NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-24-2025 4AM EST

Episode Date: December 24, 2025

NPR News: 12-24-2025 4AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Roman. Justice Department officials have released 30,000 pages of letters, flight logs, and other documents related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They include a handwritten letter released and published on the DOJ website. NPR's Gabriel Sanchez reports. Among the trove of documents released by the Justice Department are redacted photographs, court records, and a handwritten letter. A photo of the letter shows an alleged correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and another convicted sex offender, former USA Gymnastics, and Michigan State University physician Larry Nassar.

The letter from 2019 describes Epstein's and Nassar's love for, quote, young ladies, and later describes President Trump as sharing their same passion. Hours after the release, DOJ officials posted on X they were vetting the validity of the letter they presented online. Two hours later, a second social post described the letter, fake. It wasn't immediately clear what information the department learned in the interim. The FBI declined comment. Gabriel Sanchez, NPR News, Washington. Israel's defense minister said the military would help establish Jewish settlements in northern Gaza remarks that contradict President Trump's ceasefire plan signed by Israel. NPR's Ava Batrani

has details. Defense Minister Israel Katz was addressing Jewish settlers in the West Bank to mark the expansion of 1,200 new housing units there when he said, God willing, in due time, Israel will establish Israeli communities in areas of northern Gaza, where Jewish settlements were dismantled 20 years ago. And he said, quote, we will not leave all of Gaza. But only hours later, the Israeli defense minister issued a statement saying the government has no intention of establishing settlements in Gaza and that his remarks were made solely in a security context without elaborating.

but his initial comments had already grabbed headlines in Israel and were welcomed by a far-right settler group. A. Abel-Trawi, NPR News. Stronger than expected consumer spending in the third quarter of the year pushed the nation's gross domestic product to a 4.3% annual rate. The Commerce Department report said the total value of both goods, economic goods and services, was higher than the 3.8% rate in the second quarter. NPR business correspondent Elena Seljukka has more. In the third quarter, which is between July and September, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 4.3%. And that is some of the fastest growth we've seen in a couple of years. And it's propelled by the usual engine, which is consumer spending.

This GDP growth is quite a bit faster than the growth in the previous quarter and certainly faster than the start of the year when the economy actually shrank as companies brace for President Trump's sweeping tariffs. However, there are persistent concerns about stubborn inflation. and you're listening to NPR News. A jury has awarded Johnson and Johnson, ordered Johnson and Johnson, added subsidiaries to pay $1.5 billion to a Baltimore woman after finding the company liable for exposing her to asbestos through baby potter. WIPR Scott Massione reports it is the largest win for a single person in a talc-related case. The Baltimore Circuit Court jury found that the country. The company knew that its baby powder products caused mesothelioma, an incurable form of cancer. Jessica Dean, an attorney on the case, says Johnson and Johnson consistently lied about the safety of the product.

The willingness to sacrifice future people's health protect their pocketbook when they have unreal resources. It's gross. The company says it will appeal the $1.5 billion verdict. About 67,000 people are suing Johnson and Johnson over cancer diagnoses. The company moved from talc to cornstarch-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020. For NPR news, I'm Scott Mascioni in Baltimore. The Christmas E Powerball Jackpot is now up to an estimated $1.7 billion after there is no winner in the Monday drawing. The prize is expected to be the fourth largest in U.S. lottery history, and there have been at least 46 consecutive drawings since September without a big winner.

Wednesday's $1.7 billion jackpot has a cash. value of $781 million. Stocks on Wall Street closed the day Tuesday with a high. The S&P finished at a record 6,909. From Washington, I'm Dan Ronan, NPR News. Support 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.