NPR News Now: December 11, 2025, 5PM EST

Host: Rylan Barton
Length: 5 minutes
Format: Fast-paced news digest

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR News Now delivers the latest national headlines, focusing on legal developments around prominent political figures, healthcare policy showdowns in Congress, economic shifts, depictions of abortion on television, and a dramatic rescue story from Utah. The report offers a brisk, comprehensive snapshot of the day's most important and interesting stories.

Key Discussion Points

1. Refusal to Indict New York Attorney General Letitia James

• Timestamps: 00:21–01:19
• Details:
  • A federal grand jury in Virginia again declined to indict New York AG Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges.
  • Background: President Trump had called for James’s prosecution. James is known for suing Trump on civil fraud charges and winning.
  • Legal complications: Other charges were previously invalidated because the prosecutor President Trump appointed wasn’t legally installed.
  • According to James's lawyer, Abby Lowell, the investigation is “a stain on the Justice Department and raises questions about its integrity.” (00:53, Kerry Johnson reporting)
  • It's unclear whether the Justice Department will continue to seek an indictment after two grand jury refusals.

2. Indiana Senate Rejects GOP-Backed Congressional Map

• Timestamps: 01:19–01:50
• Details:
  • Indiana state senators struck down a congressional redistricting map favored by Republicans and by President Trump.
  • Notable since it’s the first major pushback against Trump’s campaign for mid-decade redistricting to help the GOP in the House.
  • Other Republican-led states (Texas, Missouri, North Carolina) have followed Trump’s call, but Indiana stands out by rejecting the proposal.

3. Senate Fails to Extend Affordable Care Act Subsidies

• Timestamps: 01:50–02:34
• Details:
  • Senate votes failed on two partisan healthcare proposals, both aiming to address the expiration of enhanced ACA insurance subsidies.
  • Democratic proposal: Three-year extension of subsidies; four Republicans joined but the effort fell short.
  • Quote: “The consequences for ordinary people will be that they will have to delay response to their health care. And for many people, they will literally pay with their lives.”
    — Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), [02:05]
  • Republican proposal: Offered up to $1,500 in health savings accounts for high-deductible ACA plans, but also failed to pass.
  • Short time remains for Americans to decide on their coverage as pandemic-era supports expire.

4. U.S. Economic Update: Trade and Jobs

• Timestamps: 02:34–03:15
• Details:
  • Trade deficit: Narrowed by 11% in September; both imports and exports rose but exports grew more.
  • Unemployment: New claims jumped sharply after a Thanksgiving dip (236,000 filed last week), seen as an indicator of possible rising layoffs.
  • Stock market: Wall Street hit new records, though Oracle’s stock fell due to poor earnings despite big AI investments.
  • Quote: “Despite the dip, co-founder Larry Ellison is still a very wealthy man.” — Scott Horsley, [03:08]

5. Washington State Flood Disaster

• Timestamps: 03:15–03:34
• Details:
  • Torrential rain led to overflowing rivers, mudslides, and mass evacuations in Washington state.
  • Tens of thousands were ordered to evacuate amid highway closures and dangerous conditions.

6. Decline in Abortion Storylines on TV

• Timestamps: 03:34–04:30
• Details:
  • Findings: 65 abortion plotlines were depicted in 2025 — a 14% drop over two years.
  • Most shows continue to under-represent abortion pills as a method (only three shows mentioned them), despite their real-life prevalence.
  • “The Pitt” (HBO) highlighted the difficulty in accessing abortion care and medication abortion restrictions.
  • Quote: “The Abortion On Screen report […] found a significant rise in television shows that depict abortions as shameful as well as a drop in abortion plotlines generally.”
    — Neta Ulaby, [04:14]

7. Quicksand Rescue in Utah

• Timestamps: 04:30–05:00
• Details:
  • A hiker was rescued from quicksand in Arches National Park after activating an emergency beacon.
  • Rescuers used a ladder and boards to save the man, referencing a previous rescue in 2014.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Abby Lowell on Letitia James investigation:
  “The investigation of James is a stain on the Justice Department and raises questions about its integrity.”
  (00:53)
• Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) on health subsidy expiration:
  “The consequences for ordinary people will be that they will have to delay response to their health care. And for many people, they will literally pay with their lives.”
  (02:05)
• Scott Horsley on Oracle’s earnings:
  “Despite the dip, co-founder Larry Ellison is still a very wealthy man.”
  (03:08)
• Neta Ulaby on TV abortion depictions:
  “The Abortion On Screen report […] found a significant rise in television shows that depict abortions as shameful as well as a drop in abortion plotlines generally.”
  (04:14)

Segment Timestamps

• Letitia James Grand Jury Decision: 00:21–01:19
• Redistricting Map Rejection/Healthcare Stalemate: 01:19–02:34
• Economic Update: 02:34–03:15
• Flood Emergency in Washington: 03:15–03:34
• Abortion Depictions on Television: 03:34–04:30
• Quicksand Rescue in Utah: 04:30–05:00

Tone & Style

The episode maintains NPR’s signature concise, informative, and objective tone, delivering crucial national updates with clarity and urgency.

This five-minute news broadcast succinctly covers top U.S. political, economic, and cultural developments, offering both immediate headlines and deeper context for ongoing stories.