NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-26-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: December 26, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump has announced a series of military strikes on ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. NPR's Tamri-Keeh reports the action was taken in cooperation with the Nigerian government. President Trump first drew attention to Nigeria last month with a series of social media posts, including this video. Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. In a post announcing the strikes, Trump wrote, quote, Merry Christmas to all,

including the dead terrorists of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues. In his own post, Secretary of Defense Pete Hagseth thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation and said there would be more to come. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he held talks with members of the Trump administration, including the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on how to end the war with Russia. The BBC's James Waterhouse reports, Zelensky said they discuss some new ideas and timelines. A once 28-point peace plan has now morphed into one with 20, but the key questions of territorial concessions and, in the words of Volodymy Zelensky, what the U.S. will do.

who, if Russia invades again, remain unanswered. There is talk of the freezing of the front lines, which are currently being eroded through costly Russian assaults. Whether Ukrainians fight to keep hold of frontline cities, they are being reduced to rubble regardless. It is why Ukraine believes Russia is merely playing for time with these negotiations devoid of progress. The BBC's James Waterhouse reporting,

a powerful storm system that brought days of heavy rain, Wind and snow to California is starting to ease, but as Steve Futterman reports, a number of trouble spots remain across the state. The latest storms are not expected to be as powerful as the storms the last two days. Those have caused extensive damage. Many roads have been turned into a muddy mess. There have also been numerous rock slides and debris flows. A number of water rescues have taken place and several deaths have been reported. By this Sunday, this current series of storms will have past, but it could be just a brief respite. The forecast calls for more rain next week on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. That's Steve Futterman reporting from Los Angeles. A powerful

winter storm is bearing down on parts of the Northeast. The National Weather Service has issued storm warnings for Southern Connecticut, Northeast New Jersey, and Southeast New York through Saturday. Forecasters expect heavy snow with total accumulation between four and eight inches. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The minimum wage is set to rise in 19 states on January 1st. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports millions of workers in red and blue states will see an increase in their paychecks. For the first time ever, the number of workers in states with a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour will top the number in states that still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

That's according to analysis by the Left-Leaning Economic Policy Institute. Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Missouri, and Nebraska will join 11 other states and the District of Columbia in setting a minimum wage of 15 an hour or higher. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that more than 8 million workers will see a wage bump as a result of minimum wage hikes in the new year. A majority are women and about a quarter are parents. Andrea Shoe and PR News. The Food and Drug Administration is recalling more than 83,000 bags of frozen raw shrimp from Indonesia over radioactive contamination. The FDA says the recall affects shrimp distributed by direct source seafood and sold under the market 32 and waterfront bistro brands. It was sold at supermarkets in several states, including Oregon, Utah, New York, and Massachusetts.

The products entered the retail stream in late June of this. year, giving the contaminated shrimp several months of potential exposure to consumers. Stocks across Asia closed higher today. Markets in China, Japan, and Hong Kong posted gains. This is NPR News. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.