The Tragic Death and Enduring Legacy of Rob Reiner

The Daily

12/17/25

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43m

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Rob Reiner, the classic film director, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed on Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the couple’s son, Nick, with first-degree murder.

Julia Jacobs, an arts and culture reporter for The New York Times, explains what we have learned about the deaths, and Wesley Morris, a critic at The Times, discusses why many of Rob Reiner’s films are so beloved.

Guest:

Julia Jacobs, who reports on culture and the arts for The New York Times.
Wesley Morris, a critic at The New York Times who writes about art and popular culture.

Background reading:

Rob Reiner, the actor who went on to direct classic films, died at 78.
Nick Reiner was formally charged on Tuesday with murdering his parents.

Photo: Universal/Getty Images

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39m

Warning: This episode contains strong language.

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Background reading:

Listen to an interview with Mr. Karp from the DealBook Summit this month.
In May, the Trump administration tapped Palantir to compile data on Americans.
Here is Mr. Steinberger’s book, which this episode is based on.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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26m

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Background reading: