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Episode Date: January 3, 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, I'm Dale Willman. Police in Las Vegas say the man who caused a Tesla Cybertruck to explode outside the Trump Hotel on Thursday was a highly decorated soldier. The driver was identified as 37-year-old Matthew Allen L and authorities said today they were unable to initially identify him because he was burned beyond recognition But they did find other clues. That's Joe Shaneman of Nevada Public Radio

Police say levels burger shot himself in the head just before the explosion occurred Seven people received minor injuries from the blast the Pentagon says levels burger had served in the army since 2006 and was on an approved leave when he died. Notre Dame has won the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff game held Thursday night in New Orleans. The game had been postponed by a day after the New Year's Eve attack on Bourbon Street killed 14 people.

NPR's Becky Sullivan has more. The game was supposed to have taken place the evening of New Year's Day, but it was postponed in part to allow for a security sweep of the stadium. The broadcast of the game on ESPN opened with a message from President Biden, who prayed for the victims and thanked first responders. I'm glad the game is back on for today, but I'm not surprised because the spirit of New Orleans can never be kept down. And that's also true of the spirit of America.

Just have to remember who we are. Notre Dame overpowered Georgia 23 to 10 to advance to college football semi-finals. Tens of thousands of fans attended the game. The whole stadium quieted for the moment of silence for the 14 victims of the attack, which took place less than a mile away. A University of Georgia student, a sophomore, was among the injured receiving medical care. Becky Sullivan, NPR News. President Joe Biden has celebrated a milestone at the White House. During his term in office, he's been able to get 235 lifetime judicial nominees confirmed by the Senate.

As NPR's Tamara Keith reports, that number of appointments exceeds the judiciary shaping total that president-elect Donald Trump saw confirmed during his first term in office. Biden said his goal was to make the federal bench look more like America. And he said those confirmed aren't just demographically diverse, but come from diverse legal backgrounds, including public defenders, civil rights lawyers and more. But he said he also expects them to defend America's institutions, which Biden said he fears are in jeopardy. These judges will be independent. They'll be fair and they'll be impartial.

I respect the rule of law. And most importantly, I know it sounds, I never thought I'd be saying this. They don't, they'll uphold the constitution. Biden thanked democratic senators for making these confirmations a priority. Tamara Keith, NPR News, The White House. And you're listening to NPR News. Researchers in England say they've unearthed almost 200 dinosaur tracks that date to 166 million years ago. The discoveries were made last summer when a worker digging up clay in a quarry

noticed unusual bumps. Excavations uncovered five extensive tracks that form part of what experts are calling a dinosaur highway. The findings will be broadcast on a BBC program next week. American Cinemas sold $8.7 billion worth of movie tickets in 2024. Although that's down from 2023, NPR's Bob Mandello says the film industry is breathing

a collective sigh of relief. Back in early May, battered by strikes and a slower than expected pandemic rebound, Hollywood box office totals were running 20% lower than the previous year. They ended the year down just 3%. So as the heroes of Inside Out 2 might put it, Make some noise! A parade of sequels, nine of the year's top ten, is what brought audiences back, led by Inside Out 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine.

This is what I'm talking about. Big slow motion action sequence. Who knows if you live or die. Also pushing box office totals higher, increased ticket prices, especially for such premium formats as IMAX and 70 millimeter. Bob Mandelo, NPR News. The commissioner of college's Big 12 conference is calling for more consistency as to what constitutes a targeting penalty in college football. The commons follow a play in the game between Texas and Arizona State this week when a Texas safety hit an Arizona receiver with his helmet. Such a blow is considered as a major factor in a targeting call. Officials, though, waved off the penalty. Texas went on to win the

game. I'm Dale Willman, 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.