NPR’s Ron Elving has been thinking about the state of U.S. politics since President Donald Trump returned to power. Also, several countries in South America elected conservative and even far right leaders in 2025, marking a political and ideological shift in the region. And, we’ll have the highlight reel from the year in sports.
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Newshour - Thailand and Cambodia agree ceasefire after weeks of deadly clashes
A ceasefire has come into force along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, where weeks of clashes have forced a million people from their homes. The seventy- two- hour truce was agreed by the two countries' defence ministers following extensive diplomacy by Chinese officials.
Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia's defence minister has warned the main separatist movement in southern Yemen to withdraw from territory it's recently captured in two provinces, amid rising tensions in the area; Ukraine says overnight Russian air strikes in the capital Kyiv have injured at least eight people and caused power cuts; and ahead of the winter games in Italy - we meet Slovenia's world champion ski-jumpers targeting Olympic gold.
(Photo:Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit after the ceasefire was agreed during a special meeting at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Credit: Reuters)
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe - The Skeptics Guide #1068 – Dec 27 2025
2025 Year End Review, with special guest Ian 🍉; Best of SGU; Best Science of 2025; Skeptical Hero and Jackass of the Year; In Memoriam; Science or Fiction
Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: Our best stories of 2025
We look back on our happiest stories from the past year, including: the man who created 'Christina's Corner' for his most loyal customer; the life-saving medical breakthrough in the fight against Huntington's; and the four-legged litter picker taking the internet by storm. Plus: the survivors of an atomic bomb tell us why they want peace; the blood test helping detect ovarian cancer early; the cafe in Tokyo where people with dementia can volunteer; diplomacy through folk music 'From China to Appalachia'; and the rat that helps sniff out tuberculosis.
Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.
The Book Review - Book Club: Let’s Talk About ‘What We Can Know’
Ian McEwan’s latest novel, “What We Can Know,” is many things at once: It’s a science fiction imagining of a future world devastated by climate catastrophe; it’s a literary mystery about a scholar’s search for a long-lost poem; it’s a deep dive into complicated marriages; and it’s a meditation on how the past lingers and how history morphs with time.
“It’s the best thing McEwan has written in ages,” our critic Dwight Garner wrote in his review. “It’s a sophisticated entertainment of a high order.”
In this episode of the Book Review Book Club, the host MJ Franklin discusses “What We Can Know” with his colleagues Sarah Lyall (who profiled McEwan for the Book Review this year) and Leah Greenblatt. You can follow along, and add your own comments to the discussion here.
Other Books mentioned in this discussion:
“Atonement,” “Saturday,” “On Chesil Beach,” “The Comfort of Strangers,” “The Cement Garden” and “Enduring Love,” by Ian McEwan
“Fleishman Is in Trouble,” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“Fates and Furies,” by Lauren Groff
“Marston Meadows: A Corona for Prue,” by John Fuller
“How the Word Is Passed,” by Clint Smith
“The Stranger’s Child,” “The Line of Beauty” and “Our Evenings,” by Alan Hollinghurst
We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
The Indicator from Planet Money - The economic challenges facing men without college degrees
Many men in the U.S. feel like they're not doing as well as their fathers. But what does the data say? This episode, we're sharing an extended conversation between Darian Woods and Richard Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. They discuss what's really going on with men's wages. Richard also argues economic and cultural changes are needed to address the struggles unique to working-class men.
This interview was included in one of our bonus episodes for NPR+ supporters. Today we're sharing it with everyone. Learn more about NPR+ and sign up at plus.npr.org.
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CBS News Roundup - 12/27/2025 | Weekend Roundup
On the final Yearend version of the "CBS News Weekend Roundup", host Allison Keyes looks back at the year around the globe, beginning with CBS's Linda Kenyon at the White House. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlessinger takes a deep dive into the economy. In the "Kaleidoscope with Allison Keyes" segment, a professor and security expert's take on the state of political violence in the nation.
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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - What We Got Wrong About SCOTUS in 2025
Over the past calendar year, the Supreme Court’s center has shifted to the right and then more to the right, and the justices’ decisions have time and again facilitated Trump’s agenda. But the Roberts majority is not simply focused on what the current president wants; it has its sights set on a larger project: voting. Suppressing and constraining and problematizing the core function of democratic rule. In this episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern reflect on the significant developments at the Supreme Court over the past year with an eye toward the implications of the court's decisions on democracy, voting rights, and the erosion of checks and balances. Looking back at the past year at One First Street, Dahlia and Mark trace the cases that reveal the court’s long game, with elections coming quickly, and discuss the forces for and against democracy being exerted within and without the high court. Then, they turn to the urgent matter of what you and I can do about it.
If you want to access that special 50% discount for Slate Plus membership, go to slate.com/amicusplus and enter promo code AMICUS 50. This offer expires on Dec 31st 2025.
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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1497: The Double-Bitted Axe
Episode: 1497 The rise of Paul Bunyan's radical double-bitted axe. Today, we learn to use a new axe.
More or Less - Numbers of the year 2025
We look back at some stand out numbers of 2025. How significant were Trump’s import tariffs? China sets the pace for solar power installation across the globe. We also look upwards to a particularly speedy comet - 3i Atlas.
Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie Solleveld Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon