NPR News Now: December 20, 2025 – 2AM EST

Host: Dale Willman
Main Theme:
A concise update on top national and international stories covering a fatal shooting investigation, political divisions in the U.S. conservative movement, U.S.-Venezuela relations, Pacific Northwest storms, a NASCAR-related plane crash, and sports highlights.

Key News Stories and Insights

1. Brown University and MIT Shooting Investigation

• [00:17] Dale Willman reports an autopsy has concluded that Claudio Navis Valente, the suspect in the Brown University fatal shooting, had been dead for two days before he was found.
• [00:40] David Wright from Ocean State Media provides background:
  • Both Valente and the MIT professor victim, Nuno Lureiru, were from Portugal and attended the same science program in Portugal (1995–2000).
  • Lureiru went on to a prestigious career at MIT focused on fusion energy and physics, whereas Valente left Brown’s PhD program early.
  • Police believe Valente killed himself and is linked to the deaths of both Lureiru and another individual.

2. Release of Epstein Files

• [01:07] Dale Willman notes the Justice Department released some Jeffrey Epstein-related files as mandated by law; further releases are expected by year’s end.

3. Divisions in the U.S. Conservative Movement

• [01:07] Ongoing tensions within President Trump’s political coalition were evident at Turning Point USA’s annual conference in Phoenix, where conservative leaders debated movement boundaries.

• [01:37] Sarah McCammon reports:

  • Anti-Semitism within the movement is a major challenge since the murder of Turning Point’s founder, Charlie Kirk, in September.
  • Ben Shapiro criticized Tucker Carlson for featuring white nationalist Nick Fuentes on his show.

  [02:01] Ben Shapiro: “He knew that Nick Fuentes is an evil troll and that building him up is an act of moral imbecility. And that is precisely what Tucker Carlson did. He built Nick Fuentes up and he ought to take responsibility for that.”

  • Shapiro asserts that Kirk strongly opposed Fuentes.
  • Carlson denied any anti-Semitism charges.

4. U.S.-Venezuela Relations

• [02:19] Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Venezuela's regime “intolerable,” accusing President Nicolás Maduro’s government of collaborating with drug cartels and terrorists.

• [02:32] Michelle Kellerman Azar details Rubio's responses:

  • Rubio affirms that the Trump administration’s military build-up near Venezuela is to fight cartels.
  • Rubio did not comment on a recent Trump–Maduro call but stated Venezuela breached agreements with the Biden administration.

  [02:52] Marco Rubio: “You can’t do a peace deal with these people any more than you can do a peace deal with a mafia.”

  • U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats have been “effective.”
  • New sanctions target family members linked to Maduro's regime.

5. Pacific Northwest Weather: Atmospheric Rivers

• [03:13] Parts of the Pacific Northwest are facing back-to-back “atmospheric rivers,” causing heavy rain, with warnings of possible flooding and landslides.

• [03:36] Monica Samayoa (Oregon Public Broadcasting) explains:

  • Atmospheric rivers are powerful streams of moist air causing extreme rain events.
  • Oregon’s state climatologist Larry O’Neill links the frequency and strength of these events to climate change.

  [03:59] Larry O’Neill: “What we’re seeing is that some of these really strong events, extreme events, will become more common in the future. And so these are actually good tests at how resilient we are.”

  • Multiple flood advisories in effect; rain expected through Saturday.

6. NASCAR Plane Crash Investigation

• [04:20] The cockpit voice recorder has been recovered from the plane crash that killed NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his family, and three others.
  • The plane crashed less than 10 minutes after takeoff, erupting into flames as it attempted to return.
  • Investigators have not found evidence of emergency calls and are determining who was at the controls when the crash occurred.

7. College Football Playoff Update

• [04:53] In the college football Division 1 playoffs, Alabama beat Oklahoma 34–24 on Friday night.

Notable Quotes

• Ben Shapiro on Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson:

  “He knew that Nick Fuentes is an evil troll and that building him up is an act of moral imbecility. And that is precisely what Tucker Carlson did. He built Nick Fuentes up and he ought to take responsibility for that.”
  — [02:01]

• Marco Rubio on Venezuela:

  “You can’t do a peace deal with these people any more than you can do a peace deal with a mafia.”
  — [02:52]

• Larry O’Neill on Climate Resilience:

  “What we’re seeing is that some of these really strong events, extreme events, will become more common in the future. And so these are actually good tests at how resilient we are.”
  — [03:59]

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [00:17] Brown University/MIT shooting updates
• [01:07] Epstein files release
• [01:37] Divisions at Turning Point USA conference (anti-Semitism, conservative infighting)
• [02:19] U.S.-Venezuela relations, Rubio comments
• [03:13] Pacific Northwest atmospheric rivers and climate comment
• [04:20] NASCAR plane crash investigation
• [04:53] College football playoff result

This NPR News Now episode delivers a rapid-fire digest of the day's most pressing stories, mixing investigative developments, political contention, climate challenges, and tragic news in sports and aviation—a succinct snapshot of the evolving news landscape.