Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. 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 U.S. was too favorable to Russia. Before the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expects they'll make progress today.
The end goal is obviously not just the end of the war. Obviously, that's central 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.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is also representing the U.S., 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 U.S. military strikes.
Chapter 2: What are the latest updates on the Ukraine negotiations?
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 30th deadline to avoid another shutdown.
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 is has ceded more power to the executive branch. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol.
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.
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 Cherise Pham in Hong Kong.
This is NPR News. Voting is underway in Honduras for a new president. President Trump has gotten involved. He's supporting conservative Tito Asfura and has threatened to withdraw U.S. aid to Honduras if he doesn't win. Trump had announced last week that he'll pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted in federal court in the U.S. of drug trafficking.
Indonesia says the death toll from this week's flooding on the western island of Sumatra has reached 435 people. Michael Sullivan reports from Thailand.
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