NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-29-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

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Support for NPR, and the following message come from Yarl and Pamela Mohn, thanking the people who make public radio great every day and also those who listen. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. President Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the fragile ceasefire in Gaza at Trump's Mar-Aloga resort in Florida today. Trump says he wants to get to the next phase of the plan quickly, as NPR's of Franco Ordonez reports. That phase includes the disarmament of Hamas, which of course they've been resisting. It also means reconstruction and establishing a new governing structure. But the so-called ceasefire has really been rocky with violence breaking out between Israeli defense forces and Gaza militants. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed as a result, many of them children, according to health officials.

Also, while almost all of the hostages have been released, one final hostage has not been returned. NPR's Franco Ordonia's reporting a new Texas state law requiring most sheriff's offices to enter into an agreement with immigration and customs enforcement goes into effect next month. Priscilla Rice of member station KERA reports some local immigration advocates worry it'll keep migrants from reporting crime. Senate Bill 8 requires sheriff's offices that operate a county jail to participate in a 287G agreement with ICE, which would permit ICE to task local officials with enforcing immigration law. Migrant advocacy groups like Vesinos Unido's DFW and the Movimento want North Texas sheriffs to reject the agreement. Azael, a community organizer with both groups, who asked to only use his first name,

says the law will increase fear and distrust in migrant communities. I think it would drive victims and witnesses of crimes into the shadows. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities without being targeted. Supporters of the bill say it increases public safety. For NPR news, I'm Priscilla Rice in Dallas. A retired public school teacher is suing San Francisco and the city's police department arguing its use of flock safety license plate reader cameras amounts to unconstitutional mass surveillance. Rachel Myro has more from KQED.

The federal complaint argues San Francisco is feeding a surveillance dragnet accessible by federal agencies, including ICE. Similar lawsuits have been filed against Oakland and San Jose. If successful, though San Francisco suit could have implications far beyond the city, as license plate reader systems are now used by thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. Plaintiff's attorney Ramsey Abadu. We believe it's a violation of the Fourth Amendment to track everyone all the time without their consent and without a warrant. In a statement, the chief communications officer for the company that makes the cameras, flock safety, wrote the lawsuit seeks to overturn longstanding nationwide legal

consensus. For NPR News, I'm Rachel Myro. A winter storm is barreling across the northern U.S., unleashing blizzard conditions in the Midwest and aiming at the East Coast. This is NPR News. California has dropped a lawsuit against the Trump administration for withdrawing $4 billion for the state's high-speed rail project. The administration has said the authority running the project doesn't have a viable plan to complete it, but the authority says the federal government showed it's not a trustworthy partner to help get the bullet train done. The project receives most of its funding from the state. Heating costs are expected to rise three times faster than inflation this winter.

That's according to the state directors of a program to help low-income households heat their homes. NPR's Kamila Dominovsky reports rising costs for electricity and natural gas are the root causes. 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.

Camila Dominovsky, NPR News. The Grand Egyptian Museum has begun reassembling a boat belonging to Pharaoh Kufu in its exhibition hall near Cairo. He ruled over 4,500 years ago and commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza. Experts believe the boat was used for Kufu's funeral and or his afterlife journey. The cedar wood vessel is expected to take around four years to rebuild. I'm Ryland Barton. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. 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 C's Apply.