Indy Digest: Dec. 24, 2025
One of the things I love about spending the Christmas season in the Coachella Valley is the possibility of celebrating in the sun, warm and by the pool.
Well, that will not be happening this year—not for me, because I am spending the holiday with family in Reno, and not for anyone in the Coachella Valley, because of the rainy forecast (although there should at be a between-storm respite on Christmas Day itself).
While we’re used to warm-ish Christmases in the Coachella Valley, much of the country is not—but this year, the United States will be collectively celebrating the warmest Christmas on record.
This Christmas is forecast to become the warmest one on record across the United States.
A predicted average high temperature of 53.9 degrees across the contiguous states would make it the warmest Dec. 25 by a wide margin, surpassing the previous record of 49 degrees in 2005. A nationwide average minimum temperature of 39.7 degrees on Christmas morning is also forecast to be the highest on record. While temperatures on one day of the year aren’t a reliable indicator of climate change, winter temperatures are rising countrywide, especially in the Northeast.
On Christmas Day, more than 100 individual high temperature records are forecast to be neared, tied or broken across parts of 23 western and central states—from California to Indiana—as Santa rides into some towns wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Temperatures are forecast to be 15 to 35 degrees above average across this stretch.
The warmth here in Central and Southern California mostly involves record or near-record high minimum temps—in other words, the lows are warmer than ever. According to the Post, El Centro’s forecasted low tomorrow is 58—three degrees warmer than the previous record. In Long Beach, the forecast is 57, a degree away from the record of 58.
Whatever the weather is tomorrow, and wherever you are, please have a merry Christmas—and thanks for reading the Independent!
—Jimmy Boegle
From the Independent
Creating Shade: The Goal of the Eastern Coachella Valley Shade Equity Master Plan Is to Help Low-Income Farmworkers and Their Families Stay Cool
By Kevin Fitzgerald
December 23, 2025
The master plan will provide a roadmap for the creation of much-needed shaded public spaces, primarily in and around the unincorporated communities of North Shore, Mecca, Oasis and Thermal—including planting trees, and the construction of shade structures at various spots where residents congregate.
11 Days a Week: Dec. 25, 2025-Jan. 4, 2026
By Staff
December 24. 2025
Coming up in the next 11 days: a farewell to Udo Kier; a celebration of strings in the high desert; and more!
The Indy Endorsement: The Original Date Shake at Makka Living Foods
By Jimmy Boegle
December 23, 2025
The mixture of almond milk, bananas, coconut crème, vanilla extract and dates was fantastic.
More News
• NPR reports that “porch pirates”—the jerks who steal packages from people’s doorsteps—are stealing more than just presents. Sometimes, they’re stealing much-needed medications: “Carmen Peterson’s son Ethan is a big fan of Elmo and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And although Ethan is nonverbal, he loves to sing along in his own way. ‘He’s a really fun-loving 8-year-old. He doesn’t speak, but he gets his point across,’ Peterson says. Ethan has a rare genetic disorder—Syngap1—which, among other things, causes a kind of seizure that can make him drop to the ground without warning. … Ethan takes a medicine called Epidiolex that prevents these seizures. But last holiday season, a thief stole it off the family’s front porch in Charlotte, N.C. Peterson remembers finding the empty box and then checking her Ring doorbell camera footage. ‘I see this guy walking off … and I am just livid,’ she says. Then, she had to figure out how to get this medicine—worth $1,800—replaced so her son didn’t miss a dose. It turned out to be a challenge.“
• A lot of new laws will take effect in the new year—and one will offer millions of Californians new access to in vitro fertilization. Our partners at Calmatters report: “Roughly 9 million Californians … will benefit from a new law requiring some insurers to pay for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. On Jan. 1, large group health insurers in California—from employers with at least 100 workers—will be required to begin covering fertility preservation and in vitro fertilization services. The law also redefines infertility in state statute, eliminating an exemption that prevented same-sex couples or single people from receiving fertility benefits. The law does not apply to people who get their insurance through religious employers, federally regulated plans or Medi-Cal. Last month, a settlement in a class action lawsuit led by a Santa Clara couple required Aetna to extend fertility benefits to LGBTQ couples nationwide. Advocates expect small group insurers will soon be required to offer the same coverage through a separate regulatory process that awaits federal approval.”
• A popular drug for obesity, now offered only via an injectable form, will soon be available as a pill. CNBC says: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the first-ever GLP-1 pill for obesity from Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk, a landmark decision that health experts say could open up treatment access to more patients. Novo Nordisk said it expects to launch the pill in early 2026. The Danish drugmaker said starting in early January, the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams will be available in pharmacies and via select telehealth providers with savings offers for $149 per month. That’s the same price that cash-paying patients can access the starting dose of the pill on President Donald Trump’s direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, under a deal Novo Nordisk struck with his administration last month. Trump’s site also launches in January.”
• A salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters has sickened at least 64 people in 22 states—including California. ABC News says: “State and local public health officials have been interviewing patients about what they ate in the week before they became ill. Of the 27 people interviewed, about three-quarters said they ate raw oysters. ‘People in this outbreak are being hospitalized at a higher rate than expected when compared to other Salmonella outbreaks linked to oysters,’ the CDC wrote in a media release. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating to determine if a common source of oysters can be identified. No recall notices have been announced so far.”
• And finally … someone, or some people, could have a very merry Christmas Eve, should their lottery ticket come up a big winner. The Associated Press says: “A Christmas Eve Powerball drawing could add new meaning to holiday cheer as millions of players hope to cash in on the $1.7 billion prize, which comes after months without a jackpot winner. The United States’ 4th-largest jackpot on record comes after 46 consecutive draws without someone claiming to have all six numbers. The last contest with a jackpot winner was on Sept. 6. The game’s long odds have people decking the halls and doling out $2—and sometimes more—for tickets ahead of Wednesday night’s live drawing at 10:59 p.m. EST. … It’s a sign the game is operating as intended. Lottery officials made the odds tougher in 2015 as a mechanism for snowballing jackpots, all the while making it easier to win smaller prizes.”
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