NPR News Now – December 12, 2025, 8AM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst | Duration: 5 minutes

Overview

This NPR News Now episode, hosted by Jeanine Herbst, provides a brisk rundown of the morning’s most pressing headlines: a political setback for Donald Trump in Indiana, an Amnesty International report highlighting alleged war crimes by Hamas, congressional scrutiny faced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, historic flooding in Washington state, and an update on Mariah Carey's annual holiday chart-topping hit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Setback for Trump in Indiana Redistricting

• Summary:
  The Indiana state Senate, despite a Republican majority, voted down a proposed redrawing of congressional districts intended to boost GOP representation—a plan backed by former President Trump.

• Details:

  • Trump pressured Indiana lawmakers to pass gerrymandered maps, threatening to campaign against noncompliant Republicans.
  • Even after intense lobbying and rallies, the effort failed. Trump attempted to distance himself from the outcome but repeated threats to "primary" dissenting lawmakers (i.e., challenge them with more loyal candidates in future primaries).

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Trump has said he is worried about what would happen if Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in next year's midterms.” — Tamara Keith [00:38]
  • “I wasn't working on it very hard would have been nice. I think we would have picked up two seats if we did that.” — Donald Trump [01:06]
  • “And then Trump repeated his threats to primary state lawmakers who voted against the plan.” — Tamara Keith [01:11]

2. Amnesty International Report on Hamas

• Summary:
  Amnesty International released a report accusing Hamas and associated groups of crimes against humanity during their invasion of Israel over two years ago—a move met with criticism from both Hamas and Israel.

• Details:

  • The report documents widespread and systematic acts of torture, rape, enforced pregnancy, and killing of over 1,100 Israelis.
  • Hamas claims Amnesty is colluding with Israel to tarnish Palestinians.
  • Israel condemns Amnesty as biased and says the report is insufficient in depicting the full atrocities; a reminder that last year, Amnesty accused Israel of genocide, which Israel denied.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Their inhumane acts were widespread and systematic in nature and included torture, rape and enforced pregnancy.” — Jerome Sokolovsky [01:35]
  • “But the Israeli Foreign Ministry says the report fails to show the full extent of the atrocities and calls Amnesty, quote, a biased organization.” — Jerome Sokolovsky [02:07]

3. Congressional Grilling of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

• Summary:
  Secretary Noem faced sharp criticism and demands for her resignation from Democrats during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, primarily over immigration enforcement practices.

• Details:

  • Democrats assert citizens and immigrants without criminal records are being swept up in enforcement.
  • Rep. Seth Magaziner led a direct critique, questioning Noem’s leadership and discernment.
  • Noem defended her record, saying the administration has taken a hard stance on criminal, illegal aliens.
  • She exited the hearing early for a FEMA meeting, which was subsequently canceled.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “There are many problems with your leadership, but the biggest problem is this. You don't seem to know how to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.” — Rep. Seth Magaziner [02:47]
  • “We have sent a strong message to criminal, illegal aliens that we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.” — Kristi Noem [02:57]

4. Historic Flooding in Washington State

• Summary:
  Catastrophic flooding imperils communities in western Washington, with 100,000 people facing evacuation as rivers rise to record levels.
• Details:
  • Torrential rains led to homes and bridges being washed away.
  • Police and the National Guard are conducting water rescues.
  • Emergency declaration issued; the Skagit River surpasses its major flood stage and continues to rise.

5. Mariah Carey Tops Holiday Charts — Again

• Summary:
  Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You" returns to #1 on the Billboard charts, a testament to its perennial popularity.

• Details:

  • The track, originally released in 1994, reached #1 only in 2019 but has topped the Hot 100 annually since.
  • With 19 non-consecutive weeks at the summit, it ties records held by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and “Tipsy,” a hit from the previous year.
  • Streaming is credited for the song’s revived chart dominance each holiday season.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “For anyone who watches the Billboard charts in December, it should come as no surprise that the number one song in the country belongs to Mariah Carey.” — Stephen Thompson [04:00]
  • “All I Want for Christmas is you.” — Jeanine Herbst [04:08]
  • “All I Want for Christmas is you has now topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 very non consecutive weeks. That ties an all time record held by Lil Nas X's Old Town Road, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, and a blockbuster from last year, a bar song, tipsy.” — Stephen Thompson [04:14]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Indiana Redistricting & Trump: 00:12–01:20
• Amnesty International on Hamas: 01:20–02:21
• Noem Congressional Hearing: 02:21–02:57
• Washington Flooding: 02:57–04:00
• Mariah Carey Holiday Chart News: 04:00–04:49

Tone:
Factual, direct, brisk, and impartial—characteristic of NPR’s news delivery style.

This summary distills the essential news topics of the episode, providing timestamps and quotes to guide listeners or readers to the most critical moments.