NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-24-2024 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 25, 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 Jack Spear. The city of Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Christmas was canceled there for the most part last year because of the war in Gaza. It will be celebrated this year, but as NPR's Emily Fang reports from Bethlehem, the mood is somber.

The West Bank's economy has shrunk by about a fifth this year, mostly because Israel froze work permits for tens of thousands of Palestinians living here. And both Christian and Muslim residents of Bethlehem, most of whom are Palestinian, say they cannot fully celebrate Christmas while the war in Gaza is ongoing, and at least 45,000 Palestinians there have been killed. Caroline Eliyateen lives nearby Bethlehem and baits a whore, what's called Shepard's Field, because in the Bible, shepherds there receive news of Jesus Christ's birth. She says people used to come here and pray during the holidays.

Now there is no one. It is an area of ghosts. Emily Fang and Pia News, Bethlehem, The West Bank. One of the busier travel days of the holiday season got off to a difficult start after American Airlines was forced to ground flights nationwide due to a technological glitch. And while it wasn't a lengthy outrage, thousands of flights were delayed as a result, with some cancelled. Americans said the problem was fixed in about an hour, with the FAA ending a national ground stop. Bad weather in some parts of the country is also leading to canceled or delayed fights on this Christmas Eve.

A man is facing murder and arson in charges for allegedly lighting a woman on fire on the New York City subway. Samantha Max November station WNYC has more. Prosecutors say 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta approached a woman as the train pulled into the Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn. Then they say he set her clothing on fire, fanned her with a shirt, then got off the train as she burned to death. The identity of the woman has not yet been released. The medical examiner's office ruled her death a homicide by a combination of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Authorities say it does not appear that the suspect knew his victim. Zapeta allegedly a combination of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.

Authorities say it does not appear that the suspect knew his victim. Zabetta allegedly told law enforcement after his arrest that he drinks a lot of liquor and doesn't know what happened. A judge ordered him to be held in jail without bail while a grand jury decides whether to indict him. Zabetta's defense attorney declined to comment after his arraignment. For NPR News, I'm Samantha Maxx in New York. Union leaders say a strike by workers at Starbucks locations began on Friday, grew to nearly

300 stores today. The final plan day of what is being built is a five-day walkout by employees. The union says Starbucks has also had not offered meaningful wage hikes and has been unrealistic during contract negotiations. The company calls the union's demands unrealistic and cites total benefits package. It says differentiates itself as an employer. You're listening to NPR News in Washington. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is erupting for a second straight day.

So far the eruption has stayed within Kilauea's summit inside Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is erupting for a second straight day. So far, the eruption has stayed within Kilauea's summit inside Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park and no homes have been threatened. Molten rock began spewing out of the volcano before dawn Monday. It's hard to say they expect activity at the site to fluctuate in the days ahead. The latest eruption occurred in an area that's been closed to the public since 2007. As 2024 comes to a close, it's almost certain to be the hottest year on record. MPR's Lauren Summer reports global temperatures were even warmer than scientists had expected. The current title holder for hottest year is 2023.

Last year, average temperatures across the globe were the warmest since record keeping began in the mid-1800s. Now, it's looking like 2024 will take the top spot. That's largely due to climate change. Burning fossil fuels is adding heat trapping gases to the atmosphere. There was also an El Nino, a natural pattern where the Pacific Ocean releases heat. But even after the El Nino faded, temperatures stayed warm.

So scientists are determining if other things played a role, like a lack of cloud cover. No matter what year claims the title, it's part of a bigger trend. The past 10 years have been the warmest 10 years on record. Lauren Summer, NPR News. Pope Francis opened the gates today at St. Peter's Basilica, kicking off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church, expected to draw 32 million pilgrims to Rome and also test the stamina of the Pope and the Eternal City's ability to welcome them all. This year's Christmas Eve Mass starts the once-every-25-year tradition known as Jubilee. I'm Jack Spear The next message comes from Wondery Kids and the number one kids science podcast, Wow in the World. Be wowed by fascinating companion audio stories that come exclusively with each Wow in the

World STEM toy. Shop the full collection today at Amazon.com slash Wondery Kids.