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.