NPR News: 12-13-2025 5PM EST

Summary

---

NPR News Now — December 13, 2025, 5PM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst, NPR
Format: 5-minute hourly news update

---

Episode Overview

This episode delivers concise updates on major national and international news developments from December 13, 2025. Stories touch on:

• A deadly attack on U.S. personnel in Syria and President Trump’s response
• Health care policy debates in Congress
• Severe flooding in Washington state
• Major job cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs
• The death of actor Peter Greene and his legacy

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Response to Fatal Attack in Syria

[00:24–01:10]

• Incident: Two U.S. service members and an American civilian killed, three injured in Syria.
• President Trump’s Statement: Expressed mourning and blamed ISIS for the attack.
  • Quote: “We will retaliate.” — President Trump (via Sage Miller, [01:00])
  • Notably, Trump didn’t detail specific response plans but confirmed the injured “seem to be doing pretty well.”
• Context: The attack occurred as Trump was en route to the Army-Navy football game. The gunman was killed at the scene.

---

2. Congressional Health Care Policy Battle

[01:10–02:11]

• Republican Health Care Package:
  • Aims to reduce health care costs by allowing small businesses to band together to buy insurance and imposing new rules on pharmacy benefit managers to lower drug costs.
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson: The proposal addresses “the real drivers of health care costs.” ([01:43])
• Democratic Criticism:
  • Key complaint: The GOP plan does not extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, set to expire at year’s end, which could raise out-of-pocket costs for millions.
• Legislative Status:
  • Both a Democratic bill to extend tax credits and the GOP health proposal have failed in the Senate.
  • Quote: “Members of Congress are running out of time to address health care costs before the holiday recess at the end of the week.” — Jude Joffe-Block ([02:07])

---

3. Historic Skagit River Flooding in Washington State

[02:11–03:16]

• Flood Impact:
  • Skagit River north of Seattle reached record-high levels.
  • Hundreds who did not evacuate needed rescue from homes—some from rooftops and vehicles.
• Personal Stories:
  • Jocelyn Alm’s home remains submerged: “All your couches are floating. All your stuff is just floating. He goes, your bananas are floating. And I said, oh, well, God, if we lost our bananas, we lost everything we had.” — Jocelyn Alm (reported by Scott Greenstone, [02:52])
  • Her husband, Kenneth: “In this back bedroom, there was pictures that we had forever.” ([02:58])
• Ongoing Concerns:
  • Water starting to recede, but many evacuees face days before returning home.
  • Officials warn of more rain incoming; true damage statewide still unclear.

---

4. Major VA Health Care Job Cuts

[03:16–04:15]

• Department of Veterans Affairs:
  • Plans to eliminate up to 35,000 mostly unfilled health care jobs this month.
  • Follows an organizational reshuffling that already cut ~30,000 jobs this year.
• Assurances from Leadership:
  • VA Secretary Doug Collins states, “no VA employees are being removed in this round and there will be zero impact on veterans care.” ([03:51])
  • The cuts are intended to bring the VA workforce down to about 372,000—a 10% annual reduction.

---

5. Actor Peter Greene’s Death

[04:15–04:58]

• Career Overview:
  • Peter Greene, age 60, acclaimed for roles as villains—most notably in “Pulp Fiction” and “The Mask.”
  • “The tall, angular character actor excelled at playing bad guys, sometimes in comedies.” — Chloe Veltman ([04:16])
• Memorable Roles:
  • Played Jim Carrey’s antagonist in “The Mask” ([04:26]) and appeared in “Pulp Fiction” as a ruthless security guard.
• Biography:
  • Born in New Jersey in 1965; began acting in his twenties.
  • Was narrating an upcoming documentary on the withdrawal of USAID.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Syria Attack Response:
  • “We will retaliate.” — President Trump ([01:00])
• Flood Victim Perspective:
  • “All your couches are floating. All your stuff is just floating. He goes, your bananas are floating…if we lost our bananas, we lost everything we had.” — Jocelyn Alm ([02:52])
• VA Job Cut Reassurance:
  • “No VA employees are being removed in this round and there will be zero impact on veterans care.” — VA Secretary Doug Collins ([03:51])
• Peter Greene’s Acting Legacy:
  • “The tall, angular character actor excelled at playing bad guys, sometimes in comedies.” — Chloe Veltman ([04:16])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Syria Attack & Trump’s Response: [00:24–01:10]
• Congress and Health Care Policy: [01:10–02:11]
• Skagit River Flooding: [02:11–03:16]
• Veterans Affairs Job Cuts: [03:16–04:15]
• Actor Peter Greene’s Death: [04:15–04:58]

---

This summary preserves the brisk, factual tone of NPR’s reporting, offering a quick but comprehensive catch-up for those who missed the broadcast.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This week on Consider this, a story that touches corporate media, politics and the White House with billions of dollars at stake. Listen. In normal times, regulators don't take their cues from the president. These aren't normal times. What you need to know about the fight for control of Warner Brothers on Consider this. You can listen every afternoon on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Trump says the US Will respond after two US Service and an American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria today. Three others were injured. The Pentagon says the gunman was also killed. NPR's Sage Miller has more.

[Reporter/Sage Miller]

Before departing on Marine One to the Army Navy football game in Baltimore, Trump said he is mourning the loss of those killed in the ambush. He also told reporters that he blames ISIS for the attack. He added that it's an attack on Syria and the United States and Trump doesn't plan to sit idly by.

[Reporter/Jude Joffe-Block]

We will retaliate.

[Reporter/Sage Miller]

He did not specify how the US Would retaliate, but Trump did say the three injured, quote, seem to be doing pretty well. Sage Miller, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The White House Republicans are unveiling a health care policy package that they say will reduce health costs. But as NPR's Jude Joffe block reports, Democrats are blasting the proposal for not extending Affordable Care act tax credits.

[Reporter/Jude Joffe-Block]

The enhanced tax credits are slated to expire at the end of the year, and when they do, the out of pocket costs for millions of Americans who buy their insurance on the Affordable Care act marketplace will skyrocket. House Speaker Mike Johnson says the GOP proposal instead tackles, quote, the real drivers of health care costs. It will allow small businesses to band together to buy health insurance plans. It also attempts to lower drug costs by imposing new requirements on pharmacy benefit managers. A Democratic bill to extend the tax credits for three years failed in the Senate, as did a Republican proposal. Members of Congress are running out of time to address health care costs before the holiday recess at the end of the week. Jude Joffe Block, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The Skagit river north of Seattle crested yesterday at a record high. Evacuation orders were out, but hundreds of people in western Washington state who didn't evacuate in time had to be rescued from their homes, sometimes from the rooftops and even their cars. Scott Greenstone from member station KUOW has more.

[Reporter/Scott Greenstone]

In Burlington, just about an hour north of Seattle, the water levels have begun to recede and some people are returning to their homes, assessing damage. Jocelyn Alm's home was still too submerged to get in, so a friend waited in to look in the windows and.

[Reporter/Jude Joffe-Block]

Told her, he goes, all your couches are floating. All your stuff is just floating. He goes, your bananas are floating. And I said, oh, well, God, if we lost our bananas, we lost everything we had.

[Reporter/Chloe Veltman]

In this back bedroom. There was pictures that we had forever.

[Reporter/Scott Greenstone]

That's her husband, Kenneth. Officials are saying it's still a little early to tell the extent of the damage statewide, especially with more rain in the forecast Sunday. For NPR News, I'm Scott Greenstone in Burlington.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And for the thousands who did evacuate, they may not be able to return to their homes for days. This is npr. The Department of Veterans affairs plans to eliminate as many as 35,000 health care positions this month. That's according to the Washington Post, citing an internal memo. The jobs eliminated are mostly unfilled jobs, and the cuts come after a massive reorganization effort that's already resulted in the loss of around 30,000 jobs this year. On social media, VA Secretary Doug Collins says no VA employees are being removed in this round and there will be zero impact on veterans care. The Post reports the VA hopes the cuts will reduce the workforce to around 372,000, a 10% cut from last year. Actor Peter Green has died at the age of 60. He was known for playing villains in movies like Pulp Fiction and the Mask, and Pier's Chloe Veltman has more.

[Reporter/Chloe Veltman]

The tall, angular character actor excelled at playing bad guys sometimes in comedies. Here Green is hamming it up as Jim Carrey's nemesis in the 1994 slapstick superhero movie the Mask.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The police are looking for the Mask.

[Reporter/Scott Greenstone]

So we'll give them the mas.

[Reporter/Chloe Veltman]

That same year, Green played a ruthless security guard in the gangster movie Pulp Fiction and went on to work steadily in movies and on TV. Peter Green was born in New Jersey in 1965. He started pursuing acting in his twenties. His upcoming projects include the documentary from the American People, the Withdrawal of usaid, which he was narrating. Chloe Veltman, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And I'm Jeanine Herbst. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

[Podcast Host]

Listen to this podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app, by subscribing to NPR News Now [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.