NPR News: 11-24-2025 6AM EST

Speaker 1 Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. American and Ukrainian negotiators say they've made some progress toward an agreement that would end the war in Ukraine.

Speaker 1 Officials met on Sunday to discuss a U.S.-authored peace proposal, a plan some European allies say leans too heavily toward Moscow.

Speaker 1 NPR's Danielle Kurtzlaben reports the Trump administration called the talks productive, but offered few specifics.

Speaker 2 A joint statement released by the White House said that U.S. and Ukraine officials met in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaker 2 Together, the two countries called the discussions, quote, constructive, focused, and respectful. The 28-point plan was written without significant input from Ukraine or its European allies.

Speaker 2 It calls for Ukraine to give up some territory to Russia, shrink its military, and would block Ukraine from joining NATO.

Speaker 2 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the plan last week in a video address, saying his country faces a choice between losing its dignity or losing the U.S.

Speaker 2 as a key international partner. In response to a reporter's question, Trump said this weekend that this plan is not his, quote, final offer to Ukraine.
Danielle Kurtzlaben and PR News.

Speaker 1 The president of Brazil is expressing concern over the U.S. military buildup near Venezuela.

Speaker 1 Kate Bartlett reports, President Lula Da Silva says he plans to raise the issue directly with President Trump.

Speaker 3 De Silva, who was speaking on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, said there was no reason to have a war.

Speaker 3 He warned against repeating the mistake of what happened between Russia and Ukraine and said, quote, once a shot is fired, it is hard to predict how it will end. The U.S.

Speaker 3 has conducted more than 20 strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, it says, were drug boats, killing dozens of people. The U.S.

Speaker 3 has also sent an aircraft carrier strike group, Navy warships, and stealth aircraft to the area near Venezuela. Trump accuses Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a terrorist drug cartel.

Speaker 3 Kate Bartlett, NPN News, Johannesburg.

Speaker 1 The Federal Aviation Administration says this will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights scheduled.

Speaker 1 The TSA expects to screen nearly 18 million passengers over the holiday. Rico Walker, a TSA officer for 20 years, says he and his colleagues are prepared.

Speaker 4 Morale is upbeat again.

Speaker 4 We're, you know, ready to do our mission, ready to do our job. We're the best at what we do.

Speaker 1 Winter-like weather could affect major hubs, so officials say checking forecasts and arriving early may help reduce stress.

Speaker 1 Stocks across Asia closed mix today. Japan's Nikkei average took a sharp dive, losing more than 1,100 points.
Markets in China and Hong Kong closed higher.

Speaker 1 On Wall Street, Dow Futures are up at this hour. This is NPR.

Speaker 1 Employees at Grand Canyon National Park are expected to file union paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board today.

Speaker 1 It's part of a larger move by workers in parks across the West to defend themselves against Trump administration cuts. Adrian Scabiland with member station KNAU reports.

Speaker 4 Union organizers say the effort began when the Trump administration sought to fire hundreds of probationary park employees last spring.

Speaker 4 Organizer Michelle Vought says they also hope to address issues like like pay and housing.

Speaker 1 I think a lot of us have put up with a lot for a long time just because we love our jobs, we love the park service, but we also want to be able to afford health care and afford our groceries.

Speaker 4 Staff at Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Grand Teton National Parks are also filing to unionize.

Speaker 4 It comes months after employees at Yosemite and Sequoia Kings National Parks moved forward with their own unions. For NPR News, I'm Adrian Scabland in Flagstaff.

Speaker 1 The executive editor of the Associated Press as the news organization is fighting for the right to report without being targeted by the White House.

Speaker 1 AP returns to court today in its case against the Trump administration.

Speaker 1 The lawsuit challenges a decision that blocked AP reporters from covering some presidential events and moved the government tied to AP's style choice to not call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

Speaker 1 In an op-ed, the organization's executive director warned warned the case could set a broader precedent for press freedom. I'm Windsor Johnston, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.