NPR News: 12-18-2025 11PM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Support for NPR and the following message come from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, whose bequest serves as an enduring investment in the future of public radio and seeks to help NPR produce programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression.
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stephens.
What happened in the Brown University mass shooting case?
A five-day manhunt for a suspect in the mass shooting at Brown University last weekend is over. The man believed responsible for the killings of two people and the injuring of nine others at Brown has been found dead in a storage facility in New Hampshire. FBI Special Agent Ted Dock says he 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.
How is President Trump changing marijuana classification?
And most importantly, the victims and their families deserve special care and consideration.
Investigators are also looking into a possible connection between the attack on the Brown campus and the fatal shooting of an MIT professor in Massachusetts two days later. President Trump is reclassifying marijuana by loosening restrictions on the drug. As NPR's Brian Mann reports, it also makes it easier to get coverage for medical marijuana research.
As Trump signed the executive order, he said he's been lobbied heavily to loosen marijuana restrictions.
We have people... begging for me to do this, people that are in great pain.
What financial support is the EU considering for Ukraine?
Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I drug, akin to heroin since the 1970s. Now it will be classified as a Schedule III drug, a category that recognizes its usefulness and low risk. Medicare insurance is also expected to cover some cannabis products beginning next year. Dozens of U.S. states have gone much further, fully legalizing marijuana, including for personal recreational use.
What new guidelines is the Department of Health and Human Services issuing?
Trump said he's not ready to take that step. Brian Mann, NPR News.
Leaders of the European Union and Ukraine are meeting in Brussels to discuss a proposal to provide financial support to Kyiv for the next two years. As Terry Schultz reports, EU officials are seeking an agreement on a controversial plan to use frozen Russian assets.
The main question is whether more than $100 billion worth of Russian funds frozen in EU financial institutions can be used for Ukraine.
How are AI chatbots impacting kids' emotional lives?
It's seen as a test of EU unity and support for Ukraine. Repayment would only be due if and when Moscow pays reparations to Kyiv. 90% of the frozen funds are held in Belgium, and the country's prime minister says he's not willing to risk having to pay back the loan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to Brussels to try to push the plan over the finish line. We just need a bit more time, he says. EU officials warn leaders the summit will last as long as it takes to get a deal. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.
The Labor Department says consumer prices rose by a smaller than expected 2.7 percent last month. Electric and natural gas costs rose sharply from a year ago, but the numbers may not be accurate because of a gap in collecting data during the government shutdown. You're listening to NPR.
What new developments are happening with TikTok's U.S. operations?
The Department of Health and Human Services is issuing some new guidelines on the type of care hospitals may provide. The new rules ban Medicaid reimbursements to doctors and medical facilities providing gender-affirming care for minors. HHS says hospitals would lose all government funding if they perform the procedures. Kids and teens are turning to AI chatbots for companionship, romantic role-play, and emotional support. A new report from the digital security company Aura shows that AI is becoming a key part of kids' lives. More from NPR's Redux Chatterjee.
When kids use artificial intelligence tools, 42% of the time it's for companionship, where kids engage with a chatbot for an ongoing conversation. And frequently, nearly 40% of the time, those conversations involve violent role-playing. Scott Collins is chief medical officer at Aura.
It is role-play that is interaction about harming somebody else, physically hurting them, torturing them, fighting them, anything.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:24
2
What happened in the Brown University mass shooting case?
0:24–0:53
3
How is President Trump changing marijuana classification?
0:53–1:34
4
What financial support is the EU considering for Ukraine?
1:34–1:57
5
What new guidelines is the Department of Health and Human Services issuing?
1:57–2:26
6
How are AI chatbots impacting kids' emotional lives?
2:26–3:19
7
What new developments are happening with TikTok's U.S. operations?
3:19–4:57