Loading summary
A
This message comes from Capital One with the Capital One Saver card. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. Details@capitalone.com.
B
Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Thousands of files about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public by the Justice Department on Friday. Congress had passed a law requiring to have all government documents about Epstein released this week. But the Trump administration has admitted they'll still still hold many other files, with more being released at the end of the year. Congressman Ro Khanna is a co sponsor of that law. He says he's frustrated by Friday's release.
C
People are taking a big risk by not enforcing the law. We also, of course, could have impeachment hearings against either the Pam Bondi or the deputy attorney general. We could hold them in inherent contempt of Congress. But I don't want to go there just on one day. I mean, what I would prefer is that we get an explanation for where the other documents are and what their timeline is.
B
Many of the documents released on Friday are also heavily redacted. One of President Trump's closest allies in Congress, Representative Elise Stefanik, is dropping her bid for New York governor. Stefanik also says she won't seek reelection to her House seat. NPR's Brian Mann has more on that story.
D
Stefanik was a rising star in the Republican Party, first as an east coast moderate, the youngest GOP woman ever elected to a House seat, then pivoted to the right, serving as a close MAGA ally of Trump and confronting Ivy League university leaders in a series of contentious House hearings. But her political climb faltered this year when Trump withdrew her nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik then announced she would challenge New York Governor Kathy Hochul in next year's election, but polls showed her trailing badly, and she also faced a tough primary challenge. Now Stefanik says she's dropping her bid for governor and and won't run again for her upstate New York House seat. In a statement, Stevanik says she'll focus instead on parenting her young son. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.
B
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US Launched a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State targets in central Syria. The attacks occurred on Friday. As NPR's Greg Myre reports, this comes after three Americans were killed earlier this week by a gunman in Syria.
E
The US Attack involved fighter jets, helicopters and artillery rounds directed against buildings and weapons belonging to the Islamic State. In a post on X, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said, today we hunted and we killed our enemies, lots of them, and we will continue. President Trump vowed to hit back after a gunman killed two members of the Iowa national guard and a US civilian interpreter on December 13th. That attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces who was about to be dismissed because of his extremist views linked to the Islamic State. US Forces defeated ISIS years ago, but have remained in Syria to prevent a resurgence of the group. Greg Myhrey, NPR News, Washington.
B
And you're listening to NPR News. Heart attacks rose in Los Angeles after the wildfires last January. That's according to a new study, as NPR's Alejandra Barunda reports.
F
Over the three months following the fires, the emergency room at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles saw lots of patients from the city's most affected areas. Now, researchers like cardiologist Joseph Ebinger have dug into that data to understand the fire's impact on Angelino's health. They didn't see any change in the total number of visits, but they saw big shifts in the health problems people showed up with. Some were expected, like a jump in lung issues. Others were more surprising, like a 46%.
D
Increase in the rate of people presenting for heart attacks during that time period.
F
They also saw huge increases in abnormal blood tests. Ebinger says that could be a sign of overall stress on people's bodies from the particularly toxic smoke and ash produced by the fires, which burn through toxic materials like home insulation, cars and batteries. Alejandra Barunda, NPR News.
B
Health officials in Gaza say Israeli troops fired into the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, killing at least five Palestinians, including a baby. The killings come as the truce between Hamas and Israel has stalled in recent weeks. Israel's military says troops had identified a number of suspicious individuals and fired at them. And they said an investigation into the shooting is underway. Stocks rose for the second straight day on Friday, with tech stocks leading the charge. The tech heavy Nasdaq finished up 1.31%. The S&P 500, meanwhile, rose 0.88%. And the Dow Jones Industrials was also up 183 points. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.
A
This message comes From NPR sponsor eBay, who is home to millions of parts for your next project and free returns if it doesn't fit or it isn't what you expected. EBay has your back. Eligible items only exclusions apply. EBay things people love.
This 5-minute episode of NPR News Now delivers a concise update on significant U.S. and international news stories from December 19th, 2025. Key topics include the partial release of Jeffrey Epstein government files, Representative Elise Stefanik’s political decisions, U.S. military actions against ISIS in Syria, the health impact of Los Angeles wildfires, and deadly events in Gaza.
[00:14 – 01:05]
Notable Quote
“People are taking a big risk by not enforcing the law. … What I would prefer is that we get an explanation for where the other documents are and what their timeline is.”
— Rep. Ro Khanna [00:41]
[01:05 – 02:07]
Summary by Brian Mann:
“Stefanik was a rising star in the Republican Party... But her political climb faltered this year when Trump withdrew her nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. ... Now Stefanik says she's dropping her bid for governor and won’t run again for her upstate New York House seat.”
— Brian Mann [01:24]
[02:07 – 03:10]
Notable Quote
“Today we hunted and we killed our enemies, lots of them, and we will continue.”
— Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as quoted by Greg Myre [02:25]
[03:10 – 04:13]
Key Insight
“They also saw huge increases in abnormal blood tests. Ebinger says that could be a sign of overall stress on people’s bodies from the particularly toxic smoke and ash produced by the fires, which burn through toxic materials like home insulation, cars and batteries.”
— Alejandra Barunda [03:55]
[04:13 – 04:32]
[04:32 – 04:53]
Ro Khanna:
“We could hold them in inherent contempt of Congress. But I don't want to go there just on one day... what I would prefer is that we get an explanation for where the other documents are and what their timeline is.” [00:41]
Brian Mann on Stefanik:
“...her political climb faltered this year when Trump withdrew her nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.” [01:24]
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth (via Greg Myre):
“Today we hunted and we killed our enemies, lots of them, and we will continue.” [02:25]
Dr. Joseph Ebinger (via Alejandra Barunda):
“46% increase in the rate of people presenting for heart attacks during that time period.” [03:51]
This fast-paced episode offers listeners vital updates on government transparency, the shifting political landscape, U.S. military operations, the broader impacts of climate disasters, ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and financial markets. Each story reflects the day’s most pressing headlines with concise, reliable reporting and direct commentary from newsmakers and NPR journalists.