NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-12-2024 5AM EST

Episode Date: December 12, 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 in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. The UN General Assembly is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. Israel and the U.S. were among countries that voted against the resolution.

The UN ambassador representing Palestinians said the vote reflected the resolve of the international community. Palestinian medical officials say Israeli airstrikes following the UN action killed more than two dozen people, including at least seven children. South Korea's president is sounding defiant about his recent declaration of martial law. As NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul, the country's president is pledging to continue fighting efforts to impeach him. In a televised address, President Yun Sung-yeol said that his declaration of martial law

was an act of governance in line with the Constitution. He doubled down on his allegation that opposition lawmakers are trying to paralyze the government and are aligned with North Korea. Whether you impeach me or investigate me, I will stand up to it," he said. I've already said that I will not shirk my legal and political responsibility for this declaration of martial law. Police and prosecutors are investigating Yoon on suspicion of insurrection. Police raided his office a second time the day after presidential security blocked police

from entering. Yoon also faces a second vote to impeach him in parliament on Saturday. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. Investigators say they found more evidence linking Luigi Mangione to the killing of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. NPR's Maria Aspin reports on what police are saying about a gun found in Mangione's possession. Police arrested Mangione after a five-day manhunt for the person who shot and killed Thompson in Manhattan last week.

The 26-year-old suspect is being held in Pennsylvania on weapons and forgery charges. He is fighting extradition to New York, where he faces charges for second-degree murder. But the gun in his possession has been sent to the NYPD crime lab, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. We were able to match that gun to the three shell casings that we found in midtown at the scene of the homicide. She also said that the fingerprints on the gun matched the prints on other evidence found near the crime scene in New York. Maria Aspin, NPR News, New York.

FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign next month at the end of President Biden's term in the White House. Wray's announcement comes less than two weeks after President-elect Donald Trump said he was nominating Cash Patel to lead the Bureau. Wray was chosen to be FBI Director by Trump during Trump's first term in office. He still had three years left on his tenure term. Trump has accused Ray of weaponizing the Justice Department against him. On Wall Street the NASDAQ closed at a record high yesterday finishing above the 20,000 mark for the first time. This is NPR News. Tesla stock

closed at a record high yesterday of nearly $425 per share. The electric automaker's stock value has risen almost 70 percent since early November. Banks and credit unions in the U.S. could face new limits on overdraft fees before the end of next year. NPR's Laurel Wamsley reports. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced a new rule that will limit how much big banks and credit unions can charge customers in overdraft fees. These financial institutions typically charge $35 for an overdraft loan, according to the Bureau. The new rules will

give very large banks and credit unions three options. They can cap overdraft fees at $5. They can set their fee at an amount that covers costs and losses. Or they can comply with standards that govern loans like credit cards. Overdraft fees have cost Americans billions of dollars, and they've been one of the so-called junk fees that the CFPB has targeted under the Biden administration. The rule is scheduled to go into effect in October 2025, though whether the Trump administration will support the rule isn't known. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington.

Crews in Southern California are starting to make progress to slow the spread of a wildfire in the Malibu area. Fire officials say containment on the Franklin Fire is up to 7%. The flames have blackened more than 4,000 acres since Monday night and driven thousands of residents from their homes. A number of homes have been destroyed by the fire burning near Pepperdine University.

The National Weather Service says calmer winds and cooler temperatures are expected today. I'm Dave Mattingly, NPR News in Washington.