NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-16-2024 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 17, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. There are indications in Israel that a ceasefire and a hostage deal with Hamas in Gaza could be close. But even as negotiations continue, Israeli forces continue to strike Gaza. MPs Michelle Kellerman reports Palestinian health officials there say the strikes have killed more than 150 people. Skywriting planes drew huge ribbons in the skies above Tel Aviv, a reminder that Israelis are still waiting for the return of 100 hostages captured by Hamas over 14 months ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend about the efforts to get the hostages home. A source familiar with the negotiations tells NPR there is momentum. U.S. officials and analysts say Hamas is showing more flexibility too. But Palestinians under bombardment remain skeptical and some families of the hostages worry that the deal will only bring some of them home.

Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Senior advisor Jason Miller says President-elect Donald Trump will secure the border on day one and that he knows exactly how to do it by executive orders that don't have to go through Congress. Miller says Trump is more prepared for the White House now compared to his first administration in 2016. We're going to make it so if you're illegal, you're not coming in through a port of entry, or even if you're trying to come into a port of entry illegally, you're not gonna be allowed in.

Now, when you say close the border, the impression is that nobody's allowed to go back and forth. What the border will be closed to is for people trying to enter the United States illegally. So there's a distinction there. I wanna make sure people don't think that all of a sudden, like, all trade between the countries or traditional commerce is going to be shut down. Speaking of their two NPRs, all things considered. Democrats in blue states like California say they plan on working with President-elect Trump and Republicans when possible. For Member Station KQED in San Francisco, Marisa Lagos has more. Trump has said members of the House select committee that investigated the January 6th

assault on the Capitol should go to jail. But one of those members, Democratic Representative Zoe Loughran of California, says she and others hope they can work across the aisle next year. Loughran notes that Republicans have a slim house majority and will likely need Democrats to pass key legislation. Our goal is to stand up for our constituents and to stand up for the American people in every regard. Lofgren and other Democrats tell NPR they will push back on Trump and Republicans if needed but won't be the first to pick a fight. For NPR News, I'm Marisa Lagos in San Francisco.

Investors on Wall Street are awaiting the Federal Reserve's decision this week on whether they will cut key interest rates once again. This is consumers' hope for lower borrowing costs on credit cards, cars, and even homes. U.S. futures contracts are trading lower at this hour. You're listening to NPR News. Christia Freeland, Canada's Deputy Prime minister and finance minister, resigned from the cabinet today, citing differences with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how to deal with President-elect Donald Trump and his threatened tariffs and a possible trade war. On X, Freeland said Trudeau told her he didn't want her to serve as finance minister anymore, offering her another cabinet position.

It's the latest blow to Trudeau, whose popularity has been on the wane for the past four years. The new Marvel movie Craven the Hunter sent an undesirable record at the box office this weekend, and here's Bob Mandello has more. So it turns out Craven's dad was right. He's weak like his mother. Leave him. The character recovers, but his movie won't. With an opening of barely $11 million for the weekend, Craven the Hunter, which cost more than $100 million to make, now has the record for the lowest opening ever for a Marvel movie. The film had been sitting on the shelf through much of the pandemic and was probably not helped by the decision to open it in early December, traditionally a rough

box office period. Not rough for Wicked or Moana, though, each of which more than doubled Craven's box office take for the weekend. Bob Mandelo, NPR News. President Biden today established the Frances Perkins National Monument in Maine. She was the first female cabinet secretary, the longest-serving secretary of labor, serving for 12 years under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The White House says she was also the driving force behind the New Deal, helping to create Social Security and fighting for the rights of workers to organize under unions. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.