NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-15-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: December 15, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Tributes are pouring in for director Rob Reiner and his wife, producer and photographer Michelle Singer-Riner. Los Angeles police are investigating after they say they found two bodies at the Reiner's home yesterday afternoon. But police would not identify them, nor would they say if they were looking for a suspect. News reports have published a statement attributed to a Reiner family spokesman that said the couple had died. Police in Rhode Island are releasing a man detained. as a person of interest in a deadly shooting at Brown University over the weekend. From Ocean State Media, Ian Donis has more.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Norona was among the officials announcing the setback in the case. He says it's not unusual for an investigation to change course after early evidence doesn't check out. Norona vows that investigators will find the gunman, even if the timing is uncertain. This could happen very quickly, but it could take some time. And so I'm going to ask the public to be patient with us as we continue to work through the facts in this case. Two students were killed and nine other people, eight of them students were injured during the shooting Saturday. The gunman's whereabouts remain unknown and investigators have yet to cite a motive. For NPR News, Ami and Donis in Providence, Rhode Island.

Australia's prime minister says he'll discuss tightening his country's gun laws following yesterday's mass shooting. At least 15 people were killed on Bondi B, rather Bondi B, beach as they attended a Jewish community event for Hanukkah. One of the shooting suspects was killed, a second one was wounded. Australia already has some of the world's toughest gun laws. Reporter Phil Mercer says Australian police report the guns they recovered from the scene were legally registered. So what we're seeing now is another debate about firearms legislation in this country. They were tightened after a mass shooting 30 years ago and it seemed certain that gun law in this country will now come under immense scrutiny.

Phil Mercer reporting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting European leaders in Berlin today. They're supposed to discuss security guarantees. Asmi Nicholson reports from Berlin, Ukraine is facing pressure from the U.S. to accept ceasefire terms with Russia. Zelensky is staying on for talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain, after sitting down with U.S. President Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, on side.

Sunday. Witschkoff said in a social media post that progress was made during the five-hour talks. Zelensky indicated to reporters that he is prepared to drop Ukraine's membership bid to join NATO in exchange for bilateral security guarantees. But Kiev continues to resist pressure from the US to cede territory to Russia. German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, who is hosting the talks, warned again over the weekend that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop at Ukraine. For NPR News, I'm Izmi Nicholson in Berlin. You're listening to NPR News. from Washington.

The House only has this week left to vote on its brand-new health care subsidy plan. Speaker Mike Johnson proposed it late Friday as a replacement for subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. Those run out in a few weeks. Johnson says his plan lets small businesses ban together to purchase health insurance plans. There's a preliminary hearing set for today in Wisconsin. Several people are accused of trying to help President Trump overturn his 2020. presidential election loss in that state. Other states' lawsuits against what are called fake electors

have faltered. Wisconsin Public Radio's Anya Van Wankton Dock has more. Attorneys Jim Troopis and Ken Chesbrough are alleged to have used Wisconsin as the testing ground for the 2020 false electors scheme. That's where Republican electors attested that Trump had won in states that he had lost. Troopis Chesbrough and Trump campaign aide Mike Roman now each face 11 counts of felony forgery in Wisconsin. That criminal case is unfolding even as similar cases have been thrown out in other swing states, including Michigan and Georgia. In a letter last week, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson asked U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the case. For NPR News, I'm Anya Van Wagtindonk in Madison.

Meanwhile, a federal criminal trial for a county judge opens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin today. Judge Hanna-Dugan is accused of helping a man evade federal immigration authorities when they showed up in her courtroom to arrest him. She's pleaded not guilty. Her lawyers are expected to say she was following court protocol. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.