NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-02-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly is pushing back on the Trump administration, saying the president is trying to bully his critics. Trump has criticized Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers for publishing a video. That told U.S. military members not to obey illegal orders. Kelly says that the video is legal. During a press conference yesterday, Kelly said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also condemned him. The same secretary of defense who is,

reported to have ordered a second strike to kill shipwreck survivors in the Caribbean. If there is anyone who needs to answer questions in public and under oath, it is Pete Hegesath. Kelly is a retired naval officer. Hegsath is supposed to answer lawmakers' question soon about the deadly U.S. military boat strikes in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. The Trump administration claims it is targeting drug traffickers but has offered no evidence to support that claim. President Trump's envoy, Steve Whitkoff, is expected in Moscow today for talks with Russian officials. His trip comes as European leaders met Ukrainian president Volodymer Zelensky yesterday in Paris. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports.

Zelensky and President Macron spoke to the media. Through an interpreter, Macron said Russia has rejected every one of Trump's peace proposals. Then another proposal came through in June. We worked on it here in London. Russia said no. The Europeans are worried the Trump administration may substitute business deals for real diplomacy. After thanking Europe for its support, Zelensky said Russia should not have the impression that it's getting rewarded for this war. War, he said, should not be profitable.

Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre News, Kiev. The National Guard member who was shot and wounded last week in Washington, D.C., remains hospitalized. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey has given an update on his condition. West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Chris Schultz reports. Morrissey said staff sergeant Andrew Wolfe is responsive but remains in serious condition after he and specialist Sarah Bextram were shot in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday. Bextram later died from her injuries. Morrissey reiterated that since November 17th,

all West Virginia Guard members serving in Washington are doing so on a volunteer basis. It is the state of West Virginia. intent, my intent, General Seward's intent, to do everything we can to help those guardsmen adjust to this and to help the families of those who were impacted. Following the shooting, President Trump ordered 500 additional National Guard members to the nation's capital, despite a federal judge's orders to end the deployment of National Guard troops. For NPR News, I'm Chris Schultz in Morgantown, West Virginia. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

President Trump's immigration crackdown has intensified a severe shortage of farm workers. The administration wants to help, but its remedy is facing strong resistance. From member station KCUR, Frank Morris reports. Most of the food produced in the U.S. is touched by immigrant labor, and about 40% of those workers are in the country illegally. Farm jobs were already hard to fill. And since ice raids began last year, the farm workforce has shrunk. Christy Boswell is with the new advocacy group, Grow It.

here. Farmers have reached a crisis point. We have farms that are going out of business. We have food prices at an all-time high. The Trump administration is trying to make it easier and cheaper for farmers to hire foreign guest workers through the H-2A visa program. Farm workers' unions are suing to stop deep cuts in guest worker wages. Front PR News. I'm Frank Morris in Kansas City. A wintry storm system is surging toward the mid-Atlantic and northeast. The National Weather Service says several states could get at least five inches of snow. There are winter storm warnings along the northeastern Atlantic coast. Forecasters say up to a foot of snow could fall in that area. One of the sons of jailed drug cartel leader El Chapo has pleaded guilty to U.S. charges of drug

trafficking. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested more than a year ago, along with another drug king pin who helped create the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel. Gussman Lopez's father, Waukeen El Chappo, Guzman was convicted in 2019. El Chapo is serving a life sentence in U.S. prison. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.