NPR News: 12-19-2025 10PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – 12-19-2025 10PM EST

Date: December 20, 2025
Host: Ryland Barton
Duration: 5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This fast-paced NPR News Now edition delivers the top national and global stories in five minutes. Reporting covers U.S. foreign policy tensions, evolving drug regulation, the housing market, environmental anomalies, tax debates, wildfire health impacts, and an unexpected development in Rome tourism.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Relations with Venezuela (00:15–01:10)

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio declares the Maduro regime in Venezuela "intolerable," accusing it of collusion with drug cartels and terrorists.
  • Rubio highlights a breakdown in negotiations, criticizing Venezuela for breaking deals with the Biden administration.
  • He defends recent U.S. military action targeting alleged drug boats, branding them effective measures.
  • Quote:
    • “You can't do a peace deal with these people any more than you can do a peace deal with a Mafia.” — Marco Rubio (00:50)
  • The U.S. imposes new sanctions on seven relatives of individuals linked to the "illegitimate" Maduro government.
• Reporting by Michelle Kellerman

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2. Republican States Challenge Marijuana Reclassification (01:10–02:05)

• Eight Republican attorneys general respond critically to President Trump's executive order directing the reclassification of marijuana to Schedule 3, which acknowledges some medical use but remains federally controlled.
  • The states argue marijuana cannot be used safely, citing insufficient scientific consensus.
  • Ken Mackey, Indiana University neuroscience professor, offers a counterpoint:
    • Marijuana’s risks are lower than drugs like tobacco and it treats chronic pain effectively.
  • Quote:
    • “It's not saying that it's harmless. It's putting a more realistic measure of the risk.” — Ken Mackey (01:52)
  • Trump’s order tells the U.S. attorney general to expedite the rescheduling process, but no actual reschedule occurs immediately.
• Reporting by Ethan Sandweiss

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3. U.S. Housing Market Update (02:05–02:56)

• Existing home sales rose by 0.5% in November, now at a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.13 million homes.
  • Sales up in the Northeast and South; unchanged in the West; slightly down in the Midwest.
  • Key Factors:
    • Lower mortgage rates.
    • Fewer listings as homeowners delay sales for winter.
  • Median U.S. home price: Just under $410,000.
• Reporting by Scott Newman

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4. Warm Winter Hurting Western Ski Resorts (02:56–03:06)

• States from Oregon to Colorado see above-normal temperatures—a lack of snow turns typical snowfalls into rain, impacting ski tourism.

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5. Federal Tax Breaks for Tips and Overtime (03:06–03:41)

• State legislatures are debating whether to implement new federal tax breaks on tips and overtime, as encouraged by the Trump administration.
  • In some states, the tax breaks are automatic unless legislators move to opt out.
  • The change could benefit taxpayers but strain state budgets.

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6. Wildfires Linked to Increased Heart Attacks in LA (03:41–04:32)

• New Study:
  • Heart attacks rose 46% in Los Angeles after wildfires in January 2025.
  • Cardiologist Joseph Ebinger: Analyzed Cedars Sinai Hospital emergency room data.
    • Although ER visits for other ailments stayed consistent, heart attacks and abnormal blood tests spiked.
    • Researchers attribute the spike to toxic smoke and ash from burnt materials in the fires.
    • Quote:
      • “…a 46% increase in the rate of people presenting for heart attacks during that time period.” — Joseph Ebinger (04:11)
• Reporting by Alejandra Barunda

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7. Rome's Trevi Fountain Introduces New Tourist Fee (04:32–04:54)

• From now on, tourists must pay a two-euro fee to approach the famed Trevi Fountain, though viewing from the nearby piazza remains free.
  • The fee aims to address visitor impact and preserve the site.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You can't do a peace deal with these people any more than you can do a peace deal with a Mafia.”
  — Marco Rubio (00:50) [On Venezuela negotiations]

• “It's not saying that it's harmless. It's putting a more realistic measure of the risk.”
  — Ken Mackey (01:52) [On marijuana rescheduling]

• “…a 46% increase in the rate of people presenting for heart attacks during that time period.”
  — Joseph Ebinger (04:11) [On post-wildfire health impacts]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Venezuela/US foreign policy: 00:15–01:10
• Marijuana legal status debate: 01:10–02:05
• Housing market report: 02:05–02:56
• Western ski resort struggles: 02:56–03:06
• State tax break debates: 03:06–03:41
• Wildfires and heart attacks: 03:41–04:32
• Trevi Fountain tourist fee: 04:32–04:54

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NPR News Now’s concise reporting style spotlights the breadth of today’s top stories with context, expert insight, and a pulse on both the nation's and world’s latest concerns.

Transcript

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[Ryland Barton]

In Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the current state of Venezuela's regime is intolerable. He accuses Nicolas Maduro's government of working with drug cartels and terrorists. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports at an.

[Michelle Kellerman]

End of year news conference. At the press conference, Secretary Rubio was asked repeatedly about the US Military buildup near Venezuela. He says President Trump promised to take on the cartels and is doing that. Rubio would not describe a recent call between Trump and Maduro, but said that the Venezuelans broke deals with the Biden administration.

[Marco Rubio]

You can't do a peace deal with these people any more than you can do a peace deal with a Mafia.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Rubio defended the strikes on alleged drug boats, saying they've been effective. The Trump administration is also imposing sanctions on seven family members of individuals tied to what it calls the illegitimate Maduro regime. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington.

[Ryland Barton]

Eight Republican attorneys general have issued a rebuke of President Trump's executive order to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. From member station WFIU, Ethan Sandweiss reports.

[Ethan Sandweiss]

As a Schedule 3 drug, marijuana would still be a controlled substance but with recognized medical use. Attorneys general of Nebraska, Indiana, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Wyoming wrote in a statement that the science surrounding marijuana shows it cannot be used safely. Ken Mackey is a professor of neuroscience at Indiana University. He says marijuana is an effective treatment for chronic pain and its potential for abuse is lower than other drugs, such as tobacco.

[Ken Mackey]

It's not saying that it's harmless. It's putting a more realistic measure of the risk.

[Ethan Sandweiss]

Trump's order does not immediately reschedule marijuana, but directs the US Attorney general to expedite that process. For NPR News, I'm Ethan Sandweiss.

[Ryland Barton]

Existing home sales rose slightly last month from October as fewer homes hit the market. NPR's Scott Newman has more.

[Scott Newman]

In its monthly report on existing home sales, the national association of Realtors said in November home sales increased 0.5% for a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.13 million homes. Sales increased in the Northeast and South but showed no change in the west and actually fell a bit in the Midwest. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said the increase in sales could be explained by lower mortgage rates, while a decrease in the number of unsold units was likely due to homeowners holding off listing their homes for sale during the winter. The NAR says the median home price in the U.S. is at just under $410,000. Scott Newman, NPR News, Washington.

[Ryland Barton]

A lack of snow is causing problems for ski resorts in the Western U.S. states from Oregon to Colorado are recording temper far above normal. As a result, mountainous areas that would normally get snow have been getting rain instead. This is NPR News from Washington. State lawmakers across the US Are debating whether to adopt new federal tax breaks for tips and overtime. The Trump administration is urging them to. States embracing the cuts could give savings to taxpayers, but their budgets may be strained. In some states, the tax breaks automatically apply unless legislatures opt out. Heart attacks rose in Los Angeles, Angeles after the wildfires last January, according to a new study. NPR's Alejandra Barunda reports.

[Alejandra Barunda]

Over the three months following the fires, the emergency room at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles saw lots of patients from the city's most affected areas. Now researchers like cardiologist Joseph Ebinger have dug into that data to understand the fire's impact on Angeleno's health. They didn't see any change in the total number of visits, but they saw big shifts in the health problems people showed up with. Some were expected, like a jump in lung issues. Others were more surprising, like a 46%.

[Ken Mackey]

Increase in the rate of people presenting for heart attacks during that time period.

[Alejandra Barunda]

They also saw huge increases in abnormal blood tests. Ebinger says that could be a sign of overall stress on people's bodies from the particularly toxic smoke and ash produced by the fires, which burn through toxic materials like home insulation, cars and batteries. Alejandra Barunda, NPR News.

[Ryland Barton]

Tourists visiting the Trevi Fountain in Rome will have to pay more than just the legendary coin toss over the shoulder. The city is imposing a two euro fee for tourists to get close to the fountain made famous by Fellini's La Dolce Vita. The view, for those admiring the late baroque masterpiece from the piazza, remains free. This is NPR News from Washington.

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