NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-20-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2025

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Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. On the web at theshmit.org. Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Herbst. More than a dozen files originally released with Friday's batch of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case have subsequently been removed from public view. NPR's Casey Morel reports, files are continuing to post today. The removed documents, which included a photograph showing an image of President Trump, are part of the Department of Justice's Epstein Library. It's an online repository where people can access the files that have been released so far. NPR was able to access the files on Friday when they were initially made available for public consumption.

On Saturday, the files were no longer available for view in the Epstein Library or for download. It's unclear if this is due to a technical error, a formal removal from the DOJ or other officials, or something else. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the files were no longer available. K.C. Murrell, NPR News, Washington. Thousands are in Phoenix this weekend to attend America Fest, the annual conference hosted by the conservative young voter group, Turning Point, USA. And peers Elena Moore reports the event comes just three months after the group's founder, Charlie Kirk, was a second. assassinated. America Fest is one of TurningPoint's biggest events of the year. Organizers say this year's turnout has surpassed 30,000, and a third are students. That includes 19-year-old Ian Hopper.

He worked with his local Turning Point chapter in Texas, but after hearing about Kirk's death, he decided to buy a ticket. It's a lot of money to come here, but what really made me want to do it was because of Charlie Kirk and because of what happened. And now I'm inspired. Turning Point is hoping to keep these young attendees engaged with days of programming, culminating in a final address from Vice President J.D. Vance on Sunday. Elena Moore, NPR News, Phoenix. As the Trump administration ramps up immigration detention, it's scrambling to find additional space to hold more than 65,000 people already in custody.

NPR's Meg Anderson reports, immigration officials are now reopening former prisons and detention centers. NPR identified. shuttered facilities that have reopened as ICE detention centers in at least a dozen states since January. Most are former state or federal prisons owned by private companies, and many had faced allegations of poor conditions while they were open. They're coming back online at a time when the government has pulled back from some detention center oversight responsibilities. Eunice Cho is Senior Counsel at the ACLU's National Prison Project. What we are seeing is the clear degradation of accountability

measures over conditions of confinement in detention facilities. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told NPR all detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and family. Meg Anderson, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Comedian Bowen-Yang is quitting Saturday night live midway through the season. If you're Chloe Veldman reports, he's scheduled to co-host his final show tonight with Wicked Star Ariana Grande. Bowen Yang has not publicly shared the reason for his abrupt departure from SNL. But in a social media post on Saturday, the comedian thanked the team and expressed gratitude for every minute on his time with the show.

A promo for Yang's final appearance on SNL's YouTube channel has accrued hundreds of thousands of views. You better be watching Olivia. You hear me. You're not going to want to miss this one. Who's Olivia? It's the most common name in the U.S. if we capture the Olivia demographic will be guaranteed ratings gold. Yang has risen through Saturday Night Live's ranks since joining as a staff writer in 2018. A year later, he was promoted to on-air talent and eventually an on-screen regular. Though uncommon, there have been a few other mid-season departures in the past,

including Cecily Strong, Dana Carvey and Eddie Murphy. Chloe Veltman, NPR News. In West Texas today, a blue origin rocket blasted off this morning. carrying six passengers for a 10-minute flight. One of them was a paraplegic engineer from Germany who became the first wheelchair user in space. Michaela Benthouse was severely injured

in a mountain bike accident seven years ago. The company says it wants to make space flight more accessible to a wider range of people. The German woman shared the short flight with five others, including a retired SpaceX executive who helped organize and finance her trip for an undisclosed amount. Janine Herf's NPR News in Washington.

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