NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-04-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Six days of funeral events for former President Jimmy Carter begin today. Carter died nearly a week ago at the age of 100. Grant Blankenship of Georgia Public Broadcasting reports on Carter's final journey. It begins this hour with a procession through his hometown of Plains. Among the people waiting there will be London Wellenweber and his mom Sarah of Bloomington, Illinois. Four years ago I promised my mom, well I made her promise to me that she'd take me here once he died.

London, who plans on studying political science in college, says Carter has a unique legacy among former presidents. He's the one that truly stands out as the one who's continued to do the most work for this country and for the world around us. And so I think that speaks highly of him. After Plains, Carter's body will be taken to the Carter Center in Atlanta where it will lie in repose until Tuesday when the funeral moves on to Washington D.C. For NPR News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Plains, Georgia. At the White House this afternoon, President Biden is to award the Presidential Medal of

Freedom to 19 people, including famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, and civil rights. NPR's Franco Ordonia says they include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, singer Bono, and soccer star Lionel Messi. The White House said in a statement that the recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor have all made quote exemplary contributions to the prosperity values or security of the US to world peace and other significant societal causes

Biden will also posthumously grant the medal to former Attorney General Robert F Kennedy former Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Fannie Lou Hamer, who helped lay the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act. After nearly 15 months of war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are said to be resuming the negotiations taking place in Qatar. The talks, mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt, have repeatedly stalled. Hamas says it's committed to reaching an agreement, but there's been no statements from either side. Drivers who enter the busiest parts of Manhattan will soon have to pay up.

From Member Station WNYC, John Campbell reports the nation's first congestion toll survived a key legal challenge last night. The congestion toll is designed to reduce traffic and generate billions for New York City's public transit system. A federal judge cleared the way for the toll to take effect Sunday, rejecting a last-minute challenge from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Jan O'Lieber chairs the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that runs New York City's subways and buses. We're doing something to deal with the reality of the way that congestion is hurting our

city and costing people time and money. The toll will be $9 for passenger vehicles during peak hours and more for trucks and tour buses. An attorney for the New Jersey governor vowed to appeal. For NPR News, I'm John Campbell in New York. This is NPR News. White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, says the nation would be less secure if the

nearly $15 billion deal for Japan's Nippon Steel to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel was allowed to go through. It is about making sure that a U.S. company is U.S. owned, U.S. operating, supporting, continuing to protect the U.SS. deal makers obviously are union, and that's what the president wanted, led with, and that's how he made this decision. Following a year-long review, President Biden blocked the deal yesterday

in a joint statement. Both companies say there is no credible evidence that the proposal presents a national security issue. To Britain now, where zookeepers in the UK have begun their annual census of the animal residents of the London Zoo. Vicki Barker has more. The sprawling complex in London's Regent's Park is home to more than 10,000 mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates.

New to the zoo since the last annual census, two baby Western lowland gorillas, three Asiatic lion cubs, an okapi, or forest giraffe, 53 highly endangered frogs, and some rare blood-sucking leeches. The stocktake is a requirement of the Zoo's annual license and will take staff almost a week to complete. The results are shared with zoos around the world to help manage breeding programs for

endangered animals. For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. And I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh air? Up first. NPR News Now, Planet Money, Ted Radio Hour, ThruLine,

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