NPR Up First – December 13, 2025

Main Theme and Purpose:
This episode spotlights three major stories shaping the national conversation: the impending expiration of enhanced health care subsidies and gridlock in Congress; devastating, historic flooding in Washington state; and mounting turmoil within the Department of Justice under President Trump, particularly in relation to its political maneuvers and mass resignations. The Up First team breaks down the political stakes, on-the-ground realities, and broader implications for Americans.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Health Care Subsidies Set to Expire

[02:35 – 04:02]

• Senate Stalemate: Millions face drastic health insurance premium hikes starting January after the Senate rejected two competing health care bills.
• Disagreement Along Party Lines:
  • Democrats and Republicans remain polarized on how (or even if) to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
  • Republicans call for Health Savings Accounts and more direct cash to individuals, while Democrats insist on preserving the current subsidy structure.
  • Last-minute GOP proposal would enhance employer health plans; Democrats call it unserious.
• Midterms Loom:
  • Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the GOP plan is “completely unserious,” indicating Dems will campaign hard on this issue in midterms.
• Notable Quote:
  • Don Gonyea (NPR Nat’l Political Correspondent) on ACA debates:

    “The Affordable Care act has always been a place where Democrats and Republicans butt heads. It's been that way since the law was passed in Obama's first term…We're just at an impasse.” [03:06]

2. President Trump’s Economic Messaging

[04:02 – 05:02]

• Trump’s Self-Evaluation: In a Politico interview, Trump gives his handling of the economy an “A plus plus plus plus plus.”
• At a Pennsylvania rally, Trump tells Americans to adapt:

  “We can get by with fewer pencils and dolls.” [04:17]

• Polls Don’t Agree: Despite Trump’s claims, most Americans are deeply worried about inflation and rising costs of living. His approval on economic management remains low.
• Gonyea Notes:
  • “The president is...taking a hard line, denying that affordability is anything other than a hoax that Democrats are pushing as a political issue. So he describes one economy. Americans describe a completely different place.” [04:48]

3. Congressional Pushback: Defense Bill and Strikes on Drug Boats

[05:02 – 06:03]

• $900 Billion Defense Bill Passed: Inside, a requirement for the Pentagon to share unedited videos with Congress of recent military strikes on alleged drug boats, after a contentious September incident where survivors were killed in a second strike.
• Early Signs of Oversight:
  • Gonyea: “Many questions have been raised...particularly the one in September where a second strike killed two survivors…” [05:29]
  • Still, pushback is limited to a subset of Republicans.

4. GOP Defies Trump on Indiana Redistricting

[06:03 – 06:40]

• Indiana Republicans Reject Trump’s Gerrymandered Map:
  • Despite Trump’s push and threats, they refuse to redraw congressional districts.
  • Lawmakers say: “Look, we just did this four years ago. So it is a setback for the president.” [06:29]

5. Historic Flooding in Washington State

[06:51 – 09:56]

• Emergency Declared: Torrential rain has caused historically high river levels, especially the Skagit, north of Seattle.
• Hundreds Rescued, Thousands Displaced: Some towns evacuated; not all residents complied.
• Personal Stories:
  • Scott Greenstone for KUOW reports from Burlington, WA:
    • “I saw a barn half submerged in it yesterday...a woman named Jocelyn Alm was standing outside her totally flooded out home…someone had waded in to look in the windows and told her this:

      ‘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 we had.’” [07:57]

    • Jocelyn’s husband Kenneth: worried about family photos, as water may have wrecked them.
  • High risk of landslides due to saturated earth; highways closed.
  • Pedro Cortez, lifelong Skagit County resident since 1966:

    “I looked out the window Thursday night at 10 pm and saw police lights...they said ‘you guys had to move out, because the water’s coming pretty fast.’” [09:46]

• Unique Weather Event:
  • Washington sees lots of rain, but not rapid, massive “atmospheric river” events like this:

    “Many of them have never seen anything like this, even in 1990 when we set the previous records that we're now breaking.” [09:15]

6. DOJ Turmoil Under President Trump

[10:07 – 14:53]

• Mass Resignations:
  • Over 5,000 staff, including the acting FBI director, top DOJ/FBI officials, civil rights lawyers, and public corruption prosecutors, have departed.
  • At Civil Rights Division, nearly 75% of attorneys have left. [10:36]
• Impact:
  • Kerry Johnson: “The first thing to say is that there have been a lot of mistakes, misstatements of law...even lawyers working for the Texas attorney general, allies of President Trump, called the [DOJ] letter legally unsound, ham fisted and a mess.” [11:10]
  • Reports of misrepresentations to courts, especially in deportation and redistricting cases.
  • DOJ whistleblower Perez Rouvainy:

    “The political leadership in charge of the DOJ didn't care one bit about our oaths to the courts. They had one and only one goal. Put those people on planes. Get them out of the country ASAP.” [12:04]

• Fear of a Less Safe Country:
  • Former FBI officials argue their firing was political;

    Chris Matty: “When you kneecap an organization by getting rid of its leaders, you really compromise the FBI's ability to carry out its mission.” [12:40]

  • Some FBI agents claim they were fired for participating in racial justice protests.
• Supreme Court's Ruling:
  • The Court said the president has “absolute control” over DOJ.
  • Trump leveraging this to clear allies and target critics:
    • High-profile clemency for political supporters and alleged corruption cases; pardons undoing years of prosecution.
    • DOJ now targeting political opponents (e.g., James Comey, Tish James, Adam Schiff). [13:42]
  • Trump, at DOJ HQ (March):

    “Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over and they are never going to come back.” [13:28]

• What’s Next:
  • Senate maintains some oversight—but its inclination to use that power is unclear.
  • Noted intragovernmental infighting at DOJ and FBI leaders may signal further turnover.
  • Nonprofits are focused on documenting “all the unusual and possibly unlawful things happening at the Justice Department.” [14:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Don Gonyea (03:06):

  “The Affordable Care act has always been a place where Democrats and Republicans butt heads. It's been that way since the law was passed in Obama's first term.”

• President Trump (at Pennsylvania rally, 04:17):

  “We can get by with fewer pencils and dolls.”

• Pedro Cortez (09:46):

  “You guys had to move out because the water's coming pretty fast.”

• Carrie Johnson (12:04):

  “The political leadership in charge of the DOJ didn't care one bit about our oaths to the courts. They had one and only one goal. Put those people on planes. Get them out of the country ASAP.” (attributing Perez Rouvainy)

• Trump (DOJ headquarters speech, 13:28):

  “Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice. But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over and they are never going to come back.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:35] – Health Care subsidies debate and Congressional gridlock
• [04:02] – President Trump’s economic self-appraisal and public perception
• [05:02] – House defense bill and Congressional oversight over military actions
• [06:03] – Indiana redistricting and intra-GOP dissent
• [06:51] – Washington flooding: personal accounts and response
• [10:07] – DOJ upheaval: resignations, politicization, and consequences

Tone & Language:

• The episode balances factual reporting, direct witness accounts, and political analysis.
• The tone matches NPR’s signature style: informative, analytical, and at times reflective.
• Direct quotes from affected residents and political figures provide both emotional resonance and contextual clarity.

Summary:
This edition of Up First examines the immediate and longer-term effects of legislative and executive actions, from the cost of health care and natural disaster response, to the reshaping of federal institutions under partisan influence. It highlights the intersection of policy, politics, and personal lives—making clear that even seemingly technical decisions carry enormous weight in households and halls of power across the country.