NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-11-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 11, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Korova Coleman, the Israeli military has carried out an extensive bombing campaign in Syria, where the situation remains fluid. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv, Israel says it has destroyed the majority of Syria's advanced weapons. Over the last several days, the Israeli military says it has struck most of the Syrian military's strategic weapons stockpiles. That includes Israeli strikes on hundreds of targets, Syrian naval vessels, air defense radars, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, fighter jets, helicopters, drones, anti-aircraft batteries,

airfields and dozens of weapons production sites in Damascus and other Syrian cities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the aim is to prevent the weapons from reaching extremist Islamist groups, and he warned Iran not to reestablish itself in Syria. In Cairo, top Israeli security officials held talks to try to advance a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal in Gaza. Danielle Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. A federal bankruptcy judge has overturned the sale of the media site Infowars to the satirical news site The Onion.

The judge says the auction process was flawed. Infowars is owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. He's selling it to pay $1.5 billion in damages in a defamation lawsuit to Sandy Hook families. Jones spread lies that the mass school shooting that killed 26 first graders and educators was a hoax. NPR's Tovia Smith has more on the failed auction. The judge said the onion offer was just too low. He said money was left on the table. And he blamed the trustee who oversaw the process for using sealed bids instead of a live auction. But families are actually disappointed, especially those who offered to give up some of their proceeds

from the sale to help put the onions bid over the top. And I'll just add, this is really all the more poignant now, coming as it is just days from the 12th anniversary of the school shooting. It's already the hardest time of year for many of these families. NPR's Tovia Smith reporting. The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been denied bail in Pennsylvania. NPR's Maria Aspin reports a picture of Luigi Mangione is beginning to emerge. Maria Aspin 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 reporting. This is NPR. The government says consumer prices were running at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in November. That's a little higher than the Consumer Price Index reports in October. Inflation is easing from last year's levels, but that's happening inconsistently. Authorities in Southern California say that the Franklin Fire burning northwest of Los Angeles has now burned nearly 4,000 acres. That's more than six square miles.

None of the wildfire has been contained. Thousands of people in the beach city of Malibu have been told to evacuate. The fire is being fanned by powerful Santa Ana winds. These are reaching the strength of winds from a tropical storm. Familiar faces have returned to the top of the Billboard charts this week after long

absences. NPR's Stephen Thompson has more. 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. 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 ten 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. And I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.