NPR News: 12-14-2025 3AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – December 14, 2025, 3AM EST

Host: Dale Willman
Length: ~5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This NPR News Now episode provides a concise update on major national and global news events. Key topics include a campus shooting at Brown University, a deadly ISIS attack on U.S. personnel in Syria, severe flooding in Washington state, Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza, a notable political prisoner release in Belarus, and a historic sports moment by skier Lindsey Vonn.

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Key Stories, Insights, and Quotes

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1. Shooting at Brown University

• Details:
  • Location: Outside the Barris and Holly Building (Engineering & Physics Departments), Brown University
  • Time: ~4pm, during final exams
  • Casualties: 2 killed, 9 in critical but stable condition
  • Suspect: At large, described as a "male dressed in black"
  • Actions: Shelter-in-place order for university and surrounding areas
• Notable Quotes:
  • "[We are] utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect."
    – Dale Willman (00:52)
  • "A shelter in place. Order remains active for the university and surrounding areas."
    – Lydia Calitri (00:56)
• Reporting: Lydia Calitri
• Timestamps: 00:17–01:04

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2. ISIS Attack on U.S. Forces in Syria

• Details:
  • Attack: ISIS militant kills 2 U.S. soldiers & 1 American civilian interpreter near Palmyra, central Syria
  • 3 additional U.S. troops wounded
  • Attack occurred during a joint mission with Syrian forces; gunman killed by Syrians
  • U.S. has maintained a military presence in Syria to suppress ISIS resurgence
• Notable Quotes:
  • "The Americans defeated the group, but remnants still carry out periodic attacks."
    – Greg Myre (01:46)
• Reporting: Greg Myre
• Timestamps: 01:04–02:00

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3. Historic Flooding in Washington State

• Details:
  • Skagit River crests at record levels; major flooding north of Seattle
  • Hundreds rescued from homes, rooftops, and cars
  • Thousands evacuated; some returning as water recedes
  • Ongoing assessment of damage; more rain forecasted
• Personal Stories:
  • Jocelyn Alm unable to re-enter house, friend reports:
    • "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." — Jocelyn Alm (02:41)
  • "We had in this back bedroom, there was pictures that we had forever." — Kenneth Alm, Jocelyn's husband (02:53)
• Reporting: Scott Greenstone (KUOW), with contributions from Lydia Calitri and Greg Myre
• Timestamps: 02:00–03:12

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4. Israel-Hamas Conflict Update

• Details:
  • Israeli military reports killing Raid Saad, described as a Hamas architect of the October 2023 attacks
  • Saad was allegedly working to rebuild Hamas; killed in a civilian vehicle near Gaza City
  • Four killed, three wounded in this strike, per Gaza officials
  • Since the latest ceasefire, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed over 380 Palestinians
• Timestamps: 03:12–03:55

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5. Belarus Political Prisoner Release

• Details:
  • Belarus releases 120+ political prisoners as part of a U.S.-brokered deal
  • In exchange: U.S. lifts trade sanctions on Belarusian potash exports
  • High-profile releases: Nobel Peace laureate Ales Belyatsky, former presidential candidate Victor Bobrico, protest leader Maria Kolesnikova
  • The Trump administration pursued sanctions relief to encourage prisoner releases; ~1,200 political prisoners believed to remain
• Notable Quotes:
  • "It means long sought freedom for many of the most high profile critics of the regime..."
    – Charles Maynes (03:55)
• Reporting: Charles Maynes
• Timestamps: 03:55–04:34

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6. Lindsey Vonn’s Historic Return to Skiing

• Details:
  • Lindsey Vonn, 41, finishes second in World Cup downhill at St. Moritz
  • The day prior, Vonn became the oldest winner in circuit history after almost six years in retirement; recently had partial knee replacement
• Timestamps: 04:34–04:57

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Oh, well, God, if we lost our bananas, we lost everything.”
  — Jocelyn Alm, Washington flood survivor (02:41)

• "The Americans defeated the group, but remnants still carry out periodic attacks."
  — Greg Myre, on ISIS in Syria (01:46)

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Key Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Brown University Shooting | 00:17–01:04 | | ISIS Attack in Syria | 01:04–02:00 | | Washington Floods | 02:00–03:12 | | Israel-Hamas Conflict Update | 03:12–03:55 | | Belarus Political Prisoner Release | 03:55–04:34 | | Lindsey Vonn’s World Cup Downhill Result | 04:34–04:57 |

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For those who missed the episode, this brief news round-up provides critical updates from the U.S. and around the world, with emotional personal stories, evolving conflicts, diplomatic developments, and notable sports achievement.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Authorities say two people have been killed and nine others are in critical but stable condition following a shooting at Brown University on Saturday. Police say the suspect remains at large. NPR's Lydia Calitri has more.

[Lydia Calitri]

Providence police say the shooting took place around 4pm outside the Barris and Holly Building, which houses the School of Engineering and Physics Department. School officials say final exams were taking place at the time. Deputy Police Chief Timothy o' Hara says authorities are searching for a suspect described as, quote, a male dressed in black.

[Dale Willman]

We're utilizing every resource possible to find this suspect.

[Lydia Calitri]

A shelter in place. Order remains active for the university and surrounding areas. Lydia Calitri, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

President Trump says the US Will retaliate after an ISIS militant shot and killed two American soldiers and one U.S. civilian in central Syria on Saturday. As NPR's Greg Myre reports, this marks a rare attack on the US Forces that still remain in that country.

[Greg Myre]

The Pentagon said a lone gunman with the Islamic State, or isis, carried out the shooting ambush near the ancient desert city of Palmyra. The gunman killed the two soldiers as well as a U.S. civilian interpreter and also wounded three U.S. troops. The Americans were on a joint mission with Syrian forces, and the Syrians killed the ISIS gunman. The Pentagon said US Forces were sent to Syria a decade ago to combat isis. The Americans defeated the group, but remnants still carry out periodic attacks. US Forces have remained in Syria to guard against a resurgence of isis. Greg Myrey, NPR News, Washington.

[Dale Willman]

The Skagit river north of Seattle has crested this weekend at a record high level. Hundreds of people in western Washington who did not evacuate in time had to be rescued from their homes, sometimes from rooftops and even from their cars. Scott Greenstone from member station KUOW reports the thousands of people who did evacuate may not be able to return to their homes for several days.

[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 home 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.

[Lydia Calitri]

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.

[Greg Myre]

We had in this back bedroom, there was pictures that we had forever.

[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.

[Dale Willman]

And you're listening to NPR News. Israel says its military has killed a Hamas leader who was one of the architects for the October 2023 attack that led to the war with Hamas. Officials say Raid Saad was in a civilian vehicle that was destroyed near Gaza City, and they say he was working to rebuild Hamas. The attack killed four people and wounded three others, according to officials in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes and shootings in Gaza have killed more than 380 Palestinians since the latest ceasefire took hold. The former Soviet republic of Belarus has released more than 120 political prisoners under a deal brokered by the Trump administration. NPR's Charles Mainz has our reports.

[Charles Maynes]

The prisoners were freed in exchange for the US Agreeing to lift sanctions on trade in Belarusian potash, a key export for Belarus. And it means long sought freedom for many of the most high profile critics of the regime of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, among them Nobel Peace laureate Ales Belyatsky, one time presidential candidate Victor Bobrico, and Maria Kolesnikova, who led a wave of pro democracy protests in 2020 before a violent government crackdown. Their release comes amid a wider attempt by the Trump administration to sanctions relief for the freedom of political prisoners in Belarus, believed to number around 1200 people, according to human rights groups. Charles Maynes, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

American skier Lindsey Vonn finished in second Saturday in the World cup downhill underway in Sam Moritz this weekend. That comes one day after the 41 year old became the oldest winner in the circuit's history with a victory on Friday. Vaughn retired almost six years ago and had partial replacement knee replacement surgery on her right knee in 2023. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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