NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-05-2025 2AM 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. The late President Jimmy Carter is lying in repose in Atlanta, as Steve Futterman reports the first of six days of tributes and services honoring the nation's 39th president got underway Saturday in Georgia. The day started with Carter's flag-draped casket being carried to a hearse by current

and former members of his Secret Service entourage, then a motorcade with a very emotional stop in front of Carter's boyhood home in Plains. The old bell in front of the home rang 39 times to honor the 39th president. The motorcade later headed to Atlanta to stop in front of the state capitol. There was a moment of silence. Then finally to the Carter Center.

For a short service to place, Carter's son Chip spoke. There was a lot of love on the side of the road. Every overpass had people on it. The Morehouse College Glee Club then sang, Carter's body will lie in repose at the center until Tuesday. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Atlanta. A major winter storm has started to move across the U.S. Weather officials say the storm will

be bringing snow, ice and in some places severely cold temperatures. In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas says the city is prepared for whatever the storm brings. This is not something that's unusual for us. Major winter storms are a thing that we have. It doesn't mean that we are unserious about them. It does mean that we're realistic and our city will reopen in the days ahead. The Kansas City airport closed briefly on Saturday because of ice but is once again

open. About 60 million Americans are in the path of this storm. Billionaire Elon Musk has recently been expressing his support for far-right politicians around the world. And in recent days, Musk has stepped up his criticism of Britain's center-left government and prime minister. NPR's Lauren Freyer reports from London. It started last summer when Elon Musk, a self-described free speech advocate, called Britain a police state for arresting people who'd posted disinformation that led to race riots. Zincenis called for the release of a far-right Islamophobe jailed in the UK for assault and fraud.

This week, Musk falsely accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to go after child rapists and endorsed a post calling for the king to remove Starmer of failing to go after child rapists, and endorsed a post calling for the King to remove Starmer from power, something the monarch isn't allowed to do. Even the far-right British MP Nigel Farage, who's courted Musk for donations, has distanced himself from some of his comments. Many Britons are perplexed by Musk's interest, and wonder what it pretends for US policy, with Musk slated for a role in the incoming Trump administration. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London.

Austria's Chancellor says he'll resign in the coming days after talks on forming a new government failed this weekend. It was the second time talks between the People's Party and the Social Democrats have failed to reach a deal. Chancellor Karl Niemeyer says the People's Party will not agree to a program that it considers to be against economic competitiveness. You're listening to NPR News. 150 international security officers have arrived in Haiti this weekend as part of a UN mission

there to restore law and order. About half of the peacekeepers are from Guatemala. Canyon Commander Jeffrey Otungi leads the UN mission and welcomed their arrival. I extend my sincere gratitude to the government of Guatemala for their support and for demonstrating true solidarity with the Asian people. Violent gangs have been controlling major portions of Haiti,

including its capital city, since its president was assassinated in 2021. A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for the Washington Post resigned after the editorial page editor killed her sketch depicting tech and media titans bowing before president-elect Donald Trump. NPR's David Falkenflich reports that among those people shown in the cartoon was Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The backdrop for all this is Bezos's decision back in October to kill the paper's planned

endorsement of Kamala Harris just days before the neck-and-neck election. About 300,000 people canceled digital subscriptions between revelation of his decision and election night. Telnez tells NPR that she's used to editing, but has never had an editor say she cannot address a particular subject at the post. Editorial page editor David Shipley says he values her contributions, but that two colleagues had written columns on the same subject. Too much repetition. Telnez says media magnates have an obligation to protect the free press and that cartoonists

need those protections too. David Folkenflick, NPR News. And I'm Dale Willman. You're listening to 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.