NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The latest GDP figures are out this morning. The Commerce Department says the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 4.3% in the third quarter. The report had been delayed from October because of the government shutdown. That means the data is now even more data than usual, looking at an earlier period for the economy. The Justice Department has released nearly 30,000 additional documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The department says some of the files contain unfounded claims about President Trump, including materials submitted to the FBI ahead of the 2020 election. DOJ officials say those claims were reviewed and deemed false. In a post on social media, the DOJ says it's releasing the records to comply with a legal deadline and as part of its commitment to transparency. Previous batches of documents have included high-profile file names, including former president Bill Clinton and President Trump. Kilmar Abrago-Garcia, the man deported to El Salvador by mistake may continue to stay out of

detention while his cases play out in various courts. NPR's Hemenabustillo reports. Judge Palazzini's in Maryland extended a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Homeland Security Department from placing Abrago Garcia in immigration detention. She gave the government attorneys until later this week to explain what they do should lift that order. Zini's issued the protection order earlier this month and also granted Abrago-Garcia's petition to be released from custody. Abrago-Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally, had been living in Maryland but was deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador by mistake.

The government eventually brought him back to the U.S. and charged him with human smuggling. Abrago-Garcia denies those allegations and is fighting this and his immigration case across several courts. Jimenez-Bustillo, and Pierre News, Washington. A new inspector general report found that people calling into the Social Security Administration got their calls answered faster this year. But as NPRs Ashley Lopez reports, millions of callers didn't get the help they needed. The Social Security Administration implemented changes this year aimed at driving down wait times. Staff was moved around to answer the agency's 1-800 number.

Despite massive agency-wide staff cuts, there was new technology rolled out, allowing callers to get a call back instead of waiting on hold for help, About 24 million callers out of 68 million opted for this and weren't factored in wait times. This all led to a faster reported average speed of answer. But the inspector general also found that about 25 million calls ended without the callers receiving the service they needed. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose questions prompted the report, says changes at the agency created a customer service mess. Ashley Lopez, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington.

Many state-run psychiatric hospitals have largely lost the ability to treat patients unless they are charged with a crime. Sarah Jane Tribble with our partner, KFF, Health News, has more from Ohio. More than 90 percent of the patients at Ohio State psychiatric hospitals have been charged with a crime. Two decades ago, about half of the patients were criminally charged. Ohio retired Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg-Straten has seen people with unmet, mental health needs cycle through the courts for years. It hurts everybody who has someone who needs to get a hospital bed that's not in the criminal justice system. Patients charged with crimes tend to stay longer in state hospitals, so fewer patients are being served today than 10 years ago. Ohio's Department

of Behavioral Health has tried to address the problem, including by expanding mental health treatment in jails. Sarah Jane Tribble is our partner with KFF Health News. Nigerians are welcoming home 1,30 children and teachers who were released after being kidnapped in one of the country's largest mass abductions. Some of the kids appeared malnourished, or in shock as they arrived at a government ceremony on Monday. Police say they were freed Sunday. One month after gunmen stormed their Catholic Church during a pre-dawn attack. Authorities are working to reunite the children with their families before Christmas. Officials did not say if a ransom had been paid, a common element in such abductions. No group has so far claimed responsibility.

I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.