Rob Reiner, wife found dead; Australia prepares charges in Bondi Beach attack

A homicide investigation is underway Monday morning after actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home.

Plus, Australian authorities anticipate filing criminal charges against the surviving gunman involved in the deadly attack that targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

And the manhunt for a suspect has resumed after police released a person of interest in the deadly shooting at Brown University that happened Saturday night.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, December 15, 2025.

Thanks for sticking with us. Craig Nigrelli returns Thursday, Dec. 18, with more Unbiased Updates.

Rob Reiner, wife found dead in Los Angeles home; homicide investigation underway

A homicide investigation is underway after famed actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home on Sunday.

Los Angeles police said officers responded to a call reporting two people dead at a Brentwood residence that Reiner owned. Authorities initially declined to identify the victims, but Reiner’s family later confirmed their deaths in a statement.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time,” the family said.

Investigators have described the deaths as an apparent homicide. However, police emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages.

At a Sunday news conference, LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton said authorities are “not seeking anyone as a suspect, or as a person of interest or in any other manner, and we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation and move forward.” He added that detectives are continuing to gather evidence before drawing conclusions.

Reiner rose to national fame as an actor playing Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom “All in the Family.” He later became one of Hollywood’s most successful filmmakers, directing iconic films including “This is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “The Princess Bride” and “A Few Good Men.”

Tributes the Reiners have poured in overnight, even garnering condolences from former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris on social media.

Obama didn’t just remember Reiner for his accoldates, but also highlighted his character. The former president wrote, “But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action. Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose.”

Harris claimed to be “dear friends” with the late actor and his wife, saying she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were devastated by the loss.

“Rob loved our country, cared deeply about the future of our nation, and fought for America’s democracy,” Harris wrote.

Police have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths and say more information will be provided as the investigation continues.

15 dead in Bondi Beach terror attack, police to charge survivor

New details are emerging after a deadly antisemitic attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where a Hanukkah celebration turned into a scene of horror.

Authorities now say they expect to file criminal charges against the surviving gunman, a 24-year-old man. The shooting killed fifteen people and left dozens more wounded.

Police confirmed the attack was carried out by a father and son, ages 50 and 24, who opened fire on a crowd of families gathered for a Hanukkah event at one of Australia’s most iconic beaches.

Police shot and killed the father at the scene.

The son was wounded and remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Investigators say victims range in age from just 10 years old to 87.

At least three dozen people are still in the hospital as of Monday morning, several in critical condition.

Police also confirmed they found two improvised explosive devices near the scene and safely disabled them.

New details are also emerging about the suspects.

Officials say the father entered Australia on a student visa in 1998 and remained in the country for decades under various visas.

His son is an Australian-born citizen and had come to the attention of police years ago through associations, but neither had a known criminal record.

Police say the father legally owned multiple firearms as a member of a gun club, raising new questions in a country with some of the world’s strictest gun laws.

Video from the scene showed panic and chaos, as well as an extraordinary moment of courage.

A bystander is seen tackling one of the gunmen from behind, wrestling a rifle away before people arrived.

Officials have now identified the man as Ahmed al Ahmed, calling him a “genuine hero.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he suffered serious injuries and is undergoing surgery, but he saved countless lives.

Albanese called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach.” He said the beach “is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”

World leaders quickly weighed in, including President Donald Trump, who called the attack “horrible” and “purely antisemitic.” He said, “Today, we can say loudly we celebrate Hanukkah.”

In response, authorities have launched “Operation Shelter,” surging police presence around Jewish communities, schools, and places of worship. The prime minister says he will convene the national cabinet to consider stricter gun laws.

Officials say they are not looking for any other suspects, but warn that the investigation is far from over.

This was the deadliest mass shooting Australia has seen in nearly three decades.

Manhunt resumes in Brown University shooting after person of interest released

The manhunt is back on in Providence after a deadly shooting at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others. Police say a person of interest who had been detained was released Sunday night as investigators shifted focus.

“Evidence now points in a different direction,” Gov. Dan McKee said at a news conference following the release Sunday night.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters Sunday that seven of the wounded remain hospitalized in stable condition while one person is still in critical condition. Another person has been discharged.

Federal authorities are now stepping up their involvement.

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said a command center has been established, along with a “digital media intake portal to ingest images and video from the public related to this incident.”

An update on the @FBI response at Brown University:@FBIBoston established a command post to intake, develop and analyze leads, and run them to ground.

We activated the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, to provide critical geolocation capabilities.

As a result, early… pic.twitter.com/KONDEbrduR

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) December 14, 2025

Police also released surveillance footage showing the suspected shooter calmly walking away from the scene. Investigators say the person’s face is not visible in the video, and it remains unclear whether the suspect is a student.

University officials announced that all remaining classes and exams for the semester have been canceled, and students are free to leave campus. Those who stay will have access to counseling and support services as the investigation continues.

Congress scrambles as Obamacare subsidies near expiration

With only days remaining before Congress departs for the holidays, lawmakers are aiming to prevent a health care cliff that could affect millions of Americans immediately after New Year’s.

Enhanced Obamacare tax credits, which lower monthly premiums for about 22 million people, are set to expire at the end of the month, and Congress has not reached a deal so far.

Last week, the Senate rejected two competing bills — one backed by Democrats to extend the subsidies for three years and a Republican plan that would have channeled funds into health savings accounts instead.

Both failed to clear the 60-vote threshold.

Now the focus shifts to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson plans to vote this week on a narrow GOP health care package that does not extend the expiring subsidies.

House Republicans have introduced the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act — real, common-sense solutions to FINALLY bring down costs for the American people.

Democrats BROKE America’s health care system. Under their Unaffordable Care Act, premium costs have… pic.twitter.com/rJj9KvwA1N

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 13, 2025

Democrats say that’s a nonstarter, warning that premiums could spike sharply in January and that some families could lose coverage altogether.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said a short-term compromise is still possible — one that addresses both premiums and high out-of-pocket costs.

“Republicans have pushed that we would put money in the patients’ pockets so that they have something to pay the out-of-pocket. Democrats are saying, ‘Let’s do something about premiums,’” Cassidy told CNN on Sunday. “There is a deal that could be made. Why don’t we do both?”

The problem is time.

Congress is set to adjourn by the end of the week, and even if the House passes something, the Senate would still have to act.

Trump has said he wants federal health care dollars to go directly to patients, not insurance companies. But he has also left the door cracked open to a temporary extension of the tax credits.

For now, the clock is ticking, and millions of Americans are waiting to see whether Washington can reach a deal before the deadline.

Rep. Ilhan Omar says ICE pulled over son 

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, D, claimed federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stopped her own son over the weekend.

Omar told WCCO, the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, that her son was pulled over by ICE after making a stop at a Target store. Agents asked him to prove his citizenship.

She said he was released after showing his passport, which she said he now carries at all times.

Omar connected the stop to a broader surge of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities targeting Minnesota’s Somali community — an operation the Trump administration says is focused on undocumented immigrants.

Omar accused federal agents of racial profiling, saying they are targeting “young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented.” She’s now demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

Omar, who came to the U.S. as a child and became a citizen in 2000, said the incident underscores fears that many families in her district currently face.

Revamped statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III unveiled in Egypt

Egypt has revealed two recently restored statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Luxor, following a meticulous restoration process that took almost twenty years to finish. 

The alabaster figures — known as the Colossi of Memnon — once stood intact at the entrance of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple on the west bank of the Nile. The pharaoh ruled Egypt around 3,400 years ago, during the height of the New Kingdom, one of the most prosperous periods in ancient Egyptian history.

A powerful earthquake around 1200 B.C. toppled the statues, which measured approximately 48 and 45 feet tall. Over time, they fractured into pieces, with some sections later quarried away, according to Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry.

Restoration teams carefully reassembled the statues using surviving fragments, returning them to their original position at the temple entrance. Officials said the project went well beyond just the two figures.

According to Daily News Egypt, the work also involved recovering, documenting and reinstalling hundreds of architectural and sculptural elements from the site, including more than 280 statues and fragments of the goddess Sekhmet, as well as multiple limestone sphinxes.

Egyptian officials said the restoration is part of a broader effort to rehabilitate Luxor’s West Bank and preserve its archaeological heritage, while also boosting cultural tourism tied to one of the country’s most historically rich regions.

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More from Straight Arrow News:

Drivers lose dozens of hours to traffic congestion. These cities have it worst.

Traffic is a headache for many drivers in America. Depending on where you live, you might see more congestion, according to a new analysis from INRIX.

Chicago, Illinois, tops the list of U.S. cities with the worst traffic congestion, according to INRIX. On average, Chicagoans lost 112 hours to traffic, which cost the typical driver $2,063 in lost time. That totals $7.5 billion for the entire city.

Globally, Istanbul, Turkey, is the most congested urban area — a title it has held for two years. Traffic delays cost people over 118 hours in the city.

Overall in the U.S., drivers lost an average of 49 hours and $894 to traffic congestion in 2025, INRIX wrote. That’s six hours more than 2024. 

Another report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, published earlier this year, found that the average commuter spends 63 hours stuck in traffic annually — the most since 1982. Read the full story now>

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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief