NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-26-2024 9PM EST

Episode Date: December 27, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. The head of the World Health Organization says he was in Yemen at the airport when it was hit by Israeli airstrikes. In Piers Vatmotanis has more. Dr. Tedros Adnanam-Gebreyesus said he was just about to board a plane in the Yemeni city of Sana'a when the airport came under bombardment. One crew member was injured, he said, and two other people were reportedly killed. He said the air traffic control tower, the departure lounge and the runway were all damaged.

Tedros said he was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff there and to assess the humanitarian situation in the country. Israel said it hit the airport, two power stations and ports on the coast, as it vowed to target Houthi leaders and infrastructure in Yemen after the group's repeated missile attacks at Israel since the beginning of the war in Gaza last year. Fatma Tanis, NPR News. President Biden vetoed a bill this week that would have created dozens of new federal judge

positions. NPR's Azma Khalid reports on why he rejected this effort that some lawmakers felt could help with a judicial backlog. The bill calls for 66 new federal judgeships over the next three presidential terms. The Senate passed this legislation in the summer with strong bipartisan support, but House Republicans failed to take up the bill

until Donald Trump's victory in November. In a letter to Congress explaining his veto, Biden described the House's actions as hurried and said the bill failed to resolve questions about how the new judgeships are allocated. Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana, was the lead author of the bill, and he's criticizing Biden's decision. In a statement, he wrote, quote, issuing this veto is partisan politics at its worst. Asma Khalid, NPR News. Health officials are warning people not to feed their animals raw pet food

after bird flu was detected in one brand. That's after reports of some cats falling ill and dying. Bird flu has been spreading for years in wild birds, chickens, turkeys and other animals. It was confirmed first in the U.S. in dairy cattle in March. Raw meat can be dangerous or fatal because raw pet food that's made with turkey or poultry can harbor the virus. Michael Bailey is a veterinarian and the incoming president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. We do have many reports of cats particularly. There have been some reports of dogs also, but cats particularly acquiring bird flu predominantly from raw food sources. So

this goes with raw milk as well as raw meat. So I'm going to say raw proteins. One brand, Northwest Naturals, recently issued a recall after a pet cat died. with raw milk as well as raw meat. So I'm gonna say raw proteins. One brand, Northwest Naturals, recently issued a recall after a pet cat died from bird flu. Asian markets are trading higher at this hour than Ikea and Japan, up 1.1%. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Richard Parsons, who held top positions

at Time Warner and Citigroup, has died. He was 76. As NPR's Rafael Nam reports, Dick Parsons, as he was widely known, will be remembered as a troubleshooter who helped fix troubled companies. Known for his affable personality, Parsons is remembered as one of the business world's most prominent black leaders. Born in New York, Parsons started his career in law and then joined Dime Savings Bank of New York during the late 1980s. That was his first

fix-it job, helping the lender emerge from a savings and loans crisis. His bigger turnaround jobs came next. Parsons was a time warner when he was sold to AOL. To this day, it's seen as one of the worst corporate deals ever, but Parsons was a Time Warner when he was sold to AOL. To this day, it's seen as one of the worst corporate deals ever, but Parsons was credited with helping save Time Warner. He had another major fix-it job at Citigroup, steering the bank in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Parsons also had a turnaround jobs at the Los Angeles Clippers, cementing his reputation as the ultimate troubleshooter.

Raf El-Nam, NPR News. Mortgage rates rose again this week for the second week in a row. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average 30-year note rose to 6.8 percent this week, the highest level since mid-July. Many economists say they think rates will remain above 6 percent for the next year. Meanwhile, the popular 15-year mortgage note also rose. It's now at 6% this week. U.S. futures contracts are trading lower at this hour.

I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.