NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump has issued a new warning to Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. He could do whatever he wants. I mean, we have a massive armada formed, the biggest we've ever had. And by far the biggest we've ever had in South America, he could do whatever he wants. It's all right. Whatever he wants to do. If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it'll be the last time he's ever.

able to playtime. The U.S. military has intercepted to oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela and is actively tracking a third ship linked to the country. The operations come amid a growing U.S. naval buildup in the Caribbean as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to cut off Venezuela's oil revenue. A federal judge has ruled that migrants who were deported in March to a Salvadoran detention center were not given due process. NPR's Jasmine Guards reports the court is ordering the Trump administration to facilitate their return. In March of this year, migrants who were being held in a detention center in Texas were sent to Seacot, a notorious prison in El Salvador. In order to send them, the Trump administration invoked

the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used wartime power. They were accused without evidence of being members of Venezuelan gang Trenneragua. A federal judge has now ordered the government facilitate six of these men's ability to obtain a hearing, writing, quote, our law requires no less. He also certified the group as a class, so the case brought by the six men could represent all of those who were removed on March 15th. He gave the administration until January 5th to comply. Jasmine Garst and PR News. Powerful storms moving through the San Francisco Bay Area continued to bring flooding to the area, forcing some rescues. Samantha Kennedy from member station KQED reports.

Forecasters say more rain is on the way. Meteorologists expect there to be winds of up to 80 miles per hour and widespread power outages across the Bay area this week. The North Bay is expected to get some of the worst of it. Jeff Duvall of Sonoma County's Emergency Management Department isn't aware of any damages to the North Bay County so far, but... We did have a couple vehicles get stuck in the floodwaters overnight to where Sonoma County's public safety had to come out

and do two different water rescues. Jan Null, a consulting meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services, says winds will pick up which could topple trees and power lines. That always poses problems after we've had significant rains with trees coming down with 30 or 40, some places maybe 50-mile-an-hour gusts. Officials say they're prepared for whatever the week brings. For NPR news, I'm Samantha Kennedy in San Francisco. Stocks across Asia closed mix today on Wall Street, Dahl Futures, are trading higher at the

This is NPR News. Federal regulators have approved a pill version of the popular weight loss drug Wagovi, which is currently only available as an injection. The pills could hit the market by early next year. Experts say the oral form may be more affordable and easier for patients to access. The drugs manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, has faced increased competition from rivaled drug makers, including Eli Lilly. The company says the pill form of Wagovi showed an average weight loss of nearly 17% during clinical trials. Millions of Americans are on the move during the holiday season. NPR's Joel Rose reports more than 120 million people are expected to travel by plane, train, and automobile.

If you're heading over the river and through the woods today, you are not alone. AAA predicts more than 122 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home during the peak end of year travel period that started last weekend. The vast majority, more than 109 million, will drive, according to AAA, a slight increase over last year's record total. Air travel may set records as well. The TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, says it's preparing to screen more than 44 million passengers during this holiday season and could set a record for passenger volume for the year. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. The Powerball Jackpot has climbed to $1.7 billion after no winner in last night's trawling.

It's now the fourth largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. The next trawling is on Wednesday. I'm Windsor Johnston and PR 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 Cs apply.