NPR News: 12-31-2025 7PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: 12-31-2025, 7PM EST — Episode Summary

Main Theme:
A concise roundup of major news stories on U.S. politics, health trends, the economy, regional wine innovation, and sports, offering listeners a snapshot of late-breaking events and societal shifts as 2025 comes to a close.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. House Judiciary Committee Releases Jack Smith Interview Transcript

[00:19–01:21]

• Summary:

  • Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee released a 300-page transcript from their interview with former Special Counsel Jack Smith.
  • The transcript details Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of secret documents.
  • Smith emphasized the role played by Republicans who prioritized their “allegiance to the country before their political party.”
  • The Department of Justice dropped both major cases against Trump after last year’s election, adhering to the policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.

• Notable Quote:

  • "The election case was built on Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before their political party."
    — Jack Smith, recounted by NPR’s Carrie Johnson ([00:36])

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2. Blockbuster Weight Loss Drugs Poised for Big Year

[01:21–02:18]

• Summary:

  • As weight loss resolutions spike, demand for GLP-1 drugs continues to grow.
  • The FDA approved the Wegovy pill in late 2025, with more pills like Eli Lilly’s version pending approval.
  • Direct-to-consumer options are rising, but list prices remain high despite discounts.
  • Insurance coverage has tightened, with some plans now only covering obesity drugs for patients with a BMI over 40, even though clinical obesity is defined as BMI of 30+.

• Notable Insight:

  • "Insurance coverage…has actually gotten more restrictive with some plans only cover[ing] obesity drugs for patients with a body mass index over 40."
    — Sidney Lupkin ([01:36])

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3. Economic Update: Year-End Review & Interest Rate Cuts

[02:18–02:51]

• Summary:

  • The U.S. economy outperformed expectations, and the stock market ended the year on a strong note.
  • Despite this, public sentiment about the economy remains largely negative.
  • The Federal Reserve’s third interest rate cut in December helped ease borrowing costs; mortgage rates reached their lowest point of the year.
  • Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage is down to 6.15%, potentially revitalizing the sluggish housing market.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "It does make it a little cheaper to buy a car or grow a business, you know. Mortgage rates have also come down a little bit."
    — Scott Horsley ([02:33])
  • "The average rate on a 30 year home loan is down to 6.15%, which is the lowest it's been all year. That could give a little boost to the housing market, which has been in a deep slump."
    — Scott Horsley ([02:33])

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4. National Guard Withdrawals from Cities

[02:51–03:34]

• Summary:
  • President Trump announced that National Guard troops will be withdrawn from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.
  • The decision comes after legal pushback, including a Supreme Court order keeping a federal judge’s ban on troop deployments in effect for Illinois.

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5. Bright Spots for Northwest Sparkling Wine

[03:34–04:23]

• Summary:

  • Sparkling wine sales are a rare growth area in an otherwise declining wine market.
  • Northwest wineries are embracing more innovative techniques, from traditional methods to natural styles like Pet Nat and forced carbonation (a more affordable option).
  • Local producers are increasingly creative, employing native yeasts and minimal additives.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Almost anything on trend anywhere in the world ... it’s happening right here in the backyard and you can have access to it."
    — Chad Johnson, Dusted Valley Winery ([03:49])

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6. Politics & Local Events: New York City's New Mayor

[04:23–04:38]

• Summary:
  • Zoran Mandani will be sworn in as New York City's mayor at midnight during a ceremony at the historic City Hall subway station, followed by a public event and block party.

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7. College Football Bowl Games

[04:38–04:58]

• Summary:
  • Iowa, led by quarterback Mark Gronowski, defeated Vanderbilt 34–27.
  • Notable performances: Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for one, accumulating 212 passing yards.
  • Duke edged Arizona State 42–39; Texas beat Michigan 41–27.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Bipartisanship in Legal Investigations:
  "The election case was built on Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before their political party."
  — Jack Smith, via Carrie Johnson ([00:36])

• On Economic Relief:
  "It does make it a little cheaper to buy a car or grow a business, you know. Mortgage rates have also come down a little bit."
  — Scott Horsley ([02:33])

• On Winemaking Trends:
  "Almost anything on trend anywhere in the world ... it’s happening right here in the backyard and you can have access to it."
  — Chad Johnson ([03:49])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jack Smith Interview Transcript: 00:19–01:21
• Weight Loss Drugs/GLP-1s: 01:21–02:18
• Economy & Interest Rates: 02:18–02:51
• National Guard Withdrawals: 02:51–03:34
• Northwest Sparkling Wine: 03:34–04:23
• NYC Mayoral Swearing-In: 04:23–04:38
• College Football Results: 04:38–04:58

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Tone: Straightforward, factual, concise, and focused on key developments—a hallmark of NPR News Now.

Transcript

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[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have released the transcript of their interview with former special counsel Jack Smith. As NPR's Carrie Johnson reports, Smith has volunteered to test public, but so far no one in GOP leadership has taken him up on that offer.

[Carrie Johnson]

The GOP led House Judiciary Committee dropped the nearly 300 page transcript on New Year's Eve. Jack Smith fielded questions about his work building criminal cases against now President Donald Trump over Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged refusal to turn over secret documents to the FBI. Smith told lawmakers the election case was built on Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before their political party and that several state and federal officials would have been witnesses for the prosecution. The Justice Department dropped both cases against Trump after last year's election following a long policy that the sitting president cannot be prosecuted. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

[Dale Willman]

As people add losing weight to their list of New Year's resolutions, they might be considering trying one of the blockbuster weight loss drugs known as GLP1s. NPR's Sidney Lupkin has more about how 2026 could be another big year for those drugs.

[Sidney Lupkin]

The Food and Drug Administration approved a Wegovy pill at the end of 2025, and it will become available this year. A competing pill made by Eli Lilly could soon follow. Meanwhile, direct to consumer GLP1s sold by the drug companies to patients who don't use their insurance could continue to grow in popularity. Those discounted prices have dropped over time, but the drug's sticker prices haven't dropped. And insurance coverage for the INJ actually gotten more restrictive when it comes to weight loss. For example, some plans only cover obesity drugs for patients with a body mass index over 40, even though obesity is classified as having a BMI of 30 or higher. Sidney Lupkin, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

The U.S. economy is closing out the year having done better than many economists had expected. And the stock market also had a good year. But many Americans are still unhappy about the economy. One bright spot, says NPR's Scott Horsley, was the third cut in interest rates that occurred this month.

[Scott Horsley]

It does make it a little cheaper to buy a car or grow a business, you know, Mortgage rates have also come down a little bit. The mortgage giant Freddie Mac said today that the average rate on a 30 year home loan is down to 6.15%, which is the lowest it's been all year. That could give a little boost to the housing market, which has been in a deep slump.

[Dale Willman]

That's NPR's Scott Horsley. President Trump says the National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland are all heading home. He made an announcement on social media this afternoon. His deployments have met resistance from federal judges. Earlier this month, a Supreme Court left in place a ruling by a federal judge that bars the use of troops in Illinois. Stocks were down on Wall Street. You're listening to NPR News. Bubbles are a sort of bright spot in the slowing wine sales scene as the Washington State Wine Commission reports sparks of growth for sparkling. Now more Northwest wineries are dipping a toe into sparkling wines. Northwest Public Broadcasting's Anna King has our reports.

[Anna King]

Chad Johnson is a co owner of Dusted Valley Winery in Walla Walla. He says Northwest makers are starting to get creative with sparkling wines. Some, like him, are using native yeast and low inputs into the wines.

[Chad Johnson]

All the kind of traditional things that have been done and are continuing to do and getting better as vine age and the winemakers are getting better. But literally almost anything on trend anywhere in the world, whether it be natural or varietals, it's happening right here in the backyard and you can have access to it.

[Anna King]

Styles of wines that Northwest makers make include traditional style sparkling wines, Pet Nap, a wine that's fermented with yeast left in the bottle, and even forced carbonation, wines that usually retail for less. For NPR News, I'm Anna King.

[Dale Willman]

Zoran Mandani will become mayor of New York City. At midnight, there will be a small swearing in ceremony at the historic City hall subway station. Then tomorrow afternoon, there will be a bigger public event on the steps of City hall, along with a block party with thousands of people expected to attend. In college football, Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as Iowa beat number 13, Vanderbilt today 34 to 27. Granowski was 1622 and passed for 212 yards. Duke, meanwhile, beat Arizona State 4239 and Texas beat Michigan 41 to 27. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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