NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2025 7AM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump says the U.S. military has targeted a dock in Venezuela where he claims drugs were being loaded on to boats. NPR's deepest shiver on reports the strike marks in escalation in the administration's pressure campaign against the Venezueling government. President Trump was about to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he confirmed to reporters that the U.S. had, quote, hit a Venezuelan. There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs. They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats. Trump did not provide further detail, but such a strike likely indicates an escalation in aggression toward Venezuela.

In recent weeks, Trump announced a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of Venezuela, and the U.S. has struck multiple boats off the coast of the South American country, alleging that they're carrying drugs. More than 100 people have been killed in those attacks. Deepa Chivaram, NPR News. Russia is threatening to take a tougher stance in peace talks aimed at ending its war in Ukraine. The Kremlin is accusing Keev of launching a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences. NPR's Joanna Kikis' reports Ukraine says the claim is fabricated and a move to justify more fighting.

Russia's longtime foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, brought it up yesterday. in an interview with Interfax, Russia's state-owned news agency, and he claimed without evidence that Ukraine had launched 91 drones at a Putin residence in Novgorod in the northwest, and that Russia's air defense had shot down these drones. Now, we should say Lavrov is not trusted by Western leaders, and Ukrainian President Volodyear Zelensky immediately denied Lavrov's charge and said

Russia was inventing this incident to undermine peace talks and expand attacks on Ukraine. That's NPR's Joanna Kikis, reporting from Keith. A powerful winter storm is making its way across parts of the Upper Midwest and is pushing east, just as millions of people prepared 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 in high winds in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania,

and it's heading east with high winds in frigid temperature. Christians. 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. This is NPR. California has dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration over the loss of $4 billion in federal funds for the state's high-speed rail project. The administration had argued the rail authority lacked a viable plan, but the authorities said the federal government proved to be an unreliable partner.

Most of the project's funding comes from the state. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is defending the high. ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup. NPR's Raphael NOM reports he says the tournament is attracting unprecedented demand. Fans have reacted with outrage at the ticket prices for the World Cup being held across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Benefentino justified the high ticket prices by saying FIFA had received a record 150 million ticket requests already this month.

And according to this video released at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, where he spoke, most of the proceeds will be invested towards growing soccer. What is important and what is crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world. People can apply for a chance to get tickets until January 13. Rafael NUMM in PR News. A $400,000 shipment of lobster was stolen on its way to Costco stores. Officials say the driver posed as a legitimate. legitimate carrier and made off with the seafood. The lobsters were bound for stores in Illinois and Minnesota. I'm Windsor Johnston, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.