Key Takeaways
- A U.S.-brokered peace plan for Ukraine includes concessions favoring Russian demands.
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her resignation from Congress, effective in January.
- Pill versions of popular injectable obesity medications are currently in development.
- NPR's 'Books We Love' 2025 provides recommendations for both fiction and nonfiction titles.
Deep Dive
- A U.S.-proposed peace plan for Ukraine, drafted with Russian envoy input, includes territorial cessions in the Donbas region.
- The plan endorses several Russian demands, alongside security guarantees and potential EU membership for Ukraine.
- President Trump urged President Zelensky to accept the plan by Thursday; President Putin indicated it could be a settlement basis.
- President Zelensky plans to offer counterproposals, acknowledging a difficult choice between concessions and alienating U.S. support.
- Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced her resignation from her House seat, effective in January.
- She cited disappointment with President Trump, her party, and Congress's inability to govern in an 11-minute video.
- Her decision follows public criticism from former President Trump regarding Epstein files and Greene's own critiques of U.S. foreign policy.
- Greene's departure contributes to a record number of House members and senators not returning after the 2026 election.
- Pill versions of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, containing semaglutide, are in development, with FDA approval expected by year-end.
- Novo Nordisk is developing a higher-dose semaglutide pill, Rebelsis, utilizing SNAC technology to protect the drug from stomach acids.
- This new pill requires administration on an empty stomach, which some patients may find inconvenient.
- Patient advocates hope the new pill will offer a more accessible and potentially cheaper alternative to weekly injectable medications, with Novo Nordisk offering a $149 monthly price for uninsured patients.
- NPR's 'Books We Love' 2025 features plot-driven fiction recommendations for the upcoming year.
- Andrew Limbong discusses 'Tilt' by Emma Petit, a novel about a pregnant woman navigating an earthquake in an IKEA.
- Another highlighted title is 'The Payback' by Kashana Cauley, a heist novel centered on student loan forgiveness.
- Nonfiction recommendations include 'A Marriage at Sea' by Sophie Elmhurst, detailing a couple's perilous sailing journey.
- Kayla Yu's essay collection 'Fetishized' explores themes of objectification.
- Andrew Limbong personally recommends 'The Rest of Our Lives' by Ben Markovitz, a Booker Prize finalist.