NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-16-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

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This week on Up First, it's the last work week of the year, for Congress anyway. And that means time is running out for action on health care before premium skyrocket for millions of Americans. We'll keep you updated on the 11th hour scramble on Capitol Hill. This week on Up First, now a Golden Globe nominee for Best Podcast. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he will not release video of a deadly airstrike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports the decision reverses President Trump's earlier comments that he would have no problem releasing the footage to the public.

Hegseth says the U.S. is at war with drug traffickers and can legally kill them on suspicion. Nearly 100 people have died in strikes on small boats. Critics call it murder. Even under the laws of war, the September 2nd strike is controversial because two survivors of an initial strike were targeted and killed as they clung to burning wreckage and waved in distress. Hegeseth says the Congressional Armed Services Committees, the Hask and Sask, will see the full video on Wednesday.

Of course, we're not going to release a top secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public. Hask and Sask and appropriate committees will see it. Reactions from lawmakers that have already seen the video have fallen mostly along partisan lines. Quill Lawrence NPR News. The double homicide case against Nick Reiner is being turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office today. The 32-year-old is accused of killing his parents, legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle. NPR's Mandelite Del Marco reports, Reiner's son, had spoken publicly about his mental health struggles over the years. had been very candid about using all kinds of drugs, including meth and heroin, and he said

he had many, many relapses. I heard him on a podcast talking about how he hated getting sober and how he sometimes chose to be homeless rather than going back to rehab. That's NPR's Mandelita Barco reporting. A key economic report on retail spending shows that sales at stores, restaurants, and auto dealers did not grow at all in October compared to September. That's according to the Commerce Department. NPR's Alina Seljuk reports. Federal data continues to show consumer spending cooling off. We cite in September and now again in October. Spending at restaurants and bars actually dipped for the first time in a while compared to a month earlier. So did sales at auto and auto parts dealers, which is the biggest drag on the October data, down 1.6%. Now, compared

to last year, shoppers are still spending more going out to eat and drink and shop. Much of it has to do with simply higher prices, though some categories really outbase inflation. People actually shopped more at electronics and clothing stores in October. Even department stores saw a notable jump, and online stores saw sales grow 9% compared to October of last year. Alina Seluk, NPR News, Washington. Stocks are trading lower on Wall Street at the Sauer. The Dow was down 353 points. The NASDAQ down 42.

This is NPR News. Officials north of Seattle say a person has died as floods continue to cause damage in Washington State. About 10,000 people remain under evacuation advisories. Natalie Akane Newcomb from member station KUOW reports. Firefighters north of Seattle and Stohomish County were not able to save a person who they say drove past a road closure sign and onto a flooded street early this morning. Rescue swimmers found the vehicle fully. submerged in a ditch under six feet of water. The situation is also severe south of Seattle,

where flash flood warnings are in effect after levees on two different rivers failed over the past 24 hours. And in the middle of the night, the sheriff's helicopter flew over homes and urged people to evacuate immediately. Another inch of rain is expected to fall through early tomorrow morning. For NPR news, I'm Natalie Akane Nukum in Seattle. Battle. President Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion, accusing the network of defamation over its editing of his speech on January 6th, 2021. The lawsuit claims the BBC misrepresented Trump's remarks by combining separate portions of the speech, calling the broadcast false and misleading. Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for defamation and another $5 billion for what the lawsuit described. as unfair trade practices. I'm Windsor Johnston, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.