Trending News December 23, 2025

Our top trending stories for Tuesday December 23, 2025. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is West Michigan's the Morning News on Wood Radio.
Steve Kelly, Brett Raketah Tuesday December twenty third, twenty twenty five,
the eve of Christmas Eve. This trending segment brought to
you by Consumers Energy, dedicated to Michigan and the communities
we serve What's not online.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
And what's todd Now at Woodradio dot how.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
This is the Trending Now report on Wood Radio. The
Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday that it's increased the
stipend for immigrants who self deport via the CBP home app.
There's an app for that. They'll now receive three thousand
dollars on top of their flight home if they leave
before twenty twenty six. Acting ICE Director todd lyons yesterday, if.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
We're out there doing our mission and we encounter you, you're
going to be arrested and lose the opportunities not only
stay in the United States but ever come back again.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
DHS will also forgive any unpaid fines for failing to
leave on time. Some Republicans have joined Democrat That's in
condemning what President Trump is doing in the Caribbean on
leashing strikes against alleged drug votes from Venezuela and seizing
that country's oil tankers, claiming they were previously sanctioned and unauthorized.

(01:15):
Here is Representative Wesley Hunt of Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
There certainly is a plan in place, and we are
ratcheting up the heat at the right time, at the
right place strategically. That's going to force the outcome that
we want. And then, oh, by the way, we got
some oil as well. How about that?

Speaker 1 (01:30):
President Trump speaking to reporters at his Mar A Lago
state in Palm Beach yesterday, where he announced the creation
of his new Golden Fleet. The files were released on
Friday after the Justice Department was ordered to do so
by a federal judge weighing in on those roughly one
hundred thousand pages of the Epstein file.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
What this whole thing is with Epstein is a way
of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the
Republican Party has.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
You may read more at Woodradio dot com.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Well, I wanted to take this opportunity because we couldn't
do it yesterday, But there was so much that happened,
even going back to Friday and this weekend with Michigan
and Michigan State football and kind of what the scuttle
butt is Michigan State. Of course, putting together the staff
with Pat Fitzgerald, and now he's pretty much finalized most
of those spots. The OC was the one people are
waiting on, and then for U of M, it comes

(02:23):
down to the head coaching search and what's happened with
possible candidates. So Pat Fitzgerald, new head coach at Michigan State,
putting the finishing touches on his staff, getting ready, of
course for the transfer portal it opens after the first
of the year, retaining tight end coach Brian Wozniak and
wide receiver coach Courtney Hawkins from the previous staff. Offensive
coordinator is going to be from Alabama, former Michigan quarterback

(02:45):
Nick Sheridan. He'll come over once Alabama is done with
their college football playoff experience. GM would be Brian Gaston.
Now this is a new kind of spot that's important
and really good at recruiting his gaser. He's got ties
with Toledo and IWA State, and that was kind of
an emphasis for Pat Fitzgerald to staying in the Midwest
with these guys. Of course, Max Bulla coming to be

(03:07):
co DC with Joe Rossi. LaVar Wood's another big hire
from Iowa special teams coordinator from Michigan State. Now for
you of m if you missed it Friday, Kenny Dillingham,
after our show was done, Arizona State head coach, who
was rumored to be going to Michigan, signed a five
year new contract. He'll averaging nearly seven point five million
a year to stay with the Sun Devils. You also

(03:28):
have Kaitlin Deboor who won on Friday Nights. He was
expected to lose at Oklahoma, so they continue on and
he's not really going to be available. So Kyle Whittingham,
who recently retired this month after twenty one seasons at Utah,
he's available right now to be hired. Or Jeff Brohm
for Louisville, who's coming up with a playoff game today
against Toledo is also remember he was at Purdue before

(03:51):
he went back home to Louisville.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
But then there's some sort of independent council looking into
all of you of m athletics.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Well, and that's where a biff Pogi comes in. Remember
he's the introim head coach that's leading him into the
Bowl Game, and he's interviewed and talked to the people
at Michigan for a couple of times, saying, hey, I'll
be your guy. I want to be the guy here
to kind of get us through this transition. So we'll
see what happens.