NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-01-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

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What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025? We don't know, but we're making some fun, bold predictions for the new year. Listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. President Biden says the nation is grieving with the victims and the families of the New Orleans attack. As MPR's Franco Ordonez reports, Biden called the investigation fluid. Speaking from Camp David, President Biden said the attacker posted videos saying he was inspired by ISIS to kill just hours before the attack and that investigators were looking into whether he acted alone. I directed my team to make sure

every resource, every resource is made available to federal, state and local law enforcement to complete the investigation in New Orleans quickly and make sure there's no remaining threat to the American people. Biden was also briefed on the cyber attack explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Biden said officials are investigating whether there may be any connection, but have found none yet. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News. New York is now the first state in the country to offer paid time off for prenatal care.

Jeongyeon Han from member station WXXI has more. The new state law gives pregnant workers in New York 20 hours paid leave for prenatal appointments such as sonograms. Another law effective this year eliminates copays for insulin covered by health insurance plans, making New York the first state in the country to do so. Also new for 2025, a new law will make it easier for New Yorkers to cancel gym memberships. Now health clubs must accept cancellations within 10 business days. And foodies can rejoice. A new state law will crack down on third-party companies that snatch

reservations online and sell them for a profit. For NPR News, I'm Jeongyeon Han in Albany, New York. The Taliban government of Afghanistan warned aid groups working in the country that they have to fire any women they have employed or they will be shut down. And Piers Deahadid reports. The ban is the latest in a series of moves by the Taliban to prevent Afghans from finding workarounds to their strict rules that seek to deny women and girls any option but to

stay home, raise children and be economically dependent on men. The ban does not cover UN humanitarian operations, but local media reports that it covers over 800 aid groups. While Afghan women are banned from most employment, some of them were allowed to work in the aid sector, primarily in education, food distribution and healthcare, mostly to provide services to other women. Under the Taliban, women and girls may not study beyond grade six, work and health care, mostly to provide services to other women. Under the Taliban, women and girls may not study beyond grade 6, work in most professions,

and can't leave their homes without a male guardian. D'ya Hadid, NPR News. Asia markets are trading in mixed territory at this hour. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong is down 1.6 percent. The Asia Dow is up almost a half percent. Wall Street was closed today in observance of the New Year's holiday. U.S. futures contracts are trading higher. You're listening to NPR News. In California, a new law prevents schools from requiring teachers to out LGBTQ students

to their parents. This in response to several state school districts enacting policies that require teachers to let parents know if their child identifies with a gender other than what is listed on their school record. It doesn't prevent teachers from outing students to their parents as long as they're not forced to by their employer, but it does protect them from retaliation if they choose not to share that information or if they teach sexual health education in line with the state's requirements. This week's Billboard charts are out and holiday songs have done something they've never done before. And pure Stephen Thompson has more. The Christmas season is behind us, which means this may be the last time you hear Santa Tell Me for almost 11

months. But there are still two holiday milestones worth noting from this week's Billboard charts. One for the first time ever, the entire top 10 consists of holiday music. In fact, the top 16 songs are all shouting at us to be of good cheer. That's a product of the streaming era which has pushed Christmas to the top of the pop charts. Also for the first time ever, a holiday song from this century has hit the Billboard Top Five. You heard it just seconds ago, it's Ariana Grande's Santa Tell Me, which joins Mariah Carey, Brenda Lee, Wham!, and Bobby Helms at the top of the Christmas canon.

Stephen Thompson, NPR News. U.S. futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. Dow futures up one tenth of a percent. NASDAQ futures up about four tenths of a percent. You're listening to NPR News. The Indicator is a podcast where daily economic news is about what matters to you. Workers have been feeling the sting of inflation. So as a new administration promises action on the cost of living, taxes and home prices, the S&P 500 biggest post-election day spike ever, follow all the big changes and what they mean for you.

Make America affordable again. Listen to The Indicator, the daily economics podcast from NPR.