Horrors unfold at Brown University, Bondi Beach and Brentwood

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Horrors Unfold at Brown University, Bondi Beach and Brentwood”

Here's the Scoop – NBC News
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Date: December 15, 2025

Overview

This episode of "Here's the Scoop" delivers a sober update on three shocking stories that dominated headlines over the weekend: a campus shooting at Brown University, a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, and the death of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle Singer, allegedly at the hands of their son. Host Yasmin Vossoughian is joined by NBC reporters Tom Winter, Morgan Chesky, and Chloe Melas to unravel fast-moving developments, community responses, and the deeper implications of these tragedies. The episode also includes a segment of key headlines from the day.

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1. Brown University Mass Shooting

Segment Begins: [01:03]

Key Discussion Points

• Thirteen Years Since Sandy Hook: The segment opens by recalling the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, drawing a grim parallel to the present violence at Brown University.
• Incident Recap: On the weekend, a gunman killed two people and injured nine more at Brown University’s engineering and physics building.
• Ongoing Investigation:
  • A man initially detained as a “person of interest” was released after ballistics tests didn’t match the weapon found in his possession.
  • Investigators are primarily depending on community-submitted surveillance footage to track the shooter’s escape from campus.
• Security Concerns:
  • The building was unlocked that day, allowing public access—raising criticisms about campus security protocols.
  • Lack of swipe records and internal surveillance has hampered efforts to identify the shooter.
• Public and Institutional Response:
  • Exams canceled; shelter-in-place lifted though the gunman remains at large.
  • Students are leaving for winter break amid heightened safety concerns.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the uniqueness and failings of campus security:
  “It appears that any member of the public could have at least gone into some parts of the building.” —Tom Winter [07:05]
• On the reliance on video evidence:
  “It’s all about the video at this point. You’re hoping for that two seconds that gets you a better idea or a better video that helps you identify this individual.” —Tom Winter [03:47]
• On open campus vulnerabilities:
  "One of the fascinating things about this investigation, police have said they don't see him coming into the building dressed in all black... So was there a clothes change? This person have knowledge of the building speaks to whether or not they have any sort of connection to the university." —Tom Winter [07:17]

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2. Bondi Beach Mass Shooting in Sydney

Segment Begins: [08:15]

Key Discussion Points

• Incident Recap: At Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, a father and son opened fire at a Hanukkah event, killing 15 and injuring over two dozen.
• Suspect Profiles:
  • Navid Akram (24) is in critical condition; his father Sajid Akram is deceased.
  • The attack specifically targeted Australia’s Jewish community.
• Suspect Background:
  • Navid Akram was previously known to Australia’s security agency ASIO since 2019, but not as a direct subject of an investigation.
• Gun Law Debate:
  • Australia’s strict gun laws are under renewed scrutiny.
  • Calls for further restrictions are mounting, but law enforcement highlights the dilemma of practical enforcement versus political will.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the attack being targeted:
  “According to the Australian authorities, a clear attack against the Jewish community, clear attack against those celebrating Hanukkah.” —Tom Winter [08:38]
• On Australia’s gun laws and political reality:
  “To enforce the type of gun laws that would be used in Australia would mean agents going into homes and removing weapons... It’s more of a political will than it is any sort of other immediate law that could take effect.” —Tom Winter [10:51]

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3. The Brentwood Tragedy: Rob Reiner & Michelle Singer’s Death

Segment Begins: [13:22]

Key Discussion Points

• Incident Overview:
  • Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, California, home. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested on suspicion of their murder.
• Recent Events Timeline:
  • Emergency call placed around 3:40pm; firefighters and police responded, discovering the bodies.
  • Nick Reiner was arrested later that night and booked in early morning hours.
• Personal Background:
  • Past struggles with addiction openly discussed by both Rob and Nick. Nick entered his first rehab at 15 and continued in-and-out of treatment centers.
  • Nick’s struggles and the family dynamic were the subject of their 2016 film "Being Charlie."
• Community & Industry Reactions:
  • Outpouring of grief and tributes from Hollywood (Kathy Bates) and political figures (President Obama, Nancy Pelosi).
  • Daughter Tracy Reiner highlights the family’s closeness, expressing devastation at the loss.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the scene and community impact:
  “You look down at the base of it, and there’s a prayer candle and one small bouquet of flowers. No doubt that that will likely be growing as the day goes on here.” —Morgan Chesky [15:21]
• On Rob Reiner’s legacy:
  “He just blew us all away with all the movies that you talked about from When Harry Met Sally... Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, Misery. The list goes on and on.” —Chloe Melas [20:49]
• On family and real-life struggles:
  “This movie really pulled back the curtain on the tumultuous time that the family was having dealing with Nick’s struggle with heroin, alcohol... Rob gave an interview... in which he said, ‘I was listening to the doctors with the diplomas on their walls, but I really should have been listening to my son more.’ And he kind of offered this public apology to him.” —Chloe Melas [22:59]
• On Rob Reiner as both an artist and person:
  “This was a man that loved movies, right? And this was a man that was carrying on the legacy of his father. But this was a family that dealt with real life issues. And they are not alone in so many of the families in this country and in the world that are dealing with addiction.” —Chloe Melas [24:00]

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4. Quick Headlines

Segment Begins: [25:05]

• A DOJ bust in California: four arrested in an alleged New Year’s Eve bombing plot linked to the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
• President Trump’s approval rating slides further among the base and general public, with a new NBC poll showing only 35% “strongly approve.”
• Within the Republican Party, MAGA identification decreases slightly, now an even split with mainstream party loyalty.

  “In this new poll, it’s exactly 50, 50 between the two, a little bit less MAGA.” —Steve Kornacki [26:08]

• Ukraine makes progress in peace talks, offering to drop its NATO bid for US security guarantees, but rebuffing pressure to cede territory to Russia.
• FDA considers relaxing rules about disclaimers on dietary supplements, stirring debate about consumer safety.
• NFL: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is out for the season with an ACL injury.
• Indiana Hoosiers celebrate their first-ever Heisman Trophy, won by quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
• A Connecticut environmental group seeks a ban on “nips” (mini liquor bottles), citing litter concerns—but municipalities are conflicted due to the revenue generated from surcharges.

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Memorable Moments

• The Complexity of Trauma and Security: The episode underscores community shock and raises urgent questions about institutional preparedness—on campus, in public spaces, and within families grappling with addiction.
• Celebrity and Grief: Listeners hear intimate and moving reflections not merely on Rob Reiner’s artistic impact, but on the personal struggles that underlay the family tragedy, bringing home the reality that fame offers no immunity from tragedy.

---

Timestamps Overview

| Segment | Timestamp |
|--------------------------------------------|------------|
| Brown University Shooting | 01:03–08:15|
| Bondi Beach Shooting | 08:15–11:50|
| Rob Reiner & Michelle Singer’s Death | 13:22–25:02|
| Day’s Headlines | 25:05–29:11|

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For those who missed this episode, "Here's the Scoop" offered both a high-urgency and deeply empathetic overview of the day’s most jarring news, balancing granular reporting with a focus on the people and communities most affected.

Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Yasmin Vasugian]

Hey, everybody, and welcome to here's this Group. From NBC News, I'm Yasmin Vesugian. Coming up on the podcast today, Rob Reiner's son has been arrested after the Hollywood legend and his wife were found dead over the weekend, we're gonna bring you the very latest on that. Plus, a new NBC News poll shows signs of weakness in the president's base and a push to crush your tiny spirits, but not in the way that you may think. We're gonna get to all of that. Up first, though. Our top story Today marks 13 years since a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 26 people, including 20 kids. It is remembered as one of the deadliest school shootings in US History. Sandy Hook sparked conversations about the impact of gun violence on the youngest parts of our population. And school shootings have not stopped since then. Just this Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, a gunman killed two people and injured nine others when he opened fire at the engineering and physics building. A manhunt is still underway for the killer. Authorities have now released a man who had been detained as a person of interest, saying the evidence, quote, now points in a different direction. We are also following news of a mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, at the famed Bondi beach, with 15 people killed there and some two dozen wounded. I want to bring in Tom Winter, our national law enforcement and intelligence correspondent, for more on this. Hi, Tom.

[Tom Winter]

Good day, Yasmin. Sad day, of course.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

It's been an incredibly busy weekend with all that's been going on and I wanna Start with what happened at Brown University. Where does the investigation stand right now? Because there's been a lot of moving parts.

[Tom Winter]

The way it's been explained to us. There's a tip that comes into the Providence Police Department, that's where Brown is. And they look at that tip. They pass that tip to the FBI. The FBI begins to go through some of their evidence and some of their systems that they have. And they eventually, eventually leads them to a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, a Hampton Inn. They knock on the door, they see this guy, and inside they see something on a gun. And there's a distinguishing piece of evidence on the gun that the witnesses who were there when the shooting happened described to police. So immediately there was some high interest in this individual. There was more evidence and information that was gathered. I think there was confidence that was building throughout the day. And then as we are reporting here at NBC News, one of the reasons why they decided to let this person of interest go is because they did a ballistics comparison. So they know the ammunition, they know the various ballistics that were left behind at the crime scene, and then they compare that against the gun that they found in the hotel room. They did not match.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

What are they looking for now? Because this shooter is still on the loose.

[Tom Winter]

Yeah. The key focus for investigators today, they talked about a little bit last night at the press conference. We've been reporting on it today. It's very clear. It's all about the video at this point. Think back to the United Healthcare shooting almost exactly a year ago and what the NYPD was doing. They started from the moment the shot was fired. Then where did the person go? Well, we're going to try to get that on camera. Then where does the person go? We're going to try to get that on camera and continue to follow that person. Eventually, at some point they get the two second video of the mask being pulled down by the person that they've now identified in charge, allegedly the shooter, Luigi Mangione. It's that type of work you're hoping for, that two seconds that gets you a better idea or a better video that helps you, helps you identify this individual. That's the information that they're looking for. They've got a website set up so people can upload any sort of security camera from their homes, but they know when the shooting occurred and they know the direction that the person left the building. So now it's about taking each additional step. And for people that don't know Providence. I'm from Rhode island originally. I know the area really? Well, there are many homes surrounding Brown, so it's kind of an open campus. It's in the middle of an urban setting, but the homes are very well off. They're multimillion dollar homes. So the idea that they would have some sort of security video or cameras set up obviously would probably be pretty high. And at that point, does he get in a car, he traced the vehicle, Is there a change of clothes? They could put that information out. That's a big focus today and hopefully we'll hear more about that later.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

So Reliant, possibly on CCTV captured at some of these homes as this person possibly escaped around university campus after the shooting. How much security footage do they have from inside the the building? The individual entering, exiting the building? From Brown University campus security?

[Tom Winter]

We are told from people inside the investigation that at this stage, the best video they have is this 5 second video or 6 second video of the person coming out dressed in all black and kind of rounding a corner on a sidewalk. That's the best that they have to the extent.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

And that's the back of them.

[Tom Winter]

And that's the back of the person. That's exactly right. So to the extent that they have video at this point, it's video perhaps of people reacting to the shooting. Maybe there's a split second of the shooter, but they really don't have much inside the building, which given the age of the building and the security setup, it appears that's the best that they have.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Exams have been canceled at Brown University, shelter in place. Orders have in fact been lifted, despite the fact that they have not gotten the shooter yet. A lot of students are now heading home for the holidays, but the university is getting some questions about their security system and whether there was adequate safety measures in place. Do you have to swipe when you walk into this building? Right. Is there enough cameras in place to identify individuals? You would think that if you were swiping while walking into this building, they would know every single individual who was inside that building during the shooting. How are they responding to that?

[Tom Winter]

Well, therein lies a potential problem because law enforcement officials we've spoken to in New England who've observed what's happened here, Providence officials talking about the security on that day, the building was unlocked. It appears that any member of the public could have at least gone into some parts of the building.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

You and I could have walked right.

[Tom Winter]

Into the building, into some part of it, that there were other areas that were more secured, that there were more access controls, but that's really a problem. When you don't have a way of either everybody having to swipe in. So you have a record of who's in the building, what time they came into the building, and you can start to use that information should anything happen or should you have to search for anybody. But if you have a system set up for any sort of visitor, which they have to leave a name or an id, everything that frankly, here in New York City, all of us that visit office buildings, or so a couple accustomed to, when you generate those records, imagine if we had that now we'd have a record of everybody that went into the building. You could at least start to say, okay, well, we know it's not this person because they're a victim, or we know it's not this person because we see them leaving on video. And you can really start to narrow down a list of suspects. And that doesn't appear to be the case here. One of the fascinating things about this investigation, police have said they don't see him coming into the building dressed in all black, potentially with kind of a camouflage mask, as they've discussed, that he's wearing when he leaves the building. That's interesting. So was there a clothes change? This person have knowledge of the building speaks to whether or not they have any sort of connection to the university. So it adds to the questions, but it definitely adds to the concerns about security.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

I talked about how this was a really incredible weekend when it came to what took place not just at Brown University, but in Sydney, Australia, at Bondi Beach. You have two gunmen, a father and a son, opening fire at a Hanukkah event. Fifteen people being killed, more than two dozen also injured. You helped break the story for NBC News over the weekend. What more do we know about the suspects and why they did this?

[Tom Winter]

So it's a father, son team. Navid Akram, 24 years of age, is in critical condition. His father, Sajid Akram, is deceased as a result of this. Just to give you a sense of Bondi beach, it is within the city limits of Sydney, as we would describe it here in the United States. I've been there, and people gather from all sorts of backgrounds there. You have homes surrounding the beach that are tens of millions of dollars. You have people that are taking the bus trains from Sydney like I did. And so you have all different walks of life. You have a celebration yesterday for Hanukkah was the first day of Hanukkah, first night of Hanukkah. And this is a clear. According to the Australian authorities, a clear Attack against the Jewish community, Clear attack against those celebrating Hanukkah. One of the things I think has law enforcement so concerned is that if you look at the video of them firing these shotguns which appear to have been purchased legally, that they're firing in a way of individuals that have a lot of training. And so that's definitely something that's being looked at. Their backgrounds are. And Navid Akram, the younger of the two, the son, was somebody who had been on ASIO. So ASIO's like Australia's CIA. They've been aware of him since 2019 because of another investigation that they were conducting. Doesn't appear he was ever the subject or target of an investigation, but somebody that they at least had had a name on. So they're going to go back and look at.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Do we know why they had a name on him?

[Tom Winter]

Yeah. So apparently they were looking at two other unnamed individuals and this name came up as an associates. And there was apparently, according to the author in Australia, nothing that indicated this person was conducting or planning any sort of terror attack. But look, we've seen this happen in the United States with individuals where there were threats called in about or, you know, you should look into person X or person Y. Those investigations were conducted, they were closed. They can't be open ended. And then it turns out that person actually conducts an attack. And obviously it's a difficult issue when something like this comes up.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

There's also the reaction inside Australia right now. Australia is known for having very strong gun laws, certainly much stricter than the United States. But some in the community are now saying they were not enough. What additional measures, what additional changes are they looking to make pretty immediately after this?

[Tom Winter]

Yeah, there are already proposals on the table politically in Australia to further restrict gun sales. There have been some incidents that led to the gun laws that they have now which effectively restricted gun sales to shotguns, which were the weapons that were used yesterday. To enforce the type of gun laws that would be used in Australia would mean agents going into homes and removing weapons from people's houses. I don't think that's a situation that is tethered to reality here. At least that's what law enforcement believes as far as a way to necessarily solve this problem. I do think everybody agrees this is a problem and it must be addressed. How that manifests itself into Australia's new laws or any potential practical solutions here in the United States is more of a political will decision, I think. And this is just based on decade plus of covering it and talking to law enforcement. It's more of a political will than it is any sort of other immediate law that could take effect. It requires a societal approach to the issue.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Tom Winter, thank you.

[Tom Winter]

Thank you.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

All right. We are going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, what we know about the death of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner. That's next.

[Chloe Melas]

A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now you probably need more on up first from NPR. We bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes because no one story can capture all that's happening in this big crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the up first podcast from npr.

[Tom Winter]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together.

[Morgan Chesky]

With Josh Brolin to talk about his.

[Tom Winter]

Role in the latest Knives out movie and a career that has taken him.

[Morgan Chesky]

From the Goonies to the Avengers. You can get our conversation for free wherever you download your podcasts.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Who's ready for some football all season.

[Narrator/Announcer]

The TODAY show takes you inside the game.

[Chloe Melas]

We are going to get this party started.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Join us every week as we go behind the scenes with your favorite NFL teams for the biggest stories on and off the field. Big game tonight, plus game day recipes that dial up your tailgate.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Football food soup to nuts.

[Narrator/Announcer]

From stadium lights to game day bites, the TODAY show is your home for all things football every morning on NBC.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Welcome back to here's the scoop of NBC News. The alleged murder of legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle Singer has rocked Hollywood and beyond that, the couple was found dead in their LA home Sunday with a parent's stab wounds. Now their son, Nick Reiner, has been booked on suspicion of murdering his parents. According to the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, NBC News national correspondent Morgan Chesky is stationed on Reiner street in Brentwood, California, and is joining us now. Morgan, I know the police have arrested the Reiners son Nick. What more are we hearing?

[Narrator/Announcer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Morgan Chesky]

As we've heard that Nick was booked into jail around 5:04 this morning. But he was actually taken into police custody shortly after 9 last night. And we're still awaiting to hear from investigators. Kind of the definitive play by play on what led to him being arrested. But if we go back, it was Sunday afternoon, I believe around 3:40 when that first call to authorities went out. Firefighters were actually the first to arrive at the Reiners home with paramedics. They were the ones who encountered the Bodies that we now know to be that of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle. They in turn called lapd, who came out here, sealed off this home, and that's when it became a crime scene. And so it is definitely an active investigation. But what's interesting is that in light of his arrest, we're hearing more about his past, particularly his relationship with his dad. Neither one of them have been shy about sharing that Nick battled drug addiction at a very early age, I believe. I believe he entered his first rehab facility at age 15, and then several more until he was about 19 years old. Those struggles continue to some degree. When you couple that with the developments of the past 24 hours, it's absolutely heartbreaking.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

What are the streets like? What are people saying? What is the press presence like there amidst this just incredibly awful tragedy?

[Morgan Chesky]

It's tough to take in, particularly when you hear exactly, you know, what officials arrived to on Sunday afternoon. Brentwood in Los Angeles. It's so interesting, having moved here about a year and a half ago now everyone thinks Beverly Hills for kind of the visible showcasing of wealth in la. I would argue that Brentwood is more affluent and it's more private and more cloistered. You don't even see the fancy homes in Brentwood because they're tucked behind hedges that run 20 to 25ft high, whereas you can kind of cruise the streets of Beverly Hills and gawk at some of the mansions there. We have seen some people kind of walk by the media scrum today, taking it all in, looking at the. The white gate that marks the entrance to the Reiner home with a wreath on each side. And now you. You look down at the base of it, and there's a prayer candle and one small bouquet of flowers. No doubt that that will likely be growing as the day goes on here. And I've had a chance to speak to a couple people that live within a few blocks of this scene. And I think that the proximity essentially makes them feel like so many other people do who feel connected to Reiner through his work in TV and his work in films. This was a beloved. And the fact that he was taken away, the way in which he was so suddenly, I think, hits especially hard for a lot of us.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Thank you, Morgan. So Rob Reiner was a pioneer in Hollywood, an actor, a writer, a director. He gave us some of the most memorable scenes of film and television history, from the Princess Bride. Have fun storming the castle to When Harry Met Sally. I'll have what she's having and a few Good Men.

[Narrator/Announcer]

You Want answers?

[Tom Winter]

I want the truth.

[Narrator/Announcer]

You can't handle the truth.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

For more on the legacy that Rob left behind, I want to bring in NBC News entertainment correspondent Chloe Melas. Hi, Chloe. Hey. I know that tributes have been pouring in for both Rob and Michelle. Chloe, you spoke with Tracy Reiner, who is Rob's daughter from his first marriage with Penny Marshall. What did she tell you?

[Chloe Melas]

You know, it's one of the toughest parts of my job is to call people at their lowest moments, and you never know if somebody's gonna answer an unknown number. And Tracy answered, and she reminisced on her childhood. She told me that I came from the greatest family ever, and she was still piecing everything together. She said that it was actually another news outlet that had broken the news of Rob Reiner and Michelle's deaths to her. And she said she was in shock and processing everything and that, you know, she lives in New Mexico and she was trying to make her way to Los Angeles to be with family on such short notice. You know, we didn't get into anything about her siblings or, you know, Nick. But obviously, this is a lot for this family to process.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

The Rob Reiners mark on Hollywood is. There's no way to describe it, what he did for Hollywood, all of the movies he made a mark on, not just as a director, but an actor as well, a writer. And you have spoken to a lot of kind of political figures, Hollywood types, that are giving out their condolences, their thoughts on Rob Reiner and his wife. How are they characterizing him?

[Chloe Melas]

It's been overwhelmingly positive, right? I mean, Kathy Bates, first of all, crediting him with skyrocketing her career in Misery. She won the Academy Award for that role.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

So Kathy said that he was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. President Obama. Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michelle. Rob's achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Rob was creative, funny, and beloved in all of their endeavors. Michelle was his indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and loving wife. Just incredible. From Hollywood all the way to Washington.

[Chloe Melas]

I think what's really rare about Rob Reiner and at least in all my years in covering Hollywood, is first he had this meteoric career on television as Meathead and All in the Family. And Norman Lear, family friend, cast him in the role. His father, Carl Reiner, this famous comedian who is credited with creating the Dick Van Dyke show had this comedy duo with Mel Brooks, and, you know, Norman gives him a shot. This TV show becomes a phenomenon. And then he goes on to create this movie that Norman Lear again comes in and says, you guys gotta listen to him. This is a great idea. And that movie was. This is Spinal Tap. It's that mockumentary where he's really the first to pave the way for mockumentaries like the Office and Parks and Rec and the shows that we've come to know and love.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

He launched that entire genre.

[Chloe Melas]

And then he just blew us all away with all the movies that you talked about from When Harry Met Sally.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

So good, right?

[Chloe Melas]

Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, Misery. The list goes on and on. And then you're like, wait a second. There was also his little bit parts in these movies like Wolf of Wall Street. I forgot about that.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Yes.

[Chloe Melas]

You spent what?

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Yeah.

[Tom Winter]

Jordie, look what you got here.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

What?

[Tom Winter]

Look at this. $26,000 for one dinner. O no, no.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

This could be explained. You mentioned his father and his mother. He was the OG Nepo baby, right? He was the son of actress Estelle Reiner, legendary comedian Carl Reiner. How much influence do we know did his dad have on his career?

[Chloe Melas]

So I was watching an interview that he did a couple months ago, Rob Reiner on 60 Minutes, and it's because he did a sequel to this Is Spinal Tap. And he said that his father would look at him and say, no to Norman Lear. That kid's not funny. And Norman was like, no, no, I'm telling you, there's something about him. So fast forward to when he makes Stand By Me. There's a scene in which this young boy is crying saying, my dad doesn't understand me. He doesn't think I'll amount to anything. And he said that that was based on him, how he felt as a teenager about his own father, Carl, but that obviously he went on to have major success, and his father lived to see that success and appreciate him. And they had this good relationship together.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

We just spoke with Morgan Chesky, who's on the ground for us in Los Angeles, and we mentioned how Rob and Michelle's son Nick is now in custody, has been arrested in connection with the murder of his parents. Rob and Nick made a film together 10 years ago called Being Charlie, which Rob said was a personal project for their family, and it talked about addiction and the dynamics of addiction in a family. Nick Reiner is a drug addict, and they both spoke publicly at the time about the film and why they Decided to make it.

[Chloe Melas]

This movie really pulled back the curtain on the tumultuous time that the family was having dealing with Nick's struggle with heroin, alcohol. Nick and his father gave many interviews. In 2016, when this movie came out to promote it, you heard Nick give interviews, talking about his years of homelessness and being out on the streets. And then at one point, he looked around at his life and he said, why am I doing this? I come from a great family. Why am I living on the streets and in and out of rehab clinics and homeless shelters? And Rob gave an interview that I was watching this morning in which he said, I was listening to the doctors with the diplomas on their walls, but I really should have been listening to my son more. And he kind of offered this public apology to him.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

What do you think they're going to be most remembered for? Both. Both Rob and Michelle.

[Chloe Melas]

When you talk to Tracey Reiner, you hear what loving parents they were and so supportive. And this creative dynamic duo for the sequel to this is Spinal Tap that came out a couple months ago. Michelle was a producer on that. And you can see this behind the scenes footage of them from the interview that they did was 60 Minutes. You know, they're smiling and they're laughing and they look in love and they look like they're passionate about this project. And he does part of the interview in his home edit suite. And this was a man that loved movies, Right. And this was a man that was carrying on the legacy of his father. But this was a family that dealt with real life issues. And they are not alone in so many of the families in this country and in the world that are dealing with addiction.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Right.

[Chloe Melas]

And as the days pass, I think that this is going to be a big conversation as we learn more.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Chloe Melas, thank you.

[Chloe Melas]

Thank you.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Let's get to some headlines. In California, the DOJ has arrested four people in connection with an alleged New Year's Eve plot. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X that they were part of a group known as the Turtle Island Liberation Front, which she described as, quote, far left. She said they had planned to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets. According to a criminal complaint, FBI agents arrested the individuals before they had assembled a functional explosive device. NBC News has reached out to the Los Angeles chapter of the Turtle Island Liberation Front for comment. President Trump's approval rating continues to fall, including amongst his MAGA base. And the majority of Americans think the country is on the wrong track.

[Tom Winter]

Track.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

A new NBC News Decision Desk poll shows that 58% of Americans surveyed disapprove of Trump's performance and only 35% strongly approved, down from 38% in April. The biggest concerns are about the economy, personal finances and Trump's handling of the Epstein files. NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki says the poll also raised a key question about the MAGA movement.

[Morgan Chesky]

Is there a shift within the Republican Party? We ask this question of Republicans. Do you identify more with Make America Great movement or do you identify more with the Republican Party itself? The balance has typically been more on the MAGA side of things. In this new poll, it's exactly 50, 50 between the two, a little bit less MAGA.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Ukraine's top peace negotiator says they've made real progress in a second round of talks that just wrapped up in Berlin. Kyiv says it's ready to drop its bid to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from US And Western nations, but continues to reject the US Push for ceding territory to Russia. The FDA could be cutting back on dietary supplement warnings on packages, but some experts warn that could make them easier to miss. Dietary supplements are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness before they hit the market. However, 1994 law requires them to include bold face disclaimers for any health claim. In a letter to supplement makers last week, the head of the FDA's food division said if the new rule goes into effect, companies would no longer be required to repeat the disclaimer every time a health claim appears. According to the FDA, 100,000 supplement products are sold in the US and more than three quarters of Americans take at least one Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is out for the season after hurting his ACL on Sunday. He might need surgery, but he's getting a second opinion before going under the knife. It happened just minutes before Kansas City lost 1613 to the Los Angeles Chargers, marking the end of the Chiefs playoff hopes. But in better football news, the Indiana Hoosiers have their first ever Heisman winner. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza beat out quarterbacks from Vanderbilt, Ohio State and a Notre Dame running back to take home the trophy. He's also the favorite to be the first overall pick in the draft. And before we go, if you are someone who likes to take a quick swig before walking into an awkward holiday party, then you should probably pay attention. A group in Connecticut called Nixing the Nip has taken on a very small cause. Those little mini liquor bottles? They want them banned. Why? They say a lot of them end up littering the streets and they're easy to hide, especially in places where they should not be, like the car. The environmental group says that 93 million mini liquor bottles were sold in Connecticut over the past year. But every time one is there is a 5 cent surcharge adding millions of town budgets annually. So some municipalities are not on board liking the extra money and willing to turn a blind eye to the serial nippers. All right, that is going to do it for us at tears this group. From NBC News, I'm Yasmin Vasugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, then subscribe. Wherever you get your podcasts, we'll see you tomorrow.

[Narrator/Announcer]

This week on Meet the Press. As the nation looks to 2026, how will concerns over the economy, health care and immigration shape the midterms? Kristen Welker sits down with Senators Raphael Warnock and Rand Paul. Plus, Steve Kornacki breaks down a new poll this week on MEET THE Press. Listen to the full episode now. Wherever you get your podcasts.