NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-29-2025 1PM EST

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is hosting a key meeting this hour about the future of the Israel-Humas ceasefire in Gaza. As Itai Stern reports from Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to Washington, D.C., this time with the mother of the last Israeli hostage whose remains have yet to be recovered. This will be the sixth meeting between Netanyahu and Trump. The president is expected to press Netanyahu to move to the next. phase of the ceasefire, even as the prime minister faces pressure from the far-right minister in his coalition who are opposed to any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu arrived in Florida

accompanied by Talik Vili, the mother of staff sergeant Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage whose body is still missing. Hamas says it doesn't know where the remains are and it's still searching for him amid mounds of rubble. Gvili says she wants the two leaders not to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement until her son's body is returned. It's a position Netanyahu is also insisted on. Mitai's turn for NPR News, Tel Aviv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Moscow is spreading lies about an attempted attack on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin's state residents. He says Putin's allies are seeking to justify stepped-up strikes on Ukraine cities. Here's NPR's Joanna Kikis in Kiev. Speaking to Russia's state-owned

Interfax News Agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, accused Ukraine of reckless actions without citing evidence. He said Moscow will now review its negotiating position and retaliate against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky, who met with President Trump in Florida on Sunday, called the accusation, quote, another lie from Russia. In a voice memo to reporters, Zelensky said Russia does not want to end its war on Ukraine. He said, I am sure they are preparing to launch strikes, probably on the Ukrainian capital and probably on government buildings. Everyone, he said, must be on alert. Joanna Kikisis, NPR News, Kiev. Heating costs are expected to rise three times faster than inflation this winter.

According to an outlook published this month by the state directors of a program to help low-energy households heat their homes. More from NPR's Camila Dominovsky. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association expects that, on average, families using propane or heating oil will see no change or even small savings compared to last year. But total winter heating costs will be up around $50 for those with natural gas heating and more than $130 on average for families that use electricity. The Energy Information Administration, meanwhile, has also adjusted its winter outlook to anticipate a colder winter and higher spending than previously predicted.

It's NPR. The Flight Tracker Flight Aware is posting more than 4,000 delays and more than 6,650 cancellations, that is, within, into, or out of the U.S. today. Chicago area airports have the largest count of disruptions after rain, snow, and more than 50 mile per hour wind gusts affected the region over the weekend. O'Hare International issued multiple ground stops when visibility was significantly reduced. The winter storms moving east, springing snow, ice, and potentially destructive winds. As the year comes to a close, Republicans have an edge so far in the redistricting race set off by President Trump.

As Houston public media, Andrew Schneider tells us, Trump is trying to help the GOP, keep control of the House after next year's midterms. Trump kicked off the mid-decade redistricting effort this past summer by pressing Texas to redraw its congressional map to help Republicans pick up five seats. California Governor Gavin Newsom then set a special election which approved a new map there that could shift five Republican-held seats to the Democrats. Missouri into North Carolina, then each redrew their maps

to pick up one seat apiece for the GOP. Meanwhile, a state law prompted Ohio to redistrict to pick up another two seats for the Republicans, while a court-ordered Utah to redraw its map in such a way to help Democrats pick up a seat. The net effect nationwide is a possible gain of three seats for the GOP so far. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. The Dow is down 280 points. It's NPR News.