NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-01-2025 12AM EST

Episode Date: January 1, 2025

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OK, so does this sound like you? You love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite shows, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR Plus bundle. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. As the Eastern United States now welcomes in 2025 this hour, London has already started celebrating the New Year. In the U.S., the biggest celebration is now underway in Times Square, New York, where the crystal ball dropped a short time ago.

New York police officials estimate more than a million people would attend the festivities under tight security. The 119th Congress will convene on Friday, and one of the first and most important orders of business is picking a new House Speaker. But some Republicans are questioning whether the current Speaker, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, has enough votes in the Republican caucus to be elected. The House must also certify the results of the presidential election. And if Johnson is not elected, the Congress has never attempted to certify a presidential

election without a Speaker in the chair. Earlier this week, President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Johnson for the position, saying he has his full support. Many Americans could celebrate the new year with a view of the Northern Lights. NPR's Sean DeLis Duster has more on who will have a chance to ring in 2025 with a celestial treat. Northern lights are forecast to be visible across parts of North America. NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center says an aurora may be seen in skies in northern

states and even from the lower Midwest to Oregon. The northern lights are normally seen in North Polar regions. But scientists say the northern lights have been across the U.S. more frequently because the sun has reached its peak in its solar cycle and is producing major solar storms. NOAA says the best chances to see the Northern Lights will be overnight and possibly into the first night of 2025. The best aurora can usually be seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best view, NASA suggests a dark area outside

and look to the north. Chantilly's Duster, NPR News. Penn State defeated Boise State 31-14 in the Fiesta Bowl, then the Nittany Lions will now advance to the semifinals of the college football playoffs. Three games will be played today. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta between Texas and Arizona State. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

between Ohio State and Oregon. And at the Sugar Bowl, the All-State Sugar Bowl in New Orleans between Notre Dame and Georgia. The winners advance to the next round, January the 9th and 10th. The championship game is January the 20th. Wall Street is taking Wednesday off for the New Year's Day holiday. It was a shortened trading day on Tuesday. All three of the indexes finished the year up with double-digit increases. The Nasdaq led the way up 28 percent. The Dow was up almost 13 percent. This is NPR News.

London police are searching for a burglar who broke into an occupied mansion and stole an estimated $13.2 million in jewelry, designer handbags, and cash, including a more than 10-carat diamond ring and a clip studded with gold, diamonds, and sapphires. London police announced the theft earlier this week. The owners of the estate were not home at the time of the robbery, December the 7th, but a housekeeper had a near run-in with an armed intruder. As New York City's tourist industry moves back

towards pre-pandemic levels, Broadway is recovering as well. Christmas week was the industry's highest grossing one since 2018 with over $55 million in ticket sales. Audiences more than 300,000. Reporter Jeff London has more on the story. Wicked defied gravity during Christmas week and Hamilton close to $3 million. Many shows played nine performances rather than the standard eight, and ticket prices were inflated for the holiday.

One show that didn't benefit from the bonanza was Gypsy, which had to cancel seven performances because of illness in the company. It's one show for the week was sold out. For NPR News, I'm Jeff Lunden in New York. New York authorities have identified the woman who was burned to death aboard a subway car December the 22nd. She's 57-year-old Debrina Kawan. You're listening to NPR News. The Indicator is a podcast where daily economic news is about what matters to you. 7-year-old Debrina Kawan, you're listening to NPR News.