NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-14-2024 2PM EST

Episode Date: December 14, 2024

NPR News: 12-14-2024 2PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

I'm Lakshmi Singh. Public radio reminds us of our shared humanity, even at our darkest hours. Like with the story of an artist couple who make beautiful spaces for communities to grieve. We found that people will usually stop by and just feel a little bit more open and willing to talk and share. Help us make room for light in the dark. Give before the end of the year at donate.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Chiavone. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has undergone hip replacement in Luxembourg. It comes one day after falling on an official engagement with a congressional delegation. NPR's Amy Held has details.

Pelosi's surgery Saturday to replace her hip was successful and she is well on the mend, according to her spokesman. She was treated at a U.S. Army medical center in Germany near Rammstein Air Base after being hospitalized in Luxembourg. That's where she fell Friday during an official engagement hurting her hip. Sources familiar with the matter tell the Associated Press. The 84-year-old Pelosi had to cut short her trip with other U.S. lawmakers, marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, when allied forces beat back Germany's last major offensive in World War II. Pelosi's spokesman says she's looking forward to returning to the U.S. soon. Amy Held, NPR News.

A lockdown at Fort Eisenhower near Augusta, Georgia was imposed and then lifted after officials said a person was shot and killed at the US Army installation this morning. Molly Samuel from Everstation WABE in Atlanta has more. Army officials issued an all-clear less than an hour after the lockdown began Saturday morning. They said the shooting happened at a housing unit on the installation and appeared to be an isolated incident. The alleged shooter was apprehended and taken into custody.

Officials said they wouldn't release information about the victim until family was notified. Despite base operations center saying normal operations could resume, activities related to the Army Navy football game, which was being played outside Washington were canceled. Fort Eisenhower, formerly named Fort Gordon, is home to the United States Army Cyber Command. For NPR News, I'm Mollye Samuel in Atlanta. Financial ratings agency Moody's has downgraded France's credit rating, citing recent political

uncertainty. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports that France got a new prime minister this week after the previous government fell in a no-confidence vote. Moody's downgraded France's rating, reflecting doubt the new government can turn around the nation's worsening financial situation. Incoming Prime Minister François Bayrou says he plans to take on France's spiraling debt, political fragmentation and distrust of government. He's hoping to avoid the same fate as his predecessor. Outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier was applauded at a handover ceremony in Paris Friday.

His government lasted only three months after the far right and far left joined forces to bring it down. Beirut is the fourth prime minister this year. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris. A major ice storm that hit parts of Iowa and Nebraska last night created treacherous driving conditions and led authorities to close Interstate 80 temporarily. Cars and trucks were sliding off roads, events were canceled. Forecasters say temperatures are expected to rise through the weekend. This is NPR News in Washington.

A prominent defense lawyer has joined the legal team representing Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Karen Friedman-Agnewfila was a high-ranking deputy in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for years before entering private practice. Long-term exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of developing blood clots. That is the finding from a new study published in the medical journal Blood. NPR's Alejandra Barunda reports. Every year some 1 million Americans develop blood clots

such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. They can cause organ damage or even death. A new study finds the chances of developing them are higher if people are exposed to pollution, like fine particles or nitrogen dioxide over many years. The study is dated from a project that followed people in Chicago, Los Angeles, and four other major metropolitan areas

for more than 16 years. That project collected air pollution information every two weeks, as well as health outcomes. People living in places with more pollution were much more likely to report problems with blood clots. Alejandro Borunda, NPR News. As the International Longshoremen's Union works towards a January 15th contract deadline, President-elect Trump is offering his support to the dock workers. He posted on social media this week that further automation of ports would hurt dock worker jobs. The union is

negotiating with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The alliance is pressing for more automation, arguing that it will make the dock safer and improve global supply chains. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.