NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2025 1PM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2025

NPR News: 01-03-2025 1PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. In the House of Representatives, the 119th Congress is taking up its first order of business, the election of the Speaker of the House. Mike Johnson has the support of President-elect Trump and has told reporters he is confident he will hold on to the gavel. Republican Conference Chair Lisa McLean led hold on to the gavel. Republican Conference Chair Lisa McLean led his defense on the House floor. Mike has remained the same kind and caring person as he was before he assumed this role.

He's an honest broker. He shows you his true beliefs at face value. He is steadfast in his values of faith, family, and love of this country. The margins are close and it could take more than one ballot. The White House says that President Biden will travel to New Orleans on Monday to meet with people affected by the New Year's Day attack in the city where 14 people were killed. In a statement, the White House said the president and first lady will grieve with the community and meet with officials. People in New Orleans are still reeling

from the deadly New Year's Day attack. The Gulf States newsroom's Drew Hawkins has this snash hunch. Tyler Burt knows the streets of the French Quarter like the back of his hand. A graduate student at Loyola University by day and a pettyicab driver by night, he was parting ways with his last customer for the night when the truck turned onto Bourbon Street. We had a high five and then I believe that he was run over while I was like in contact with

him. And so I just remember that was one of them of him going under the vehicle. Bert says he's still trying to recover from it, but it takes time. I don't want to meet that with fear. I'd rather meet that with love. But at this time, I've got to just make sure I'm capable of doing that. For NPR News, I'm Drew Hawkins in New Orleans. Residents of Syria's Golan Heights say Israeli troops are raiding their homes and villages. Israel says it is trying to protect its security. NPR's Hadil al-Shalchi has more from the Golan Heights.

Israel says its move into the buffer zone that's monitored by the United Nations is aimed at keeping their border secure. The military operation started just hours after the overthrow of the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad by the rebel group Hey At-Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Mohammed Farooq lives about 300 yards from an Israeli checkpoint

in the Al Ba'ath village. He says Israeli tanks roll into his village regularly. Benty Sara Tachlan, Billele Tfee, Dababi Dababi, Ajad Dababi Ajad Dababi. Farooq said his small daughter

now wakes up at night shouting a tank a tank out of fear. He says Syrians are worried there will be more annexation and more Israeli settlements in the area. Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News in the Golan Heights. Wall Street appears to be on track to break a five-day losing streak. The Dow is up 258, the Nasdaq up 267. This is NPR News in Washington. Nippon Steel Corporation has responded to President Biden's decision to reject the acquisition

of Pittsburgh-based U.S. steel by the Japanese company. Nippon Steel charged Biden, sacrificed the future of America's steelworkers for his own political agenda. President-elect Trump also opposed the proposed deal. Biden said U.S. companies should represent the major share of U.S. steelmaking capacity. Oil cleanup efforts continue along Russia's Black Sea coastline. Last month, two Russian oil tankers collided off the contested Crimean Peninsula, and PR's Charles Maines has more.

In a statement, Russia's Ministry of Transportation classified the spill as the world's first involving heavy fuel oil, a factor complicating the cleanup effort. The density of the crude, said the ministry, made skimming the oil off the sea's first involving heavy fuel oil, a factor complicating the cleanup effort. The density of the crude, said the ministry, made skimming the oil off the sea's surface all but impossible. The Kremlin declared a federal emergency in the wake of the accident, and authorities say they've since removed some 80,000 tons of oil-contaminated sand from the Russian coastline, a third of the total needed.

Yet environmentalists have criticized the government cleanup operation as inadequate, with thousands of volunteers in stead leading efforts to shovel up oil deposits and rescue wildlife. This bill occurred late December in the Kerch Strait when two Russian tankers were badly damaged in a storm. Trance Maine's NPR News. JetBlue Airways has incurred a $2 million penalty for operating multiple chronically delayed flights. The Department of Transportation says this is the first time for such a fine.

$1 million is to be paid to the U.S. government. The other half will go to compensate affected customers. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.