NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-26-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: December 26, 2024

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Otograaff Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at otograaffcollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Officials in Gaza say Israel killed five journalists overnight as well as heavily bombing the northern parts of the Strip. Israel says it's targeting militants, not civilians or media workers. NPR's Emily Fang reports aid groups say the constant assaults are cutting off residents in northern Gaza from vital assistance.

Among those killed this week were five people, a television channel associated with a Palestinian militant group said were journalists. Israel says the people were Islamist fighters. Meanwhile, health officials at one of the last functioning health care facilities in northern Gaza say they continue to be under attack by Israel's military. Doctors there say an employee was seriously injured by shrapnel after what they say was a remote control robot detonated. Oxfam, the British aid group, says Israel has only allowed in 12 trucks of food and supplies to civilians in northern Gaza since October. Israel's military insists they do not target medical facilities

in only areas where they say militants are fighting. Emily Fang and Peer News, Tel Aviv, Israel. Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda are pushing forward with their plans to merge. The deal could create the world's third largest automaker. Both car companies are facing a big global change, the move to electric vehicles. And their biggest competitor in making EVs are Chinese automakers. China is selling more electric vehicles abroad, especially to consumers in Europe. And MPR's Rafael Nam says those growing Chinese EV sales in Europe are challenging the Japanese automakers. I think for people in the U.S., it's kind of hard to see the threat posed by Chinese automakers like BYD

because the U.S. has managed to prevent them from coming in with big tariffs and other restrictions. But in Europe, where I'm from, you can really see how successfully Chinese companies have pivoted to producing EVs. NPR's Raphael Naum reporting. This month, Congress passed a major bill to help military veteran caregivers. As NPR's Quill Lawrence reports, the bill will cost about a billion dollars over the next decade. Name for Senator and military family caregiver Elizabeth Dole, the act vastly expands caregiver benefits, especially for elderly or sick veterans who prefer getting help at home. Advocates say loved ones can often do a better job than hospitals or nursing homes.

Work done by military family home caregivers is estimated to save the VA tens of millions of dollars each year. In recognition of the relentless nature of the work, the Act also adds services for the caregivers themselves, including mental health support. The measure had been held up since last spring because it also expands access for veterans to get reimbursed for private medical care outside VA. In the incoming Trump administration, use of private care outside the VA system is expected to increase.

Quill Lawrence, NPR News. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, Dow futures are down about 160 points. This is NPR. Crews in Ukraine are repairing parts of the country's power grid following Russia's Christmas Day attacks. Russia fired scores of missiles and drones with explosives. Ukraine shot down many of them, but some got through and power and heat were knocked out across the country.

Much of the electricity has since been restored. In a statement, President Biden called the attacks outrageous. In Australia, officials have imposed a total fire ban in the country's second most populous state, Victoria. Multiple wildfires there are threatening rural communities. Christina Kuklia reports. Residents of central and western Victoria have been evacuated as authorities raise the wildfire risk to extreme in most of the state Thursday. Emergency management services say conditions are extremely

difficult for firefighters in the Grampians National Park. Residents in the area have been told to take shelter as it's too late to leave. The blaze has damaged over 135,000 acres of land. Authorities report considerable environmental damage, loss to livestock and properties and say they're preparing for possible damage to homes. Dangerous fire conditions are also threatening parts of South Australia and New South Wales, where farmers in several regions have been asked to stop harvesting due to the wildfire risk. For NPR News, I'm Christina Kukalja in Melbourne, Australia. Last evening in the U.S., celebrants marked the first night of Hanukkah by lighting the national menorah in front of the White House. Speakers at the event discussed hopes for peace during the holiday,

including in the Israel-Hamas war. They also cited the need to come together in unity to address anti-Semitism. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.