NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-16-2025 12AM EST

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The 32-year-old son of actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle Reiner, is being held on $4 million bail. Nick Reiner is accused of murdering his parents Sunday and their home in Los Angeles. As Steve Futterman reports, condolences are pouring in from around the nation, but not from President Trump. As for President Trump, his comments were far less than laudatory. Now, Reiner was very critical of the president in recent years. President Trump called Rob Reiner tortured and a once very talented movie director. He said Reiner and his wife died, quote, reportedly due to the anger he caused others

through his massive, unyielding, an incurable affliction with Trump derangement syndrome. That was a bit too much for some Republicans. Thomas Massey of Kentucky called the comments inappropriate and disrespectful about a man who was just brutally murdered. Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. The Justice Department says it's foiled a plot to bomb sites in the Los Angeles area on New Year's Eve. As Ryan Lucas reports, four suspects are in custody. The defendants, Audrey Carroll, Zachary Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lay

faced charges of conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. The charges were announced by the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Bill Assaley. The defendants are all radical, anti-government, members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front. An FBI affidavit says the group is dedicated to liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty. It says the four defendants were plotting to plant pipe bombs and businesses in the L.A. area to explode on New Year's Eve and had bought materials, including precursor chemicals, to build

the bombs. Officials say the alleged plotters were arrested while trying to test an explosive device out in the desert. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Australian lawmakers hope to strengthen. that nation's gun laws in wake of Sunday's mass shooting in Sydney. At least 15 people were killed and dozens more were injured when two men opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration. From Melbourne, Christina Kukalov reports that the police shot and killed one suspect and wounded

the other. It's been described as the biggest overhaul of Australian gun laws since reforms that followed a mass shooting in Tasmania in the 1990s. At a meeting led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese one day after the Bondi beach attack, state and territory leaders agreed to take immediate action. Limiting the number of firearms a person can own is among the options being considered, another is to make Australian citizenship a condition for holding a gun licence. The national government says it will prioritise potential customs restrictions on firearms and other weapons type imports. For NPR news, I'm Christina Kukola in Melbourne. U.S. futures are flat and after-hours trading.

on Wall Street following Monday's losses. This is NPR. Sandbagging continues in King County, Washington, where heavy storms have damaged part of a levee on a swollen river south of Seattle. An evacuation order remains in effect for about 1,100 homes and businesses in three counties where flash flooding is still possible.

Several big names in the NFL are recuperating after being injured during Sunday's games, including Kansas City's three-time MVP, Patrick Mahomes. As Greg Eklund reports, Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury. Surgery on Patrick Mahomes' left knee won't take place until the results of a second opinion

of a doctor in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Chief Coach Andy Reid says is routine for players to seek a second opinion, but no matter what, Reed says Mahomes will be ready for the recovery process. He's in a good place. He feels like he let people down, but then he comes back

and he's ready for the challenge ahead. Well, Holmes was heard and the Chiefs lost of the Los Angeles Chargers, which eliminated Kansas City from the playoff picture for the first time since 2014. Green Bay defensive lineman Micah Parsons is also out for the season with a knee injury. For our NPR News, I'm Greg Eklund. Actor Anthony Geary has died at the age of 78. Gary's career on stage and screen spanned over 40 years, but he may be best remembered for his role as Luke Spencer

on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. A record 30 million viewers tuned in for the 1981 Luke and Laura wedding episode featuring Gary's character and co-star Genie Francis who played Laura. This is NPR. 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. T's and Cs apply.