NPR News: 11-29-2025 3AM EST

Summary

---

NPR News Now – 11-29-2025 3AM EST

Host: Dale Willman
Date: November 29, 2025
Runtime: 5 Minutes
Theme: Fast-paced update on key global and national news, from war and corruption to aviation, pharmaceuticals, and college football.

---

1. Major Ukrainian Corruption Scandal [00:17–00:58]

• Chief of Staff Resigns: Chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky resigns hours after his home was searched by anti-corruption investigators.
  • Corruption Details: NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports this is fallout from a mid-November scandal involving the theft of at least $100 million in energy contract funds, uncovered by Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Bureau.
  • Scope and Scale: Eight officials are currently under investigation, including close associates of Zelensky. Two have fled the country, and further high-profile resignations are possible.
  • Zelensky's Position: Zelensky himself is not implicated, but his top aide, Andrey Yermak, faces “huge suspicions.”
    • Memorable Quote:

      “Zelensky himself is not implicated, but there are huge suspicions around his right hand man, Andrey Yermak.” – Eleanor Beardsley [00:46]

  • Potential Impact: Yermak’s resignation could impact ongoing peace talks with the US and other nations, though it’s unclear how.

---

2. Airbus Orders Urgent Software Fix Due to Solar Radiation [00:58–01:59]

• Incident Trigger: Following an October 30 JetBlue flight’s sudden altitude loss (several injuries), Airbus discovers strong solar radiation can corrupt key flight control system data.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “Airbus now says that this was likely the result of intense solar radiation corrupting data critical to the functioning of flight controls.” – Sarah Ventri [01:23]

• Immediate Measures: Software updates are now mandatory on thousands of A320 aircraft, affecting the world’s most-used plane model (over 9,000 in use).
• Travel Disruption: The timing threatens major delays and cancellations during a busy travel weekend.

---

3. Israeli Military Shooting in West Bank – Accusations of Execution [01:59–02:56]

• Incident: Two Palestinian men shot and killed by Israeli forces in Jenin after appearing to surrender; UN labels act “an execution.”
• Visual Evidence: Video reportedly shows the men—hands raised, shirts lifted—complying before being shot. One Israeli soldier is seen firing.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “They're ordered to their knees and comply before gunshots ring out and the men slump to the ground, apparently dead.” – Kat Lansdorf [02:23]

• Accountability Issues: Israeli military says both men were "wanted individuals" and promises an investigation. However, Palestinian and human rights groups express skepticism, noting such probes rarely lead to accountability.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “Palestinian and human rights groups point out such investigations are often lacking and Israeli troops rarely prosecuted.” – Kat Lansdorf [02:48]

---

4. Diplomacy: Congo–Rwanda Peace Agreement Prospects [02:56–03:31]

• Upcoming Talks: Congo’s president set to visit the US next week for a peace agreement signing with Rwanda, aimed at ending unrest in eastern Congo.
• Conditionality: The deal relies on Rwanda withdrawing support from the M23 rebels, a key sticking point amid prolonged conflict.

---

5. FDA Set to Approve New Obesity Pill [03:31–04:13]

• Context: In the wake of popular injectables like Wegovy and Zepbound, Novo Nordisk is readying a pill featuring the same active ingredient (in higher doses than prior diabetes medication).
• Pricing: Announced cost for uninsured users is $149/month, as negotiated with the Trump administration, though final insurance pricing is yet to be determined.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “Studies show the new pill's efficacy is similar to Wegovy's. If approved, the company says it will offer a discounted price of $149 a month for people not using their health insurance.” – Sydney Lupkin [03:43]

• Accessibility: Company is working with the supply chain to expand access, but insurance and coverage details remain outstanding.

---

6. College Football Highlights – Rivalries and Upsets [04:13–04:55]

• Key Performances:
  • Arch Manning leads Texas (#16) to a victory over undefeated Texas A&M (#3), 27–17. This knocks A&M out of the SEC championship.
    • Memorable Quote:

      “Arch Manning threw for one touchdown and ran for the last score late in the fourth quarter Friday night as number 16 Texas beat number three Texas A&M 27–17. The win spoils the Aggies undefeated season and knocks them out of the Southeastern Conference championship game.” – Dale Willman [04:13]

  • Georgia (#4) survives a close in-state rivalry with Georgia Tech (#23), 16–9.
  • Ole Miss (#6) beats Mississippi State by 38–19.

---

Notable Quotes (with Speaker & Timestamp)

• “Zelensky himself is not implicated, but there are huge suspicions around his right hand man, Andrey Yermak.”
  — Eleanor Beardsley [00:46]
• “Airbus now says that this was likely the result of intense solar radiation corrupting data critical to the functioning of flight controls.”
  — Sarah Ventri [01:23]
• “They're ordered to their knees and comply before gunshots ring out and the men slump to the ground, apparently dead.”
  — Kat Lansdorf [02:23]
• “Palestinian and human rights groups point out such investigations are often lacking and Israeli troops rarely prosecuted.”
  — Kat Lansdorf [02:48]
• “Studies show the new pill's efficacy is similar to Wegovy's. If approved, the company says it will offer a discounted price of $149 a month for people not using their health insurance.”
  — Sydney Lupkin [03:43]

---

This episode delivered concise updates on major international developments (Ukraine, Middle East, Africa), public health, technology, and sports—balancing urgent breaking news with ongoing trends and events. The coverage provides context, ramifications, and direct testimony from each beat, making it a useful catch-up for anyone with five minutes.

Transcript

[Jackson Financial Representative]

This message comes from Jackson. Seek clarity in retirement [e-mail] Jackson is short for Jackson Financial, Inc. Jackson National Life Insurance Co. Lansing, Michigan and Jackson National Life Insurance Co. Of New York, Purchase, New York.

[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has resigned just hours after his home was searched by anti corruption investigators. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley explains what the investigation is all about.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

This is fallout from an unfolding and very explosive corruption scandal that broke in mid November about the siphoning off of at least $100 million tied to energy sector contracts and exposed by Ukraine's Anti Corruption Bureau. So far, eight officials, some close to Zelensky, are under investigation and two have fled the country. But more heads could roll. Zelensky himself is not implicated, but there are huge suspicions around his right hand man, Andrey Yermak.

[Dale Willman]

Yermak was the lead negotiator in peace talks with the US and other countries. It's not clear how his resignation may affect those talks. Airbus is ordering an immediate software fix for thousands of its A320 series jets. As NPR's Sarah Ventri reports. The company has released a statement saying strong solar radiation can corrupt data used by flight control systems.

[Sarah Ventri]

On October 30, a JetBlue flight abruptly lost altitude while flying from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. Several passengers were injured. Airbus now says that this was likely the result of intense solar radiation corrupting data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Now those systems will need to be updated in order to fly safely, which could cause major delays and cancellations during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. The Airbus A320 family of airplanes is now the most used aircraft in the world, according to aviation analytics company cerium. More than 9,000 of those planes are in use. Sarah Ventri, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Israeli forces shot and killed two young Palestinian men in the occupied west bank this week after they knelt on the ground and appeared to surrender. The UN Is calling it an execution. The Israeli military says it's investigating. NPR's Kat Lansdorf has this reports the.

[Kat Lansdorf]

Killings took place in the northern west bank city of Jenin, where the neighboring refugee camp has been the focus of an ongoing Israeli military operation for almost a year. In the videos, the two Palestinian men come out of a garage holding their hands up and lifting their shirts to to show they're unarmed. They're ordered to their knees and comply before gunshots ring out and the men slump to the ground, apparently dead. One Israeli soldier can be seen firing a weapon. In a statement, the Israeli military said the two men were, quote, wanted individuals and that the incident was being investigated. Palestinian and human rights groups point out such investigations are often lacking and Israeli troops rarely prosecuted. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv, Pa.

[Dale Willman]

Congo's government said the country's president will visit the US Next week to sign a peace agreement with Rwanda. The deal is aimed at securing peace in eastern Congo, where fighting has intensified for many months. The signing is dependent on Rwanda withdrawing its support for the M23 rebels. You're listening to NPR News. An obesity pill is expected to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration before the end of this year. It's getting a lot of attention, in large part because of the popularity of blockbuster injectable drugs like wegovy and Zepbound. NPR's Sydney Lupkin has more.

[Sydney Lupkin]

Novo Nordisk has been working on a pill containing the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy. It's a higher dose than what's in type 2 diabetes pill, Rubelsis, and is instead aimed at patients with obesity. Studies show the new pill's efficacy is similar to Wegovy's. If approved, the company says it will offer a discounted price of $149 a month for people not using their health insurance. That's part of a deal announced with the Trump administration earlier this year. Novo Nordisk has not yet announced a sticker price for insurers yet, however, and that is the price that will determine insurance coverage. The company says it is working with other parts of the drug supply chain to improve access. Sidney Lupkin, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

In college football, Arch Manning threw for one touchdown and ran for the last score late in the fourth quarter Friday night as number 16 Texas beat number three Texas A&M 2717. The win spoils the Aggies undefeated season and knocks them out of the Southeastern Conference championship game. In other Friday night action, number four Georgia held on to beat number 23, Georgia Tech, 16 to 9 in the annual in state rivalry. Nate Frazier ran for 108 yards and a pass by Gunner Stockton accounted for the game's only touchdown. And number six Ole Miss beat Mississippi State by the score of 38 to 19. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

[Mint Mobile Advertiser]

This message comes from Mint mobile. Starting at $15 a month, make the switch at mintmobile. Com Switch $45 upfront payment for 3 months 5 gigabyte plan equivalent to $15 a month Taxes and fees Extra first 3 months Only see terms.