NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2024 3AM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 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, I'm Dale Willman. The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month will make his first court appearance in New York State Supreme Court later today. As NPR's Amy Held reports, he's set to be arraigned on state murder charges.

Luigi Mangione is set to be formally charged by the state on 11 counts after a Manhattan grand jury indicted him for murder as an act of terrorism. The DA says he did it for attention and intimidation. Since the attack, Americans have vented frustration over the health insurance industry. Mangione has already been charged in federal court with murder, stalking, and weapon offenses. Anne pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state trial expected first. Mangione's attorney says federal charges on top of the state ones are highly unusual and raise constitutional concerns.

She says they intend to fight. Amy Held, NPR News. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is back in Washington, D.C. after traveling to Israel, Egypt and Qatar over the past week. Speaking on CNN's GPS program, he says the U.S. is focused on making sure the situation in Syria doesn't spiral out of control. The overthrow of the Syrian government this month has left the situation on the ground fluid, he says, and that means any number of groups may be able to take advantage of the chaos, but he's most concerned with one particular group.

The single biggest concern I have is the resurgence of ISIS. ISIS loves vacuums. And what we see in Syria right now are areas that are basically ungoverned because of the fall of the Assad regime, and ISIS is doing everything it can to try and take advantage of those, to regrow its capability to threaten Europe, threaten the United States, threaten Americans all over the world. Millions of people are traveling for the holidays and some are facing delays at airports and problems because of wet roads.

MPHER's Sean DeLis Duster has more. Travelers at several airports like Boston Logan International Airport have experienced delays because of snow and ice. Heavy fog has also been the blame for hundreds of delays at San Diego International Airport. Nearly 3,500 flights in and out of the U.S. have been delayed as of Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service says rain will fall

across parts of the West Coast early this week, and snow will blanket portions of the Great Lakes. Travel will also be messy for some on Christmas Eve because of thunderstorms and wintry weather. The National Weather Service also says travelers in the northeast could see one to three inches of snow. TSA says travelers should arrive at airports early and allow more time to check luggage and move through airport security. Chandelis Duster, NPR News. An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 5.9 has hit off the eastern coast of Cuba, that's according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

So far, there have been no reports of any damage there. You're listening to NPR News. Police in New York City have a man in custody following the death of a woman in a subway car earlier Sunday. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says the woman may have been sleeping when she was set on fire. Officers who were on patrol on an upper level of that station smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate. What they saw was a person standing inside the train car, fully engulfed in flames. With the help of an MTA employee and a fire extinguisher, the flames were put out. Unfortunately, it was too late and the victim was pronounced on the scene.

The man was identified by three teenagers after they saw video of the incident that was released by police. The holidays may be a time when you start noticing memory loss and family members you don't see every day. Stephanie Columbine with members stationed WSF reports and some warning signs to watch out for. Tampa resident Melissa Malone says she was worried when her mom, who loved Christmas, hadn't decorated one year. She didn't seem to realize the holiday was approaching.

When Malone helped her put up her tree, memories about ornaments they cherished weren't clicking. Months later, her mom was diagnosed with dementia. The signs can be so minute and so spaced out. And as a family member, you're so close to them, you're almost in denial. The Alzheimer's Association says if your loved one seems withdrawn or has trouble completing familiar tasks, those are some signs they should see a doctor.

For NPR News, I'm Stephanie Columbini in Tampa. And I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. Hi, I'm Catherine Maher, CEO of NPR, where we're guided by a bold mission, to create a more informed public. Join us today by giving at donate.npr.org.