--:-- Amy Held: This message comes from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over $1.75 million to support NPR programming. Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, you can learn more at nprwineclub.org slash podcast. Must be 21 or older to purchase.
--:-- Amy Held: Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Amy Held. U.S. military officials tell NPR the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford will be in the Northern Caribbean by tomorrow, Adding to an American force of some 15,000 soldiers and sailors, the U.S. has announced military drills and multiple deadly military strikes on vessels carrying people the Trump administration calls narco-terrorists. All seen as a pressure tactic on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
--:-- Amy Held: Venezuela continues to prepare its military in response. Attorney General Pam Bondi has named a senior federal prosecutor to look into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's ties with prominent Democrats, banks and institutions.
--:-- Ryan Lucas: NPR's Ryan Lucas reports the Trump administration has publicly called for an investigation. In a post on social media President Trump accused Democrats of using the controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files to deflect from their own actions in the recent government shutdown. He also called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate former President Bill Clinton and other prominent Democrats whom Trump alleges were involved with Epstein.
--:-- Ryan Lucas: In her own social media post, Bondi said she's tapping the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, Jay Clayton, to take the lead on the matter. The moves come as Trump continues to face questions about his own ties to Epstein, particularly after House Democrats released a batch of emails this week that raised questions as to what Trump knew about Epstein's activities with underage girls.
--:-- Amy Held: Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
--:-- Amy Held: Member station WFAE is reporting that Border Patrol agents have arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina. A demonstration is planned there this afternoon. The governor has called for calm.
--:-- Joel Rose: This weekend, the FAA says flight reductions at dozens of airports will go down from 6 percent to 3 percent as staffing at air traffic facilities bounces back after the shutdown. NPR's Joel Rose reports.
--:-- Joel Rose: The FAA said the restrictions were necessary to keep the airspace safe as the agency grappled with widespread staffing shortages of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. But with the shutdown over, air traffic controllers have finally received some of the back pay they earned, and most are now back to work.
--:-- Joel Rose: Airlines say they confident they can ramp up quickly and should be able to return to their full schedules before Thanksgiving holiday travel begins.
--:-- Amy Held: Ukraine independent anti-agencies say associates close to President Volodymyr Zelensky plotted to skim millions from the country's energy sector. This says Ukrainians face a fourth brutal winter with widespread power cuts amid Russia's full-scale invasion.
--:-- Joanna Kakissis: NPR's Joanna Kakissis reports. Investigators say this group manipulated contracts at Enerho Atom, which is Ukraine's state nuclear energy company, and they got kickbacks laundering roughly $100 million.
--:-- Joanna Kakissis: The scandal has forced the resignation of two ministers in Zelensky's government so far, but Zelensky has not been implicated in this probe, and he is calling for the prosecution of those accused of committing crimes.
--:-- Amy Held: It's NPR News.
--:-- Amy Held: The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the September jobs report next Thursday, November 20th, more than six weeks late. The key economic indicator reveals unemployment and jobs added. This after the shutdown halted the release of nearly all government data.
--:-- Vicki Barker: Most Britons are deeply dissatisfied with democracy, according to New Polling. Vicki Barker reports from London.
--:-- Vicki Barker: The Nine Nation Ipso survey found only 26 percent of Britons are satisfied with how their democracy is working and more than half say the situation has worsened in the past five years. Three out of four said they fear for the next five years and only one in five believe their government's doing a good job protecting democracy.
--:-- Vicki Barker: Overall satisfaction with democracy remains low in all nine nations surveyed, including the U.S., with one exception, Sweden. Yet in all the countries surveyed, only tiny minorities, 1 to 5 percent, said democracy is not worth keeping.
--:-- Amy Held: For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.
--:-- Amy Held: As the NFL seeks to tackle an international fan base, the game plan is Madrid. Tomorrow, the league's first ever game in Spain will see the Washington Commanders take on the Miami Dolphins at Real Madrid's home field.
--:-- Amy Held: Spain is the sixth country outside the U.S. to host a game. This will mark the Dolphins' eighth international game, the second most behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.
--:-- Amy Held: The Commanders head into their second international game looking for their first win overseas.
--:-- Amy Held: It's NPR News.
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