NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-04-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: January 5, 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. Former President Jimmy Carter is lying in repose in Atlanta this weekend. Marissa Mecki from member station WABE reports the former president's motorcade arrived in the state Capitol today. Under a cold setting sun the 282nd Army Band processes in front of the Carter Presidential Center. This is the last stop for the state crossing motorcade

that departed Saturday morning from Americus, Georgia. In a circle of flags outside the Carter Center, Carter's casket, draped in an American flag, is lifted out of the hearse and carried inside by family and pallbearers. The president's grandson, Jason Carter, told mourners that it was important to stop at the Carter Center. While we mourn my grandfather's passing, I know in my heart, and you all do, that his legacy will live on. Members of the public are able to see the president lie in repose in Atlanta until Tuesday.

For NPR News, I'm Rosamecki in Atlanta. Intentional vehicular attacks like the one that killed 14 people in New Orleans this week are not new, but as NPR's Emma Bowman reports, they become a more frequent tactic used by terrorist groups and individuals in major Western cities. Some cities have put up barriers to defend urban centers from such attacks. But New Orleans police say the suspect drove around the temporary barricades that were in place. The attack has been a wake-up call for both public safety officials and private companies,

said Brian Stevens with consultancy Tenio. He helps businesses mitigate these kinds of threats. I am hearing from a lot of clients and a lot of partners that they have the need to revisit what they've done in the past. University of Iowa law professor Greg Schill says reducing car dependency in cities could help, but that even modest proposals to pedestrianize a street are often met with fierce opposition. He says it's a complex problem with no cut-and-dried solution. Emma Bowman, NPR News.

Commercial international flights will soon start flying into the Syrian capital of Damascus that's according to a top aviation official. Most flights had been grounded in that country since early December, and PR's Diya Hadid has more from Damascus. The general manager of Syrian Air, Hatem Qabas, tells NPR that their first international flight is scheduled to fly from the Damascus airport to Dubai on Tuesday. Qatar Airways based in the Gulf also says it will start flying into the Syrian capital three times a week. Flights carrying humanitarian and diplomatic delegations have already been landing in the country,

but commercial flights were largely grounded after rebels seized power. Looters ransacked the airport and staff have been working to repair the damage. The state of Syria's aviation industry has been dire for years because of war, international sanctions, and Israeli bombardment.

Deah Hadid, NPR News, Damascus. And you're listening to NPR News. Governors in Kentucky and Virginia have declared states of emergency ahead of a winter storm that's expected to bring blizzards, heavy snow and treacherous ice to a broad part of the U.S. this weekend. A band of states from Nebraska and Kansas over to Ohio, Indiana and parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia could see from one inch to a foot of snow and ice could knock out power lines and cause widespread outages across the area. Zookeepers in the UK have begun their annual census of the animal residents of the London Zoo.

Vicki Barker has more from London. 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. Hideki Matsuyama set a personal best with 11 birdies at the PGA Golf event underway in Hawaii this weekend. He finished the penultimate round with a 62 and the lead.

Colin Morikawa is one shot off the lead with one round remaining on Sunday. Thomas Detrie, meanwhile, shot a 65 and sits five strokes off the lead. 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.