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NPR News Now

NPR News: 12-27-2025 7PM EST

28 Dec 2025

Transcription

Chapter 1: What recent events have occurred in Ukraine and how are they impacting international relations?

0.031 - 17.331 Unknown

Support for NPR and the following message come from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, whose bequest serves as an enduring investment in the future of public radio and seeks to help NPR produce programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression.

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18.593 - 35.336 Janine Herbst

Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Herbst. Russia launched a missile and drone attack against Ukraine's capital overnight, leaving at least two people dead, dozens injured. This as Ukrainian President Zelensky is set to meet President Trump tomorrow in Florida on Russia's war in Ukraine.

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35.876 - 43.707 Janine Herbst

On the way, Zelensky stopped in Canada, meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who announced more financial aid for Ukraine. Dan Karpenchuk has more.

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43.822 - 65.621 Dan Karpenchuk

Carney said the additional economic aid will help Ukraine unlock financing from the International Monetary Fund. Carney also said under Zelensky's leadership, there is the possibility of a just and lasting peace. He also reaffirmed Canada's commitment to Ukraine and the need to maintain pressure on Moscow to negotiate. The Halifax stopover comes after the two leaders spoke by phone on Friday.

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66.022 - 84.406 Dan Karpenchuk

The Ukrainian leader also said he updated Carney on the status of diplomatic efforts with the U.S. to bring the war with Russia to an end. Zelensky is set to meet with President Trump on Sunday to talk about a 20-point peace plan which will include security guarantees and an economic agreement. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

85.247 - 89.413 Janine Herbst

More people have died in ICE custody this year than in any year since 2005.

Chapter 2: What are the implications of the recent increase in deaths in ICE custody?

90.475 - 94.281 Janine Herbst

NPR's Martin Costi reports the cause of the increase isn't clear.

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94.43 - 114.717 Martin Koste

The number of people held by ICE at any one time has ballooned. Right now it's about 66,000. That's 70% higher than when President Trump took office. But deaths have gone up more, to about 30 for the year, compared to 11 in 2024. At Syracuse University, Austin Coker studies the immigration enforcement system, and he's troubled by some clusters of deaths.

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114.697 - 127.576 Austin Coker

I'm concerned that the rapid increase in the detained population at specific detention centers is creating the preconditions for more immigrants to have medical emergencies and ultimately to die while they're in ICE custody.

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127.816 - 139.033 Martin Koste

ICE says in-custody deaths this year, quote, average less than 1%. This is the lowest in history, unquote. But it does not explain how that figure was calculated. Martin Koste, NPR News.

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139.469 - 149.916 Janine Herbst

Bowerers are spending a lot of time trying to keep up with big changes to the federal student loan system. And Pierce Corey Turner reports 2026 will bring even more change.

150.617 - 163.179 Corey Turner

Republicans have overhauled a lot from repayment plans to how much Americans can borrow in the first place. Earlier this month, the Trump administration unveiled a proposed agreement to shut down the Biden-era SAVE repayment plan.

Chapter 3: How is the federal student loan system changing in 2026?

163.719 - 183.398 Corey Turner

Next year, the roughly 7 million borrowers in SAVE will likely have to move to a new plan. Also, big changes passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will kick in starting in July. Those include borrowing limits for grad students and for new borrowers, replacing all of the old repayment plans with just two new ones.

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183.378 - 193.284 Corey Turner

Borrowers are clearly feeling uncertain, though latest data show that 12 million Americans are either late on their payments or in default. Corey Turner, NPR News.

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193.865 - 219.291 Janine Herbst

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A high-ranking official who was next in line to head the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has died. Jeffrey Holland was 85 years old. The church's website says Holland died from complications of kidney disease. He previously served as president of Brigham Young University, where he instructed staff and faculty in 2021 to

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Chapter 4: What was the significance of Jeffrey Holland's recent passing?

219.271 - 242.597 Janine Herbst

to defend marriage as being between a man and a woman. Holland also led a governing body that helps set church policy while overseeing the business interests of the Mormon church. 92-year-old Henry Eyring is now next in line for the church's presidency. A grizzly bear was seen this week in southwest Montana on a mountain range that hasn't had bears in more than 50 years.

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243.119 - 250.155 Janine Herbst

Montana Public Radio's Ellis Julin reports the sighting comes as lawmakers consider removing the bear's federal protections.

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251.283 - 266.139 Ellis Julin

State wildlife officials confirmed the bear sighting in mountains roughly 100 miles from Yellowstone National Park. The first time a grizzly has been spotted there since bear recovery began in the 1970s. The regions around Yellowstone and Glacier National Park support the two largest populations of bears in Montana.

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266.68 - 275.029 Ellis Julin

As their numbers grow, the bears are seeking out new habitat in their historic ranges. Congress is currently considering legislation to take these bears off the endangered species list.

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Chapter 5: What does the recent grizzly bear sighting in Montana indicate about wildlife recovery?

275.009 - 296.595 Ellis Julin

Montana and Wyoming state officials say this population has sufficiently recovered and are requesting grizzlies be delisted. U.S. Fish and Wildlife last January rejected state's petitions to delist bears in the lower 48. For NPR News, I'm Ellis Ju Lin in Missoula, Montana. And I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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