NPR News: 11-27-2025 11AM EST

Summary

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

Main Theme

This five-minute NPR News Now update delivers concise coverage of major breaking news and global events as of Thanksgiving morning, November 27, 2025. Key topics include a terrorism investigation in Washington, D.C., a judicial decision on North Carolina’s congressional map, Pope Leo’s peace mission to Turkey and Lebanon, a military coup in Guinea Bissau, dire news for African forest elephants, and the start of the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Terror Investigation in Washington, D.C.

[00:20–01:21]

• Incident: A man described as a refugee from Afghanistan shot two National Guards soldiers—Sarah Beckstrom (20) and Andrew Wolf (24)—while they were patrolling a street in Washington, D.C. Both soldiers remain in critical condition after surgery.
• Suspect: The alleged shooter drove across the country from Washington state to carry out the attack.
• Investigation: FBI Director Kash Patel has described this as an international terrorism investigation. Authorities are conducting search warrants and interviews in Washington state and California.
• Quote:
  • “We will continue to hit the streets and hit every town and every house and talk to every witness.”
    —FBI Director Kash Patel [01:06]
• Key Insight: The attack is being taken very seriously at a federal and international level, with rapid investigative action underway.

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2. North Carolina Congressional Map Decision

[01:21–02:19]

• Judgement: A federal panel of three judges will allow North Carolina’s new congressional map—favoring Republicans in 11 of 14 districts—to be used for the 2026 elections.
• Challenges: NAACP and Common Cause argue the map dilutes Black voter power but the court said there was insufficient proof of intent to discriminate.
• Political Context: Legislators were candid about aiming for maximum GOP advantage in a broader national effort for secure partisan seats.
• Notable Moment:
  • “Legislators have said repeatedly their focus was gaining the maximum possible advantage for Republicans amid a national race to secure safe seats.”
    —Adam Wagner [01:43]
• Next Steps: Candidate filing begins Monday.

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3. Pope Leo’s First Foreign Trip: Peace Mission

[02:19–03:12]

• Journey: Pope Leo visits Turkey and Lebanon on his first foreign trip as pope, using it as a platform to call for global peace and unity.
• Context: Visit comes amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon’s ongoing post-war trauma.
• Papal Message:
  • “We hope to also announce, transmit and proclaim how important peace is throughout the world and to invite all people to come together to search for greater unity, greater harmony.”
    —Pope Leo [02:38]
• Purpose: The Pope seeks to inspire regional and international leaders to double down on efforts for peace.

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4. Coup in Guinea Bissau

[03:12–04:02]

• Development: Soldiers claim, on state TV, to have seized power days after national elections, citing a response to a plot involving domestic and foreign actors.
• Aftermath: President reports being deposed and arrested; military high command suspends the electoral process and closes the borders.
• Key Insight: Another blow to political stability in West Africa following a string of coups in the region.

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5. Crisis for African Forest Elephants

[04:02–04:41]

• Findings: Fewer than 150,000 African forest elephants remain globally—a new genetic assessment puts the figure just above 135,000.
• Threats: Poaching and habitat destruction (mining, development) are decimating populations.
• Hopeful Note:
  • “The new data provides crucial information to help focus conservation efforts and give the species a chance to recover.”
    —Nate Rott [04:35]
• Importance: Updated numbers guide urgent conservation initiatives.

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6. Thanksgiving Day Highlights

[04:41–04:58]

• Parade: The 99th Macy’s Day Parade is in full swing in New York City:
  • 34 giant balloons
  • 28 floats
  • 33 clown crews
  • Marching bands and thousands of volunteers
• Wall Street: Closed for the holiday.

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Memorable Quotes

• “We will continue to hit the streets and hit every town and every house and talk to every witness.”
  —FBI Director Kash Patel [01:06]
• “Legislators have said repeatedly their focus was gaining the maximum possible advantage for Republicans amid a national race to secure safe seats.”
  —Adam Wagner [01:43]
• “We hope to also announce, transmit and proclaim how important peace is throughout the world and to invite all people to come together to search for greater unity, greater harmony.”
  —Pope Leo [02:38]
• “The new data provides crucial information to help focus conservation efforts and give the species a chance to recover.”
  —Nate Rott [04:35]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:20] – Shooting and terrorism investigation in Washington, D.C.
• [01:21] – North Carolina congressional map court ruling
• [02:19] – Pope Leo’s peace pilgrimage; calls for harmony
• [03:12] – Military coup in Guinea Bissau
• [04:02] – African forest elephant population crisis
• [04:41] – Macy’s Parade and Thanksgiving celebrations

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This episode offers a fast-paced snapshot of pressing U.S. and global news for Thanksgiving Day 2025, maintaining NPR's direct, focused reporting style while highlighting both urgent crises and moments of tradition.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

I'm Jeanine Herbst. An investigation is underway across the US and overseas after a man described as a refugee from Afghanistan opened fire yesterday on two National Guards soldiers in the nation's capital. NPR's Brian Mann reports. The guard members remain in critical condition.

[Brian Mann]

20 year old Sarah Beckstrom and 24 year old Andrew Wolf were patrolling a street in Washington, D.C. wednesday afternoon when a man opened fire with a handgun. Federal officials say Beckstrom and Wolf, both from West Virginia, have come through surgery but remain in critical condition. At a press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel said the alleged shooter is a refugee from Afghanistan who drove across the country from Washington state before carrying out the attack. Patel described this as an international terrorism investigation.

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

We will continue to hit the streets and hit every town and every house and talk to every witness.

[Brian Mann]

According to Patel, search warrants and interviews have already been conducted in Washington state and California. Brian Mann, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

A panel of three judges is allowing North Carolina to use a newly drawn congressional map in the 2026 elections. Adam Wagner of member station WUNC has.

[Adam Wagner]

Republican legislators in North Carolina drew the new map to give their party a clear advantage in 11 of the state's 14 congressional races. The North Carolina NAACP and voting rights group Common Cause are among those challenging the new map. They asked the court to prevent it from being used next year because they say it dilutes the power of black voters in the region. Legislators have said repeatedly their focus was gaining the maximum possible advantage for Republicans amid a national race to secure safe seats. In Wednesday's ruling, the three judge panel said plaintiffs failed to prove that the maps intentionally discriminate against black voters by diluting their power. Candidate filing starts Monday. For NPR News, I'm Adam Wagner in Raleigh.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Pope Leo is using the first foreign trip of his papacy to Turkey and then Lebanon to call for peace and harmony that he says the world needs. NPR's Ruth Sherlock is traveling with the pope.

[Ruth Sherlock]

Pope Leo spoke with enthusiasm about his intended mission during this six day pilgrimage to Turkey and to Lebanon.

[Pope Leo]

We hope to also announce, transmit and proclaim how important peace is throughout the world and to invite all people to come together to search for greater unity, greater harmony.

[Ruth Sherlock]

He visits the Middle east at a sensitive time as a tenuous ceasefire continues in Gaza after Israel's devastating offensive there. Lebanon, the next stop for the the pope after Turkey has also been blighted by war. Pope Leo hopes his visit will help leaders in the region double down on peace. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Ankara, Turkey.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Wall street is closed today in observance of Thanksgiving. You're listening to NPR News. Soldiers in Guinea Bissau appeared on state TV saying they seized power, this after reports of gunfire near the presidential palace. The president tells French media he's been deposed and arrested. Yester events happen three days after national elections. The military high command says they acted in response to a plan to destabilize the country involving both domestic and foreign nationals. They have suspended the electoral process, and they've closed the borders. A new assessment of African forest elephants finds there are less than 150,000 remaining around the world. As NPR's Nate Rott reports, poaching and mining are two of the biggest threats facing the endangered animal.

[Nate Rott]

African forest elephants live in the dense, humid rainforests of western and central Africa, making them notoriously difficult to count. The new assessment used genetic fingerprints of individual elephants found in dung samples to calculate population size, and it estimates there are just over 135,000 individuals left. Poaching and habitat loss from mining operations, human infrastructure and agricultural development have been the largest threats to the elephants. The authors of the new assessment say the new data provides crucial information to help focus conservation efforts and give the species a chance to recover. Nate Rott, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The 99th Macy's Day Parade is underway in New York City with 34 giant balloons, 28 floats, 33 clown crews, marching bands and thousands of volunteers marching down the street. I'm Jeanine Hurst, NPR News, in Washington.

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