NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-18-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, the government says consumer prices rose in November by 2.7% from a year ago. Consumer costs did not go up as much as some economists expected, but it's still higher than the 2% inflation rate the Federal Reserve is seeking. The House has passed a package of health care provisions backed by Speaker Mike Johnson, but it does not extend subsidies for people on plans under the Affordable Care Act. Separately, four Republicans joined Democrats yesterday to force, a measure to the House floor. That would extend subsidies for three years. It's not what Speaker Johnson wanted, but he says there's no ill will about it. It's not an act of defiance. I understand what they're doing. I understand that every member has a different district with different dynamics and different

demographics. And some of them felt like it was a really important thing to have a vote on the floor. It's unlikely Congress will pass any health care pricing relief before the end of the year. Many people who use the subsidies will see prices skyrocket on January 1st. Finals Week is a stressful time for college students across the country, but it's greater for students facing food insecurity. And Pierre's Caden Mills met with students who are stocking up ahead of winter break. Two and five college students are food insecure, meaning they don't have consistent access to food. That's according to the nonprofit swipe out hunger. Amy Wheeler oversees the food pantry at Penn State Harris,

We try to really supply the students with whatever we possibly can. She says as grocery prices have gone up, more students are visiting the pantry, and she expects the number to continue rising in the new year. Junior Miles Perry is one of those students. So I had to get essentials. Like many students, Perry has a job on campus, but visits the pantry when his income isn't enough. I mean, hey, got to eat. And at finals time, a full stomach is especially important for students.

Kaden Mills, NPR News, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Department of Health and Human Services has abruptly terminated seven grants made to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group is a vocal critic of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s changes to federal vaccine policy. NPR's Maria Godoy has more. The canceled grants involved initiatives in multiple areas of child health, including reducing sudden infant death, early identification of autism and prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. In a statement to NPR, Mark Del Monte, the CEO of AAP, said, quote, the sudden withdrawal of these funds will directly impact and potentially harm infants,

children, youth, and their families in communities across the United States. He said the American Academy of Pediatrics is exploring all available options, including legal recourse, to address the grant terminations. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maria Godoy, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The federal government admits the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army were partly to blame in a deadly airline crash last January. 67 people were killed in Washington, D.C., when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger jet trying to land at Reagan National Airport.

But the federal government response to the suit, filed by a victim's family, suggests the pilots of the passenger jet and the airlines may be responsible too. China has condemned the U.S. for selling more than $11 billion worth of advanced weapons to Taiwan. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports the sale is the largest on record to the self-governed island, which China claims as its territory. The deal includes weapons such as tactical ballistic missiles, rocket artillery, and drones. The U.S. says they're not going to change the military balance of power, but will help Taiwan maintain a credible deterrent. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jia Kuhn told a press briefing that the deal harms China's sovereignty and will push the Taiwan straight closer to war.

The U.S. attempt to aid Taiwan's independence with arms will only backfine, he added, and its attempt to use Taiwan to contain China will absolutely not succeed. President Trump says he plans to visit China next April. It's unclear whether the army. sale could affect that trip. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. The private space company Blue Origin is set to launch a crude rocket into space this morning. One of the crew is German aerospace engineer Michaela Benthouse. She is set to become the first wheelchair user to fly into space.

This is NPR News.