NPR News: 10-11-2025 5AM EDT
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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theschmidt.org.
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Joel Snyder. Investigators are working to determine what caused yesterday's explosion that leveled a munitions plant in rural Tennessee. They're sifting through the rubble of the facility owned by Accurate Energetic Systems. At least 18 people remain missing. Tony Gonzalez of member station WPLN has more.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis choked up at a press conference, calling the wreckage the most devastation he's seen in his 30-year career. He says that understanding what caused the blast will take time.
Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that.
The powerful explosion at the plant southwest of Nashville obliterated one building and could be felt as far as 40 miles away. Neighbors say they have grown accustomed to smaller test blasts, but knew immediately that this explosion was something different. The company, AES, handles explosive products for the military, demolition firms, and the aerospace industry. For NPR News, I'm Tony Gonzalez in Nashville.
President Trump has announced massive new tariffs on Chinese goods. The new import taxes are in response to new restrictions China placed on rare earth minerals this week.
What caused the recent explosion at the munitions plant in Tennessee?
Trump made the announcement on social media after financial markets closed yesterday. Here's NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben.
Trump wrote that new 100% tariffs will be imposed on Chinese goods starting on November 1st. That's in addition to the 30% tariffs Trump has already imposed on Chinese goods this year. The president had threatened the higher tariffs earlier in the day in another post railing against China's new export controls on rare earth minerals. Those are used in many high-tech goods, including smartphones and defense systems. China processes the overwhelming majority of the world's rare earths. Trump had been set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Asia later this month. However, Trump also wrote Friday that, quote, now there seems to be no reason to do so. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.
Voters in New Orleans going to the polls today, choosing a new mayor to replace the term-limited LaToya Cantrell. The race is the first of several upcoming high-profile mayoral races, including in New York and Detroit next month, and it comes... As Trump has suggested that New Orleans could be the next city in its federal crime crackdown. NPR's Kat Lonsdorff.
Trump's conflation of crime and illegal immigration has been at the center of many of these deployments. We first saw it back in June when Trump federalized California's National Guard against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes. Trump did that to quell protests in Los Angeles in response to immigration and deportation raids in the city. The guard was sent in to protect federal ICE facilities and personnel in that case, too. And that's the same reasoning Trump has given for federalizing the guard in Oregon as well, even though that is currently halted by the federal courts, too.
A federal judge in Illinois has also blocked a troop deployment in the Chicago area for at least two weeks. This is NPR. Thousands of displaced Palestinians are returning to the ruins of their homes. A huge column of people began heading back on foot to the shattered northern Gaza Strip after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect yesterday. Under the first phase of the deal, the remaining hostages held by Hamas are to be released by early next week. in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. As Palestinians return north, Israeli troops have also begun pulling back, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that Israel could renew the war if Hamas does not give up its weapons.
French President Emmanuel Macron has named his outgoing prime minister as his incoming prime minister.
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