NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-25-2024 12AM 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, I'm Giles Snyder. As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office again, he has threatened a wide range of tariffs. It represents an about-face in the Republican Party, which once was known for boosting free trade, as NPR's Danielle Kershleven reports.

For decades, GOP party leaders boosted free trade, saying it promoted economic growth and international peace. Trump, however, has threatened blanket tariffs, plus additional tariffs on China and even allies Canada and Mexico. While elites long loved free trade, voters were more ambivalent, says Diana Mutts, political science professor at UPenn. She says Trump appealed to voters by making trade into a fight. Trade was emphasized by Trump as a means of dominating other countries, as a means of becoming the winner and them the losers. One big question next year is how many Republicans in Congress go along with him.

Danielle Kurzleben, NPR News. Overseas, a Russian missile has struck the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others. Zelensky was broadcasting his Christmas message at the time of the attack, as the BBC's Will Vernon reports from Kyiv. Standing in front of Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral, Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a Christmas message to an exhausted nation. When they look up at their skies, he said, Ukrainians want to see a Christmas star shining there, instead of Russian drones and missiles. As the message was broadcast, Mr. Zelensky's hometown, Kriviy Rih, came under attack.

Local authorities say a Russian ballistic missile slammed into a four-story residential block. Videos posted by officials show rescuers hauling injured people out of rubble. The BBC's Will Vernon reporting in New York, a man is facing murder and arson charges for allegedly lighting a woman fire on the city's subway. Samantha Max, a member station WNYC reports.

Samantha Max, WNYC Reporter, WNYC News. 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 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. Sabeta's defense attorney declined to comment after his arraignment. For NPR News, I'm Samantha Maxx in New York. This is NPR. Officials in Hawaii are keeping an eye on the Kilauea volcano this Christmas. Kilauea began erupting Monday and after a pause, lava re-emerged Tuesday morning. Scientists expect activity to fluctuate in the coming days. No homes are threatened. The eruption is occurring in an area that's been closed to the public since 2007. American Airlines is getting back to normal after federal authorities imposed a nationwide

ground stop Tuesday morning. The ground stop was issued at Americans' request and lasted for about an hour. American Blames Technology from one of its vendors that's needed to release flights. This week's Billboard charts are out and a Korean pop band has done something that's never happened before. Pure Stephen Thompson has more." Amid the usual holiday songs topping the Billboard charts, the K-pop group Stray Kids has done something truly unique. It's become the first act ever to have its chart history begin with six albums that all debut at number one. The newest is titled Pop.

["Stray Kids – Hop"] Until this week, Stray Kids were tied with the late rapper DMX, whose chart career began titled Hop. Until this week, Stray Kids were tied with the late rapper DMX, whose chart career began with five number one albums. Remarkably, all six of Stray Kids' chart-toppers have come out in the past three calendar years. The success of Hop is only the latest big moment for K-pop music. Since 2018, a whopping 19 different K-pop records have topped the Billboard charts, including six each for Stray Kids and the biggest K-pop act of them all,

BTS. Steven Thompson, NPR News. And I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News.