NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-20-2025 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2025

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This week on the NPR Politics Podcast, 70% of Americans say they live somewhere that isn't affordable for average families. That's up from just 45% over the summer. But with Trump, he has unilaterally pushed a lever that makes prices go up. The shifting politics of tariffs and affordability for President Trump on the NPR Politics Podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Hurst. Now that the Justice Department has released, some of the files related to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, questions are

emerging about what hasn't been released. And Pierre Stephen Fowler has more. Only a small fraction of the Epstein files released Friday is information that was not made public before in court filings, open records request, or turned over to Congress by Epstein's estate. Even in the new records, many people and pages are heavily redacted. And lawmakers who push for the law to force disclosure of the documents say the DOJ is not complying with their intention by planning to release more later. Republican Congressman Thomas Massey and Democrat Rokana are among those who argue there's missing information, including about powerful people near Epstein, also accused of crimes. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

Ukraine's president is pressing for stronger air defense in cities outside Kiev after Russian ballistic missiles struck the country's main port city, killing at least eight people and wounding more than two doesn't. And peers Joanna Kikisasas has more. Russian strikes on Odessa in Ukraine's south have also left several parts of the city without electricity or water. Speaking to reporters via voice message, Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky said Russia is targeting Ukraine's power grid to sow chaos and put pressure on people. He said, no matter how difficult it is for us to react to these attacks, we must find a way to protect people. as much as possible. Zelensky said he will hold those in charge of the region's air defense accountable

and ensure Odessa and other regions are better defended. He said that Russia still aims to destroy Ukraine and that if the Kremlin cannot compromise to end the war, the U.S. must pressure it to do so. Joanna Kikisis and PR News, Kyiv. Congress has left Washington for its holiday break without reaching an agreement on extending subsidies for people who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. That means premiums will be much higher starting New Year's Day. Larry Levitt is the Executive Vice President for Health Policy at the Nonpartisan Research Group, KFF.

He says some 22 million people will be affected. In many ways, these people are particularly vulnerable. There are people who don't have health insurance at work. They're in jobs that don't provide health benefits. they're not eligible for Medicaid, they're not eligible for Medicare, so they're on their own. And health insurance is very expensive. So without government help, and especially the additional government help that these enhanced tax credits have been providing, health insurance is just very expensive for these folks.

And he says more uninsured people will affect hospitals, especially in rural areas, and that some may have to close. You're listening to NPR News. New York's governor, Kathy Hocco, is a very much. is calling for an independent investigation by the state's education department into allegations that children in a school district in upstate New York that serves a Native American community were forced into large wooden boxes, which were described as calming stations.

Four school officials have been placed on administrative leave. Hockel says the allegations are disturbing and that they raise serious questions about the safety of children. A victor has emerged in Britain's annual, Battle of the bands. Australian pop star Kylie Minogue scored the Christmas number one, as Vicki Barker reports. 37 years after her first UK number one hit, Kylie Minogue has unseated two-time Christmas number one winner, Wham. She trounce their single last Christmas with her pop anthem

XMAS, which extols the glories of presents under the and kissing someone special out in the snow. Minogue has said she'll be celebrating Christmas by, quote, obsessing over a jigsaw with her family in Australia. Her Christmas number one makes Minogue the first female artist to top the UK charts in four different decades. For NPR News, I'm Figgie Barker in London. Janine Hurst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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