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Today’s top stories
Diplomats in Geneva spent the weekend examining President Trump’s 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced optimism that an agreement could be reached. The president has given Ukraine a Thursday deadline to accept the plan. Many European leaders are skeptical — they say they were largely excluded from drafting and that the proposal needs more work, especially because it asks for commitments from European governments, including billions for reconstruction and participation in an emergency response if the deal is broken. The Kremlin has not publicly commented on the Geneva talks; the U.S. is expected to hold separate conversations with Russia.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia who rose to prominence as a staunch Trump ally, unexpectedly announced she will resign from Congress effective Jan. 5. Lately Greene has been one of Trump’s sharpest critics, accusing him of abandoning his agenda. She says she has stayed true to America First principles while others, including Trump, have moved away. Observers say the shift highlights tensions inside the MAGA coalition and underscores that Trump’s approach does not always align with traditional conservative alliances.
Over the weekend, Israel and Hamas traded accusations of violating a ceasefire in Gaza that has held for just over six weeks. Israel carried out a strike on Beirut for the first time since June, killing a Hezbollah commander and raising concerns about the stability of the year-long ceasefire with Lebanon. Much of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas agreement is complete; the next major step is creation of an International Stabilization Force in Gaza. Key questions remain about which countries would contribute troops, how they would be trained, and how to preserve the fragile pause amid continued allegations of violations.
Cost of living
NPR’s Cost of Living series looks at what’s driving price increases and how people are coping after years of stubborn inflation. Adjusted for inflation, average tuition at public and private four-year colleges has roughly doubled over the past 30 years. Many students pay a lower ‘‘net price’’ after grants and scholarships, but net costs are higher than they were two decades ago. Contributing factors include steep reductions in state funding for public colleges, a perception that higher prices signal prestige, and large variation in costs across institutions and states. Families often only see the full price late in the admissions process, which makes comparison shopping difficult.
Living Better
This week’s Living Better series focuses on hair loss. Up to half of women experience hair loss at some point, and treatments vary in effectiveness. Key points:
– Hair is shed in staggered cycles, so finding a clump in the drain doesn’t automatically mean future bald spots.
– The most common cause of permanent female hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, which typically thins hair on the crown and widens the part.
– If you’re unsure what type of hair loss you have, an in-person exam with a dermatologist is often best; telehealth can be useful when wait times are long.
3 things to know before you go
1. Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, revealed in an essay that she has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and that her cancer is terminal.
2. NPR’s Books We Love returns with more than 380 staff- and critic-selected titles, spanning cookbooks, mysteries, thrillers and more.
3. A Cincinnati Public Schools homeless advocacy program will open a lot where families can sleep in their cars while awaiting housing, helping more than 4,000 students and launching in March 2026. (via WBUR)
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.