NPR News: 11-26-2025 9PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – 11-26-2025 9PM EST

Podcast: NPR News Now
Host: Dale Willman
Date: November 27, 2025
Episode Description: The latest national and international news updates, delivered in five minutes.

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Episode Overview

This episode gives listeners a rapid but comprehensive update on major news stories from the United States and around the globe. Key subjects covered include a shooting involving National Guard members near the White House, updates on President Trump’s Ukraine peace plan, the status of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the US, Thanksgiving travel and its impact on aviation, a Wall Street recap, scientific discoveries on Mars, a coup in Guinea Bissau, and flooding in southern Thailand.

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Key News Topics and Discussion Points

1. Shooting Near the White House

[00:11]–[00:47]

• Incident Summary: Two National Guard members were shot outside a D.C. subway station, close to the White House.
• Response:
  • Both victims and the suspect were transported to local hospitals.
  • The White House was briefly locked down.
• Quote:
  • “The National Guard members are being treated at a local hospital. D.C. fire and EMS responded to the scene to provide first aid for those individuals and transport them to a local hospital. The suspect in this case was also transported for treatment at a local hospital.”
    — Jeffrey Carroll, D.C. Assistant Police Chief [00:34]

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2. President Trump’s Updated Ukraine Peace Plan

[00:47]–[01:48]

• Plan Update: President Trump has revised his 28-point plan for ending the war in Ukraine; now only a “few remaining points” are at issue.
• Diplomatic Moves:
  • Special envoy Steve Witkoff sent to Moscow for talks with Putin.
  • Army Secretary Dan Driscoll dispatched to negotiate with Ukrainian officials.
• Expert Insight:
  • “He doesn’t care what the terms of the deal are. He just wants it to end and to be seen as the person who ended it.”
    — Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO [01:28]
• Status: While the U.S. has gotten agreement from Russia and Ukraine separately, Russia and Ukraine have not agreed with each other.

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3. TPS for Haitians in the US

[01:48]–[02:20]

• Policy Change:
  • The Trump administration plans to end Temporary Protected Status for around 353,000 Haitians.
  • Context: Haiti is experiencing a severe health crisis, with much of the capital under gang control according to the UN.
• Official Statement:
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserts there are no “extraordinary conditions... that would prevent the migrants from being sent home.”

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4. Thanksgiving Travel and Aviation System Status

[02:20]–[02:59]

• Traveler Experience:
  • Many report manageable lines and minimal delays at airports.
  • Example: Patrice and David Lombardo, flying from Savannah, Georgia.
• Quotes:
  • “I am so surprised how well it’s going. Amazing.”
    — Patrice Lombardo [02:30]
  • “We were prepared to be unhappy and we’re not.”
    — David Lombardo [02:35]
• Air Travel System:
  • No major staffing shortages, unlike during the recent government shutdown.
  • Weather delays reported in the Twin Cities and Chicago due to a storm.
• Prediction: Over 31 million passengers expected to fly during Thanksgiving, according to Airlines for America.

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5. Stock Market Update

[02:59]–[03:17]

• Before Holiday Gains:
  • Dow: +314 points
  • S&P 500: +46 points
  • Nasdaq: +189 points

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6. Lightning Strikes Detected on Mars

[03:17]–[04:13]

• Scientific Discovery:
  • NASA’s Perseverance rover detected electrical interference and shock waves matching brief lightning strikes inside Martian dust devils.
• Significance:
  • First real evidence of electrical arcs on Mars—long suspected but never confirmed.
  • Potential implications for future Mars missions, both human and robotic.
• Quote:
  • “It registered a distinctive pattern of electrical interference followed by the acoustic signal of a shock wave. They say this had to have been from electrical arcs just a few centimeters long.”
    — Nell Greenfield Boyce [03:30]

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7. Coup in Guinea Bissau

[04:13]–[04:29]

• Developments:
  • Soldiers have apparently deposed the president, who told French media he’s been arrested.
  • The military claims it’s responding to a plot to destabilize the country, involving both domestic and foreign parties.
  • The coup follows national elections held only three days prior.

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8. Flooding in Southern Thailand

[04:29]–[04:53]

• Impact:
  • At least 33 people dead.
  • Over 2.5 million affected since the weekend.
  • State of emergency declared; military deployed for relief efforts.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-----------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:34 | Jeffrey Carroll | See Shooting Near the White House section above | | 01:28 | Ivo Daalder | See Ukraine Peace Plan section above | | 02:30 | Patrice Lombardo | See Thanksgiving Travel section | | 02:35 | David Lombardo | See Thanksgiving Travel section | | 03:30 | Nell G. Boyce | See Mars Lightning Discovery section |

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Episode Recap

The 9PM NPR News Now edition offers a concise but thorough rundown of events that matter in the US and worldwide—including breaking news, policy shifts, travel updates, science breakthroughs, and global affairs. While each story is delivered with NPR’s signature straightforwardness, insightful direct quotes and precise attributions bring an immediate and reliable feel to rapidly unfolding news.

Transcript

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[Dale Willman]

[e-mail] Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Police are trying to understand why two National Guard members were shot outside a subway station in Washington, D.C. this afternoon. They say a suspect shot them before also being shot and taken into custody. D.C. assistant Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll says the emergency response was rapid.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

The National Guard members are being treated at a local hospital. D.C. fire and EMS responded to the scene to provide first aid for those individuals and transport them to a local hospital. The suspect in this case was also transported for treatment at a local hospital.

[Dale Willman]

The shooting took place just two blocks from the White House, which was briefly locked down because of the incident. President Trump has updated his original 28 point plan to end the war in Ukraine. As NPR's Franco Ordonez tells us, Trump says there are now only a few remaining points of disagreements.

[Franco Ordonez]

President Trump says he's dispatching his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow to meet with President Putin while sending Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet with the Ukrainians to work out the final details. It's just the latest iteration of yo yoing proposal that Trump has presented as he tries to cement his peacemaking legacy. Ivo daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, says all Trump wants is a deal.

[Ivo Daalder]

He doesn't care what the terms of the deal are. He just wants it to end and to be seen as the person who ended it.

[Franco Ordonez]

But Dalder says the problem is that while the US Agreed to plans with both Russia and Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine have not reached an agreement on any plans with each other. Franco Ordonez, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

The Trump administration is planning to end temporary protected status for some 353,000 Haitians now living in the U.S. the country is facing a major health cris. And the UN Says most of the country's capital is controlled by rival gangs. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says there are no extraordinary conditions in the country that would prevent the migrants from being sent home. Millions of Americans are traveling to visit family and friends for the Thanksgiving holiday. As NPR's Joel Rose reports, it's a big test for the U.S. aviation system.

[Joel Rose]

At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Many travelers said they were pleasantly surprised to find manageable lines and few delays. Patrice and David Lombardo flew in from Savannah, Georgia.

[Patrice Lombardo]

I am so surprised how well it's going. Amazing.

[Franco Ordonez]

We were prepared to be unhappy and we're not.

[Joel Rose]

There were few signs of the staffing shortages of air traffic controllers that caused disruptions during the government shutdown. But there were some weather related problems as a major storm caused delays at airports in the Twin Cities and Chicago. Airlines for America and Industry Trade Group says airlines will carry more than 31 million passengers during the Thanksgiving travel season. Joel Rose, NPR News, Arlington, Virginia.

[Dale Willman]

Stocks were ups on Wall street today. The Dow Jones Industrials gained 314 points before the holiday. The S&P 500 rose 46 points. The Nasdaq climbed 189 points. You're listening to NPR News. Many lightning strikes created by whirling dust devils have been detected by a rover on Mars. As NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports, scientists had long suspected that the red planet might have some form of lightning, but but discovering it has been elusive since the 1970s.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Scientists have thought that swirling dust on Mars might produce some kind of electrical discharge. Like on Earth, clouds of turbulent volcanic ash can create lightning. Now in the journal Nature, a team says that in windy conditions, a microphone on NASA's Perseverance rover sometimes did more than just hear wind. Dozens of times. It registered a distinctive pattern of electrical interference followed by the acoustic signal of a shock wave. They say this had to have been from electrical arcs just a few centimeters long. They want to learn more about this electrical activity to understand what risks, if any, it might pose to future human or robotic missions. Nell Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Soldiers from the West African nation of Guinea Bissau have apparently seized power in that country. The president has told French media that he's been deposed and arrested. The military says it's acting in response to a plan to destabilize the country. They say the plan involved both domestic and foreign nationals. The country had held national election just three days before. Severe flooding in southern Thailand has killed at least 33 people. The government says more than two and a half million people have been affected by the floods, which began over the weekend. The government has declared a state of emergency in one of its provinces, and it's using the country's military to help with relief efforts. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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