NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-22-2025 7AM EST

Episode Date: December 22, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say they're frustrated after the Justice Department released only some of its files on convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Top Democrats argue the move violates the Epstein Transparency Act, but they say it's unlikely Congress will take legal action against the DOJ. NPR's Luke Garrett reports. Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin is the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. He tells CNN, he can't launch a suit against the DOJ. It's not clear that we've got standing to do that. Speaker Johnson would clearly, it's standing to do that on behalf of the whole House of Representatives. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells ABC News, the DOJ is required by law to explain themselves.

The statute requires the so-called Department of Justice at this moment within 15 days to provide a written explanation to Congress and to the American people as to why they've withheld certain documents. The Justice Department has defended. its partial release of the Epstein files and the removal of around a dozen files, Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. An official has told NPR that the U.S. is tracking another oil tankers suspected of violating sanctions on Venezuela. The pursuit comes as the Trump administration ramps up enforcement against tankers helping Venezuela avoid international sanctions. Congress has left Washington for the holidays without a deal on what to do about Obamacare tax credits that are set to

expire at the end of the year. Republican Senator Rand Paul tells ABC News he opposes extending those credits. Every time we give more subsidies, the premiums go higher. I have a plan that says everybody in this marketplace should be able to go to Amazon or Costco or Sam's Club and as a group, a large group, millions of people in the group negotiate with big insurance to bring prices down. Democrats are pushing for a three-year extension. More than 20 million Americans who buy their health insurance through Affordable Care Act exchanges are facing a steep premium increase in the new year. GDP data for the third quarter comes out this week on Wall Street. NPR's Rafael NOM has more. On Tuesday, the U.S. is set to release an important report card detailing how much

the economy grew in the July to September period. It's backwards looking, so it's not going to provide the latest snapshot of the economy. Nonetheless, the GDP report, is coming at a time when Americans are not feeling great about the economy. Recent polls have shown the cost of living and affordability are becoming a top concern at many households. That's putting a lot of pressure on President Trump, who's aggressively defending his economic record. And it means this GDP data could attract even more attention in the days leading up to Christmas. Rafael NUMM, NPR News. On Wall Street, Dalf Futures are trading higher at this hour. This is NPR.

A massive power outage left large parts of San Francisco in the dark this weekend, cutting electricity to about 130,000 customers. Officials say some of the outages were caused by a fire that broke out at a PG&E substation. The blackout darkened much of the city's north side, including areas around Golden Gate Park, before spreading to other neighborhoods. Avatar, Fire and Ash, is falling short of early box office expectations. NPR's Bob Mandela reports the science fiction movie is the third installment of the Avatar franchise. The Avatar threequel is definitely dominating the weekend at cinemas. You want to spread your fire across the world. You need me.

But it's not hot enough to be setting records at $88 million for its first three days in North America and another $257 million overseas. It's running more than 20% behind Avatar Way of Water two years ago. Second place finisher, David, which tells the biblical story of David and Goliath, will take in $21 million, the highest opening ever for a faith-based animated film. And Timothy Chalemay's Marty Supreme will easily set this year's record for per theater average, with more than $145,000 in ticket sales at each of its six theaters. Bob Mondello and PR News.

The Powerball Jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in the U.S. history. No ticket matched all six winning numbers on Saturday. The next drawing is tonight. This is NPR News in 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 C's apply.