NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-15-2025 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

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This message comes from Bayer. Science is a rigorous process that requires questions, testing, transparency, and results that can be proven. This approach is integral to every breakthrough Bayer brings forward. Innovations that save lives and feed the world. Science Delivers.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. President Trump is suing the BBC for $5 billion. dollars. In a lawsuit filed in Florida, he argues that the British broadcaster defamed him in a documentary by splicing together parts of a speech. He made ahead of the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot. The BBC has apologized to Trump. Its Director General and News CEO stepped down amid scrutiny of the documentary. California's governor is hiring Trump's fired CDC director for a new public health initiative. NPR's Ping Huang reports. It's called the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange. California Governor Gavin Newsom says it's a direct response to the dismantling of federal public health systems. We're not trying to replicate anything at scale. We're not naive about the size of the federal

government. It's not a shadow CDC we're creating, but it's a shield to what's going on. Newsom has hired Susan Menares, the CDC director that Trump fired in August, and Dr. Deb Harry, a former top CDC official to lead the effort. It's meant to be a collaboration between states to better detect and respond to emerging health threats and to, To maintain trust in science-driven public health policy, it's currently funded for $4 million from California's budget. Ping Huang, NPR News. At least 15 people are dead after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia. Leaders there are promising to tighten the country's already tough gun restrictions.

And reporter Katie Silver says they're being criticized for not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism. They have condemned the attack significantly saying there's no place for evil anti-Semitism. It needs to be stamped out. but we did see some politicians heckled and booed by the crowd yesterday evening at the vigil. They've also promised reform, particularly when it comes to gun control. Australia, of course, has been poster child when it comes to the efficacy of gun control and then reducing the incidence of mass shootings. And now they've promised to reform gun control laws as well.

That's been a big part of it as well. Katie Silver reporting, last fall, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped allowing people to change the sex on their driver's licenses in most cases. But the Texas newsrooms, Lauren McGahey, reports the agency is amassing a list of people who've tried anyway. As of August, there were 110 people on the list obtained from the agency through a public records request. Their names were redacted, but internal emails show people were reported from all over the state, from El Paso to Plano to Paris. The state hasn't answered questions about why it's keeping the list. Landon Richie, with the Transgender Education Network of Texas, worries the information could be used to pass laws targeting trans rights.

The state has not been forthcoming on their intent with this data collection. It's certainly very concerning. A new state law restricting what restrooms transgender people can use in government buildings, libraries, and parks just went into effect. For NPR News, I'm Lauren McGahey in Austin. U.S. stocks fell slightly today. The S&P 500 slipped a tenth of a percent. This is NPR News from Washington. Officials have ordered evacuations in three South Seattle suburbs after a levy failed following a week of heavy rains.

The order covers homes and businesses east of the Green River in parts of Kent, Auburn, and Tequila. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning covering nearly 47,000 people. Wellness enthusiasts have become enamored with a synthetic dye called methylene blue. Some believe it has anti-aging benefits, improves your memory, and mood, and even helps with jet lag. Reporter Sarah Bowden looks into the claims. Lab studies and animal trials have shown that methylene blue can improve mitochondrial function, which is why some people believe it can make you smarter and more energetic with better skin.

But in human studies, the results haven't shown a significant benefit in healthy people. Lauren Hofseth is a researcher at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. I do not recommend taking methylene blue. as a supplement. Because you're wasting your money, as borne out by the clinical trials, and there's a risk of side effects. That includes serotonin toxicity, which can be life-threatening, especially for people who take certain antidepressants. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Bowden. More loons are filling the lakes and ponds in Maine. The pine tree state is home to a few thousand of the waterbirds, and conservationists say efforts to protect them have helped grow the

population. Maine Audubon says the population is now more than 3,000 adults. That's more than twice the number in 1983 when the count started. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe. When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.