NPR News Now – 12-27-2025, 9PM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst
Date: December 28, 2025
Episode Overview:
This concise five-minute news update covers major international and national headlines, including a devastating Russian attack on Ukraine, a fatal bombing in Syria, declining trust in US health agencies, the death of disability rights advocate Bob Kafka, regulations on shed hunting in Colorado, and a significant earthquake in Taiwan. The episode weaves together direct reports, notable quotes from officials, and insights from NPR correspondents.

Main Story: Russia’s New Attack on Ukraine

Timestamp: 00:11–01:12

• Key Points:

  • Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine, targeting power plants and residential areas in Kyiv.
  • At least 2 people were killed, and dozens wounded.
  • Ukrainian military claims 40 missiles and "59019" drones were deployed. The unusually high drone number appears to be a transcription error, but it signals the attack's scale.
  • The timing is notable: one day before Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss security and a new peace proposal.
  • Zelensky condemned the attack as evidence that Russia “isn’t serious about peace.”
  • On route to the US, Zelensky stopped in Halifax to confer with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

• Notable Quote:

  • Mark Carney (Canadian PM) [00:56]:

    "The barbarism that we saw overnight, the attack on Kyiv, shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine during this difficult time and that we create the conditions for this just and lasting peace and a true reconstruction."

• Additional Note:

  • Canada announced $2.5 billion more in economic aid for Ukraine.
  • Zelensky is expected to seek explicit US security guarantees in his meeting with Trump.

Deadly Mosque Bombing in Syria

Timestamp: 01:12–02:21

• Key Points:

  • A bombing at a mosque in the Alawite-majority Wadi Al Dahab neighborhood of Homs during Friday prayers killed at least 8 people.
  • The group Saraiya Ansar Sunnah, an ISIS offshoot, claimed responsibility.
  • Recent uptick in sectarian violence following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
  • Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled this a “desperate attempt to undermine the country's security.”
  • Reference made to a prior deadly attack by the same group at a Syrian church last summer.

• Notable Quote:

  • NPR’s Hadil Al Shalji [01:36]:

    "Many hardline Islamists consider Alawites apostates, an offshoot of ISIS called Saraiya Ansar Sunnah claimed responsibility for the attack."

Rebuilding Trust in Federal Health Agencies

Timestamp: 02:21–03:11

• Key Points:

  • A new podcast "Why Should I Trust Yout?" is aimed at repairing trust in public health institutions post-pandemic.
  • Created by scientists and journalists who align with traditional public health but recognize lost trust due to perceived failures during COVID-19.
  • Host Brenda Adhikari notes that real change happens within networks of trust and aligned values.
  • The show features conversations with both traditional health leaders and grassroots organizers like those from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.
  • Early episodes indicate some bridges of trust are being formed.

• Notable Quote:

  • Brenda Adhikari [02:48]:

    "I think it happens between people who trust each other, people who really love each other. Usually their values tend to be aligned in some way."

Obituary: Disability Rights Advocate Bob Kafka

Timestamp: 03:11–03:29

• Key Points:
  • Bob Kafka, a prominent organizer with the disability advocacy group ADAPT, died at 79.
  • Kafka was a Vietnam veteran, paralyzed in a 1973 car accident.
  • Noted for his decades-long fight for policy changes supporting disabled Americans.
  • Born in New York, spent much of his activist life in Texas.

Shed Hunting Regulations in Colorado

Timestamp: 03:29–04:29

• Key Points:

  • Shed hunting, collecting naturally fallen antlers/horns, is increasingly popular but restricted in many Western states during winter.
  • Colorado bans shed hunting from January to April to protect wildlife from excessive human stress.
  • John Livingston from Colorado Parks and Wildlife comments on escalating shed-hunting activity, from casual collectors to aggressive tactics that disrupt animals.
  • The antlers are valuable for decor, pet products, and sometimes medicine.

• Notable Quote:

  • John Livingston [04:03]:

    "Just a few people out there with their backpacks looking for sheds to folks even out there on ATVs and side by sides chasing animals around that haven't dropped their antlers yet, you know, hoping to stress them out and get them to drop those antlers."

Taiwan Earthquake

Timestamp: 04:29–04:47

• Key Points:
  • A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off Taiwan’s northeast coast.
  • Tremors felt across the island, including in Taipei where buildings shook.
  • No immediate reports of deaths or major damage.
  • Taiwan’s president urges vigilance for potential aftershocks.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Mark Carney calling for Western unity with Ukraine:

  "The barbarism that we saw overnight...shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine..." [00:56]

• Adhikari on trust-building in public health:

  "I think it happens between people who trust each other, people who really love each other..." [02:48]

• John Livingston on the shift in shed hunting culture:

  "...people out there on ATVs and side by sides chasing animals around... hoping to stress them out and get them to drop those antlers." [04:03]

Episode Structure & Flow

• International update: Ukraine and Syria (00:11–02:21)
• US social issues: health trust and disability rights (02:21–03:29)
• Regional feature: shed hunting in the West (03:29–04:29)
• Brief world news: Taiwan quake (04:29–04:47)

Tone: Factual, urgent, and informative, consistent with NPR’s concise, neutral news delivery.