NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2025 11AM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

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As we say goodbye to 2025, our reporters are looking back at some of the most memorable international stories they covered in the last year. From a city in Africa emerging from war to resilient Indian turtles, liberated refugees to defiant Austrian nuns. Global favorites from the last year, listen to State of the World on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say their meeting on Monday was productive, but there's no clear progress on their peace plan for Gaza. One Middle East expert says the latest proposal has slim chances of success. Daniel Levy, who heads the U.S. Middle East project, says the proposal is vague and lacks real accountability.

It's a very loosely worded, and let's be honest, incoherent so-called peace plan. And this is not the kind of document, these 20 points, and we're seeing it replicated in other situations. This is not either a serious approach to conflict resolution nor a serious approach to holding parties to a document that actually has ironclad commitments in it. In addition to Gaza, Trump signalled plans to address broader issues, including tensions in the West Bank and threats posed by Iran.

A powerful winter storm is making its way across parts of the Upper Midwest and is pushing east, just as millions of people prepare to hit the road for the New Year holiday. NPR's Dan Ronan reports, forecasters are warning of dangerous travel conditions. The big winter storm classified as a bomb cyclone started in the Upper Midwest with more than a foot of snow and high winds in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and it's heading east with high winds and frigid temperatures. Christian Schultz and her husband drove to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from northern Wisconsin so they could fly home to Alaska. It took us about four hours to drive down. Roads up north.

The plows were out, but they were still pretty snow-packed, slick. Meteorologists say parts of upstate New York could get up to 10 inches of snow Tuesday, and other parts of New England could have an ice storm. Dan Ronan, NPR News. More than a dozen states will raise their minimum wage on January 1st. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports the move comes as more Americans struggle with the cost of living. The federal minimum wage has been stuck since 2009 at just $7.25 an hour. In addition to the state hikes this year, dozens more localities are also raising their minimum wage.

It's a growing trend according to the National Employment Law Project as prices outpaced paychecks for millions of workers. Supporters say raising the minimum wage reduces hunger and poverty, while critics note it can also lead to job cuts. Both blue and red states are raising rates in 2026, in some places, beyond $17 an hour. But the employment law project says 20 states are keeping the lower federal rate, many of them in the south, where most black workers live. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, the Dow was down 90 points. This is NPR News. Another artistic group has canceled a performance at the Kennedy Center, joining a growing list of acts refusing to play at the venue after its board voted to add President Trump's name to the building. Jazz Supergroup, The Cookers, had been set to perform two New Year's Eve concerts, but canceled.

In a statement, the group said it remains committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them. Four years after labor organizing at Starbucks stores took off, baristas are still without a contract. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports that hasn't stopped more stores from seeking union representation. Employees at 19 Starbucks stores filed petitions for union elections this month. They seek to join the more than 560 unionized stores across the country. But four years after the first union election win, baristas have yet to finalize a contract with Starbucks. Each side blames the other for not negotiating in good faith. Since mid-November, thousands of baristas have gone on strike, calling for increased hours and higher wages.

Starbucks says its pay and benefits package is the best in retail, citing its health care plan, tuition reimbursement, and paid family leave. The company also points out that less than 4% of its employees work at unionized stores. Andrea Shue and PR News. A $400,000 shipment of lobster was stolen on its way to Costco stores. Officials say the driver posed as a legitimate carrier and made off with the seafood. The lobsters were bound for stores in Illinois and Minnesota. This is NPR News. This week on Trump's terms, a special report five years in the making.

I've got a president that pardoned all the people that assaulted me. January 6th, why the story isn't over. I get death threats every single day. We're still living in the midst of my trauma. Listen to a special report on January 6th from NPR's investigations team. This week on the Trump's Terms podcast from NPR.