NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-10-2024 11PM EST

Episode Date: December 11, 2024

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. Live from NPR News, I'm Gile Snyder. A picture is beginning to emerge of Luigi Mangione, the man police have charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. NPR's Maria Aspin reports.

There are still many unanswered questions about how this smart and successful 26-year-old turned into a man who allegedly killed in cold blood. Luigi Mangione grew up in a wealthy Baltimore County family. He was the valedictorian at his exclusive All Boys Prep School and went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. High school classmate Freddie Leatherberry describes Mangione as athletic, smart and well-liked. I'm still just in disbelief that the kid that I knew

has just taken his life in this direction. But in recent years, Mangione was fighting back pain and spending time online, where he expressed admiration for the writing of the Unabomber. Maria Aspin, NPR News, New York. Mangione appeared in court in Pennsylvania today, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona. He was denied bail and his lawyer says he will fight extradition

to New York. Syrian rebel fighters have taken over checkpoints and security posts after the collapse of the government of President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend. And Piersena Raff reports from one notorious checkpoint in Sirriza's Daraa province bordering Jordan. This checkpoint on the road from the Jordanian border to Damascus used to be called the checkpoint of death according to the rebel commander we just spoke with. He says it's because regime forces killed, kidnapped and even tortured so many people from around here. Now it's full of tanks abandoned when opposition forces overran this checkpoint

There are just a few lightly armed fighters here. These are early days of What they hope will be a lasting revolution Jane Arath and Peron use in Darah province, Syria Southern California now where fire crews continue to battle the wind-driven Franklin fire. That fire has burned some 3,000 acres in the beach city of Malibu, as Steve Futterman reports. Fire officials here are trying to take advantage of slightly better conditions. The Santana winds have calmed down a bit, but that's only temporary. After an exhausting night for fire crews,

LA County Fire Chief Anthony Morrone says the damage so far is less than he expected. We have only a minimal number of homes destroyed. Thankfully, we have no reports of serious injuries or fatalities. Dozens and dozens of homes are still in danger, and evacuation orders remain in effect. This longtime Malibu resident

Ben Marcus says fires are simply part of living here. The fire chief says the damage is less than he expected. He says the damage is less than he expected. He says the are simply part of living here. It's the most benign place in the world until it isn't and now it looks like Hades. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Malibu.

This is NPR. The proposed merger of the grocery store chains Kroger's and Albertson's has hit a roadblock. Two judges overseeing two separate cases have blocked the deal. Federal judge in Oregon has issued a temporary injunction in a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission. In Seattle, a Washington state judge issued a permanent injunction saying the deal would violate the state's consumer protection laws. Familiar faces return to the top of the Billboard charts this week after long absences, as NPR Stephen Thompson reports.

There's a new number one song in the country, but you'll be forgiven if it sounds familiar. Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You is back on top of the Billboard Hot 100. ["All I Want For Christmas Is You"] The 30-year-old holiday perennial has now topped the chart in six different years. That's an all-time record, and it is not even close. Old music is also having a big week on the albums chart. Bing Crosby returns to the top 10 for the first time in 64 years thanks to a new compilation of his holiday hits. And Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department returns to number one thanks to the release of its supersized deluxe edition on vinyl

and CD. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. Japan's benchmark Nikkei is down in Wednesday trading as investors wait for a key report on inflation in the United States. Nikkei was down six tenths of a percent at the midday break. That latest update on inflation is due out tomorrow. I'm Jaiil Snyder. This is NPR News.

This is Eric Glass. On This American Life, we specialize in compelling stories from everyday life. I was like, wow, you literally just died and came back. And the first thing you ask is, do you need any money? Real life stories, really good ones, in your podcast feed, This American Life.