NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2025 10PM EST

Episode Date: December 24, 2025

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This message comes from the NBC News original podcast, Here's the Scoop. Every evening, join NBC News reporters for a deep dive into the day's top stories, from the front page to the zeitgeist in 15 minutes or less. Search, Here's the Scoop to follow now. Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. The U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a setback to President Trump's use of National Guard troops in largely Democratic-led cities in a six-to-three opinion. The court let stand for now, a lower court's ruling, that blocked the deployment of guard troops to Chicago.

Four governors from states along the Atlantic Coast say they'll fight President Trump's latest effort to block wind power developments. Trump paused completion of five major offshore wind projects Monday, citing national security concerns. Here's NPR's Brian Mann. Trump has opposed wind power for years, and his administration now says five big projects along the Atlantic Coast need further review from the Defense Department. Critics point out the projects all received federal permits after extensive scrutiny by the military. In a joint statement, governors from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island called this pause baseless and reckless. They said further delays for completed and nearly completed wind projects will cost jobs and drive up electricity costs for consumers. Trump's opposition to wind power hasn't fared well in the courts.

Earlier this month, the federal judge struck down Trump's executive order, halting offshore wind projects. calling the ban unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York. The Education Department preparing to resume wage garnishment for some student loan debts. The move comes after a years-long pause due to the pandemic, as NPR's Sequoia Carrillo reports. The Trump administration says it will resume seizing pay from student loan borrowers in default in January. The administration previously said it would resume garnishing tax refunds and social security benefits from qualifying borrowers last May, but backtracked a month later.

A department spokesperson says the first notices will be sent out the week of January 7th to approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers. The notices are expected to increase on a monthly basis throughout the year. Student loan experts say the timing of the move, colliding with rising health care costs, will put added strain on low and middle income borrowers. Sequoia Carrillo, NPR News. Forecasters say Southern California could see one,

one of its wettest Christmases in years. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair, Hilda Salis, is urging residents to prepare for a drenching. If you haven't picked up your emergency supplies or sandbags yet, please do so today, if you can, before the heavy rain begins. A series of powerful storms has much of the state in its sights. Officials say as much as 10 inches of rain in the forecast for the Christmas holiday, leading to concerns about flash flooding. mudslides. A search and rescue operation ongoing at a Pennsylvania nursing home, Governor Josh Shapiro says an explosion there today, collapsed part of the building, killing at least two people. Several remain unaccounted for. A cause of the blast is unclear, but officials suspect a

gas leak. This is NPR News. The Justice Department has released additional documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The new batch includes dozens of video clips and around 30,000 pages, many with redactions. However, an email from an unidentified prosecutor says Donald Trump flew on Epstein's private jet eight times in the 1990s. Trump has previously said he never flew on Epstein's plane. There is no allegation that now President Trump committed any crime. The fatal shooting of a Delaware state trooper has led state division of motor vehicle agencies to close their offices statewide. The trooper has not been identified, but officials say he was killed during an active shooter situation at a DMV facility in Newcastle outside of Wilmington.

Officials say the suspected gunman was also killed. Baking Cookbooks saw a boom in 2025 with an 80% growth over the past 12 months. And Pierre Netta Ulibe has more on what's driving cookbook sales. No one expected baking cookbook sales to rise like a yeasted donut in 2025. The double-digit growth surprised me. Brenda Connor analyzes the U.S. book market for the research. research company, Sarkana. 80% growth certainly exceeded my expectations. Hi, my name is Sarah and I love dessert. In 2020 during the pandemic, bread cookbooks led sales. Now the biggest selling baking cookbook

of the year is called Sweet Tooth by online influencer Sarah Fennell. This right here is my favorite holiday stack. It is a salty sweet white chocolate, hammering orange popcorn. The baking cookbook boom is especially notable because cookbooks as a category have gone down in sales this year. Netta Ulibe, 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.