Up First from NPR

Episode: U.S. Strikes ISIS In Nigeria, The Year In Congress, Holiday Spending
Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Leila Fadel
Featured Reporters: Emmanuel Akinwatu (Nigeria), Claudia Grisales (Congress), Alina Selyukh (Retail)

Overview

This episode covers three major news stories:

1. U.S. military strikes against ISIS in Nigeria and the political context behind them.
2. An assessment of the U.S. Congress's achievements (and failures) during 2025, especially under Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership.
3. Record-breaking holiday spending in the U.S., despite consumer pessimism about the economy.

Each story is presented with on-the-ground reporting, political analysis, and insights from industry and data sources.

1. U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria

Key Points & Insights:

• On Christmas Day, U.S. President Trump announced military strikes against ISIS militants in northwestern Nigeria, citing the need to protect Christians.
• There is a complex backdrop: Nigerian authorities deny claims of "Christian genocide," pointing out that violence affects both Christians and Muslims and is often perpetrated by varied armed groups.
• The U.S. Africa Command described the action as being conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, though the precise details and degree of cooperation remain unclear.
• Some experts question the stated intent (protection of Christians) and the effectiveness of airstrikes in an area with deeply entrenched militant groups.

Timestamps & Quotes:

• [02:28] Leila Fadel:
  “The president announced the U.S. military struck ISIS militants in Nigeria. The attacks come a month after President Trump threatened on social media to go into Nigeria, ‘guns a blazing, unless it did more to protect Christians…’ Nigerian authorities say allegations of Christian genocide are unfounded…”

• [03:12] Emmanuel Akinwatu (NPR Africa correspondent):
  “President Trump said he ordered, quote, a deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria who have been targeting and viciously killing primarily innocent Christians. And he said that this was just the beginning.”

• [03:36] Emmanuel Akinwatu:
  “In any case, this is clearly a really significant intervention and an inflection point in US military involvement in Nigeria. And it also comes with the religious symbolism of launching these strikes on Christmas Day.”

• [04:02] Emmanuel Akinwatu:
  “The US strikes targeted ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria along the border with Niger…But what's curious about this is that President Trump says this ISIS group has targeted Christians. But according to most experts, this group is not one of the main groups accused of killing Christians.”

• [05:25] Emmanuel Akinwatu (on Nigerian government’s response):
  “The government have been really keen to reframe the way that this is being seen, calling it a joint operation that they approved. But...this is not really the impression many people will take from President Trump's post, which announced the attacks hours before any statement from Nigerian government officials.”

2. Congress in 2025: Lofty Ambitions vs. Underwhelming Outcomes

Key Points & Insights:

• Speaker Mike Johnson started the year with optimism, emphasizing congressional potential and unity.
• Despite Republican control of both chambers, Congress passed a record low number of laws and ceded significant power to President Trump, notably during a prolonged government shutdown.
• The only major legislative achievement was a major tax and spending bill (“the one big beautiful bill”), but its economic impact remains uncertain.
• Leadership struggles were prominent, with Speaker Johnson losing control over his conference and facing rare bipartisan bypass attempts (notably, the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files).
• Senate majority leader John Thune managed to push through many Trump administration nominees but faced growing party dissent by year’s end.

Timestamps & Quotes:

• [00:28] Speaker Mike Johnson (pre-recorded):
  “Working together, we have the potential to be one of the most consequential congresses in the history of this great nation.”

• [06:24] Speaker Mike Johnson:
  “...this extraordinary institution, the People’s House, will still be standing strong.”

• [06:52] Claudia Grisales (NPR Congress correspondent):
  “Congress ceded a lot of its power to the president this year. That included dismantling large sections of the federal government, taking over the power of the purse during the government shutdown... and triggering the clawback of billions of spending that had been approved by Congress.”

• [07:41] Claudia Grisales (on GOP leadership):
  “In the House, we saw Speaker Mike Johnson lose more control of his conference. By year end, he faced a rare series of successful discharge petitions...None was more noteworthy than the one securing the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.”

• [08:30] Senator John Thune (quoted by Claudia Grisales):
  “You know, I mean, sometimes you get frustrated. You don’t get the things done you want to get done.”

• [09:08] Claudia Grisales (looking ahead):
  “...they face the prospect of another government shutdown threat in January. And that's in addition to calls for Washington to address an affordability crisis that we expect will dominate on the campaign trail. And there's also those spiking premiums for health insurance after Congress failed to extend subsidies for Obamacare plans.”

3. Record Holiday Spending Amid Economic Gloom

Key Points & Insights:

• Despite widespread consumer pessimism, U.S. holiday spending hit new records, with robust growth both in physical stores and online.
• Adobe Analytics saw over $10M spent every minute during the peak of Cyber Monday.
• Mastercard reports holiday spending increased nearly 4% (outpacing inflation).
• Most of the spending growth is driven by wealthier Americans, while middle- and lower-income shoppers are trading down or cutting back.
• The auto market illustrates this economic split: mass-market vehicles under $40,000 are struggling, while luxury brands and pricier vehicles continue to do well.
• The main question going into 2026 is whether job market strength and wage growth can support continued consumer spending.

Timestamps & Quotes:

• [10:13] Leila Fadel:
  “So what do we know about holiday spending this year?”

• [10:50] Alina Selyukh (NPR retail correspondent):
  “Adobe analytics… saw people spending over $10 million every minute on the evening of Cyber Monday. Mastercard…estimates that spending grew nearly 4% in November and December.”

• [10:58] Alina Selyukh (quoting business owner Alfred Mai):
  “It honestly blew my mind because we just sold out of inventory. Like a few days ago. The sales just exceeded all my expectations.”

• [12:10] Alina Selyukh (on the big picture):
  “You know, more and more it's the wealthy that are doing much of the spending. Like we're seeing more people switch to cheaper stores…But we also see luxury brands doing well, like Ralph Lauren.”

• [13:13] Alina Selyukh (looking ahead):
  “Overall, economists and companies are not too gloomy about next year. So far, it's been the growing wages fueling much of our shopping. And so one big thing to watch in the new year is the job market.”

Notable Moments

• The symbolic timing of U.S. strikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day, raising questions about motives and international cooperation (03:36).
• Bipartisan bypass of House leadership to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files—an unusual show of cross-party resolve (07:41).
• Illustration of the economic divide: holiday spending records fueled by the wealthy, while mainstream consumers are increasingly priced out of the market—especially noticeable in the auto industry (12:10).

Summary Table of Key Segments

| Segment | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | Highlights | |------------------------------------------|------------------------|------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria | Fadel, Akinwatu | 02:28-05:57| U.S. motives, religious context, Nigerian politics | | Congress 2025 Wrap-Up | Fadel, Grisales, Thune | 06:06-09:48| Low legislative output, power shifts, leadership struggles | | Holiday Spending & Economic Divide | Fadel, Selyukh | 09:55-13:24| Record spending, wealth gap, implications for 2026 |

Conclusion

This episode of Up First dives into the intersection of geopolitics, U.S. governance, and daily economic realities. From the sudden militarized U.S. involvement in Nigeria to the underwhelming output of Congress despite Republican control, and finishing with the paradox of booming holiday sales amidst economic anxiety, listeners are left with a complex, nuanced look at the state of U.S. and global affairs as 2025 draws to a close.