NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-16-2025 1PM EST

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The double homicide case against Nick Reiner in connection with the deaths of his parents is being turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office today. Steve Fetterman reports the son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner remains in jail after he was arrested on Sunday. The Los Angeles County District Attorney is expected to get the case today. It's possible Rob Reiner's 32-year-old son Nick may be four. formerly charged with murder today. Yesterday, L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonald announced the arrest by robbery and homicide officers.

They worked on this case and were able to take into custody. Nick Reiner, he was subsequently booked for murder. Right now, he has been held without bail. In the past, Nick Reiner has acknowledged struggles with numerous mental health challenges and substance abuse. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. The Man Hunt continues for the... the suspect who carried out a deadly mass shooting at Brown University on Saturday.

Authorities in Rhode Island have released three new videos of a man they believe is responsible. Police say the footage offers the clearest images yet of the suspect, though his face is still not visible. State Attorney General Peter Nerona provided NPR with an update on the investigation. Boring to the video evidence, tracing the shooter's last movements, movements before the shooting. So we're making progress, and we're just going to have to keep at it until we have enough evidence to pull something in the custody and bring some charges. Investigators are asking for the public's help and say the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The shooting left two students dead and nine others injured.

Vigils are being held to remember the 15 people killed in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Christina Cucola reports from a memorial service near the site of the attack. Crowds board into the makeshift memorial to lay flowers and remember the victims who died in the violence. The area is still surrounded by roadblocks and a heavy police presence is visible in the center of Sydney's normally bustling Bondi Beach. As the sunset, Jewish faith leaders address those gathered. The music continued into the night, long after the speeches ended. Dozens of victims, among them children, remain in hospital. For NPR News, I'm Christina Kukola in Sydney.

President Trump's top national security officials are back on Capitol Hill this week to brief lawmakers on a controversial U.S. military strike in the Caribbean. Lawmakers are scrutinizing the strike as the U.S. ramps up military pressure on Venezuela. This is NPR News in Washington. The stage is set in Las Vegas for tonight's NBA Cup final. The mid-season tournament championship pits the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs. Texas Public Radio's Dan Katz has more. In a league built on stars, the NBA Cup final centers on one towering figure, Victor Wembegama.

Wemba Niamma with the Reduxent. And Wimbingiama changes everything at the defensive end. at seven foot four, the 21-year-old from France blends guard-like skill with unmatched reach. His presence has turned the spurs into appointment viewing, a young team accelerating around a generational talent. The Knicks arrive as an established contender and the favorite, led by their own star, Jalen Brunson. Brunson with a highlight. New York's deliberate physical style is built for moments like the NBA Cup, a tournament recently created to add stakes in the early season. I'm Dan Katz, in

San Antonio. Miriam Webster has named Slop, its word of the year. The dictionary says searches spiked as people looked for a polite way to describe the flood of low-effort junk clogging the internet, much of it powered by AI. Once a word for pig feed and general mess, Slop has been upgraded to a cultural critique. It now covers everything from recycled hot takes to posts that feel like they were written half asleep for clicks. Editors say the choice captures a shared online feeling. We're not imagining it. There really is a lot of slop out there.

I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.