Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to U.S. Senate
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a significant prisoner swap after two days of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, NPR’s Up First newsletter reported. President Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are now in Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attempt to make more headway toward ending the war in Ukraine.
Going into the talks in Abu Dhabi, U.S. officials were exploring Article 5-like guarantees for Ukraine, similar to NATO’s collective security defense, NPR’s Charles Maynes reported. A move like this would be significant if implemented, but Moscow has already rejected the concept of a “NATO lite” status for Ukraine as well as its full NATO membership.
Kushner said that in Moscow he aims to brief Putin directly and persuade him to involve Europeans in discussions about European security. European leaders, concerned about potential deals made without their input, are expected to join Kushner and Witkoff after the talks, when they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ireland.
At home, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan has made history as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. The 42-year-old progressive is already calling for a new direction for his party and urging President Trump to collaborate on actionable solutions.
El-Sayed told Morning Edition’s Leila Fadel that voters have temporarily entrusted Democrats with power, and he warned that the party risks losing that trust if it does not act boldly. In the conversation, he reflected on the recent elections, the future of the Democratic Party and the need for impactful legislation in the upcoming years.
As he comes into the new role, El-Sayed is advocating for new Democratic leadership in Congress, an end to the war in Iran, the passage of “Medicare for All” and the abolishment of ICE. He acknowledged the challenge Senate Democrats face with a majority a few seats shy of filibuster-proof, and said he remains open to working with his new Republican colleagues.
In Washington, the White House is warning Democrats that their planned investigations into administration officials could cross the line into “blatant criminality.” White House Counsel Will Scharf said in a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia, who is expected to lead the House Oversight Committee next year, that the administration is monitoring “abusive and capricious threats” from Democrats. The letter concludes by saying that “the administration will not be extorted and will not be cowed by unlawful process, motivated by animus, pettiness, hatred or any other unlawful motive to intimidate, penalize or interfere with the lawful functioning of government.” Garcia said Democrats will not be deterred by threats from the Department of Justice or Trump’s lawyers.
The administration’s arguments may buy time and push Democrats to go to court to enforce their subpoenas, NPR’s Tamara Keith said. The letter gives a preview of the legal arguments the administration might use next year, Keith said, but more importantly it signals that the White House and the Justice Department will not accept congressional investigations and oversight without a fight.
In a previously reported result, Democrat Scott Colom won the U.S. Senate seat from Mississippi, defeating Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by just a few thousand votes. Colom will be the first Black senator from the state in nearly 150 years, and his win expands the Democratic majority in the new Congress to 55 seats. The Alaska race is still undecided.
Colom’s win highlights growing voter concerns about affordability and the impact of the war in Iran, Elise Catrion Gregg of the Gulf States Newsroom and Mississippi Public Broadcasting told Up First. During her campaign, Hyde-Smith relied on her record and President Trump’s support, an approach Gregg said is no longer a winning strategy. The race signals a potential national shift, showing that the South is becoming a viable target for Democrats, Gregg said.
The result lands against a backdrop NPR examined in a separate analysis: a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this year weakened the Voting Rights Act, raising the possibility of a record drop in Black congressional representation. The Democratic blue wave lessened the expected decline, but the NPR analysis shows Black representation in the U.S. House is still slated to decrease with the incoming Congress.
On the economy, the average price for a new vehicle in the United States has hit a record high of $51,109, according to Kelley Blue Book. The figure is about $500 above the previous record set in December 2025. Car prices have remained high for years, primarily because of supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic, but the new high represents only a 2.1% increase over the past year, meaning prices are rising more slowly even as they set records.
Used cars are also more expensive: the average used car now costs close to $27,00, 6% higher than last year, according to Cox Automotive. New vehicles cost more partly because it takes more money for automakers to make them — tariffs on steel, aluminum and imported goods from Canada affect American automakers, which assemble the vehicles on both sides of the border, and computer chips used in sensors and electronics also cost more because of competing demand from data centers.
Americans tend to prefer larger vehicles, such as SUVs and trucks, which often come with a higher price tag, according to Kelley Blue Book. Drivers today tend not to want entry-level cars; instead, they are increasingly drawn to more expensive features such as 360-degree cameras, heated seats and parking assist systems.
In Russia, Novaya Gazeta — described by NPR as the country’s top independent newspaper — is shutting down after more than 30 years due to Kremlin pressure from the Ukraine war and censorship laws.
In other news, actor Stacy Keach has died at the age of 85 after a long battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure; his diverse roles included policemen, cowboys and Shakespearean characters. And in this week’s Far-Flung Postcards, NPR’s Ricci Shryock sends greetings from Senegal, where breakdancers practice for their country’s historic hosting of the Youth Olympic Games.