NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-23-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

NPR News: 12-23-2024 9AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is scheduled to make his first appearance in a local Manhattan courtroom this hour. 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. The White House says President Biden has given clemency to nearly every prisoner on federal death row. The sentences of 37 men have been changed to life in prison without parole. Biden did not change death sentences for three men.

Two killed people at places of worship. The third bombed the Boston Marathon. President-elect Trump wants the U.S. to take back control of the Panama Canal. The U.S. relinquished that control in 1999 in accordance with the treaty. But speaking to a conservative conference in Phoenix yesterday, Trump says the canal fees are too expensive and Panama is not respecting U.S. generosity. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned

to the United States of America in full, quickly and without question. Panama's president quickly released a statement disputing that one reason Panama Canal fees have increased is because drought in Central America has made water more scarce. Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced they plan to merge, creating the world's third largest car maker behind Toyota and Volkswagen. MPR's Anthony Kuhn reports. The plan is for Honda and Nissan to have a formal merger agreement by June and establish a new holding company by summer of 2026. Mitsubishi Motors, which is partially

owned by Nissan, may also join the deal. Nissan has been struggling financially, and if Honda doesn't bail it out, analysts see it as a choice target for a foreign takeover. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said at a press conference that they need to pool resources to stay competitive in the world's largest car market, China, where local firms are squeezing out foreign carmakers. Mibe said the merger could still fall through, or as he put it, the possibility of this not being implemented is not zero. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Workers at Amazon facilities remain on strike in several cities. The Teamsters Union says the online retailer has failed to come to the bargaining table to hammer out labor contracts. Amazon says that the union does not represent all its workers, many of whom are third-party contractors. The Teamsters claim that nearly 10,000 Amazon workers have mobilized for the action. Auto Club AAA is predicting that more than 119 million people will travel over this holiday

season. Most of them are going to drive. But as NPR's Marie Andrusiewicz reports, winter weather is already disrupting plans. Fog and rain in the West and snow throughout the northern U.S. are contributing to treacherous driving conditions, flight cancellations, and even disruptions in train travel. According to the National Weather Service, those areas will continue to get hit with precipitation through at least mid-week, with more rain expected on the west coast and as much as three additional inches of snow in the northeast on Christmas Eve.

FlightAware's Misery Map tracks which airports have the most delays and cancellations, with hubs on the west coast hardest hit so far. The TSA has added 600 additional officers to help with the holiday surge but says travelers can still expect long lines and should plan on getting to the airport early. Marie Andrewsiewicz, NPR News. Discount supplier Party City is bankrupt and the company says it is starting to close down all of its operations. All of its locations are being sold for good and party supplies are being sold at deep discounts. Party City was founded almost 40 years ago. This is NPR.

All this year, NPR traveled the country, hearing from voters not just about the issues, but about their hopes for the country's future. We should be able to disagree with each other without bullying each other into submission. And what it means to be a part of a democracy. Invest in coverage that moves us forward together by giving today at donate.npr.org.