NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-25-2025 4AM EST

Episode Date: December 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot two people in Glen Burnie, Maryland Wednesday. Scott Mascioni from member station WIPR reports. The shooting occurred around 10.50 a.m. after ICE agents approached a van, according to Annarundle County Police. The agents opened fire on the van striking one person. Another person outside the van suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to the University of Maryland shock trauma center in Baltimore. ICE's criminal investigation division is leading a probe into the shooting. Maryland Governor West Moore says he's aware of the shooting and will remain in touch with local

officials. Glenn Bernie is one of the fastest growing Latino populations in Maryland. ICE has been active in the state and the agency made more than 700 arrests in Maryland between September and mid-October. For NPR News, I'm Scott Mosioni in Baltimore. President Trump on Christmas Eve made phone calls to some children around the country, as NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, tracked Santa's annual journey from the North Pole. On a call with a child from Kansas, the president asked what the child wanted for Christmas,

and the call instead pivoted to energy policy. What would you like Santa to bring? Not coal. Not coal. No, you don't want, well, coal is, you mean clean, beautiful coal. I had to do that. Another child told the president they wanted a Kindle for Christmas. He responded, you must be a high IQ person.

We need more high IQ people in this country. Dominion Energy has filed a lawsuit this challenging an order by the Trump administration, directing the company to stop work on an offshore wind project on Virginia's coast. NPR's Michael Copley reports the stop work order is citing national security concerns. Dominion's offshore wind facility was one of five. projects targeted by the Interior Department's latest stop work order as the Trump administration escalates its attacks on the offshore wind industry. The Interior Department said the construction pause would give the government time to work with project developers to address national security

concerns raised in a recent classified report. Dominion said in a federal lawsuit that its project has already undergone an extensive national security review and that the pause is costing the company more than $5 million a day. The project is expected online next year, generating enough electricity to power around 660,000 homes. Michael Copley, NPR News. We have a winner. Someone in Arkansas got all of the correct numbers in Wednesday night's Powerball lottery and won a $1.8 billion prize before taxes and the fees are deducted. The winning numbers were 4, 25, 31, 52, and the red Powerball number was 19.

This is the first winner since September. This is NPR News. Around the holidays, reindeer show up in a lot of places, movies, and in greeting cards. But in central Illinois, they're not seasonal. Symbols they live on the ranch all year long. A day to Moe with member station Illinois Public Media takes us there. Hardy's reindeer ranch in Rantoole, Illinois, draws in visitors eager to see the animals that pull Santa sleigh. Mark Hardy and his wife, Julie,

have been raising reindeer for 30 years. Today, their herd of 20 spans three generations. Her name's Holly. She has a baby named Jolly, and then Jolly has Dolly. Hardy says raising them is simply a way of life. They're more fun than a cow, I'll put it that way. Caring for reindeer in Illinois means adjusting with the seasons. In summer, Hardy says fans and shaded barns keep them cool.

But in winter, they're right at home. I say their winter coat is good to 50 below. The ranch draws thousands of visits. during the holiday season, but Hardy says the work continues year-round. For NPR News, I'm Adeline Moy in Rantoul, Illinois. At the Vatican, Pope Leo celebrated his first Mass as the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. The Catholic News Agency said the mass was celebrated for the first time in more than 30 years at St. Peter's Basilica, something no Pope has done since 1994.

The Pope's message was, peace be with you all on this Christmas Day. This is NPR News from Washington. Support for 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. Tease and Cs apply.