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Immediately’s high tales
The U.S. has launched a “lethal strike” towards Islamic State fighters in northwest Nigeria, President Trump introduced yesterday. Trump stated in a Fact Social publish that the strike was directed at “ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who’ve been concentrating on and viciously killing, primarily, harmless Christians, at ranges not see for a few years, and even Centuries!”
President Trump listens throughout a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Protection Medal within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on Dec. 15.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs
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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs
- 🎧 The assault is a “important intervention and inflection level” in U.S. navy involvement in Nigeria, NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu tells Up First. He notes that the Christmas Day timing additionally carries spiritual symbolism. Whereas ISIS has turn out to be a governing drive within the rural areas and is considered one of a number of militant teams within the nation, specialists say the group focused by the U.S. just isn’t one of many principal teams concentrating on Christians, in accordance with Akinwotu. The important thing query now, he provides, is whether or not the strikes are about defending Christians, because the president says, or degrading ISIS within the area.
Vacation spending exceeded expectations, regardless of polling that reveals People have low confidence within the economic system. Black Friday and Cyber Monday set information, with Mastercard estimating that spending grew by almost 4 % in November and December.
- 🎧 “Increasingly more, it is the rich which might be doing a lot of the spending,” NPR’s Alina Selyukh says. Many shoppers are switching to extra reasonably priced choices, similar to T.J. Maxx or thrift shops, however luxurious manufacturers like Ralph Lauren proceed to carry out properly. Rising wages have fueled a lot of the nation’s spending, Selyukh says, and the job market shall be a key factor to observe within the yr forward.
Congress entered 2025 with an formidable agenda: strengthening the economic system, addressing the border disaster, boosting the navy and extra. However all year long, it ceded a lot of its energy to Trump. Lawmakers handed a file low variety of payments as Trump dismantled elements of the federal government and clawed again billions in beforehand authorised funding.
- 🎧 Almost 30 Home Republicans will not be searching for reelection subsequent yr, NPR’s Claudia Grisales says. Speaker Mike Johnson noticed pushback from his personal celebration when he nearly closed the Home throughout the 43-day shutdown. With a possible authorities shutdown in January and spiking well being care premiums, affordability is predicted to dominate the marketing campaign path — and Republicans aren’t assured to carry on to their majority, Grisales notes.
Deep dive
A police officer stands guard as demonstrators march via downtown throughout a protest towards President Trump’s immigration insurance policies on Sept. 6 in Chicago, In poor health.
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Scott Olson/Getty Photographs
Crime fell throughout a lot of the U.S. in 2025 — each violent and property crimes — in large cities and small cities throughout crimson and blue. NPR spoke to researchers who research crime about what drove this development, and whether or not it may final. Here is what they stated:
- Murder surged in 2020 and 2021 amid the financial, monetary and psychological stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers say the nation is now transferring previous that surge.
- The nationwide decline contrasts with the Trump administration’s depiction of crime, significantly in Democrat-led cities.
- Tahir Duckett, who directs the Heart for Improvements in Neighborhood Security at Georgetown Legislation, warns that utilizing crime to justify crackdowns can erode civil rights and broaden authorities energy.
- Crackdowns also can backfire, growing distrust and making individuals much less more likely to name 911 or cooperate with police.
- Researchers aren’t optimistic that the development will proceed into 2026. Funding cuts fear specialists like Ames Grawert, of the Brennan Heart for Justice.
Weekend picks
Try what NPR is watching, studying and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Motion pictures: Can Timothée Chalamet play a supremely annoying character and nonetheless captivate audiences from starting to finish? Hearken to Pop Tradition Completely happy Hour talk about his newest movie, Marty Supreme, to seek out out.
📺 TV: TV critic David Bianculli says 2025 supplied so many nice reveals he could not slender them right down to a listing. However in a yr of intense TV, that is the collection he says stands aside.
📚 Books: Subsequent yr marks America’s 250th birthday. Contemplate these 10 books earlier than the Fourth of July to acquire a deeper understanding of U.S. historical past.
🎵 Music: Now that the radio stations have switched off the Christmas music, you’ll be able to admit it: Was there a music you bought sick of listening to? NPR breaks down why we hear the identical songs yr after yr, and why the Christmas music canon is so laborious to interrupt into.
🎭 Theater: Love “The Nutcracker”? You are not alone. The vacation staple brings in about half of many U.S. ballet corporations’ annual income. And for the reason that pandemic, they’ve relied on it greater than ever.
3 issues to know earlier than you go
- This week’s Far-Flung Postcard takes readers to an iconic hair salon within the Jaffa flea market, within the higher a part of Tel Aviv. When she wanted a break from the information, NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi would take refuge on the store, which is intentionally protected by its proprietor and welcomes Jews and Palestinians alike.
- The unique Betty Boop, the primary 4 Nancy Drew books and Greta Garbo’s first talkie are among the many many works from 1930 that can enter the general public area beginning Jan. 1.
- Is gaining power considered one of your New 12 months’s resolutions for 2026? Life Package’s Information to Constructing Energy publication provides you with a month of skilled tips about how you can create a long-lasting power and resistance coaching routine.
This text was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
