NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-29-2025 4PM EST

Episode Date: December 29, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump, welcome back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today to his South Florida residents. Both were set to discuss phase two of the U.S. broker Gaza peace plan that Trump says has to include Hamas disarmament. Trump also had a warning for Iran, months after the country was met with Israeli strikes in a 12-day war. The conflict also involved historic direct U.S. strikes on Iranian soil. They were met with a force, the likes of which. very few countries could have handled. And we worked together, and we were extremely victorious, to put it mildly. Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we're going

to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that's not happening. Trump addressed the latest military operations off Venezuela. He says the U.S. has taken out docks where alleged drugboats were located. The president also told reporters he spoke with Russian president, Vladimir Putin this morning, hours after his talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, on the terms of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. In Kiev, NPR's Joanna KISSIS reports Ukraine accuses Moscow of spreading lies about an attempted attack on Putin's state residence. 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, cave. A powerful winter storm is sweeping across the U.S.

stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. NPR's Matt Bloom reports the system is bringing dangerous winds, travel disruptions, and major temperature drops. The storm has unleashed snow, ice, and severe thunderstorms across the Midwest, especially the Great Lakes region. Forecasters warn it has the potential to bring strong wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, and potential whiteout conditions making road travel dangerous. Snowfall is expected to reach up to two feet in some areas.

As the storm moves northeast, it's expected to bring a mix of icy rain to parts of New England. On its back end, temperatures are expected to fall dramatically heading into the New Year's holiday. Cities from Houston to Atlanta are expected to see highs 10 to 15 degrees below average. Mabloom, NPR News. The Dow's closed down nearly 250 points. You're listening to NPR News. With thousands of visitors expected in New Orleans for New Year's, the All-State Sugar Bowl, and Marty Grop,

state leaders are deploying the Louisiana National Guard to bolster security. Their decision is drawing mixed reactions from residents, including Alvin Stevens. A lot of homelessness going on and a lot of other things going on that needs attention other than National Guard walking around the street. with their hands in their pockets. The heightened security is also linked to the anniversary of the New Year's Day terrorist attack in which a man drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street and killed 14 people.

The U.S. State Department has announced it will contribute $2 billion to the United Nations for humanitarian aid work. NPR's Gabriella Emmanuel reports this is a fraction of what the U.S. contributed in previous years. The State Department says the aid will provide life-saving support to tens of millions of people facing hunger and disease. However, it said the money requires the U.N. to make some structural changes to address what the administration calls, quote, ideological creep within U.N. agencies. This year, the U.S. has dramatically cut the amount of money it spends on foreign aid. And it has now shifted its emphasis to distributing aid directly to countries, rather than working through institutions. institutions like the UN. Gabriela Emmanuel and PR News.

U.S. stocks have end of the day lower with Dow closing down 249 points or roughly half a percent, settling at 48,4161. The SMP was down 24, NASDAQ off 118 points. It's NPR.