NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2024 6AM 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 in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. The White House says President Biden has commuted the death sentences of 37 men on federal death row. NPR's Deepa Sivaram says Biden changed these to life in prison terms without the possibility of parole.

He says his decision to commute the sentences for the 37 men was guided by his conscience, his experience as a public defender, his time as a senator, vice president and president. And Biden said, quote, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. And Piers Deepa-Shivaram reporting. But Biden did not lift death sentences for three people. They include Robert Bowers, convicted of the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, Dylan Roof, convicted of the mass shooting at a black church near Charleston, South Carolina, and Jokar Tsarnaev, who bombed the Boston Marathon. The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO,

Brian Thompson, earlier this month will make his first court appearance in a Manhattan courtroom today. NPR's Amy Held reports, Luigi Mangione is facing murder charges in the state of New York. 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. And 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.

President-elect Trump was in Phoenix yesterday where he spoke at the closing of a conservative political conference. For Member Station KJZZ, Cameron Sanchez has more. The convention is called America Fest and is put on annually by a conservative nonprofit called Turning Point. One of the attendees is college student James Hart who says that Trump gives his generation a voice. You know, Trump isn't super young, but he has that young energy, that young male's need. You know, somebody they can look up to and say, I want to be like that.

I want to be, you know, successful. I want to have a family. And I want to build a house and stuff like that. A crowd of thousands was hyped up by an emboldened slate of speakers, including Trump himself. He touted his cabinet picks, thanked his supporters, and doubled down on promises he's made on the campaign trail. For NPR News, I'm Cameron Sanchez. During his remarks, Trump also demanded that the U.S. regain control of the Panama Canal. Panama's president says that's a non-starter.

Trump also wrote online the U.S. needs to own and control Greenland. That is a district of Denmark that partially governs itself. During his first term in the White House, Trump said he wanted to buy Greenland, but Denmark told him no. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan say they're talking about merging. The combination would create one of the world's largest automakers Honda and Nissan say they're talking about merging. The combination would create one of the world's largest automakers. The new interim Syrian leader is trying to assert control over the rebel factions that

helped topple the Assad regime. And Piyar's Hadil al-Shalchi has more from Damascus. Interim Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharif said his government will soon announce the new structure of the defense ministry. Wearing a suit and tie instead of fatigues, Sharjah spoke alongside the Turkish foreign minister, the first to visit Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime two weeks ago. Sharjah said that rebel factions will begin to dissolve and that all weapons should come under state control, including those held by Kurdish-led groups like the Syrian Democratic

Forces or SDF. SDF has worked closely with US forces in the fight against ISIS. The interim government also said that the new defense ministry would include former rebel factions and officers who defected from Assad's army. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus. Separately, the Biden administration says it is dropping a 10 million dollar bounty for the capture of Syrian rebel leader al-Sharah. But his group, HTS, still remains a designated foreign terrorist organization. It was formerly closely aligned with al-Qaeda.

The Motor Club AAA says more than 119 million people will travel for the holiday season. Most of these people will be driving. There are some spots of weather motorists will need to watch for. These include winter weather advisories in Great Lakes states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as in New England. I'm Korva Coleman, 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.