NPR News: 12-20-2025 12AM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Support for NPR and the following message come from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, whose bequest serves as an enduring investment in the future of public radio and seeks to help NPR produce programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression.
Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.
What recent developments have occurred in the Jeffrey Epstein case?
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 that they 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.
People are taking a big risk by not enforcing the law. We also, of course, could have impeachment hearings against either the Pambandi or the deputy attorney general.
How is the Supreme Court influencing immigration judge policies?
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.
Many of the documents released on Friday are also heavily redacted. In a rare but temporary move Friday, the Supreme Court stopped the Trump administration's effort to ban immigration judges from making public remarks about their work or the immigration system overall.
What new drug pricing agreements has the Trump administration implemented?
As NPR's Nina Totenberg reports, the case could also have implications for many other federal employees.
At issue is a Trump administration policy that bars immigration judges from making any public remarks in their personal capacity about immigration or the agency that employs them, unless the remarks are cleared first by administration officials. The judges, who are employees of the Justice Department, challenge the policy as a violation of their right to free speech and And when they won an interim victory in a federal appeals court, the administration promptly went to the Supreme Court, warning the justices of dire consequences if they didn't intervene. But in an unexpected action, the court, with no noted dissents, let the immigration judge's case go forward, at least for now. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.
The Trump administration has now expanded a drug pricing deal so that it will include nine additional pharmaceutical makers.
What is the current status of flu and COVID-19 cases in the U.S.?
Those companies have agreed to sell new and existing drugs to the U.S. government at the same price as other developed countries. NPR's Yuki Noguchi has more on that story.
The White House has been pressuring drug makers to equalize U.S. pricing with other countries.
Why is Representative Elise Stefanik suspending her campaign for governor?
The administration says these agreements will lower Medicaid drug prices. Consumers who pay out-of-pocket will also be able to get lower prices for some of the company's most popular drugs through a government website called TrumpRx. Under the agreements, Amgen, Merck, GSK, and others will also invest $150 billion in U.S. manufacturing operations. In exchange, the companies will be exempt from some of the administration's stiff tariffs for three years. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News.
I'm Dale Willman and you're listening to NPR News.
What was the significance of the commemoration held on Bondi Beach?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the flu, COVID-19, and RSV are all on the rise again. But the flu is hitting hardest, as NPR's Rob Stein reports.
New York, Louisiana, and Colorado are already getting slammed by the flu, and flu activity is increasing throughout the country. Some experts worry the U.S. may be in for another bad flu season. Part of the reason is that the dominant flu strain recently mutated. The mutated virus doesn't appear to make people sicker, but it does appear to spread more easily. That means more people could get sick and get seriously ill. So the CDC is urging anyone who hasn't gotten their flu shot to get one as soon as possible, especially with the holidays coming up. Rob Stein, NPR News.
U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik says she's suspending her campaign for New York governor and will not seek re-election to Congress.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:21
2
What recent developments have occurred in the Jeffrey Epstein case?
0:21–0:55
3
How is the Supreme Court influencing immigration judge policies?
0:55–1:24
4
What new drug pricing agreements has the Trump administration implemented?
1:24–2:26
5
What is the current status of flu and COVID-19 cases in the U.S.?
2:26–2:42
6
Why is Representative Elise Stefanik suspending her campaign for governor?
2:42–3:18
7
What was the significance of the commemoration held on Bondi Beach?
3:18–4:57