NPR News Now – December 15, 2025, 11AM EST

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers a rapid summary of top global and U.S. events as of the morning of December 15, 2025. Major stories include the deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Australia’s response to a deadly mass shooting, ongoing U.S. healthcare policy debate, extreme weather in Washington State, an alleged terror plot disrupted in Los Angeles, Chile's new ultra-conservative president, and a worker strike at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner; Son Arrested

• [00:19] Korva Coleman reports: “Information from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says Nick Reiner, the son of Director Rob Reiner, has been arrested. Los Angeles authorities are investigating after two bodies were found in Rob Reiner's home yesterday. News reports cite a Reiner family statement. It says that Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle are dead.”
  • Notable moment: The high-profile nature and the involvement of Rob Reiner’s son draw national attention.

2. Australia Tightens Gun Laws After Bondi Shooting

• [01:00] Christina Kukulya: “It's been described as the biggest overhaul of Australian gun laws since reforms that followed a mass shooting in Tasmania in the 1990s.”
  • Australia’s government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, is taking immediate action in response to the Hanukkah event shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach, where at least 15 people were killed.
    • Measures under consideration:
      • Limiting the number of firearms per person.
      • Requiring Australian citizenship for gun licenses.
      • Customs restrictions on firearms imports.
  • Quote: “Limiting the number of firearms a person can own is among the options being considered. Another is to make Australian citizenship a condition for holding a gun licence.” (Christina Kukulya, [01:13])

3. U.S. Health Care: ACA Subsidies Crisis

• [01:37] Korva Coleman introduces Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to replace Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at year-end.
  • California Republican Kevin Kiley supports the Speaker's plan but expects it to fail and urges for an extension of current subsidies.
    • Quote: “Leaders of both parties knew this deadline was coming.” (Korva Coleman paraphrasing Kiley, [01:50])
• [02:03] Scott Greenstone (paraphrasing an interviewed source): “22 million people shouldn't be forced to pay the price for that, shouldn't be forced to pay the price for congressional inaction. We're talking about small business owners and their employees, independent contractors, gig workers, early retirees who will be forced to pay a price that many simply can't afford.”
  • Memorable moment: The urgent call to avoid punishment for millions due to congressional inaction.

4. Washington State Floods and Landslide Risks

• [02:26] Korva Coleman transitions to severe weather in Washington State; Scott Greenstone reports on flooding and a high risk of mudslides.
  • Quote: “The ground is saturated in Seattle's suburbs. Heavy winds of around 50 miles per hour are expected. Reid Wolcott is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Soils are extremely loose. It does not take 50 mile an hour winds to knock over trees.” (Scott Greenstone, [02:43])
  • Landslides have already affected the town of Stahekan near Lake Chelan.

5. FBI Disrupts Alleged New Year’s Eve Los Angeles Terror Plot

• [03:11] Korva Coleman: “FBI Director Kash Patel says his agency has disrupted an alleged terror threat set for New Year's Eve in Los Angeles. He says four people connected to LA have been arrested in connection with the plot. Patel says a fifth person has been detained in New Orleans.”
  • Key fact: The plot was foiled weeks before the event, reflecting heightened security concerns.

6. Chile Elects Ultra-Conservative President

• [03:31] Korva Coleman introduces the victory of Jose Antonio Kast, an ultra-conservative, in Chile’s presidential election.
• [03:52] Kerry Khan reports: Kast shifted his campaign from far-right stances, instead emphasizing crime and illegal immigration.
  • Quote: “Like other recently elected conservatives in Latin America, Kast pledged a crackdown on crime with more police and prison. He says the more than 300,000 migrants estimated to live in Chile without legal status have until his inauguration in March to self-deport or he'll send police to find them.” (Kerry Khan, [04:20])
  • Memorable moment: Kast’s hardline message to undocumented migrants.

7. Louvre Workers Strike After Museum Robbery

• [04:38] Korva Coleman: “Workers at the famed Louvre Museum in Paris have voted to strike. The museum is closed due to today's walkout. The workers are pointing to working conditions and are demanding renovations. The strike vote comes after thieves stole priceless gems in a daylight robbery.”
  • Key fact: The strike is directly linked to recent high-profile art thefts and longstanding labor conditions.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On affordable care inaction:
  “22 million people shouldn't be forced to pay the price for congressional inaction. We're talking about small business owners and their employees, independent contractors, gig workers, early retirees who will be forced to pay a price that many simply can't afford.”
  — Interviewee, paraphrased by Scott Greenstone, [02:03]

• On Australian gun law reform:
  “It's been described as the biggest overhaul of Australian gun laws since reforms that followed a mass shooting in Tasmania in the 1990s.”
  — Christina Kukulya, [01:00]

• On Chile’s new president:
  “He says the more than 300,000 migrants estimated to live in Chile without legal status have until his inauguration in March to self-deport or he'll send police to find them.”
  — Kerry Khan, [04:20]

Timeline of Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:19 | Deaths of Rob and Michelle Reiner | | 01:00 | Australian gun law overhaul post-Bondi Beach shooting | | 01:37 | U.S. ACA subsidy debate, Speaker Johnson’s plan | | 02:26 | Washington State flooding and landslide threats | | 03:11 | FBI foils LA New Year’s Eve terror plot | | 03:52 | Chile elects ultra-conservative president | | 04:38 | Louvre worker strike after gem robbery |

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