NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-13-2024 2PM EST

Episode Date: December 13, 2024

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Starting point is 00:00:00 When it came out in 1843, a Christmas carol was a sensation, and Charles Dickens became a legend. Some people would consider him the originator of Christmas or the inventor of Christmas. The past, present, and future of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Listen to Thulein wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling through the Middle East to drum up support for Syria nearly a week after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad.
Starting point is 00:00:40 NPR's Michelle Kaliman reports Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq today. Secretary Blinken flew to Iraq to meet the country's prime minister to talk about regional security. Before that, in Turkey, he told reporters there was broad agreement on what an interim government should look like in Syria. One that is inclusive and nonsectarian. One that protects the rights of minorities and women, one that preserves institutions of the state and delivers services to the people.
Starting point is 00:01:10 Lincoln says the U.S. is also focused on efforts to keep ISIS in check in Syria and is urging rebel leaders to secure and destroy any chemical weapons they find. The secretary will continue talks with Arab foreign ministers at a gathering in Jordan on Saturday. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News Tel Aviv. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized in Europe after sustaining an unspecified injury. NPR's Elena Moore reports Pelosi is traveling in Luxembourg with a congressional delegation.
Starting point is 00:01:42 According to her spokesperson, Pelosi is receiving quote excellent treatment. The statement did not provide details about how the injury occurred or the Speaker Emeritus current condition. Pelosi, who is 84, was in Luxembourg to honor American service members who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, which happened 80 years ago this December.
Starting point is 00:02:01 Her spokesperson said that due to her injury, she will not be attending the rest of the events on the trip. Alaina Moore, NPR News, Washington. The president of France has named a new prime minister after the government collapsed in a no-confidence vote last week. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports Emmanuel Macron has chosen a centrist veteran lawmaker with contacts across the political spectrum. Many hope François Bayrou will avoid the fate of his predecessor, conservative Michel Barnier, who was taken down in a no-confidence vote by parliamentarians on the far left and
Starting point is 00:02:36 far right just three months into his term. After snap elections this summer, the French parliament is divided into three mutually detesting blocks where none has a majority. The priority for Bayrou will be passing a special law to roll over the 2024 budget, with a nasty battle over the 2025 legislation looming early next year. The far-left France Unbowed party said it would immediately attempt to remove Bayrou if he ignores their tax and pensions concerns. Bayrou is Macron's fourth prime minister since he was re-elected in 2022. Eleanor Beardsley in PR News, Paris.
Starting point is 00:03:11 Stocks are trading lower on Wall Street at this hour. The Dow is down 49 points. The Nasdaq composite down 4. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A Japanese court has ruled that the government's refusal to legally recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports it's the third such ruling in the country this year, and it increases pressure on Japanese lawmakers to change their stance. The Fukuoka High Court ruled that the civil law's lack of recognition of same-sex marriage violates constitutional rights to the pursuit of happiness, equality under the law, and equality of the sexes.
Starting point is 00:03:55 Since 2019, eight court rulings have found the ban unconstitutional, one has found it constitutional. All of the courts have rejected plaintiffs' demands for damages. The government's chief spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said after the ruling that the government will continue to monitor similar pending cases and public opinion. Opinion polls show most Japanese favor legalizing same-sex marriage, but the conservative ruling party has been reluctant to scrap the ban. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.
Starting point is 00:04:25 A powerful typhoon is making its way toward Mozambique in southeastern Africa. Forecasters say the cyclone is brushing the northern tip of Madagascar with wind speeds of about 120 miles per hour. The United Nations says an estimated 1.7 million people are in the storm's path. The typhoon is expected to make landfall by the end of the weekend. Other countries in the region are expected to receive heavy rainfall from the storm, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, and Botswana. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

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