NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-27-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 27, 2024

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Oh, oh, oh, Santa here coming to you from the North Pole. We're the elves in our podcast division of just completed work on this season's best gift for public radio lovers. NPR plus give the gift of sponsored free listening and even bonus episodes from your favorite NPR podcasts, all while supporting public media. Learn more at plus dot NPR dot org. Live from NPR News in Washington, Ankora Vakulman, South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach the country's acting president. This is just weeks after members impeached the president for declaring martial law.

And Pierre's Anthony Kuhn has more from Seoul. Lawmakers in the opposition-controlled parliament voted unanimously to impeach acting president Han Deok-su for his refusal to appoint three justices to vacancies on the country's Constitutional Court. That court began hearings today on President Yoon So-nyeol's impeachment. Now they'll hear Han's impeachment, too. Han refused to appoint the justices because, he said, that's the job of a president, not an acting president. Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok has replaced Han as South Korea's new acting president. Choi said the government will now focus on stabilizing state affairs.

Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Seoul. KUHN-PARLIN, P.R. AZERBAIJAN AIRLINE SAYS IT HAS SUSPENDED FLEIGHTS TO SEVERAL RUSSIAN AIRPORTS FOLLOWING THE CHRISTMAS DAY CRASH OF ONE OF ITS PLANES. THE AIRLINE SAYS THAT PASSENGER PLANE CRASHED BECAUSE OF QUOTE, PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL airports following the Christmas Day crash of one of its planes. The airline says that passenger plane crashed because of quote, physical and technical external interference. It didn't elaborate. Images of the plane's tail show damage consistent with explosives.

The organization Reporters Without Borders says the number of journalists killed in conflict zones has reached a five-year high around the world. Clayton Weimer, executive director of RSF USA, says scores of journalists have been killed in Gaza alone. At least 145 journalists have been killed since October 7, 2023, in direct connection with their work, which is an important distinction that we like to make

at Reporters Without Borders because killing a journalist is on top of a war crime for killing a civilian is critical because you're also killing a witness to history. He spoke to NPR's Morning Edition. Advocates for homeless people say a US Supreme Court ruling this summer has encouraged cities to close their homeless shelters.

As Montana Public Radio's Erin Bolton reports, the Grants Pass ruling eliminated the requirement that cities offer people a place to go before they can ban sleeping in public. Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled on Grants Pass in June, the City Council in Kalispell, Montana revoked the Flathead Warming Center's zoning permit. Councilmembers claim the shelter attracts homeless people who then commit crimes. Attorney Jeff Rose, with the Institute for Justice, is helping the warming center sue the city. He says cities like Kalispell are closing shelters because they can impose camping bans

without offering a place to go. And if the city of Kalispell can do that, then it's open season on the homeless everywhere across the country. A handful of cases like this have cropped up nationwide. Rose hopes to take the Kalispell case to the Supreme Court. For NPR News, I'm Aaron Bolton in Kalispell, Montana. On Wall Street, Dow futures are lower. This is NPR. The Israeli military struck Yemen in its most serious attack yet against Houthi rebels.

They have been firing on Israel and attacking shipping in the Red Sea in support of Hamas. In yesterday's attack, Israel hit the airport in Yemen's capital. The runway and control tower were damaged. The head of the World Health Organization was in the Yemeni airport at the time. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was not hurt. At least six people were killed and dozens of others injured. Two senior Canadian cabinet ministers will be in Florida later today. They'll meet with members of President-elect Trump's incoming team.

Dan Karpanchuk reports they will advance talks that began a month ago. Newly appointed finance minister Dominique LeBlanc and foreign affairs minister Melanie Jolie are looking to build on what's been described as a positive call with Tom Homan, Trump's border czar. Last week Homan called border talks with Canada positive and said he was optimistic of a good border security plan. Canada began ramping up border security efforts after Trump threatened a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods entering the US unless Ottawa took tougher measures to address the flow of illegal drugs and migrants over the

border. Friday's talks in Palm Beach Florida will focus on what Ottawa has done so far to address Trump's border concerns, including a proposal to spend 1.3 billion dollars Canadian over the next five years to boost border security. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpanchuk in Toronto. Weather forecasters say a series of storms will continue to strike the West. Another storm system is moving into the Pacific Northwest with heavy rain and wind. I'm Korva Kuhlman, NPR News, from Washington.