reach those who are potentially trapped. One of the biggest record labels in the world, Warner Music Group, has signed licensing deals with two artificial intelligence companies it was formally suing. NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports.

[Isabella Gomez Sarmiento]

Warner is partnering with two AI song generators, Suno and Udio. The new deals will allow paid users of the AI platforms to create songs with the voices of artists and compositions of songwriters who agree to participate. Some of Warner's biggest stars include Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Dua Lipa. Warner was previously part of several labels suing Suno and Yu Gio for copyright infringement. The company pledges that these new deals will allow artists and songwriters to be properly compensated for how their work is used in AI music models. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.

[Giles Snyder]

The Olympic flame is now on its way to Milan. Cortina Winter Olympics. A torch lighting ceremony was held in ancient Olympia on Wednesday. The ceremony, however, had to be moved indoors to a nearby museum because of the threat of rainy weather. The torch will be handed over to Italy next week when it will begin a 63 day journey across all 110 Italian provinces. This is NPR News.

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