WORLD Radio News - WORLD Radio News: 12-23-25 (1/3)

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

The latest headlines in three minutes from WORLD updated three times throughout the day.Sign-up for the daily Sift email at thesift.org.Support sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth at wng.org/donate.

With World Radio News, I'm Kent Covington. President Trump has announced plans for what he's calling the Golden Fleet, a proposed new class of U.S. warships that he said would be the largest, fastest, and most powerful ever built. Asked whether the plan is aimed at countering China's military buildup, Trump said. It's a counter to everybody. It's not China. We get along great with China. I have a great relationship with President Xi, and not China. It's just everybody. You don't know who comes along with. long. But any new fleet would require approval and funding from Congress which controls defense

spending. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is pushing back against critics of the decision to pause the U.S. diversity visa lottery program. President Trump ordered the suspension after officials, say a Portuguese national who entered the country under that program carried out multiple deadly shootings. Those included the recent mass shooting at Brown University. Noem says the program, as structured, does not make sense. We have tens of thousands of people that came in, basically, under a DEI program, under the Department of Homeland Security. The Trump administration says it needed to pause the program to examine procedures. But National Immigration Law Center President Kika Matos argues the move is, quote, shamelessly exploiting a national tragedy.

The Trump administration has halted work on five major offshore wind projects along the East Coast. The Interior Department says the pause will allow federal agencies to review whether large, wind turbines pose risks and Interior Secretary Doug Bergam said, quote, today's action addresses emerging national concerns. The Department of War has come back conclusively that the issues related to these large offshore wind programs have create radar interference that creates a genuine risk. Supporters of offshore wind argued that the project's already cleared years of federal and military review.

The Interior Department has announced no end date for the suspension. The Heritage Foundation says just over a dozen staff members have departed amid internal turmoil over leadership and mission. World's Kristen Flavin has more. Spokesman Cody Sargent told World Monday that 11 staff members quit and the conservative think tank fired two other senior staffers with heritage leaders saying they welcome debate but insist loyalty to the organization's mission is essential. The shakeup follows criticism of Heritage President Kevin Ross.

Roberts, after he defended podcaster Tucker Carlson for hosting a controversial guest accused of anti-Semitism. That dispute led Heritage's anti-Semitism task force to resign last month prior to the shakeup over this past week. For World, I'm Kristen Flavin. And I'm Kent Covington. For more sound journalism grounded in facts and biblical truth, visit worldradio.com. where many families save $500 a month on their health care. Metashare.com slash world.