NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-02-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kourva Coleman. President Trump's envoy Steve Whitkoff and his Senate law, Jared Kushner, are to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today. They're expected to review a U.S.-backed peace plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine. But last night, Russian media showed a video of Putin visiting a military command post. He blamed the war on Ukraine's pro-Western government. And Pyrr as Charles Mainz says the video seemed to indicate Putin thinks any peace plan that helps Ukraine is out of the war. the question. This deal was initially tilted in Russia's favor, which got Putin's cautious endorsement. But then came the blowback. Ukraine, Europe, even some Republicans in Congress said this was unacceptable and they demanded changes. And so with each revision, they pulled it further away from a deal Moscow liked. And these scenes of Putin and his generals certainly seem an attempt to convince the U.S. that there's just no alternative but for Ukraine to bend to core Russian

demands. NPR's Charles Mainz reporting. In the U.S., the man accused of killing the CEO of United Health Care, Brian Thompson, will return to court today in New York. Lawyers for Luigi Mangione are arguing in hearings some evidence against their client should be thrown out in the state trial. NPR Sarah Ventry reports. Mangioni's lawyers are fighting for certain critical pieces of evidence to be excluded from his New York state trial, including a handgun and a notebook in which prosecutors say Mangione wrote of his intent to, quote, whack a health insurance executive. Both things were found in Mangione's backpack at the time of his arrest, which the defense argues happened without a search warrant. The defense also wants to suppress some of Mangioni's statements to police, which they say

were given before he was told he had the right to remain silent. The hearings will continue throughout the week. Sarah Ventry and Pierre News, New York. There's a special election today in a Tennessee congressional district. It's to fill the seat of Republican congressman who's retired. The district covers parts of middle and western Tennessee, along with a sliver of Nashville. Recent polling by Emerson College suggests that the Republican and Democratic candidates are nearly tied. The White House says President Trump's most recent medical exam confirmed that he remains in excellent health. NPR's Rob Stein reports on new information about the president's MRI scan. The White House released a statement from the president's physician stating that Trump remains, quote, in excellent.

overall health. Questions about the president's health have been swirling since he underwent another exam in October that included a test known as an MRI. MRIs are sometimes used to assess the health of vital organs. The White House physician's statement says the president's imaging showed his heart, arteries, blood vessels, and other major organs all appear normal. Trump is 79, making him the oldest person ever elected as president. Rob Stein, in PR News. listening to NPR News from Washington. The federal government is providing temporary funding to several dozen tribal radio stations

swept up in President Trump's defunding of public media. NPR's Frank Langford has more. KSUT is an NPR member station in southwest Colorado. Among the communities it serves are Native American tribes. KSUT lost about 20 percent of its annual budget after Congress voted to kill federal funding for NPR and PBS. But to help tribal stations, the Bureau, of Indian Affairs has restored one year of funding. Tammy Graham is executive director of KSUT. This has been the most unreal roller coaster ride that I've been on in my career. Graham says the money provides a little breathing space for the station to begin to build a

$6 million endowment to replace federal money. Many other tribal stations face a grimmer future. The vast majority rely on government money from anywhere from 40% to all of their budgets. Frank Langford NPR News, Ignacio. Colorado. Authorities in Stockton, California are still searching for suspects in the weekend attack on a children's birthday party. Four people were killed, including children. Nearly a dozen other people were wounded. Officials in Stockton are asking anyone with information to come forward. A wintry weather system is storming east. Parts of the Midwest, Bid Atlantic, and Northeast are under winter weather cautions. New Jersey's governor has declared a state of emergency for some

counties, Maine Governor Janet Mills is closing state offices early today. Parts of Maine and other New England states could get up to a foot of snow today. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.