NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-21-2025 7AM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. The Venezuel government is denouncing the U.S. interception of a second oil tanker, saying it will take the issue to the U.N. Security Council. The U.S. Coast Guard stopped the tanker Saturday. NPR's quill Lawrence reports on the escalation of the Trump administration's pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Christy Nome, posted video on social media of a Coast Guard helicopter landing on the tanker centuries. which she said was moving sanctioned oil. The ship does not appear on the Treasury Department's public list of sanctioned oil tankers,

but the White House says it was carrying Venezuelan oil and falsely flagged as Panamanian. President Trump declared a blockade on Venezuela's sanctioned oil, which he claimed without explanation was stolen from the U.S. A blockade is considered an act of war under international maritime law. The U.S. Navy currently has a fleet off the coast of Venezuela, and President Trump has suggested a tax inside Venezuelan territory may be imminent. Quill Lawrence NPR News. House Democrats are demanding an explanation from the Trump administration.

More than a dozen of the Epstein files released by the Justice Department on Friday are no longer available, including a photo of President Trump. U.S. Postal Service planning to allow businesses to make bids for some delivery services starting next year as part of a new plan for stabilizing the agency. here's NPR's Hansi Lo Wong reporting. The U.S. Postal Service has usually prioritized big businesses like Amazon when offering special shipping rates for its nationwide delivery service. But the Malay Agency says in early 2026 it's going to start accepting bids from smaller businesses, too. The move comes after Postmaster General David Steiner warned the Postal Service's financial situation is unsustainable.

In the past fiscal year, the Postal Service had a net loss of $9 billion. USPS says it's confident allowing smaller shippers to bid for its special delivery services will help boost its revenue. NPR News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging all countries with influence in Sudan to push for a humanitarian truce for the new year. MPR. Michelle Kaliman reports that Sudan is widely considered one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet today. Sudan came up a couple of times in Rubio's wide-ranging end-of-year news conference. The Secretary of States, as U.S. envoys have been talking to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others to try to get them to use their leverage with the warring parties to halt the fighting

between a paramilitary known as the RSF and Sudan's armed forces. What we said to everybody on it is that what's happening there is horrifying. It's atrocious. That one day the story of what's actually happened there is going to be known and everyone involved is going to look bad. More than 12 million people have been uprooted by the conflict and humanitarian workers are reporting widespread atrocities against civilians. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State And you're listening to NPR News. Vice President J.D. Vance is to deliver the final address today at Turning Point USA's annual conference in Phoenix. Earlier this week, Erica Kirk endorsed Vance for the 28 Republican presidential nomination.

She's been leading the group since her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated. New York Governor Kathy Hockel calling for an investigation into a public school district in upstate New York. where some students say they were restrained and forced into wooden boxes. Two-thirds of the district's children are Native American. Here's NPR's Brian Mann. Parents at the Salmon River Central School District, which serves the Aquasasne Mohawk community in northern New York, began raising alarm in recent days after students described being isolated in large crate-like boxes,

described as calming stations. In her statement, Hockel called the reports highly disturbing and said she had concerns about the children's safety. She called on the state's independent education department to investigate. In a statement, local school district officials say they've begun their own investigation and have reassigned or placed on leave for administrators. The school board also apologized to parents and students saying we are truly sorry for the harm and trauma this has resulted for our community. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York. The college football playoffs are making headway toward crowning a champion.

Following last night's games, the quarterfinals are set with Miami playing Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day, the Orange Bowl will feature Oregon against Texas Tech, Alabama will play Indiana in the Rose Bowl, and in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia will play Ole Miss. A championship game is set for January 19th. I'm Jail Snyder, and this is NPR News. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.