NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2025 8AM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Trump is turning up the pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro as tensions rise in the Caribbean. Trump is defending a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug smuggling votes. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports, as the president ramps up the aggression, questions are mounting about what the actual endgame is. Trump didn't answer when the journalist asked what his end game was. happens if Madura does fall. And I have to say it was reminiscent of moments 20-some years ago when people were asking what the end-game plan was for Iraq post-in invasion. Trump also defended the lethal attacks on these small boats the U.S. says are carrying drugs. We're now at over two dozen

of those strikes. They've killed over 100 people. There was another one announced just last night, killed one more person. And now we're talking about bigger boats, not the battleships, but massive oil tankers. That's NPR's Quill Lawrence reporting. A group of 21 states. and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. NPR's Rafael NOM reports the lawsuit seeks to address an unusual stance the agency is adopting. The latest legal fight is about the CFPB's refusal to accept funding for the agency. Under the law that established the CFPB, the agency is supposed to be funded by the combined earnings at the Federal Reserve. But under acting director, Russell Vote, the CFPB is defining that to mean profits

and arguing that since the Fed is losing money, the agency cannot request the funding. The states, however, say that's an unlawful definition. And combined earnings really means the wider money coming into the Fed. Therefore, the states say the CFPV has to accept the funding because otherwise it's on course to run out of money in January. Rafael NAMM in PR News. Parliament approved the law allowing the government to shut down foreign news outlets, extending a temporary wartime measure. Reporter Etai Stern says its first target was Al Jazeera.

The law authorizes the government to close the foreign broadcaster's offices, block its website, and prevent its satellite transmissions if the prime minister determines that the media outlet possess a threat to national security. The law will remain in effect for two years before it's up for a vote again. The Teniawas government is also fighting Israeli outlets. Just Monday, the government moved to shut down Israel's military radio station, a public broadcaster that has operated for 75 years. The army radio operates under the responsibility of the military, yet maintains journalistic independence and also criticize the Israeli army. For NPR News, I'm Itai Stern in Tel Aviv. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is a destination for tourists, especially for those who want to throw a coin over their shoulder and make a wish. But as NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports, even approaching the fountain will soon come at a cost. The Baroque masterpiece, the Trevi Fountain, is a must-see spot for tourists coming to Rome. In recent years, the piazza beside it is often so crowded there's little room to move.

This year, the fountain had some nine, million visitors, according to Rome's mayor. So Rome plans to charge from February, a two euro tourist tax for any non-resident wanting access to the fountain. It estimates it will make some $7.6 million in annual revenue. It's part of a broader effort by the Italian government to capitalize on the country's famed heritage. For example, Verona this month began charging for access to the balcony in the northern Italian city that is associated with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Ruth Sherlock and Peon News. The suspected cyber attack disrupted France's postal service on Monday, knocking out online

payment systems during the busy holiday season. The postal service is blaming a major network incident that affected its information systems. French banking officials say services at some post offices may still be down. In a statement, LaPoste said the incident had no impact on customer data but disrupted package deliveries. Stocks across Asia traded mixed today with markets in Japan and China closing higher. 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.

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