NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-22-2024 5AM EST

Episode Date: December 22, 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 Giles Snyder. In Magdeburg, Germany last night, crowds gathered at the city's cathedral for a memorial service following the attack on a Christmas market that left five people dead and some 200 injured. Shereen Pham was at the market Friday night when

a car plowed into a large crowd. She's a nurse and says she aided the injured. We heard some strange noises and we got outside and saw the car rampaging the whole way. Took everything with him, after him, it was just traumatizing. Authorities say the man accused of carrying out the attack is being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and multiple counts of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. The suspect is a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany for almost two decades. The U.S. military says it mistakenly shot down one of its own aircraft over the Red

Sea, forcing two Navy pilots to eject. Both were rescued, one with minor injuries. The incident happened while the military was conducting airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. As Congress voted to temporarily keep the government open for a few more months, it also approved $100 billion in emergency funding for disaster aid. Some of that money will go to rebuilding Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge. Scott Massiani from Ember Station, WYPR, has more. The federal government will pay for the replacement of the key bridge in full after Congress passed the emergency spending

bill. The bridge was struck by a thousand foot long cargo ship in March causing the collapse. The rebuilt efforts could cost as much as two billion dollars. Maryland state officials say the plan is to have the replacement constructed and in use by the fall of twenty twenty eight. Meanwhile, the state, the city of Baltimore and numerous businesses are suing the owner of the cargo ship for damages and cleanup costs.

The owners of the ship already settled with the US Justice Department for more than $100 million in October for costs to clear the channel to the port of Baltimore. For NPR News, I'm Scott Massioni in Baltimore. The Education Department has reopened two old student loan repayment plans. NPR's Corey Turner reports on the move as the department's newest plan is being tied up in court. That new

plan, called the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, or SAVE, was created by the Biden administration but has been paused by the courts. SAVE offers the lowest payments and fastest track to loan forgiveness of any federal repayment plan, which is what got it into trouble. Republican state attorneys general have argued in court that the White House does not have the authority to create a plan as expensive as SAVE, which could cost hundreds of billions of dollars. While the court's debate, some 8 million borrowers enrolled in SAVE remain in limbo, not having to make payments.

But for borrowers looking to change plans, the Education Department just reopened to older options that it had phased out. Corey Turner, NPR News. And from Washington, you're listening to NPR News. Authorities in Texas say the driver of a pickup truck had crashed into a J.C. Penny store and kept driving while fleeing police is dead, fatally shot by law enforcement officers. Sergeant Brian Waschko is with the Texas Department of Public Safety. He did drive through the front door of the J.C. Penney store, striking four people.

Those people were transported with severe, some with severe, minor injuries. And there was one other patient that I actually found out was a walk in that the emergency room relating to this incident. Washco says the injured range in age from six to seventy five years old. It happened at a busy mall in Killeen, north of Austin, the state capital. The baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ricky Henderson has died. Henderson stole more bases than anyone else during his career. SUNY College from member station KALW in San Francisco has died. Henderson stole more bases than anyone else during his career. Suni Collin from member station KALW in San Francisco has more. A native

Oaklander, the flamboyant Henderson went from playing on local sandlots to a 25 year career in the major leagues, which included two stints with his hometown Oakland A's. Regarded as one of the greatest leadoff hitters ever, Henderson held several major league records including 1,406 stolen bases and nearly 2,300 runs scored. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. Henderson's death was announced in a statement Saturday by his wife Pamela. She said her husband would be remembered as a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul. He died just days before his 66th birthday on Christmas.

For NPR News, I'm Sunni Khaled in San Francisco. This is NPR News.