NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

NPR News: 01-03-2025 7PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Jack Spear. Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson has been re-elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Here's NPR's Deidre Walsh. Johnson was narrowly re-elected Speaker on the first ballot. Initially, three Republicans voted against him. But he convinced two of them, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas,

to change their votes. After he won, Johnson vowed to tackle a key priority his party focused on in the 2024 election. We will act quickly and we will start by defending our nation's borders. That's the number one priority. Because Republicans hold a narrow majority, Johnson could only afford one defection. The House has to approve a package of rules for how the chamber will operate, and then is expected to turn to border security legislation later this month. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, The Capitol. New Senate leader John Thune kicked off a new session today promising to preserve the filibuster,

saying in his first floor speeches, leader his priority would be to ensure the Senate stays the Senate. Thune and Senate Republicans are taking over a little more than two weeks before Donald Trump's inauguration. Defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton will pay the federal government nearly 16 million dollars to settle fraud allegations. The company allegedly used illegally obtained information to secure defense department contracts.

Plexus Public Radio's Paul Flavismore. Prosecutors said Booz Allen used civilian government contractors to obtain confidential bidding and competitor proposal information to rig the bid in their favor for a flight simulator contract. In 2023, a San Antonio based Air Force contractor, Kevin Seguin was sentenced to 15 years in prison over the scheme. He took bribes to influence a hundred million dollars

in contracts over 10 years, said investigators. At least three others have been found criminally responsible for the fraud, including two Boos Allen Engineering Services program managers. The mega defense contractor admitted no legal liability in this settlement. It's at least the second settlement over false claims acts violations for the company that agreed to pay nearly $400 million to the government in 2023. I'm Paul Flav in San Antonio. President Biden has blocked Nippon Steel's nearly $15 billion acquisition of stored U.S. Steel. Biden in a statement saying, quote, we need major U.S. companies representing the major of stored U.S. steel. Biden in a statement saying, quote,

we need major U.S. companies representing the major share of U.S. steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America's national interests. MPR Scott Horsley has more. U.S. Steel is 124 years old. It's pretty much synonymous with the American steel industry and all the symbolism and nostalgia that comes with that. And significantly, the company is based in Pennsylvania, which we know was an important swing state in the November election. The Steelworkers Union opposed the company's sales nip on steel. The union worried it would provide a back door to bring cheap Japanese steel into the U.S. market. Biden's decision comes after the

Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S US spent months reviewing potential security risks but could not reach consensus on the deal. Stocks gained ground on Wall Street today that dowels up more than 300 points. You're listening to NPR. Authorities in Australia say they believe a 28-year-old missing surfer may have been the victim of a shark attack and are continuing their search in waters near where he disappeared. The man was last seen at a popular beach in South Australia where another man was killed by a white shark in 2023. A witness on a jet ski reported seeing the apparent shark attack near Granites Beach and retrieved the man's surfboard, however there was no sign of him.

The creator of the popular children's show Thomas Thomas the Tank Engine in Friends has died. As NPR's Net little bee reports, Britt Alcroft was 81. The show, first known as Thomas and Friends, premiered in England in 1984. It was about a cheeky little moon-faced train engine with big expressive eyes. Britt Alcroft did not invent the character. She based it on a British book series for kids from the 1940s. But Alcroft made Thomas a worldwide phenomenon. Thomas began going faster and faster.

Whee! He whistled as he rushed through Henry's tunnel. The original narrator was Ringo Starr. The show spun off into movies, toys, and more toys. The brand was bought by Mattel in 2012. Alcroft developed a number of children shows for British television. Her death was announced on behalf of her family by a friend, Brandon Cardy, who'd spent years making a documentary about Thomas the Tank Engine's

die-hard fans. Neda Ulubi, NPR News. Brittle futures prices moved higher, closing up ahead of what is expected to be colder weather in both Europe and parts of the US. Oil rose 83 cents a barrel to $73.96 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. 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.