NPR News: 12-18-2025 4AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – 12-18-2025 4AM EST

Host: Shay Stevens
Date: December 18, 2025

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Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News update covers key overnight political, legal, and scientific developments in the United States. Major stories include President Trump’s remarks on the economy, legal battles over National Guard deployments, CDC updates on childhood immunization guidelines, a high-profile criminal case in Los Angeles, responsibility for a deadly aviation crash, and the Senate confirmation of a new NASA administrator.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump on the U.S. Economy

• Theme: President Trump addresses the nation, focusing on economic optimism amid persistent public anxiety about the cost of living.
• Trump asserts strong recovery, portraying the U.S. as a global economic leader.
• Notable Quote:

  “One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead. Our country was ready to fail, totally failed. Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world, and that's said by every single leader that I've spoken to over the last five months.”
  — President Donald Trump [00:36]

2. Trade and Tariffs Update

• Theme: U.S. trading partners seek to avoid newly-imposed steep tariffs by forging new business relationships.
• Brief mention without elaboration, indicating ongoing trade tensions.

3. National Guard Deployments in U.S. Cities

• Theme: Legal wrangling over federal troop deployments in Washington, D.C.
• Details:
  • DC National Guard can remain for now, per unanimous appeals court panel.
  • Washington’s unique federal status gives the president significant authority.
  • Ongoing legal questions about the deployment’s lawfulness in other U.S. cities.
• Correspondent: Kat Lonsdorf [01:12]
• Notable Moment:
  • Hundreds more National Guard arrived after a recent attack that killed and wounded troops.

4. CDC Childhood Immunization Recommendations

• Theme: CDC accepts new immunization recommendations, with guidance for pregnant women.
• Acting Director Jim O’Neill advises pregnant women who test negative for hepatitis B to consult their providers before vaccination.
• Historical Context:
  • Hepatitis B vaccine has long been standard within 24 hours of birth.

5. High-Profile Legal News: Nick Reiner Case

• Theme: Brief initial court appearance for Nick Reiner, accused of killing his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner.
• Details:
  • Scheduled arraignment postponed to January 7.
  • Reiner appears in court in a suicide-prevention smock, waives speedy arraignment.
• Attorney Alan Jackson’s Statement:

  “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. They need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with.”
  — Alan Jackson [02:51]

6. Aviation: Reagan National Airport Midair Collision

• Theme: NTSB to issue a report on a January midair collision that killed 67; culpability admitted by government attorneys.
• Key Points:
  • Air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilot blamed for contributing to the accident.
  • Lawsuit filed by a victim’s family; American Airlines and PSA Airlines request case dismissal.

7. NASA Leadership: Jared Isaacman Confirmed as Administrator

• Theme: Billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman assumes NASA leadership at a pivotal moment.
• Correspondent: Nell Greenfield Boyce [04:03]
• Details:
  • Isaacman has flown twice into space with SpaceX, including the first private spacewalk.
  • Nomination process was turbulent before confirmation.
  • NASA aims to send astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years; urgency stressed to precede Chinese lunar landing.
• Notable Context:
  • Moon landing hardware still under development; timeline tight.

8. Financial Markets & Asia-Pacific Update

• Theme: U.S. and Asia-Pacific markets were “flat” or mixed in after-hours trading.
• [03:12, 04:51]

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Memorable Quotes

• President Trump, on Economic Recovery:

  “Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world, and that's said by every single leader that I've spoken to over the last five months.” [00:36]

• Alan Jackson, Nick Reiner’s Attorney:

  “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. They need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with.” [02:51]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:18 – President Trump’s remarks on the economy
• 00:53 – National Guard deployments legal update (Kat Lonsdorf)
• 01:55 – CDC immunization recommendations
• 02:27 – Nick Reiner court appearance and attorney statement (Steve Futterman, Alan Jackson)
• 03:12 – Updates on financial markets
• 03:20 – NTSB Reagan National collision report
• 04:03 – NASA: Jared Isaacman’s confirmation and vision (Nell Greenfield Boyce)
• 04:51 – Asia-Pacific financial markets update

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Conclusion

This NPR News Now bulletin provides a concise but wide-ranging rundown of major overnight stories—from presidential economic messaging and legal battles over troop deployments, to headline-making criminal cases, aviation accountability, and leadership changes at NASA. It offers essential updates for listeners wanting to stay informed on top U.S. news developments as of December 18, 2025.

Transcript

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[NPR News Anchor]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. President Trump says the United States is stronger thanks to his economic policies. Trump made the remarks in a late night address amid polls showing that most Americans are anxious about the cost of living. Trump says that relief is on the way.

[President Donald Trump]

One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead. Our country was ready to fail, totally failed. Now we're the hottest country anywhere in the world, and that's said by every single leader that I've spoken to over the last five months.

[NPR News Anchor]

Some US Trading partners are forming new business relationships to avoid Trump's steep tariffs. A federal appeals court says National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C. can remain there for now. The decision comes days after another court ordered troops to leave Los angeles. More from NPR's Kat Lonsdorf.

[NPR Correspondent Kat Lonsdorf]

A three judge panel voted unanimously for Guard troops to remain in Washington while they examined the larger legality of the deployment in a 30 page opinion. The judges write that Washington's unique federal status allows President Trump to largely control control the deployment of troops in the city. They also say the Trump administration is likely to win the overall case. There have been more than 2, 000 troops in Washington since August, both from the District and several Republican led states. Hundreds more were added after a targeted attack on National Guard troops killed one and wounded another last month. But the judges also raised serious doubts about the lawfulness of deployments in other cities, many of which have been stopped after orders by federal judges. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Washington.

[NPR News Anchor]

The CDC has accepted an advisory panel's recommendations on childhood immunizations. Acting CDC Director Jim o' Neill says pregnant women who test negative for hepatitis B should consult their doctor before getting vaccinated against the disease. For decades, newborns were given the hepatitis b shot within 24 hours of birth. Nick Reiner has made his initial court appearance on charges of killing his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner. Steve Futterman has more from Los Angeles.

[NPR Correspondent Steve Futterman]

The hearing was brief, lasting only a few minutes. The scheduled arraignment never took place. Nick Reiner's attorney immediately asked for a delay until Jan. 7. Reiner, who was shackled to a chair and wearing a suicide prevention smock, was asked if he was willing to waive his right to to a speedy arraignment. He said yes after the hearing. Reiner's attorney, Alan Jackson, spoke to reporters.

[Alan Jackson, Attorney]

There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. They need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with.

[NPR Correspondent Steve Futterman]

Reiner remains in jail at the moment. This is a no bail case. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman at the county courthouse in Los Angeles.

[NPR News Anchor]

U.S. speuters are flat in after hours trading. This is NPR. The National Transportation Safety Board will soon issue a report on the mid air collision near Washington Reagan National Airport in January in response to a civil lawsuit. Government attorneys admit that failures by an air traffic controller and an army helicopter pilot contributed to the crash which killed 67 people. The case was brought by the family of one of the victims, citing American Airlines, its regional partner, PSA Airlines, and the pilots as defendants. The carriers have filed motions to dismiss the case. The US Senate has confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new head of NASA. As NPR's now Greenfield Boyce reports, Isaacman is taking charge at a critical time for the agency.

[NPR Correspondent Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Jared Isaacman is a businessman who flew to space twice in SpaceX capsules. On one of those flights, he and a crewmate opened up a hatch and performed the first private spacewalk. President Trump nominated him to lead NASA, but then abruptly withdrew that nomination in the spring, only to re nominate him in November. Isaacman is becoming administrator as NASA prepares to send astronauts on a trip around the moon next year, making it the first time people have gone there in more than a half century. The hardware needed for landing on the moon, however, is still in development, and Isaacman has said that it's vital for a US Landing to happen before arrival. China gets astronauts to the lunar surface. Nell. Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[NPR News Anchor]

On Asia Pacific markets shares are mixed. This is NPR News.

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