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Today's top stories
President Trump is currently on a trip to Asia, where he is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit of Asian leaders in South Korea. China and the U.S. are working to avoid a trade war. Trump attended a meeting yesterday celebrating a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand. He is currently in Tokyo.
- 🎧 This summit is different from other ones because China is in many ways equally as strong as the U.S., NPR's Mara Liasson tells Up First. China's economy and military are growing, and the nation has things the U.S. wants, like rare earth minerals. The U.S. and China have reached a framework for a trade deal, but it is not final until the two presidents meet to discuss it. A framework is an agenda, and Trump has said there will be concessions on both sides. There have been signs that Trump might be willing to ease up support for Taiwan, such as his choice not to renew aid to the country, in favor of a splashy trade deal with China.
Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans are questioning the Trump administration's military campaign in the Caribbean waters off Venezuela. In the past month, military strikes on suspected drug boats have killed at least 43 people. Venezuela's military spent the weekend preparing for potential land strikes.
- 🎧 The U.S. Coast Guard has been involved in drug interdiction in the Caribbean for many years. According to NPR's Carrie Kahn, some members of Congress believe that using missiles and destroyers to destroy speedboats is excessive and costly. Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham backed the administration on CBS yesterday, saying that the president has the power to make these strikes. Graham also stated that the military campaign could expand to land strikes and that the U.S. intention is to oust Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, from power.
Republican talking points blaming Democrats for the shutdown and saying food stamp benefits would run out on Nov. 1 showed up on the United States Department of Agriculture's website over the weekend. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have made no progress towards ending the government shutdown. The standoff continues even after hundreds of thousands of federal workers went without a paycheck on Friday.
- 🎧 Democrats believe that the expiration date of the health insurance subsidies will be harder to brush aside after this week, when open enrollment begins for plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, NPR's Sam Gringlas says. During the open enrollment period, millions of Americans could see their premiums soar in price. Some Republicans predict that Thanksgiving will be a turning point. One reason for the GOP's thoughts on that timing is that air traffic controllers are working without pay, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said last week to House Republicans.
Cost of living
NPR's series Cost of Living: The Price We Pay is examining what's driving price increases and how people are coping after years of stubborn inflation.
Sporting events are becoming a luxury due to increasing expenses. Many loyal fans have been priced out of attending these events, and the cost has more than doubled since the Labor Department started tracking sports ticket costs in 1999. Here's why tickets cost so much now:
- 🎟️ Teams are hiking the prices because they prefer to sell fewer seats at a higher price point than more seats at a lower price.
- 🎟️ Dynamic pricing, which allows vendors to adjust ticket prices based on demand, has allowed teams to get more money per ticket.
- 🎟️ Teams are focusing more on selling premium seats and experiences, which include special club areas and the opportunity to stand on the sidelines.
Listen to learn more about the rising cost of sports tickets. This week, the series will cover transportation, from buying a new vehicle to the price of car insurance. Stay up-to-date on the latest stories here.
How are higher prices changing the way you live? Fill out this form to share your story with NPR.
Picture show
The 2025 Siena Awards is a global competition that celebrates the art of aerial photography captured by drones. The entries this year range from a photograph of a horseman at sunset in Turkey, spotted between large rocks that appeared to form a natural stage, to a bird's-eye view of thousands gathering at the Ganges River in India to celebrate the body of water as a source of life. Drone photography has allowed many people to see a new perspective and reveal patterns that are not visible from the ground, says Dennis Schmelz, a filmmaker based in Germany who took top honors in this year's awards. Here's a look at a selection of award-winning and highly commended drone photographs from the Global South countries that Goats & Soda covers, plus an irresistible image from Italy.
3 things to know before you go
- Eric Schwartz's mother died when he was 15. On his first day back at school, he didn't want to discuss the loss. However, as Schwartz was leaving his last class of the day, his choir teacher, Renato Vellutino, stood up from behind the piano and pulled him into a bear hug. Neither of them said anything, but the hug from his unsung hero changed his life, and Schwartz has since tried to pass along that kind gesture to others who may be in pain.
- Authorities have arrested several suspects in the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris. According to the Paris prosecutor, authorities apprehended one suspect at Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturday night.
- Officials euthanized four gray wolves in Northern California after they said there were unprecedented levels of attacks on livestock. The state has been working to mitigate the impact the wolf population's comeback has had on ranchers.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen
Copyright 2025 NPR
