NPR News Now — December 28, 2025, 8PM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst (NPR)
Length: 5 minutes

Overview

This brief NPR News Now episode provides key global and domestic news stories as of December 28, 2025, including developments in Ukraine-Russia ceasefire negotiations, severe winter weather across the Midwest and Northeast, the impact of U.S. policy changes on anti-poverty programs, diplomatic tensions regarding Somaliland's recognition by Israel, and an update from NASA’s Psyche mission.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Negotiations

(00:13–01:15)

• President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky met in Florida to discuss a "revised 20-point ceasefire plan" to address Russia's "nearly 40 year old war."
• Progress Update:
  • Trump: Optimistic on progress while acknowledging a few remaining tough issues.
    • Quote:
      • “You can say 95%, but I don't like to say percentages. I just think we're doing very well. We’re very, we could be very close. There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues, but I think we're doing very well. We've made a lot of progress today, but really we've made it over the last month.”
        (President Trump, 00:32)
  • Zelensky: Emphasized U.S. security guarantees and plans for follow-up meetings.
    • Quote:
      • “We agree that our teams will meet in upcoming weeks to finalize all discussed matters. And we agreed with President Trump that he will host us and maybe in Washington, European leaders and Ukrainian delegation. Yes, in January. And Ukraine is ready for peace.”
        (President Zelensky, 00:55)
• Next Steps: Teams will finalize agreements, possibly involving European leaders in Washington D.C. in January.

2. Severe Winter Cyclone Hits Midwest and Northeast

(01:15–02:15)

• Snowfall Forecast: More than a foot, with up to two feet expected along Lake Superior.
• Travel Disruptions:
  • At Chicago O'Hare, over half of flights delayed; nearly three-quarters at Minneapolis-St. Paul.
  • Sunday marked the heaviest holiday travel day; 2.9 million Americans in transit.
• Ongoing Threat: Storm moving east, bringing snow, sleet, and freezing rain to the Northeast.
  • Quote:
    • “The weather service forecasts more than a foot of snow across parts of the upper Great Lakes and as much as two feet along the southern shore of Lake Superior...The winter storm is expected to continue to move east with freezing rain forecast for the interior of the Northeast later Sunday.”
      (Frank Langfitt, 01:31)

3. 2025: Year of Chaos for Anti-Poverty Groups

(02:15–03:11)

• Context: The Trump administration introduced and rolled back budget freezes and cuts, targeting safety net programs.
• Impact on Non-Profits:
  • Struggles for stability and funding.
  • Layoffs and reduced hours widespread.
    • Quote:
      • “Uncertainty, the panic and like the day to day not knowing is just really difficult.”
        (Kelly Hadas, HAPCAP, 02:43)
    • “It cut my paychecks completely in half. You know, we have mortgage, a car payment. My husband was like, well, what are we going to do? And I’m like, I don’t know.”
      (Kelsey Sexton, 02:54)
• Outlook: Significant continued cuts to Medicaid and SNAP expected to worsen situation for low-income Americans.

4. Somalia, Arab, and African States Condemn Israel Over Somaliland Recognition

(03:11–04:08)

• Diplomatic Backlash: Over 20 Arab and African nations join Somalia in denouncing Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, citing violation of international law.
• Political Context:
  • Somaliland: Broke away from Somalia in 1991; plans to join the Abraham Accords, Israel’s normalization initiative started in Trump’s first term.
  • Somalia’s Response: Called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

5. NASA’s Psyche Probe’s Interstellar Encounter

(04:08–04:50)

• NASA Psyche’s Mission: Heading toward a metal-rich asteroid to understand Earth’s core formation.
• Notable Event:
  • Spacecraft captured images of “3I Atlas,” a comet determined to have come from another star system—only the third such interstellar visitor detected.
    • Quote:
      • “The excitement came from an opportunity to take images of an object with the prosaic name Three Eye Atlas. Astronomers spotted Three Eye Atlas last summer and determined it was a comet. Its speed and trajectory have convinced them it came from a distant star.”
        (Joe Palka, 04:08)
  • Psyche will arrive at its asteroid target in 2030.

Notable Quotes

• President Trump (00:32):
  “There are one or two very thorny issues, very tough issues, but I think we're doing very well. We've made a lot of progress today, but really we've made it over the last month.”
• President Zelensky (00:55):
  “Ukraine is ready for peace.”
• Kelly Hadas, HAPCAP (02:43):
  “Uncertainty, the panic and like the day to day not knowing is just really difficult.”
• Kelsey Sexton (02:54):
  “It cut my paychecks completely in half... My husband was like, well, what are we going to do? And I'm like, I don't know.”
• Frank Langfitt, NPR (01:31):
  “The weather service forecasts more than a foot of snow across parts of the upper Great Lakes... The winter storm is expected to continue to move east with freezing rain forecast for the interior of the Northeast later Sunday.”
• Joe Palka, NPR (04:08):
  “Astronomers spotted Three Eye Atlas last summer and determined it was a comet. Its speed and trajectory have convinced them it came from a distant star.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Efforts: 00:13–01:15
• Cyclone Disrupts Holiday Travel: 01:15–02:15
• Anti-Poverty Programs in Crisis: 02:15–03:11
• Somaliland Recognition Controversy: 03:11–04:08
• NASA’s Psyche and Interstellar Comet: 04:08–04:50

This episode presents a concise yet comprehensive snapshot of significant news headlines, global politics, humanitarian challenges, weather emergencies, and space exploration updates as of late December 2025.