NPR News Now — December 3, 2025, 1PM EST

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Duration: ~5 minutes

Episode Overview

This edition of NPR News Now delivers a concise yet comprehensive roundup of the top national and international headlines as of December 3, 2025. Major stories include President Trump’s disparaging remarks toward Somalia and policy actions targeting Somali immigrants, heightened immigration enforcement across several US cities, the stalled US-Russia-Ukraine negotiations, a presidential pardon drawing controversy, and new developments in the ongoing “AI race” between OpenAI and Google.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s Comments on Somalia & Somali Immigrants

[00:18–01:21]

• President Trump made offensive public statements about Somalia, calling it “stinks and garbage.”
  • Quote:

    “I don't want them in our country. I'll be honest with you. Somebody would say, oh, that's not politically correct. I don't care. I don't want them in our country.”
    — President Trump ([00:38])

• Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre responded by refusing to engage directly:
  • Paraphrase: Barre says it’s better “not to respond.” ([00:27])
• Trump’s rhetoric has especially targeted the Somali-American community, including Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a prominent critic.
• Minneapolis–St. Paul, the US’s largest Somali community, faces growing concern over a planned immigration crackdown ([01:10]).

2. Immigration Enforcement Efforts Intensify in US Cities

[01:21–02:07]

• The Trump administration dispatched Customs and Border Protection agents to New Orleans to crack down on undocumented immigrants, citing “criminal illegal aliens roaming free” ([01:23]).
  • Local authorities (Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office) are under a federal consent decree preventing them from holding suspected undocumented immigrants beyond their release date.
• Federal agencies (FBI, Louisiana State Police) are taking measures to prevent interference with immigration officers.
• Similar enforcement efforts are underway in other Democratic-led cities: Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Charlotte.
• Reporter Note:

  “The FBI and Louisiana State Police have rolled out a joint effort to prevent citizens from interfering with federal immigration officers.”
  — Mel Bridges, WWNO ([01:32])

3. US–Russia–Ukraine Negotiations & War Update

[02:07–03:02]

• US-Russia negotiations in Moscow, aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, “wrapped up yesterday without significant progress.”
• Ukrainian negotiators, led by President Zelenskyy, are briefing European allies and preparing for further talks with US officials in Brussels.
• Russian President Putin accused Europe of altering the draft peace proposal to make it unacceptable for Russia ([02:21]).
• Quote:

  “Europe must keep the pressure on Putin so that Russia does not believe it will be rewarded for this war with stolen Ukrainian land or thousands kidnapped Ukrainian children.”
  — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing Irish Parliament ([02:46])

• Analysis from NPR suggests all parties remain “too far apart to conclude” peace ([02:56]).

4. US Market Update

[03:02–03:15; 04:44–04:50]

• US stocks are performing strongly:
  • Dow Jones up 372 points initially, then 375 points.
  • S&P 500 up 23 points.
  • Nasdaq up 52 points.

5. President Trump Pardons Rep. Henry Cuellar

[03:15–03:43]

• President Trump issued a pardon to Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife, who were facing a federal bribery and conspiracy case.
• Trump alleged that prosecution was politically motivated due to Cuellar’s criticism of former President Biden’s immigration policies.
• Cuellar and his wife were charged with accepting bribes linked to an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank.

6. OpenAI Declares ‘Code Red’ as Google Takes AI Lead

[03:43–04:44]

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a “code red” memo to staff after Google’s new Gemini AI chatbot outperformed OpenAI’s ChatGPT and competitors in industry benchmarks ([03:43]).
  • OpenAI is now suspending non-core projects (like AI health and shopping agents) and pausing their push into advertising.
  • Google’s chatbot “for the first time pulled Google ahead of the competition in the AI race.”
• OpenAI is experiencing financial pressure; Altman admits the company is not profitable and does not expect to be until 2030 ([04:04]).
  • Quote:

    “Altman said the company is not turning a profit and isn't expecting to until 2030.”
    — Bobby Allen, reporting ([04:44])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• President Trump (on Somali immigrants):
  "I don't want them in our country. I'll be honest with you. Somebody would say, oh, that's not politically correct. I don't care. I don't want them in our country." ([00:38])
• President Zelenskyy (to Irish parliament):
  "Europe must keep the pressure on Putin so that Russia does not believe it will be rewarded for this war with stolen Ukrainian land or thousands kidnapped Ukrainian children." ([02:46])
• Bobby Allen (on OpenAI’s struggles):
  “Altman said the company is not turning a profit and isn't expecting to until 2030.” ([04:44])

Segment Timestamps

| Segment Topic | Time Range | |-----------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Trump’s Somalia remarks & reaction | 00:18–01:21 | | Immigration crackdown in US cities | 01:21–02:07 | | US–Russia–Ukraine negotiation update | 02:07–03:02 | | Stock market report | 03:02–03:15; 04:44–04:50 | | Trump pardons Rep. Cuellar | 03:15–03:43 | | OpenAI vs Google AI race | 03:43–04:44 |

Tone & Language

The episode maintains a serious, neutral, and fact-centered tone typical of NPR News Now, emphasizing major headlines and verifiable statements from key public figures and reporters.

For listeners and readers, this summary encapsulates the critical headlines and quotes from the December 3, 2025, 1PM EST edition, providing a clear overview of domestic and international developments in politics, immigration, technology, and economics.