Russia Rejects Peace Proposal, Hegseth Defends Boat Strikes, Tennessee Election

Resources

Books

• "The Russian Question" by Vladimir Putin - Mentioned as a potential basis for negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine.

Research & Studies

• RootMetrics United States Root Score Report 1H 2025 - Used to support AT&T's claim of being America's fastest and most reliable network.

People Mentioned

• Lauren in Maryland - A listener who donated to NPR and shared her appreciation for NPR news.
• Steve Whitcoff (US Special Envoy) - Referenced for his role in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine and his visit to Moscow.
• Jared Kushner (Trump's son-in-law) - Mentioned as being in attendance at the talks between Russian and American officials.
• Vladimir Putin (President) - Quoted regarding European interference in peace talks and veiled threats to Europe.
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy (President of Ukraine) - Mentioned for speaking from Ireland and agreeing in principle to an amended peace document.
• Mykhailo Samuz (Director of a geopolitical research network in Ukraine) - Quoted on Putin's intentions regarding peace and territory in Ukraine.
• Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) - Quoted on the conflict in Ukraine not being "our war" and President Trump's other priorities.
• Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) - Discussed in relation to the US attack on an alleged drug boat in September, his statements about the second round of strikes, and his authority.
• Admiral Frank Bradley (Leads US special operations command) - Mentioned as making the decision for the second strike on the boat and having the authority to sink it.
• President Trump - Referenced regarding his statements about the boat strike and his focus on other matters.
• Mike Johnson (House Speaker) - Stated that he backs the review of the boat strikes by armed services committees.
• John Thune (Senate Majority Leader) - Stated that he backs the review of the boat strikes and expressed confidence in the Trump administration's policies, while sidestepping a direct endorsement of Hegseth.
• Chuck Schumer (Senate Minority Leader) - Demanded that Hegseth release video of the attack and testify publicly.
• Matt Van Epps (Republican) - Won a special election for a US House seat in Tennessee.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia Representative) - Mentioned in the context of her upcoming resignation.
• Stephen Fowler (NPR's congressional correspondent) - Reported on the special election in Tennessee.
• Rebecca Rosman - Editor of Up First.
• Jason Breslow - Editor of Up First.
• Megan Pratt - Editor of Up First.
• Mohammed Al Bardisi - Editor of Up First.
• Alice Wolfley - Editor of Up First.
• Ziad Batch - Producer of Up First.
• Nia Dumas - Producer of Up First.
• Christopher Thomas - Producer of Up First.
• Stacy Abbott - Provided engineering support for Up First.
• Carley Strange - Technical Director for Up First.
• Michael Lipkin - Supervising Producer for Up First.

Organizations & Institutions

• NPR - The podcast producer, and the subject of fundraising appeals.
• AT&T - Mentioned as a sponsor.
• Superhuman - Mentioned as a sponsor.
• Amnesty International - Mentioned as a sponsor.
• European Union - Negotiators who amended a peace proposal related to the war in Ukraine.
• Department of War - Mentioned in the context of Defense Secretary Hegseth's schedule.
• US Special Operations Command - Mentioned in relation to Admiral Frank Bradley's authority.
• The Washington Post - Reported on the US attack on an alleged drug boat.
• House Armed Services Committee - Reviewing the boat strikes.
• Senate Armed Services Committee - Reviewing the boat strikes.
• NPR Plus - A subscription service for NPR podcasts.

Websites & Online Resources

• plus.npr.org - The website to sign up for NPR Plus.
• superhuman.com/podcast - The website to learn more about Superhuman.
• amnestyusa.org/podcast - The website to donate to Amnesty International.
• strawberryme.com - The website to find a career coach.
• givewell.org - The website to research high-impact non-profit opportunities.

Other Resources

• Giving Tuesday - A day for charitable donations, mentioned in the context of supporting NPR.
• Giving Wednesday - A humorous extension of Giving Tuesday, used to encourage NPR donations.
• Peace Proposal - Amended by European and Ukrainian negotiators, discussed in relation to Russia's rejection.
• Viral - Mentioned in relation to Leila's good morning greeting.
• Red Square in Moscow - Mentioned as a location where Steve Whitcoff strolled.
• War in Ukraine - The main topic of discussion regarding negotiations and the impact on civilians.
• Drug boat - An alleged drug boat attacked by the US in the Caribbean.
• Special Election in Tennessee - A US House seat election.
• US House of Representatives - The legislative body where a special election took place.
• 2026 Midterms - Mentioned as a future election cycle being tested by campaign messages.
• 2024 Election - Referenced in the context of Democratic Party losses and strategy.