NPR News Now – 5PM EST, December 8, 2025

Podcast: NPR News Now
Host: Ryland Barton
Episode: NPR News: 12-08-2025 5PM EST
Date: December 8, 2025
Duration: Approx. 5 minutes

Episode Overview

In this tightly packed five-minute update, the NPR News Now team covers major breaking stories in business, politics, international news, health, science, and a quirky human-interest piece. Notable themes include corporate maneuvering in the media landscape, a Congressional scramble over expiring health care subsidies, shifts in federal agency oversight, continuing fallout from Trump administration legal battles, U.S. agricultural policy amid trade tensions, a hostage release in Nigeria, new research on aging and alcohol, and a record-breaking Disneyland enthusiast.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paramount’s Hostile Takeover Bid for Warner Brothers Discovery (00:32)

• Business News: Paramount has launched a $74 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Brothers Discovery. This move comes on the heels of Netflix's $72 billion acquisition offer.
• Distinct Approach: Paramount’s bid is unique in that it includes an offer to buy Warner’s cable television assets (including CNN), not just the core company.

2. Congressional Debate over Expiring Healthcare Subsidies (01:07)

• Senate Vote: Democrats are pushing a bill to extend pandemic-era health care tax credits for three years.
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismisses it:

    "The Democrats bill is not expected to advance."
    (Deirdre Walsh reporting at 01:07)

• Potential GOP Response: Thune has not indicated if Republicans will present an alternative proposal.
• House Efforts:
  • Virginia Republican Jen Kiggins is advocating for a bipartisan shorter-term extension:

    "I have 40,000 people in my district who rely on this health care and doing nothing to prevent a spike in their premiums is wrong."
    (Jen Kiggins, 01:32)

  • Speaker Mike Johnson promises a vote on an upcoming alternative bill before year’s end.
• Political Stakes: Lawmakers from both parties warn that if President Trump doesn’t negotiate a deal, major premium spikes are inevitable.

3. Supreme Court Weighs Presidential Power Over Independent Agencies (01:53)

• Case in Focus: The Supreme Court is considering if the president can fire FTC board members without cause, a move stemming from President Trump’s removal of Rebecca Slaughter.
• Historical Precedent: Overturning a 90-year-old limitation would significantly increase executive control over independent federal agencies.

4. Alina Haba Steps Down as Acting U.S. Attorney in New Jersey (02:29)

• Resignation Statement:
  • Alina Haba resigns following an appeals court ruling she was unlawfully appointed.
  • In her own words:

    "[I'm] not surrendering in the face of legal challenges, but instead stepping down to protect the stability and integrity of the office."
    (Ryan Lucas reporting, 02:29)

• Aftermath: Despite stepping down, Haba will stay on as a senior adviser to the Attorney General for U.S. attorneys.

5. White House $12 Billion Aid for Farmers Amid Tariff War (03:10)

• Context: The administration is launching a $12 billion aid package to help U.S. farmers struggling under President Trump’s ongoing trade tariffs.
• Political Spin: President Trump has dismissed affordability concerns about crop prices as a "hoax."

6. International: Nigerian Schoolchildren Released After Mass Abduction (03:32)

• Hostage Release: 100 of more than 250 Nigerian children (and 12 teachers) kidnapped on November 21 were released over the weekend.
• Details Sparse: No information released about ransom payments or how the deal was brokered.

7. Science Feature: Middle Age, Aging, and Hangovers (04:03)

• Physiological Changes: As people age, liver enzymes slow down and muscle mass is reduced, leading to higher blood alcohol levels for the same intake.
  • Dr. Johannes Truhl (Johns Hopkins):

    "The same drink that previously maybe felt just fine now leads to a higher blood alcohol level. You feel the effects for longer."
    (Truhl, 04:22)

• Health Message: Older adults are nudged by biology to drink less, as alcohol’s health risks ramp up with age.

8. Human Interest: Disneyland Enthusiast’s 15,000th Ride (04:47)

• Personal Milestone: John Allen Hale marks his 15,000th ride on Disneyland’s Radiator Springs Racers.
• Backstory: Began his streak post-surgery (gastric bypass and knee replacement), keeping track in a notebook since 2010.

  • "He says he rode the attraction for the first time after undergoing gastric bypass and knee replacement surgeries in 2010 and 2011. And he was hooked."

Notable Quotes

• Jen Kiggins (01:32):

  "I have 40,000 people in my district who rely on this health care and doing nothing to prevent a spike in their premiums is wrong."

• Alina Haba via Ryan Lucas (02:29):

  "[I'm] not surrendering in the face of legal challenges, but instead stepping down to protect the stability and integrity of the office."

• Dr. Johannes Truhl (04:22):

  "The same drink that previously maybe felt just fine now leads to a higher blood alcohol level. You feel the effects for longer."

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Paramount’s Hostile Takeover for Warner | 00:32 | | Healthcare Subsidy Debate / Quotes | 01:07–01:38| | Supreme Court: Presidential Power over Agencies | 01:53 | | Alina Haba Resigns as Acting U.S. Attorney | 02:29 | | White House Farmer Aid Announcement | 03:10 | | Nigerian Schoolchildren Released | 03:32 | | Science: Aging & Alcohol Hangovers | 04:03 | | Human Interest: Disneyland Ride Record | 04:47 |

Tone & Language

Throughout, NPR delivers news in its trademark concise, impartial, and factual style, interspersed with direct quotes that preserve speaker intent and context.

This summary distills all major news updates and features from the December 8, 2025, 5pm EST edition of NPR News Now.