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NPR News Now

NPR News: 12-20-2025 6AM EST

20 Dec 2025

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 17.415 Unknown

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.

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18.425 - 21.849 Giles Snyder

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder.

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Chapter 2: What recent developments have emerged from the Epstein files release?

22.35 - 38.83 Giles Snyder

The Justice Department's partial release of documents from the Epstein files is drawing criticism from members of Congress, including California House Democrat Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the legislation that required the release. He says what the Justice Department has provided is incomplete at best.

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38.81 - 58.751 Jude Joffe Block

So far, based on what we've seen, there are just excessive redactions. I mean, there's one document from the New York grand jury, which a federal judge ordered released, totally redacted, 119 pages all redacted. And there are not the types of documents so far that we were looking for. Now, we haven't done the whole review.

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58.771 - 66.319 Giles Snyder

The Justice Department faced a Friday deadline to release the files. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch acknowledged the release was incomplete.

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Chapter 3: Who is Erica Kirk and what is her role in the upcoming presidential election?

66.299 - 90.18 Giles Snyder

but that he expects a complete release by the end of the month. Conservative leader Charlie Kirk's widow is announcing her support for Vice President J.D. Vance for president in 2028. Erica Kirk now leads the influential conservative group her husband founded. She announced her Vance announcement during the kickoff for Turning Point's conference in Phoenix. NPR's Sarah McCammon reports.

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90.16 - 103.937 Sarah McCammon

Vice President J.D. Vance has not declared his intention to run for president in 2028, though he is widely expected to seek the Republican nomination. At Turning Point's AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Erica Kirk pledged her support for Vance.

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104.198 - 107.362 Erica Kirk

We are going to get my husband's friend J.D.

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Chapter 4: What legal actions are being taken regarding ICE and sensitive data collection?

107.382 - 113.029 Erica Kirk

Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.

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113.33 - 123.373 Sarah McCammon

After Charlie Kirk's murder on September 10th in Utah, Erica Kirk took over leadership of Turning Point USA, which her husband founded. Sarah McCammon, NPR News.

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123.573 - 143.826 Giles Snyder

Groups that provide tax assistance for immigrants and advocate for them are asking a federal judge in Boston to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using sensitive data it has received from the IRS and the Social Security Administration. NPR's Jude Joffe Block reports the Trump administration has been collecting data to aid deportation efforts.

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143.806 - 165.064 Jude Joffe Block

Last month, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., found it was likely unlawful when the IRS turned over the addresses of 47,000 non-citizens to ICE in response to a request. Now, a separate lawsuit in Boston federal court seeks to stop ICE from using the data it received. It also seeks to block the IRS and Social Security Administration from sharing more.

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165.504 - 175.799 Jude Joffe Block

Plaintiffs argue it violates taxpayer confidentiality. Federal records show the Social Security Administration intended to share 50,000 people's records with ICE every month.

Chapter 5: What insights are being revealed about health impacts after the Los Angeles wildfires?

176.219 - 181.806 Jude Joffe Block

The federal government has argued the data sharing is lawful. Jude Jaffeblock, NPR News.

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181.906 - 197.826 Giles Snyder

In addition to seeking IRS and Social Security data, the Trump administration wants states to hand over voter data. The Justice Department is now suing another four states for the records, bringing the number of lawsuits to 22 in largely Democratic-led states. This is NPR.

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198.734 - 222.149 Giles Snyder

A motive in the Brown University shooting remains unclear, but authorities say the man suspected in the attack and the fatal shooting of an MIT professor had been dead for two days when he was found. Officials say the suspect and the MIT professor were classmates in their native Portugal 30 years ago. Heart attacks rose in Los Angeles after the wildfires last January.

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222.209 - 226.395 Giles Snyder

That's according to a new study, as NPR's Alejandro Rundo reports.

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226.46 - 234.408 Joseph Ebinger

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.

Chapter 6: How is Blue Origin making history with its upcoming launch?

235.389 - 254.83 Joseph Ebinger

Now, researchers like cardiologist Joseph Ebinger have dug into that data to understand the fire's impact on Angelina'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...

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254.81 - 259.499 Alejandro Burunda

46% increase in the rate of people presenting for heart attacks during that time period.

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259.78 - 277.594 Joseph Ebinger

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 Burunda, NPR News.

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277.827 - 292.134 Giles Snyder

Blue Origin is expected to make some history today. The private space company plans to launch a crew of six that includes aerospace engineer Michaela Benthouse, making Benthouse the first wheelchair user to make it to suborbital space.

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Chapter 7: What are the implications of the data sharing controversy involving the IRS and ICE?

292.154 - 297.793 Giles Snyder

The launch is scheduled to lift off in a few hours. I'm Giles Snyder, NPR News.

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