NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-24-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: December 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The Justice Department has released another batch of files from the investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. NPR's Sarah McCammon has more. In this new batch, there are flight logs from the 1990s showing Trump and occasionally some members of his family, taking several trips on Epstein's plane, among other things. The DOJ has collected these documents over several years. as a product of multiple investigations, and it's not clear what's been verified in these files or which of these sources are credible. And it is important to say it was already well known

that Trump knew Epstein and that Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing here. But these documents do continue to highlight the relationship between these two, and they raise questions about what Trump might have known about Epstein's activities. NPR's Sarah McCammon. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty is suing president. Trump for adding his name to the Kennedy Center in Washington. The lawsuit also names Trump appointees to the Kennedy Center board. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports. Joyce Beatty's federal lawsuit argues that rechristening the Kennedy Center requires an act

of Congress. One of Beatty's councils, Norm Eisen, says the former name was established through legislation in 1964. The law is very clear. The Kennedy Center is to be named after John F. Kennedy and only John F. Kennedy. New signage bearing Trump's name appeared on the centre's website and façade late last week. In a written statement to NPR, the centre's vice president of public relations, Roma

DeRavi, blamed critics like Congresswoman Beatty for having, quote, sat idly by while America's cultural centre slowly crumbled and justified the change of name by pointing to the millions of dollars she says Trump has raised to repair the building. Chloe Valtman, NPR News. Officials are urging Californians not to be on the roads today and tomorrow. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says a major storm may make travel dangerous. Safety is of paramount concern this week because, as you know, we're expecting a strong winter storm with heavy rain and wind to begin tonight through Saturday, December 27th,

with the National Weather Service anticipating the heaviest rainfall today, tomorrow, and on Christmas Day. A flash flood watch will go into effect today. The storm could lead to flooding, mudslides, and rock slides. The Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area are under flood and high wind warnings through Friday. Millions of people are expected to travel across the state for the holidays. At least two people were killed in an explosion at a nursing home outside Philadelphia yesterday. Officials say it appears to have been caused by a gas leak. You're listening to NPR News.

in Washington. 19 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over proposed rules that would bar hospitals from providing gender-affirming care to transgender children. The declaration signed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert of Kennedy Jr. last week said that treatments such as purity blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery are unsafe and ineffective. The Trump administration has said it wants to align the child. Childhood vaccination schedule with best practices in peer nations like Denmark. But as NPR's Maria Kadoi reports, critics say one can't simply adopt another country's

vaccine schedule in the U.S. Denmark routinely vaccinates all kids against just 10 diseases. In the U.S., it's 16 diseases. Dr. Sean O'Leary with the American Academy of Pediatrics says the two countries are very different. It's like comparing a cruise ship to a kayak. I mean, for example, Denmark is the size of roughly Wisconsin. Denmark also has free universal health care. Families get about a year of paid parental leave so they can stay home with their babies,

so they potentially aren't exposed to as many diseases. And if a child gets hospitalized, their health system absorbs that cost. Meanwhile, in the U.S., many people struggle with access to health care and paid leave. Maria Godoy and PR News. The Department of Education is investigating Brown University, in connection with the shooting December 13th that killed at least two students and wounded nine others. The Office of Federal Student Aid will look into allegations that the university lacked adequate surveillance. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.

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