NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-19-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: December 19, 2025

NPR News: 12-19-2025 2AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Shea Stevens. State and federal authorities say the man wanted in Rhode Island for the mass shooting at Brown University has been found dead in New Hampshire.

48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente had been the subject of an intense manhunt, and the FBI offered $5 million reward for information leading to a suspect. FBI Special Agent Ted Doc says Valenti apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Even though the suspect was found dead tonight, our work is not done. There are many questions that need to be answered. There's a lot of evidence that needs to be processed, and most importantly, the victims and their families deserve special care and consideration. Investigators say there may be a link between the attack that left two people dead and nine others injured at Brown University

and the murder of an MIT professor in Massachusetts on Monday. The House of Representatives has voted to ease red tape holding up permits for new projects in the U.S. The so-called Speed Act still needs Senate approval, and it's a big step for a topic that's been hotly debated for years. More from NPR's Gamilla Dominovsky. Permitting reform sounds kind of dry. But if you've ever seen a community fight over a proposed pipeline or solar farm or a data center, then you know that permitting inspires passion, and it can halt projects in their tracks. Democrats want to make it easier to build wind and solar.

Republicans want to make it easier to build pipelines and power plants. That's hypothetically the opening for a bipartisan deal, but many efforts have failed. The latest attempt at permitting reform, the Speed Act, delighted the oil industry and frustrated renewable groups. It managed to pass the House. The debate now heads to the Senate. Camila Dominovsky, NPR News. TikTok has reached a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a group of investors that includes Oracle run by billionaire Larry Ellison. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, Allison is a longtime ally of President Trump. After more than five years of intense debate, TikTok's U.S. operations have been sold

to a consortium of investors. That group includes software and data center company Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and MGC, an investment company backed by the United Arab Emirates. Under the terms of the deal, which were confirmed by NPR, current bite-dance investors will keep about a third of the entity, and Beijing-based bite-dance will hold a minority stake. Backers don't expect American users of TikTok to notice any major changes. China Hawks and Washington have been worried about Beijing using TikTok to influence the political views

of the 170 million Americans on the app. Yet under the deal, BightDance will still own the app's algorithm with audits by the new American-led entity. Bobby Allen, NPR News. U.S. futures are virtually unchanged in after-hours trading on Wall Street. On Asia-Pacific market, shares are higher up 1% in Tokyo. This is NPR. The Department of Health and Human Services is issuing new rules

on what type of care hospitals may provide. The new rules ban Medicaid reimbursements to doctors and medical facilities providing gender-affirming care to minors. HHS says hospitals would lose all government funding if they perform those type of procedures. Pope Leo XVI has appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks as the next Archbishop of New York. Hicks will replace Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who led New York's 2.8 million Catholics for over 16 years. NPR Sarah Ventry has more. serving as the bishop of Joliet Illinois, Hicks grew up in South Holland, just down the road from Pope Leo's hometown. Also like Leo, he served in South America. For Hicks, it was five years in

El Salvador. Years he says were formative. Speaking at a press conference at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Hicks addressed members of the media in both English and Spanish. I was really formed by the Latino church, and I have a great heart for the Latino community. Hicks also spoke about the recent announcements of funds the Archdiocese has set aside to help resolve sexual abuse claims. He says that while the work is difficult, he hopes it will continue to help with accountability. The Archdiocese in New York is the second largest in the U.S. Sarah Ventry and Pierre News, New York. The Labor Department says consumer prices rose 2.7% last month.

Electricity and natural gas calls rose sharply from a year ago, but the numbers may be skewed because of the government's shutting. down. This is NPR News. 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.