Overview of NPR News: 12-06-2025 10PM EST
This edition of NPR News covers several national stories: the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a challenge to birthright citizenship tied to President Trump’s immigration agenda; U.S. veterans’ concerns after a freeze on Afghan refugee claims; a powerful but landfall-free Atlantic hurricane season; the White House presentation of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors; and a UnitedHealthcare survey about people who reach 100 years old. Short reporter dispatches and sponsor messages bookend the program.
Key stories
Supreme Court to hear challenge on birthright citizenship
- The Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s effort to restrict birthright citizenship so that children born in the U.S. would be citizens only if at least one parent is a citizen or lawful permanent resident.
- Reporters note this would be a major constitutional change if upheld; the Court has tended to show deference to presidential policy in recent cases.
- Context: long-standing constitutional interpretation has favored automatic citizenship for anyone born in the U.S., though there have been historical periods of anti-immigration sentiment.
Afghan refugees and U.S. veterans’ concerns
- U.S. veterans say the Trump administration’s halt on Afghan refugee/asylum processing endangers Afghan allies who worked with U.S. forces.
- Personal account: Green Beret Thomas Kaza described working with Afghan partners on mine removal in 2019–2020 and warns that identified allies face “catastrophically higher” risk, including possible execution by the Taliban.
- The pause followed an alleged attack by an Afghan national on two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.
2025 Atlantic hurricane season: powerful but no U.S. landfalls
- The U.S. avoided hurricane landfalls in 2025, but the season featured 13 storms and multiple very strong systems.
- NOAA meteorologist Lindsay Long: there were three Category 5 hurricanes this season — the second-most on record for a single season.
- Scientists link the increased frequency of very powerful storms to climate change (warmer oceans provide more energy), and warn the U.S. may not be so fortunate in future seasons.
White House: Kennedy Center Honors presentation
- President Trump presented awards to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees at the White House: Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, the rock band Kiss, and Michael Crawford.
- Trump hosted and predicted the taped ceremony would draw its “highest ratings ever,” calling the Oval Office “the world-famous, most famous office in the world, most powerful office in the world.”
UnitedHealthcare survey on centenarians
- A survey of 100 centenarians (UnitedHealthcare) finds centenarians tend to be socially engaged and physically active.
- Key findings: ~100,000 centenarians in the U.S. now, expected to quadruple by mid-century; ~80% report frequent social gatherings; 46% do weekly strength training; 36% engage in stress-relief activities (e.g., meditation); nearly one in three have tried ChatGPT or another AI tool.
Notable quotes and lines
- “Should those babies automatically become citizens, even if their parents aren't?” — framing the constitutional question about birthright citizenship.
- “For the guys who are detected, the risk is catastrophically higher.” — Thomas Kaza, on Afghan partners left behind.
- President Trump at the White House: “the world-famous, most famous office in the world, most powerful office in the world…”
Takeaways and implications
- The Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship could produce a historic constitutional shift with major immigration and citizenship consequences.
- The refugee claim freeze has immediate human-security implications for Afghan allies and is generating pushback from U.S. veterans and advocacy groups.
- 2025 demonstrated the growing intensity of major hurricanes even when the U.S. avoided direct landfalls; climate change remains a driver of more extreme storms.
- Cultural recognition (Kennedy Center Honors) remains politically prominent and publicly showcased at the White House.
- Longevity trends show social engagement, continued physical activity, stress management, and openness to technology among those reaching 100 — useful signals for public-health and aging policy planning.
Sources and reporters mentioned
- Ron Elving (coverage of birthright citizenship / Supreme Court)
- Brian Mann (reporting on Afghan refugees and veterans)
- Rebecca Hersher (reporting on hurricane season)
- Alice Naubery / UnitedHealthcare (centenarian survey)
- Janine Herbst (host)
(Sponsor messages appeared from the Schmidt Family Foundation and WISE.)