Legal migration changes; Russia-Ukraine peace talks : NPR

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Today’s top stories

White House moves quickly to tighten legal immigration reviews After the shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital last week. The suspect in the shooting, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been charged with first-degree murder. He was granted asylum this year after arriving in the US through a Biden-era program that provides temporary legal status to those who aided US forces in Afghanistan.

• NPR’s Ximena Bustillo explains first up That he received a memorandum issued by the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Late last month there were calls for a review of all refugees entered into the country under the Biden administration. This action would essentially reopen their cases and may involve re-interviewing them, with the possibility that some could lose their status. Immigration advocates have described recent changes to refugee review, visas and green cards as destabilizing for families already living in the US.

Some US lawmakers, both Democratic and Republican, say President Trump’s actions go against A boat in the Caribbean Sea could be a war crime. War crimes claims follow Washington Post An attack was reported in September that left two survivors trapped in the wreckage of a boat. According to the report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered the killing of all aboard the alleged drug boats, leading to a second attack and the deaths of those survivors. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said that if true, it would violate the Defense Department’s laws of war and international laws regarding the treatment of individuals in such situations. To date, US military forces have destroyed 21 boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking and killed 83 individuals, but have not provided evidence that the boats were actually carrying drugs.

• Trump has been pushing for regime change in Venezuela since his first term.NPR freelance reporter John Oatis says. The country’s President Nicolas Maduro has crushed Venezuela’s democracy and economy, forcing millions of people to flee abroad. Venezuela says the US has a different motive behind these attacks and accuses the US of trying to take control of its oil reserves. But experts argue that the 15,000 US troops stationed on warships in the Caribbean are not enough to take control of the country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner hosted a Ukrainian delegation for talks yesterday. In an effort to end the war in Ukraine. The discussion focused on the new US peace plan, which was initially criticized for heavily supporting Russia but has since been amended with input from Ukraine and Europe. Talks are expected to continue today after Witkoff leaves for Moscow.

• Witkoff based his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a recently leaked transcript He appears to be coaching the Kremlin on how to engage with Trump, notes NPR’s Charles Maines. Trump has dismissed the leaks as a matter of dealmaking and Putin has defended him as a polite person who is trying to work with him. Maines says that during the negotiation process Putin is trying to entice the US to pressure Ukraine into accepting the deal. According to Maines, Russian negotiators often discuss the potential financial benefits the US could receive if the war ends and sanctions are lifted.

cost of living

NPR’s series Cost of living: the price we pay It’s examining what’s causing prices to rise and how people are coping after years of harsh inflation.

Tariffs, inflation and layoffs are impacting people’s spending power and influencing their purchasing decisions during this holiday season. Finance journalist and founder of the newspaper “Money as If” talks to Jeanine Skowronski morning edition Host A. Martinez to share tips on managing financial stress when shopping during this time of year.

• 🛍️ If you have money to buy gifts and want to, feel free to do so. But if you don’t have money, it’s okay to skip gifts this year.
• 🛍️ Try reading your recent bank statement to understand how much money you can comfortably spend without getting stressed.
• 🛍️ If you overspend, remind yourself that you can reset.

Hear advice or read the transcript on how to manage financial stress during the holiday season. This week, the series will discuss smart tips you can use to lower your bills. Stay updated with the latest stories here.

How are high prices changing the way you live? to fill this form To share your story with NPR.

life advice

AI-generated videos are everywhere these days, leaving many people confused about what’s real and what’s fake. Although determining the authenticity of online content can be challenging, experts suggest following these simple do’s and don’ts to help you evaluate what you see.

• ➡️ Many AI videos are usually around 8-10 seconds long.
• ➡️ These videos frame their subject perfectly, and the action starts and stops cleanly.
• ➡️ Context is important. Pay attention to where the content was posted and who shared it. If the content comes from an account that has been active for a long time and covers a range of topics, it may indicate that it comes from a real person.
• ➡️ If you’re unsure whether a video is originally from the account you’re watching, consider doing a reverse image search on Google or another platform.

Now, put these tips to the test and see if you can spot real and fake with this quiz.

3 things to know before you go

1. painting christ on the crossRediscovered last year after being lost for more than 400 years, it was sold yesterday for $2.7 million at the Oceanat auction house of Versailles.
2. Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” has become a seasonal staple over the years, despite its divisive nature. Some people think it is one of the worst Christmas songs. But is it so? People on both sides of the argument defend their views.
3. Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a year ago, is back in court this week as his lawyers ask a Manhattan judge to subpoena some evidence in the case. (via Gothamist)

Who edited this newspaper? Suzanne Nuyen,