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In Washington, I'm Nora Ram. Ukrainian negotiators are in Florida today where they're meeting with U.S. officials on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Ukrainian and European leaders say an initial plan proposed by the US Was too favorable to Russia. Before the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expects they'll make progress today.
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The end goal is obviously not just the end of the war. Obviously that's essential and fundamental. We want to see the end of the killing and the death and the suffering. And I'm sure the Ukrainian side, I know they do as well. They want peace, but it's also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.
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US Envoy Steve Witkoff is also representing the US as well as President Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner. Witkoff is to go to Moscow this week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Congress is launching a bipartisan investigation into the US Military strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The House and the Senate Armed Services Committee are acting after reports that the military fired on survivors of an initial strike in keeping with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's order to kill everyone on the boats. The Pentagon has denied the reports. Congress returns after the holiday break to debate annual spending bills. NPR's Deirdre Walsh reports they face a January 30 deadline to avoid another shutdown.
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The deal ending the historic 43 day government shutdown extended current spending levels at most federal agencies through January 30th. Lawmakers on the appropriations committees in the House and Senate are working to bundle some of the annual bills together. If both chambers fail to agree on legislation, Congress could again end up passing a continuing resolution that could extend the same funding levels for a full fiscal year. The inability by lawmakers on Capitol Hill to approve detailed budgets for federal agencies has ceded more power to the executive branch. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol.
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The death toll from a huge fire at a housing complex in Hong Kong is rising. At least 146 people are dead after recovery workers found more bodies in the wreckage. Cherise Pham has more.
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Officials say most of the bodies were from one of the high rises that caught fire first and had less time for evacuation, according to public broadcaster rthk. This is one of the deadliest fires in Hong Kong's history. It broke out at a sprawling public housing complex home to about 4,600 people. Seven buildings caught fire. Officials say that they have now gone through four of those buildings. They say it may take weeks to search the remaining three. This weekend, the city was in mourning. Flags flew at half mast, and videos from local media show hundreds of people lining up to lay flowers near the site of the fire. For NPR News, I'm Charisse Pham in Hong Kong.