NPR News: 11-29-2025 2PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: 11-29-2025, 2PM EST

Host: Nora Ram, NPR
Date: November 29, 2025

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Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update delivers the top stories in the U.S. and around the world, covering new FDA vaccine regulations, record-breaking holiday spending, air travel disruptions following Airbus software concerns, a deadly high-rise fire in Hong Kong, the death of acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard, and Northwestern University’s major settlement over anti-Semitism charges.

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Key News Stories & Discussion Points

1. FDA to Take Stricter Approach to Vaccine Regulation

[00:17 – 01:18]

• Top FDA officials announce plans to require much more stringent evidence on vaccine safety and efficacy.
• Prompted by an email from FDA Deputy Vinay Prasad, alleging that COVID-19 vaccines caused the deaths of at least ten children.
• FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is driving this stricter approach based on newly uncovered evidence.
• Independent public health experts dispute the causality of these deaths and criticize the administration for "unsupported and misleading claims."

Notable Quote:

• “FDA Commissioner Marty Makary says the agency will require much stricter evidence that vaccines are safe and effective.” — Rob Stein, [00:35]
• “Independent public health experts, however, question the claim that the COVID vaccines caused these deaths, citing the administration's pattern of making unsupported and misleading claims.” — Rob Stein, [01:08]

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2. Record-Setting Black Friday Sales

[01:18 – 02:14]

• Black Friday 2025 saw record-breaking online sales, up more than 9% over last year (according to Adobe Analytics).
• Popular items: televisions, Nintendo Switch, Apple AirPods, appliances, toys, and gift cards.
• Retailers are discounting deeper and earlier in the season, hoping to prompt spending despite consumer uncertainty.
• National Retail Federation projects that overall holiday sales may top $1 trillion for the first time, even with consumer sentiment at “the lowest level since the pandemic.”
• Much of the increased spending is being driven by wealthier shoppers.

Notable Quote:

• “Despite all the worries about inflation, tariffs and economic uncertainty, consumer sentiment is near the lowest level since the pandemic. Still, the National Retail Federation forecast overall holiday sales might top $1 trillion for the first time.” — Alina Selyuk, [01:45]

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3. Holiday Air Travel Disrupted by Airbus Software Order

[02:14 – 03:06]

• Airbus orders immediate software fixes for 6,000 A320 jets worldwide after an incident where a JetBlue flight lost cabin pressure.
• Incident believed to be linked to solar radiation corrupting flight control software.
• FAA directs U.S. airlines to install the update.
• American Airlines: ~200 affected planes; Delta & United: only a few.
• Concerns about the reliability of aviation technology during peak travel.

Notable Quote:

• “An analysis found that intense solar radiation may have corrupted computer code critical to the aircraft's flight control systems.” — Rebecca Rosman, [02:34]

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4. Winter Storm Warnings for Travelers

[03:06]

• Winter storm warnings in effect from South Dakota to Ohio threaten to complicate driving over the holidays.

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5. Hong Kong High-Rise Fire Leaves 128 Dead, 150 Missing

[03:06 – 03:51]

• A fire in a Hong Kong apartment complex has killed at least 128, with 150 people still missing.
• Investigators are examining whether fire alarms worked and if building materials met safety standards.

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6. Playwright Tom Stoppard Dies at 88

[03:51 – 04:38]

• Tom Stoppard, celebrated playwright (“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”), has died at age 88.
• Born Tomas Straussler, he fled the Nazis, lost his father, and settled in England.
• Known for dense, linguistic, intellectually challenging plays covering themes of identity, politics, and art.
• Won a screenwriting Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love” (1999).

Memorable Quotes:

• “I'd been turned into a little English boy. I was very happy being a little English boy…” – Tom Stoppard, [04:08]
• “He became a superstar playwright with works like The Real Thing and the semi autobiographical Leopoldstadt.” — Jeff London, [04:14]

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7. Northwestern University Settles Over Anti-Semitism Enforcement

[04:38 – 04:56]

• Northwestern University will pay $75 million to resolve a charge that it failed to counter anti-Semitism.
• The resolution allows restoration of substantial federal research funding.

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Closing

Host: Nora Ram, NPR News, Washington

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• FDA Vaccine Regulation Announcement: [00:17 – 01:18]
• Black Friday Sales & Analysis: [01:18 – 02:14]
• Airbus Software Order & Flight Disruptions: [02:14 – 03:06]
• Winter Storm Warnings: [03:06]
• Hong Kong High-Rise Fire: [03:06 – 03:51]
• Tom Stoppard Obituary: [03:51 – 04:38]
• Northwestern University Settlement: [04:38 – 04:56]

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Transcript

[A]

This message comes from Capital One with the Venture X card. Earn unlimited double miles, a $300 annual capital one travel credit and access to airport lounges. Capital One what's IN your wallet? Terms apply [e-mail].

[B]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Nora Ram. Top Food and Drug Administration officials say they plan to take a much tougher approach to regulating vaccines. They claim they have uncovered new evidence to questioning the safety of the COVID 19 vaccines. NPR's Rob Stein reports.

[C]

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary says the agency will require much stricter evidence that vaccines are safe and effective. McCary says the new approach was prompted by evidence that the deaths of at least 10 children were caused by the COVID vaccines. Makary's top deputy, Vinay Prasad, made that claim in an email distributed Friday. NPR obtained the email after it was reported by other news organizations. Independent public health experts, however, question the claim that the COVID vaccines caused these deaths, citing the administration's pattern of making unsupported and misleading claims. Rob Stein, NPR News.

[B]

Holiday spending began with a record setting Black Friday. Adobe analytics, which tracks online transactions, says sales this year are topping last year by more than 9%. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports.

[A]

Adobe analytics says online shoppers on Black Friday spent big on televisions, the latest Nintendo Switch and Apple AirPods appliances, toys and gift cards. Adobe says retailers are offering deeper discounts than anticipated and earlier in the season to get shoppers to spend. Despite all the worries about inflation, tariffs and economic uncertainty, consumer sentiment is near the lowest level since the pandemic. Still, the National Retail Federation forecast overall holiday sales might top $1 trillion for the first time. Shoppers say they are hunting for deals but also eager to celebrate with family and friends ready to deck the halls. Plus, much of the spending has been propped up by wealthier shoppers this year. Alina Selu, NPR News.

[B]

Holiday flights this weekend are facing some disruption after Airbus ordered immediate software fixes for a number of its aircraft. Rebecca Rosman has more.

[D]

About 6,000 Airbus A320 jets worldwide, including several hundred in the US are affected by the required software update. The order stems from an investigation into a JetBlue flight last month that suddenly lost cabin pressure while traveling from Cancun to Newark. An analysis found that intense solar radiation may have corrupted computer code critical to the aircraft's flight control systems. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration is directing airlines to install the software fix. Immediate American airlines says around 200 of its aircraft are impacted. Delta and United report only a small number of affected jets. For NPR News, I'm Rebecca Rossman in Paris.

[B]

In the US the weather may complicated traveling by car. Winter storm warnings are in effect from South Dakota to Ohio. This is NPR News in Washington. At least 150 people are still missing after Wednesday's deadly fire in Hong Kong. The fire swept through a high rise apartment complex, killing at least 128 people. Investigators want to know why fire alarms didn't go off and whether construction materials met fire safety requirements. Tony and Oscar award winning playwright Tom Stoppard has died. He was 88. In a career that lasted more than seven decades, Stoppard wrote nearly three dozen plays, including Rosencrans and Guildenstern are Dead. Jeff London reports.

[E]

Born Tomas Straussler in what was then Czechoslovakia, his family fled the Nazis during World War II. His father was killed, his mother remarried a man named Stoppard and the family settled in England. The playwright told NPR in 2022 I'd.

[C]

Been turned into a little English boy. I was very happy being a little.

[E]

English boy and wrote dense, intellectual, linguistically complex plays. His big break was the existential Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that focused on minor characters in Hamlet. He became a superstar playwright with works like the Real Thing and the semi autobiographical Leopoldstadt. Stoppard won a screenwriting Oscar in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York.

[B]

Northwestern University will pay the government $75 million to settle a Trump administration charge that it doesn't do enough to combat anti Semitism. This will allow the restoration of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research money. I'm Nora Ram, NPR News, in Washington.

[E]

This message comes from Data iq. Companies can struggle to turn data into real AI apps. Data IQ makes it easy with low code tools so anyone can build and scale AI. Visit D A taiku.com NPR.