NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-22-2024 1PM EST

Episode Date: December 22, 2024

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Since the beginning of women's sports, there's been a struggle to define who qualifies for the women's category. Tested, from NPR's Embedded podcast and CBC, takes you inside that struggle. Listen to Tested, the series that was named one of the 10 best podcasts of 2024 by Apple, Vulture, and The New York Times. It's season 20 of NPR's Embedded Podcast. Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dwahlai Sikau-Tau. Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected from their fighter jet after it was shot down this weekend over the Red Sea. The military is calling it a case of friendly fire, NPRiers Amy Held reports. The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly fired on and hit an F-18. Forcing two U.S. Navy pilots to eject safely, according to U.S. Central Command, one pilot

suffered from minor injuries. For more than a year, the U.S. military has been operating Navy warships in the region, conducting strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who are targeting international ships in the Red Sea, and disrupting commerce in one of the world's busiest waterways. Also this weekend, CENTCOM says they shot down drones and a guided missile operated by Houthis and conducted strikes on a Houthi missile storage facility in Yemen. Amy Held, NPR News. The Biden administration's outgoing national security, Jake Sullivan, sat down with CNN to discuss foreign policy ahead of President-elect Trump's second administration. He talked about

his concerns about Syria and ISIS, plus pressure on Russia and its invasion of Ukraine and future relations with Iran and China. Iran and China actually, to me, present opportunities not just for deterrence and pushing back, but also for diplomacy. With China, diplomacy to manage the competition effectively, to try to come to a better understanding so that as two large powers, we can live alongside one another. And with Iran, a genuine opportunity, in my view, given their weakened state, to work with the Europeans, the Arabs and others to get a nuclear deal that puts Iran's nuclear program back in the box.

Jake Sullivan, outgoing national security adviser for the Biden administration, speaking today on CNN. This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Water experts say the law is doing its job, but new protections are needed in the decades to come. More on this from member station KUNC, Alexis Hager. The Safe Drinking Water Act created new quality standards for the country's tap water. Experts say the rules are working and the next 50 years of water oversight should focus

on water supply. Chad Seidel, a water engineer in Colorado, says threats are posed by climate change and aging infrastructure. It's going to take vigilance to keep that up to date and avoid the risk of failure. And by doing so, we can make sure that everybody has safe, affordable and reliable water for everybody everywhere all the time. Seidel says he's concerned that declining investment in water infrastructure could jeopardize pipes, treatment plants, and the people who keep them running. For NPR News, I'm Alex Hager. The company PartyCity has

refiled for bankruptcy protection after failing to reduce its two billion dollar debt by enough on Friday. Store managers across the country were informed all locations would close by the end of February. This is NPR. Christmas trees are big business in the Pacific Northwest, but a hotter climate means challenges for tree growers. Lauren Patterson of Northwest Public Broadcasting reports on how exotic Christmas tree species are taking root in new Northwest trails. Tree farms in the Northwest are experiencing problems with the hot temperatures and drought conditions out West as the climate changes. That's according to Gary

Chastagner, a research plant pathologist for Washington State University. In his latest experiment, Eurasian conifers are being grown at sites in Washington, Oregon, and California. What we're finding is that some of the Eurasian conifers are being grown at sites in Washington, Oregon and California. What we're finding is that some of the Eurasian species such as Nordman, Turkish and Trojan fir have the ability to perform fairly well under these droughty conditions. Chastagner says the Eurasian species also have potential tolerance to tree diseases and problematic insects. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Patterson in Pullman, Washington. Major League Baseball Manifesteel Ricky Henderson has died. He played for nine MLB teams from 1979

to 2003, becoming the league's most valuable player in 1990 and then achieved the all-time stolen bass record of 1,406. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Saturday night called Henderson the gold standard of bass stealing and leadoff hitting. A family statement from his wife and three daughters reads Ricky lived his life with integrity and his love for baseball was paramount. He was 65. This is NPR News.