NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

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It's been a fantastic year for movies, and we know you can't see them all. So we're recommending some great films that might have flown under the radar to add to your watch list. Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roran. CBS News and 60 Minutes are facing scrutiny after the network's management abruptly pulled a peace Sunday night that was reporting on the Trump administration's deportation policy. and conditions at a notorious prison in El Salvador. The correspondent on the piece, Sharon Alfonzi, in an email to colleagues,

called the decision an editorial decision rather than a political one. NPR's David Fulkenfrick reports. The correspondent Sharon Alfonzi and her team interviewed Venezuelan migrants who had been sent by Trump administration to a notorious prison in El Salvador, and they were going to allege on camera that they had been badly abused, in some cases tortured, sexually assaulted by their captors there. This is, of course, a prison that the administration had chosen for these detainees to be sent to. CBS's new editor-in-chief, Barry Weiss is defending the decision, insisting she says the story was not ready to air.

Danish and European officials are outraged that President Trump has appointed Louisiana's Governor Jeff Landry to be the special envoy for Greenland. Landry supports making the semi-autonomous Danish territory, part of the U.S. Terry Schultz reports. The Danish and Greenlandic prime ministers put out a joint statement aimed at Washington, emphasizing national borders and sovereignty are matters of international law, that other countries can't simply be annexed, as President Trump has suggested of Greenland in the past. European Commission spokesman, Anwar Al-Anunni, issued a similar response from Brussels.

Preserving the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, its sovereignty, and the inviolability of its borders is essential for the European Union. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lug Erasmussen summoned U.S. Ambassador Ken Howry to issue a formal complaint. The foreign ministers of Finland, Norway and Sweden all expressed strong support for their Nordic neighbor. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz, in Brussels. The Palestinian Authority says more than 460 Palestinian structures and buildings have been demolished by Israel in the Jerusalem governor rate this year. NPR's Hadeal Ashashi reports. The most recent demolition of a residential building in East Jerusalem

has left about 100 Palestinians homeless, according to the Palestinian Authority. The authority's Ministry of Jerusalem says there's been a sharp uptick in these demolitions, calling them forced displacement. It says they are part of a policy to change Jerusalem's demographic to support Jewish settlement expansion.

Israeli authorities say that the homes are, quote, illegal due to a lack of Israeli issued permits. Rights groups say the Israeli planning and permit system is discriminatory because they limit where and how Palestinians can build in East Jerusalem. Hadil al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. At least five people were killed Monday when a small Mexican Navy plane crashed near Galveston, Texas. This is NPR News from Washington. Singer Chris Rhea died Monday after a brief illness, his biggest American hit, Fooled, if you think is over, peak to number 12 on the Billboard charts.

Back in 1978, Chris Rio was age 74. Legendary entertainer, Barry Mantelow says he has early-stage lung cancer and will undergo surgery to remove a cancerous spot, he says, on his lung. He will reschedule his January concerts as a result of that surgery. Manelow said he had been recently battling a persistent case of bronchitis, and during an MRI, doctors found. to cancerous growth that can be treated with surgery. Manilow, who has been performing since the late 1960s, is a multiple-a-Grambe Award-winning singer. Arizona's Attorney General Chris Mays, his office

is dropping charges against one of the state's fake electors. Reporter Wayne Shutsky from station WJZ has more. Former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Lehman was one of 11 Arizona Republicans who signed a document falsely claiming President Trump won the state in 2020. grand jury indicted these fake electors in several allies, including attorney Rudy Giuliani and former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on fraud and other felony charges. A spokesman confirms the state attorney general will drop the charges against Lehman. Layman's attorney says his client did not sign a plea deal or agree to testify, though he will not object to certain subpoenas for text messages sought by prosecutors. The Arizona case is now in limbo, as the state Supreme Court

considers an appeal over whether it should be sent back to the grand jury. For NPR news, I'm in Chutsky in Phoenix. There was no winner in Monday's Powerball. This is NPR. 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.