--:-- Louise Schiavone: This message comes from Total Wine and More. November is all about gathering. Total Wine and More has wines, beers, and spirits for special moments. Find what you love and love what you find. Spirits not sold in Virginia and North Carolina. Drink responsibly. B-21.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, will arrive in the Northern Caribbean tomorrow, according to a U.S. military official.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: The USS Gerald Ford will be joining some 15,000 soldiers and sailors already in the region. A U.S. military official told NPR the U.S. is gearing up for possible military action, saying, quote, the table is being set.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: High-level meetings with members of Congress and foreign leaders are continuing, along with ongoing military exercises. It remains unclear, however, if President Trump will use military force against the country. The U.S. has conducted multiple strikes on boats in the region. President Trump has also repeatedly called on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to resign.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: Officials told NPR the arrival of the U.S.S. Gerald Ford could be just another pressure tactic on Maduro who has put his own forces on high alert.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: Laura Sullivan NPR News. Border patrol agents have begun carrying out an immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte, North Carolina, the largest city, and a Democratic Party stronghold in the state.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: Agents have been seen making arrests today throughout the city's immigrant corridors.
--:-- Daniel Martinez: Los Angeles is experiencing a strong seasonal storm with several inches of rain due through tomorrow.
--:-- Daniel Martinez: In Malibu, local officials advised residents to seek higher ground and avoid moving water. Above the Palisades' burn scar, reports of rock slides and mud had people fearing the worst.
--:-- Daniel Martinez: Flash flood warnings stretched from the far northwest of LA County to its eastern edges Saturday. Streets flooded in Compton and Camarillo, and in the city of LA, dozens of trees were knocked down by high winds.
--:-- Daniel Martinez: Forecasters say the worst is over and showers will taper off into the week as a new storm approaches.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: For NPR News, I'm Danielle Martinez in Pasadena.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: The U.S. Postal Service says it is planning to make changes after ending another fiscal year with a net loss in the billions.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: As NPR Hansi Lo Wang reports the Postal Service is proposing to increase shipping prices next year to help stabilize finances.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: Even though it's a government agency, the U.S. Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars and relies on stamp and service fees to keep running.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: In the past fiscal year, USPS had a net loss of $8 billion. That's down about a half billion dollars compared to the previous year, in part because of drops in transportation and workers' compensation expenses.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: Postmaster General David Steiner says in the new year, he hopes to increase shipping services, especially in rural areas that private companies don't serve, and improve delivery times.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: Service is still not where we expect it to be, nor is it what our customers deserve.
--:-- Hansi Lo Wang: Starting in mid-January, the cost of shipping with USPS may go up between 5 and 8 percent, but a first-class forever stamp is staying at 78 cents, at least for a few more months.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: Hansi Lo Wang, NPR News.
--:-- Ava Pukac: Researchers believe they've documented the first known death from alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy caused by tick bites.
--:-- Ava Pukac: In 2024, a 47-year-old man in New Jersey died hours after he ate a hamburger at a barbecue.
--:-- Ava Pukac: Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine now say they believe the man likely had alpha-gal syndrome.
--:-- Saravanan Bangamani: Transmitted primarily by lone star ticks, it results in an allergic reaction hours after a person eats meat.
--:-- Saravanan Bangamani: People who regularly spend time outside are advised to proactively prevent tick bites by using repellents, wearing protective clothing, and avoiding tick habitats.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: Eva Pugach, NPR News.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: With the shutdown now over and more air traffic controllers returning to work, the Department of Transportation is easing restrictions on commercial flights at 40 major airports over the course of this weekend.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: They've been in place since last week. Federal aviation officials say the reductions in air traffic at dozens of major airports have been lowered from 6 percent to 3 percent of flights.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: Airlines are saying that they're confident they can ramp up quickly and they expect they should be able to return to their full schedules before Thanksgiving holiday travel begins.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: This message comes from NPR sponsor Patagonia. As environmental progress stalls, Patagonia believes it's on businesses to step up.
--:-- Louise Schiavone: The company knows it isn't perfect, but it's proving businesses can make a profit without bankrupting the planet. Explore more at patagonia.com slash impact.
