Summary of NPR News: 12-06-2025 6AM EST

Overview of NPR News: 12-06-2025 6AM EST

This edition of NPR News, anchored by Louise Schiavone, delivers short reports on legal developments tied to the Jan. 6 era, a local law-enforcement clash in Tucson, President Biden's remarks at an LGBTQ+ event, a federal vaccine-policy change, an Olympic qualifying ski-mountaineering event in Utah, and a major proposed power build-out in Georgia. Segments are reported by Ryan Lucas, Elena Moore, Pamela McCall and others.

Top stories

Arrest and first court appearance in Capitol pipe-bomb case

• Defendant: Brian Cole Jr., accused of planting two pipe bombs near the U.S. Capitol the night before the Jan. 6 mob attack.
• Court appearance: First federal appearance in Washington, D.C.; Cole wore a beige jumpsuit and acknowledged understanding the charges.
• Investigation: Arrest follows nearly five years of FBI work; prosecutors said Cole spoke with law enforcement for more than four hours after arrest.
• Reported belief: A person familiar with the case told NPR Cole believed 2020 election conspiracy theories.
• Next step: Cole is due back in court later this month for a detention hearing.

Confrontation during ICE raid in Tucson

• Incident: A congresswoman driving through her Tucson district encountered an ICE raid at a neighborhood restaurant and a roadblock; she attempted to intervene.
• Reported escalation: Agents used pepper spray; Homeland Security characterized it as crowd control, while the lawmaker said she was directly pepper sprayed and accused the administration of targeting small businesses to meet detention/quota goals.
• Note: Transcript identifies the lawmaker as "Adelica Grijalva." This name may reflect a transcription error; the report describes a Tucson-area congresswoman’s encounter with ICE.

Biden at LGBTQ+ Victory Institute event

• Context: Former President Joe Biden, six months after a cancer diagnosis, accepted an award and spoke at the Victory Institute’s PAC conference in Washington.
• Message: Biden highlighted his LGBTQ record (including the 2022 law codifying same-sex marriage) and criticized the current administration’s rollbacks of anti-discrimination policies.
• Notable line: He said the Trump administration and its supporters are "trying to distort and derail our fight for equality," framing recent actions as attacks on transgender and LGBTQ rights.

Federal vaccine-advisory change: hepatitis B newborn dose

• Change: A federal vaccine advisory committee voted to end the long-standing recommendation that all U.S. newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
• New guidance: The HHS panel now recommends the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B.

Ski mountaineering World Cup at Solitude, Utah — Olympic spot on the line

• Sport: Ski mountaineering (SkiMo), which will debut in the Olympics.
• Stakes: Solitude Mountain Resort hosts a World Cup event that will decide the single North American Olympic berth; Team USA and Canada compete for the slot.
• Deciding event: The mixed relay will determine which nation qualifies. Athlete Griffin Briley expressed calm confidence while emphasizing competitiveness.

Georgia Power proposed build-out and energy concerns

• Proposal: Georgia Power seeks to invest more than $15 billion to expand electricity capacity by ~50% over six years — a major build-out the state Public Service Commission will vote on.
• Drivers and concerns: AI data centers and other large energy users increase demand; regular consumers worry about higher bills and being left to absorb costs. The vote is politically sensitive given utility rates.

Notable quotes

• From the Tucson confrontation (as transcribed): "Hey, put it down! Let's go! Put it down! You want me to kill me?"
• Lawmaker on ICE actions: "They're targeting small businesses and people that are helping in our communities in order to try to fill the quota that Trump has given them. This is horrible."
• Biden at Victory Institute: "Donald Trump and the MAGA republics are trying to distort and derail our fight for equality. They're trying to turn it into something scary, something sinister."

What to watch / upcoming dates

• Brian Cole Jr.: detention hearing later this month (date to be announced/confirmed).
• Solitude World Cup: mixed-relay event determines North America's Olympic ski mountaineering slot (this weekend).
• Georgia Public Service Commission: upcoming vote on Georgia Power’s $15+ billion expansion.
• HHS implementation details: how the new hepatitis B newborn guidance will be operationalized by hospitals and public-health bodies.

Reporters and production notes

• Anchor: Louise Schiavone (NPR News, Washington)
• Segments reported by: Ryan Lucas (Brian Cole Jr. coverage), Elena Moore (Biden/LGBTQ coverage), Pamela McCall (SkiMo/Olympics), plus other NPR correspondents.
• Distribution note: NPR News Now Plus subscription mention — the episode notes a sponsor-free listening option via Amazon Music for Prime members or by subscribing to plus.npr.org.

(Transcript contained minor name/wording inconsistencies; names such as the Tucson congresswoman were reported as transcribed and may require verification.)