NPR News Now – 12-09-2025 2PM EST

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Date: December 9, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers a concise yet impactful roundup of the hour’s top global and national headlines. Major topics include President Trump’s campaign efforts amid economic concerns, a landmark United Nations climate report, promising developments in gene therapy for leukemia, heightened tensions around a U.N. agency raid in East Jerusalem, and a rise in rescue calls on Vermont’s tallest mountain due to social media-inspired skiers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump Campaigns in Pennsylvania Amid Economic Anxiety

Segment: 00:18–01:12

• President Trump visited Mount Pocono, a swing district in Pennsylvania, as part of renewed domestic outreach.
• NPR’s Tamara Keith notes that Trump’s administration admits to lacking direct policy messaging travel, focusing more on appearances at sporting events than town halls or rallies.
• A White House official (unnamed) shared that efforts to connect with Americans will increase, beginning with this Pennsylvania visit, as polling indicates concerns about affordability before the 2026 midterms.

Notable Quote:

“In his second term, President Trump has done very little domestic travel aimed at pitching his policies to the American people. …A senior White House official I spoke with…readily acknowledged that this sort of messaging travel has been lacking and said the president would be ramping it up late this year and into next year, starting with today’s trip to Pennsylvania…”
— Tamara Keith (00:39)

2. U.N. Calls for Economic and Environmental Reform

Segment: 01:12–02:13

• The United Nations released a comprehensive 1200-page Environment Program report, authored by nearly 300 scientists, urging countries to reform economies and combat pollution to prevent premature deaths and poverty.
• Executive Director Inger Anderson underscored the benefits of addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
• Projections: By 2050, these reforms could avert 9 million pollution-related premature deaths, lift 200 million out of undernourishment, and move 150 million from extreme poverty.
• Anderson conceded that while the upfront costs are high, economic and health benefits would be much greater long-term.

Notable Quotes:

“Every four years, the United Nations Environment Program issues its global environment Outlook.”
— Inger Anderson (01:32)
“Doing so could by 2050 avoid 9 million pollution related premature deaths, lift 200 million people out of undernourishment and move 150 million people out of extreme poverty.”
— NPR Reporter (01:47)

3. New Gene Therapy Trial Offers Hope for Rare Leukemia

Segment: 02:13–03:12

• British researchers are trialing a groundbreaking gene therapy targeting a rare aggressive leukemia in patients unresponsive to standard treatments.
• Utilizing advanced gene editing on immune cells, the trial (University College London & Great Ormond Street Hospital) has shown early success:
  • Nine out of eleven patients, including a 13-year-old girl, reached deep remission enabling bone marrow transplants.
  • Seven remained disease-free from three months to three years afterward.
  • The young girl now aspires to become a cancer doctor herself.

Notable Quote:

“Nine of those 11 patients achieved deep remission that enabled them to go for bone marrow transplants, and seven of them remained disease free between three months and three years after treatment, including that first teenage patient who now wants to be a cancer doctor.”
— Lauren Frayer (02:56)

4. U.N. Condemns Israeli Raid on Agency Office in East Jerusalem

Segment: 03:18–04:18

• The United Nations criticized Israel after police raided a UNRWA office in East Jerusalem (serving Palestinian refugees), seizing equipment and replacing the U.N. flag.
• Israel justified the action as debt collection; UNRWA termed it unauthorized entry, with U.N. Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres demanding respect for U.N. property.
• Israel claims some UNRWA employees participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, further straining relations.

Notable Quote:

“UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the raid amounts to unauthorized entry. He’s demanding Israel respect the, quote, inviolability of UNRWA premises.”
— Jerome Sokolovsky (04:04)

5. Vermont Rescue Team Responds to More Inexperienced Skiers

Segment: 04:18–04:56

• Stowe Mountain Rescue reports a rising number of calls to help lost or stranded skiers, now around eight per season—more than double five years ago.
• Rescue officials link the uptick to social media videos encouraging risky off-trail skiing.

Memorable Moments

• Personal narrative: The first teenage gene therapy recipient’s dream of becoming a cancer doctor (02:56).
• U.N. direct call for sweeping reforms and its quantified long-term benefits—a global call to action (01:47).

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:18 | President Trump’s visit to Pennsylvania and campaign travel | | 01:12 | United Nations environmental report findings | | 02:13 | Breakthrough leukemia gene therapy in the UK | | 03:18 | U.N. condemnation of raid on UNRWA in East Jerusalem | | 04:18 | Vermont rescue uptick due to social media-driven ski mishaps |

Tone:
Professional, urgent, and informative—to deliver important news in a matter-of-fact, concise manner with brief moments of human interest.