NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-25-2024 11AM EST

Episode Date: December 25, 2024

NPR News: 12-25-2024 11AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Tourists in Paris flock to Christmas Eve Mass at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It was the first Christmas celebration there since a devastating fire tore through the medieval landmark in 2019. Worshippers and other visitors marveled at the cathedral restoration. Some American tourists in Paris crafted their trips to ensure they could attend Christmas Eve services at Notre Dame. Officials in Ukraine say they have received the first billion dollars in promised loans from the United States backed by proceeds of frozen Russian

assets. The funding comes as part of a 50 billion dollar loan plan created by G7 leaders last summer. NPR's Brian Mann has more from Kyiv. Ukraine's Prime Minister Dnysh Schmahal said on social media the first billion dollars have arrived. That's out of 20 billion in loans expected from the U.S. With an additional 30 billion in support slated to come from other big industrial G7 countries, including Britain and Canada. We thank our American partners and the World Bank for this important step toward justice, Schmahal said. The arrangement allows countries to support Ukraine's economy and military with massive loans with payback coming from revenue from Russia's overseas assets frozen after the

2022 invasion. Russian officials have condemned the arrangement as fraudulent, posting on social media that loans and other support for Ukraine will prolong the war. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv. It's official, the United States now has a national bird. As NPR's Jacob Fentzen reports, President Joe Biden signed a bill finally giving the bald eagle its due. The regal bird of prey has been a national symbol since at least 1782. That's when the bald eagle first appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, grasping an olive branch and arrows in its talons.

But the eagle was never officially recognized as the national bird. Naturally, this ruffled the feathers of bald eagle enthusiasts who've been lobbying Congress for years. The bald eagle's native range includes almost the entire country. In the mid-1900s, the birds were in danger of extinction, largely due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT. In 1963, there were only around 400 nesting pairs in the entire country, a rare sight for any birder.

Eagles have since made a massive comeback. There are now more than 70,000 pairs. Jacob Fenston, NPR News. In Lakeville, Massachusetts, this week a police officer on patrol early Sunday morning spotted a pile of dozens of Amazon packages in the woods. The next day, an Amazon driver showed up to apologize, the driver saying they were just too stressed out. The packages were redistributed.

This is NPR. Five men have been sentenced by a Dutch court for taking part in attacks on Jewish and Israeli soccer fans last month. Terry Schultz reports the harshest punishment of up to six months in prison was lighter than prosecutors were seeking. Three of the men were convicted on Tuesday of acts of violence during the November 7th riots in Amsterdam, where some Jewish and Israeli soccer fans were physically attacked. The other two suspects were found guilty of making statements on social media and sharing

information that contributed to the violence. The man who was given the longest sentence, six months in prison, was seen in images shown to the court, kicking a person on the ground, chasing fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv team, and punching people. Others received shorter jail terms and for a minor community service. More than 60 suspected perpetrators were arrested after the incidents and police are still trying to identify more. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schultz. King Charles dedicated his Christmas address to the British medical workers who cared for

him during his cancer battle and who treated his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales. The address was delivered not from a royal palace but from the chapel of a former hospital in central London, which is now used for community purposes. The King, his wife Camilla, and close members of his family attended Sunday services at the family's historic Scottish retreat in Sandringham. The AP Female Athlete of the Year is Kaitlyn Clark. She led Iowa to the National Championship Game, was the top pick in the WNBA draft, and captured Rookie of the Year honors in the league. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR

News, Washington.