NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-21-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: December 22, 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 Hurst. The U.S. says it's pursuing a third tanker in the Caribbean, the second this weekend, that's attempting to evade sanctions over transporting Venezuelan oil. This says the Trump administration intensified, its campaign against the government of President Nicholas Maduro. MPRs Kerry Kahn has more. A U.S. official tells NPR that the U.S. Coast Guard, quote, is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion.

The official was not authorized to speak publicly, but did add that the tanker is, quote, flying a false flag and is under a judicial seizure order. The Pentagon and the U.S. Coast Guard referred all inquiries to the White. White House, which has yet to comment. President Trump said last week that he was ordering a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming and going from Venezuela. On Saturday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Nome said the U.S. Coast Guard had boarded an oil tanker, which a White House official later said was flying a false Panamanian flag. Kerry Kahn, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. Vice President Vance closed out Turning Point USA's yearly conference in Phoenix today, marking the

biggest event the Young Voter Organization has hosted since its founder, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed in September. And here's Elena Moore has reports. Vice President Vance used his speech as a call to action, alluding to recent intra-party riffs. We have far more important work to do than canceling each other. We have got to build. It comes after conservative commentator Ben Shapiro called out several right-wing media personalities for entertaining conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's death and singled out Tucker Carlson for his recent interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Carlson later disputed those claims and said he's not anti-Semitic, but the pushback comes as leaders deal with a larger fight

over spreading misinformation and amplifying people with anti-Semitic views. Elena Moore, MPR News, Phoenix. A memorial service was held today in Sydney, Australia. It was one week ago that two gunmen fired on a Jewish festival killing 15 people. The BBC's Phil Mercer has more. Thousands of people attended a memorial at Bondi Beach to remember the country's worst mass shooting in three decades. A day of reflection came at the end of Hanukkah,

the Jewish Festival of Lights. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed by sections of the crowd. His government has been criticized for its response to rising anti-Semitism. Mr. Albanese has promised a crackdown on extremism and a review into the powers and processes of the intelligence agencies and the police. The BBC's Phil Mercer reporting. Futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. Dow futures up about one-tenth of a percent. You're listening to NPR News.

In South Africa, a manhunt continues for gunmen who shot up a bar early this morning, some 28 miles west of Johannesburg. Police say the suspects continued to fire at random as they made their escape shooting people in the street. At least nine people died, several others were injured. It's a second mass shooting in South Africa in the last three weeks. There was no big jackpot winner for the Powerball lottery last night, giving would-be job quitters, another shot at the prize,

now worth an estimated $1.6 billion, its fourth largest jackpot, in Powerball history. NPR's Marie Andrusovich has more. Powerball's largest prize ever was more than $2 billion, which was won in November 2022. That was also the largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The next Powerball drawing will be the 46th of this current jackpot run, a record for the most drawings with no big winners, according to Powerball officials. Since its launch in 1992, Powerball says ticket sales have generated $37 billion for state's public service initiatives, including education and seniors programs. The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million. The next

powerball drawing is Monday night. Marie Andrewsovich NPR News. Asia markets are targeting higher at this hour than NICA. The main market in Japan is up just over 2%. The Hangsang and Hong Kong is up nearly a half percent. I'm Janine Hurst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. 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.