NPR News: 11-26-2025 12AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: 11-26-2025 12AM EST

Host: NPR (Gael Snyder)
Date: November 26, 2025
Length: ~5 minutes

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Overview

This episode delivers a rapid-fire summary of major global and national news events as of late November 2025. Key topics include the state of Ukraine-Russia peace talks, new U.S. housing policy lawsuits, political fallout for U.S. lawmakers speaking out against executive orders, ongoing ceasefire and hostage issues in Israel and Gaza, a climbing tragedy in New Zealand, and global financial market updates.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks and U.S. Involvement

• Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expresses skepticism about any U.S. peace plan for Ukraine that fails to address the Kremlin’s "core demands."
• Initial U.S. plan was considered "heavily tilted in Russia's favor" ([00:32]).
• The current U.S. proposal is being revised to include feedback from Ukraine and European allies.
• U.S. and Russian representatives are set to discuss these revisions in the United Arab Emirates.
• Meanwhile, fighting continues: heavy Russian attacks on Kyiv and Ukrainian drones striking Russian border regions.
• Notable Quote:

  "[Lavrov] said Moscow is still waiting to hear about a newly amended version of the US Plan, now with input from Ukraine and European powers." — Charles Mainz, NPR ([00:43])

2. President Trump on the Peace Process

• President Trump claims there is "no firm deadline" for Ukraine-Russia peace, but negotiations are progressing ([01:12]).
• Trump is dispatching envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow (to meet with Putin) and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to Kyiv for talks.
• Ukraine “supports the essence of the deal,” but “sensitive issues remain.”

3. 20 States Sue Trump Administration Over Homelessness Funding

• New federal policy redirects billions from permanent to transitional housing.
• Programs that embrace DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), serve transgender or non-binary people, or don’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement will be denied funds.
• The lawsuit, filed by mostly Democratic-led states, claims these conditions are unlawful and violate Congress’s mandate to allocate funding based solely on need.
• HUD Secretary Scott Turner says policy is to "promote self sufficiency," but advocates warn up to 170,000 people could end up back on the street.
• Notable Quote:

  "The lawsuit by the mostly Democratic led states says those conditions are unlawful, and it says Congress mandated that homelessness funding be distributed based solely on need." — Jennifer Ludden, NPR ([01:51])

4. FBI and Pentagon Target Democratic Lawmakers Over Military Orders Video

• Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH) and five other Democratic lawmakers are being investigated after a video circulated of them advising U.S. troops to disregard illegal commands ([02:34]).
• All six have military or intelligence backgrounds.
• Goodlander stands firm:
• Notable Quote:

  "I am doing my job. I will not be intimidated. I will not be harassed. I will continue to do my job and uphold my oath, and I will never give up the ship." — Rep. Maggie Goodlander ([02:48])

• Lawmakers claim the Trump administration seeks to silence dissent.
• Pentagon threatens to recall Sen. Mark Kelly (AZ) to active duty for possible charges.

5. Israel-Gaza Hostage and Ceasefire Developments

• Palestinian militants have handed over human remains via the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire agreement (in effect since October 10).
• Forensic testing will determine if the remains are those of the three remaining hostages in Gaza.

6. New Zealand Climbing Tragedy

• Two climbers, one a U.S. citizen and the other a French national, die on Aoraki/Mount Cook.
• Their bodies were recovered; local authorities are cooperating with the U.S. Consulate.
• The incident is reminiscent of a similar tragedy a year earlier involving missing climbers.
• Notable Context:

  "They were declared dead, but their bodies were never found." — Cristina Kukulyo, NPR ([04:25])

7. Financial Markets Update

• Robust trading in Asia as Japan’s Nikkei rises 1.8%.
• U.S. indices (S&P 500, NASDAQ, Dow) post notable gains; Dow up 664 points ([04:36]).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Sergei Lavrov on U.S. peace plan review:

  "Russia welcomed the initial version of a US Peace plan for Ukraine, one critic said was heavily tilted in Russia's favor." — Charles Mainz ([00:34])

• Rep. Maggie Goodlander's Defiance:

  "I will not be intimidated. I will not be harassed. I will continue to do my job and uphold my oath, and I will never give up the ship." — Maggie Goodlander ([02:48])

• Jennifer Ludden on homelessness lawsuit:

  "The lawsuit by the mostly Democratic led states says those conditions are unlawful." ([01:51])

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Notable Segment Timestamps

• Ukraine-Russia Peace Process & Fighting Update — 00:13–01:12
• President Trump’s Comments & Delegations — 01:12–01:51
• Homelessness Lawsuit & Policy Shift — 01:51–02:34
• Democratic Lawmakers Under Federal Scrutiny — 02:34–02:58
• Israel-Gaza Ceasefire and Hostages Update — 02:58–03:58
• New Zealand Climbing Fatalities — 03:58–04:36
• Global Markets Update — 04:36–04:56

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Summary

This concise news bulletin offers a global scan of urgent and developing stories: It spotlights complex Ukraine-Russia diplomacy with U.S. intervention, domestic legal battles over federal housing policies, escalating pressures on dissenting lawmakers, humanitarian and geopolitical developments in Israel and Gaza, international tragedy on Mount Cook, and buoyant signals from international stock markets. The tone is direct and factual, giving listeners a high-level yet highly relevant snapshot of the day’s events.

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Transcript

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[Gael Snyder]

[e-mail] live from NPR News. I'm Gael Snyder. Russia's top diplomat is warning Moscow would likely reject any U.S. peace plan for Ukraine that failed to address core Kremlin demands. From Moscow, NPR's Charles Mainz has details.

[Charles Mainz]

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia welcomed the initial version of a US Peace plan for Ukraine, one critic said was heavily tilted in Russia's favor. But the Lavrov claim mirrored consensus that came out of the Putin Trump meeting in Alaska. Lavrov said Moscow is still waiting to hear about a newly amended version of the US Plan, now with input from Ukraine and European powers. Lavrov's comments came as Russian and American representatives are set to gather in the United Arab Emirates to discuss those very changes. Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the diplomacy, with heavy Russian attacks overnight on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, and Ukrainian drones striking border regions of Russia. Charles Manes, NPR News, Moscow.

[Gael Snyder]

President Trump says he has no firm deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace deal. But speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida to spend the Thanksgiving holiday, he said negotiators are making progress. Trump says he is sending envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to Kyiv to meet with the Ukrain, who say they support the essence of the deal but that sensitive issues remain. 20 states are suing the Trump administration over cuts to long term housing for homeless people. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. A funding shift comes with new restrictions that states say are illegal.

[Jennifer Ludden]

The federal housing agency HUD wants to shift billions of dollars away from permanent housing toward transitional housing, and it says it will deny funding to programs that promote dei, acknowledge people who are transgender or non bina or don't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit by the mostly Democratic led states says those conditions are unlawful, and it says Congress mandated that homelessness funding be distributed based solely on need. HUD Secretary Scott Turner has said the funding changes are about promoting self sufficiency. Advocates for ending homelessness say the overhaul could push 170,000 people back onto the streets. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

[Gael Snyder]

New Hampshire Democratic Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander is sounding defiant following word that the FBI wants to talk to her and the five other Democratic lawmakers in that video calling on US Troops not to follow illegal orders.

[Maggie Goodlander]

I am doing my job. I will not be intimidated. I will not be harassed. I will continue to do my job and uphold my oath, and I will never give up the ship.

[Gael Snyder]

Goodlander and the five other Democrats all have military or intelligence backgrounds. They say the Trump administration is trying to silence them. On Monday, the Pentagon threatened to recall Arizona Senator Mark Kelly to act active duty to potentially face military charges. This is NPR News. Israel says Palestinian militants have handed over another set of human remains through the Red Cross, but it's not yet clear if the remains are those of one of the three hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the remains will be taken for forensic testing and identification. The handover is the latest under the ceasefire that took effect on October 10. Authorities in New Zealand say a US citizen was one of two mountain climbers who died while scaling the country's highest peak earlier this week. Christina Kukulyo reports that local authorities say they are working with the US Consulate.

[Cristina Kukulyo]

New Zealand police say search teams have recovered the bodies of the two men who died on Aoraki Mount Cook on Monday evening, local time. Police see it to publicly identify the American citizen who's reported to have died together with his mountain guide, who's said to be a French national. Two other climbers who were with them were rescued by helicopter. Authorities say a coroner will investigate the deaths, which come nearly a year after three climbers from the US And Canada went missing on the same mountain. They were declared dead, but their bodies were never found. For NPR News, I'm Cristina Kukola in Melbourne. Australia.

[Gael Snyder]

Stocks in Asia are rising in Wednesday trading. Japan's benchmark Nikkei up 1.8% in early trading following a third day of gains for for the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite. The Dow Jones Industrial average rallied for a gain of 664 points. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.

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