NPR News: 12-24-2025 7PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – December 24, 2025, 7PM EST

Host: Jael Snyder (NPR)
Date: December 24, 2025
Episode Theme:
A concise roundup of major news stories from the U.S. and around the world, spanning weather emergencies, immigration policies, scientific research, public health controversies, global conflict, and financial market updates.

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1. Southern California Storms & State of Emergency

[00:14–01:04]

• Governor Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency in Los Angeles due to a “powerful holiday storm” bringing heavy rains and high winds.

• Authorities are especially concerned about burn scar areas—regions previously devastated by wildfire—now at risk for severe flooding and debris flows.

  “With any storm in this area, burn scar areas are of concern... water isn't absorbed by that burned land as it usually might be. That creates dangerous runoff conditions... susceptible to debris flows."
  —Kavish Harjai, reporting from Los Angeles [00:38]

• Whiteout conditions predicted in the Sierra Nevada, extending weather warnings across much of the state.

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2. DOJ Uncovers New Epstein-Related Documents

[01:04–01:44]

• The Justice Department disclosed it is reviewing over a million additional documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case.
• The FBI and Manhattan federal prosecutors say more time is needed to complete legally required redactions.
• The update was released on Christmas Eve, suggesting ongoing complexities in the high-profile investigation.

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3. Trump Administration Strips Legal Status from Immigrants

[01:44–02:25]

• Reporting by NPR’s Ximena Bustillo: The administration has removed legal status from approximately 1.6 million immigrants in 11 months.

• The most affected are individuals under Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—a program for people whose countries are considered unsafe due to war, disaster, or other crises.

  “The administration has ended TPS for 10 countries, impacting an estimated 1 million people.”
  —Ximena Bustillo [01:51]

  “TPS for six more countries expire next year, and if they’re not extended, the U.S. may have no one under the program for the first time since it was created in 1990.”
  —Ximena Bustillo [02:10]

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4. New Findings on ADHD Medications

[02:25–03:10]

• New research published in Cell challenges previous assumptions about how ADHD medications function.

• Brain scans of adolescents on drugs like Ritalin and Adderall indicate these medicines affect areas related to alertness and motivation—not attention, as previously thought.

  “What I actually found was that those were the parts of the brain that were least affected.”
  —Dr. Benjamin Kay, Washington University in St. Louis [02:50]

• The result: these medications make children less sleepy and more motivated, indirectly boosting performance on tasks like homework.

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5. HHS Lawsuit by American Academy of Pediatrics

[03:10–03:51]

• The American Academy of Pediatrics filed a lawsuit against the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after nearly $12 million in grants were terminated.
• The Academy claims the cuts are retaliatory for criticizing Trump administration actions.
• The lost funding had supported multiple public health initiatives.

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6. Suicide Bombing at Nigerian Mosque

[03:51–04:27]

• At least five killed and dozens injured in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, during evening prayers.

  “The attack is the first in years in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, where the insurgency by Boko Haram began in 2009.”
  —Ahmed Yakin Waltu, NPR [03:57]

• City’s military presence has deterred major attacks, but militant activity is increasing in rural areas.

• No group has claimed responsibility, though similar attacks have targeted mosques in the past.

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7. Wall Street Holiday Trading

[04:27–04:53]

• US markets closed higher in light, shortened holiday trading:
  • S&P 500 up 0.31% (+22 points), closing at 6,932.
  • Dow +0.06%
  • Nasdaq Composite +0.21%
• Markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will remain shut on Christmas Day.

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Memorable Quotes & Key Voices

• Kavish Harjai (LA storm coverage, 00:38):
  "...burn scar areas are of concern. So these are portions of land where, because of wildfires, vegetation has been removed and the nature of the soil has changed... makes those burn scar areas susceptible to debris flows."

• Ximena Bustillo (immigration, 01:51 & 02:10):
  “The administration has ended TPS for 10 countries, impacting an estimated 1 million people.”
  “TPS for six more countries expire next year... the U.S. may have no one under the program for the first time since it was created in 1990.”

• Dr. Benjamin Kay (ADHD research, 02:50):
  “What I actually found was that those were the parts of the brain that were least affected.”

• Ahmed Yakin Waltu (Nigerian attack, 03:57):
  “The attack is the first in years in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, where the insurgency by Boko Haram began in 2009.”

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Episode Structure & Flow

• Weather Emergency opens the report, reflecting ongoing climate challenges in California.
• Legal/Justice News segues into high-profile federal cases and controversial administration actions.
• Science and Health sections offer fresh insights on ADHD medication and public health funding disputes.
• International News includes security threats abroad, notably in Nigeria.
• Business & Markets closes the bulletin with a holiday trading snapshot.

Tone:
Direct, succinct, and fact-focused—true to NPR’s concise news delivery format.

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Transcript

[Capital One Announcer]

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[Jael Snyder]

Live from NPR News, I'm Jael Snyder. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles. A powerful holiday storm is lashing Southern California with heavy rain and gusty winds, part of parts of LA scorched by wildfires nearly a year ago under evacuation warnings. Kavish Harjai is with LA at CMBR member station in Los Angeles.

[Kavish Harjai]

Of course, with any storm in this area, burn scar areas are of concern. So these are portions of land where, because of wildfires, vegetation has been removed and the nature of the soil has changed. And as a result, water isn't absorbed by that burned land as it usually might be. And so that creates dangerous runoff conditions for the land below and makes those burn scar areas susceptible to debris flows.

[Jael Snyder]

Much of the state under weather warnings, forecasters warning of whiteout conditions in parts of the Sierra Nevada. The Justice Department says it's having to sift through more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. The DOJ announced on this Christmas Eve that the FBI and federal prosecutors in Manhattan have uncovered more than a million additional documents and that it could take a few more weeks to make the legally required redactions. The trial the Trump administration has stripped legal status from 1.6 million immigrants in 11 months, including those who came into the country under various visa and parole programs. NPRC Manapestillo reports.

[Ximena Bustillo]

The largest group affected includes those under a program called Temporary Protected Status. It provides deportation protection and grants work permits to people from specific countries affected by war, natural disaster, political instability or any other condition that makes the country unsafe for its nationals to return to. The administration has ended TPS for 10 countries, impacting an estimated 1 million people. The Trump administration argues that parole programs like TPS are meant to only be temporary. TPS for six more countries expire next year, and if they're not extended, the U.S. may have no. 1 under the program for the first time since it was created in 1990. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.

[Jael Snyder]

New research suggests that drugs for ADHD don't work the way scientists once thought they did. NPR's John Hamilton has more on a study in the journal Cell C. Scientists.

[John Hamilton]

Analyzed brain scans from thousands of adolescents, including hundreds who were taking drugs like Ritalin and Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Benjamin Kay of Washington University in St. Louis says he expected the drugs to act on brain areas involved in attention.

[Dr. Benjamin Kay]

What I actually found was that those were the parts of the brain that were least affected.

[John Hamilton]

Instead, the drugs acted on areas that modulate alertness and motivation. The researchers say this appears to improve a child's performance by making them less sleepy and more interested in doing mundane tasks like homework. John Hamilton, NPR News.

[Jael Snyder]

This is NPR News. The federal Health and Human Services Department is facing a new lawsuit. The American Academy of Pediatrics sued today, alleging HHS terminated nearly $12 million in grants to the doctors group. The group alleges the cuts are retaliatory because it spoke out against actions taken by the Trump administration. The funding supported a number of public health programs. At least five people have been killed and scores injured in a suicide bombing at a mosque in northeast Nigeria. According to local officials, the blast struck during evening prayers on Christmas Eve. As NPR's Ahmed Yakin Waltu reports, several.

[Ahmed Yakin Waltu]

Worshippers were hit in the blast at a crowded mosque on Wednesday evening and taken to nearby hospitals. The attack is the first in years in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, where the insurgency by Boko Haram began in 2009. The city has been largely fortified by a heavy military presence, but in recent months, local officials have warned that in rural areas across the region, militants have a growing foothold. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which local officials have called a suicide bombing, but militants have previously targeted mosques and crowded areas. Emmanuel Akimotu, NPR News, Lagos.

[Jael Snyder]

Moving now to Wall Street, US Stocks closed higher on a holiday shortened day of trading. The S&P 500 rose to 3.10 of a percent, adding 22 points to close at 6,932. The Dow was up 6.10 and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.10. Trading was light as the markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Christmas Day. This is npr.

[Dr. Benjamin Kay]

This message is from Give Directly, a nonprofit that sends cash directly to the world's poorest people. Pods Fight Poverty is supporting 700 families in Rwanda, with donations matched through December 31st. Visit GiveDirectly.org Podcast.