NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-28-2025 12AM EST

Episode Date: December 28, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on his way to the U.S. where he meets Sunday with President Trump in Florida. But first, he stopped off in Halifax, where he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney announced Canada is providing $1.8 billion in economic assistance for Ukraine. Looking toward his talks with Trump tomorrow, Zelensky says he's hoping for a constructive meeting. We need two things, pressure on Russia, and sufficient strong support for Ukraine.

We will speak about air defense, and last weeks we had good steps in diplomacy, but we can't live in an illusion that it gives us possibility to have less air defense with Russia doesn't work. Russia's military, meanwhile, attacked Ukraine's capital of Kiev on Saturday. Missiles and drones hit parts of that city's energy infrastructure, along with several residential buildings. At least one person was killed in the attack. The strike comes one day before Ukraine's president is scheduled to, with President Trump in Florida. The period between Christmas and New Year's

is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, but a winter storm has complicated travel in the Northeast with more than 1,300 flights canceled and more than 24,400 more delayed so far, that's according to the web tracking site, Flight Aware. Bruce Convizer has our report from New York City. The forecast called for 5 to 9 inches of snow here in the city and across a large swath of New Jersey.

But warm air from the Atlantic Ocean pushed into the upper atmosphere, causing a mix of sleet and snow. That depressed snow totals here on the ground. Still, more than four inches was recorded in Central Park, making one of the most significant snowstorms to hit the city in recent years. The storm pushed out to sea early Saturday.

Heavyer snow amounts, in line with forecasters' predictions did fall upstate. For NPR news, I'm Bruce Confeiser in New York. Abortion and abortion counseling is now banned, And for veterans in the Veterans Affairs Health System, as NPR Selena Simmons-Duffin reports, the VA changed its policy after a Justice Department opinion that was issued on Friday. Based on a Department of Justice memo, the VA confirmed to NPR it has put in place a new policy this week where abortion and abortion counseling is banned except as, quote, life-saving treatment.

That's a reversal of a policy during the Biden administration that allowed access in cases of rape and health risks. Kayla Williams is an Army veteran and the former director of the Center for Women Veterans at VA. We are at increased risk of having physical health conditions related to toxic exposures, including various cancers. So barring not only abortion but also abortion counseling seems particularly cruel and inhumane. She also notes that women veterans are at increased risk of PTSD, which can cause worse pregnancy outcomes. Selina Simmons-Duffin, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. Ground controllers are continuing their efforts to re-establish contact with the Maven spacecraft,

which is now orbiting Mars. As Joe Palka reports, NASA says it last heard from its probe on December 6th. There was no indication Maven was having any technical problems earlier this month when its orbit took it behind Mars out of sight from Earth-based antennas. But when it came back into view, no signal came from the probe's radio. tracking data suggested the spacecraft might be rotating and that its orbit might have changed, but there was no apparent reason why. NASA has tried to use the camera on the rover curiosity to capture a picture of the orbiter from the Martian surface, but so far, no luck.

Future rescue efforts face an orbital problem. Starting December 29, the sun will be between the Earth and Mars, making communication between the two planets impossible for about three weeks. For NPR News, I'm Joe Palka. Thailand and Cambodia have signed a new ceasefire agreement to end weeks of fighting over a border dispute. The deal took hold at noon on Saturday and stops military movement and airspace violations between the two countries. Thailand had undertaken airstrikes in Cambodia as recently as Saturday morning. Both countries have suffered military and civilian casualties in the fighting. The man next in line to lead the Mormon Church has died.

Jeffrey Holland was 85 years old. The church announced his death on Saturday, saying he died. from complications from kidney disease. Holland had been hospitalized during the Christmas holiday. He had previously served as the president of Brigham Young University. I'm Dale Wilman, and you're listening to NPR News.

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