NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-28-2024 8AM EST

Episode Date: December 28, 2024

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Giles Snyder, MPR News in Washington. Live from MPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. President-elect Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to pause a law that could ban TikTok next month. NPR's Bobby Allen reports a high court is set to hear oral arguments over TikTok's future in two weeks. President-elect Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to pause enforcement of a law that bans TikTok nationwide on January 19th, the day

before Inauguration Day. That's shortly after the High Court is set to hear oral arguments over whether the ban is constitutional. It was possible the Supreme Court would have stayed the start date even before the request to allow for time for a decision. But Trump's filing claims he possesses the consummate deal-making expertise to negotiate a way to save TikTok while dealing with the national security concerns. Trump did not take a position on the legal questions facing TikTok, which the court will hear arguments over on January 10th. The Justice Department is pushing for the ban, saying TikTok's China-based owner makes it a national security risk.

Bobby Allen, NPR News. Now to New York, where State Attorney General Letitia James has released body cam videos that show the beating of a handcuffed man in a state prison. He died the next day. From member station WNYC, Charles Lane has more. The videos capture the moment Robert Brooks was carried to a medical exam room at the Marcy Correctional Facility in northern New York. Multiple corrections employees can be seen punching and kicking Brooks in the head, groin and other body parts. He appeared delirious during the beating. Of the 14 employees present during the incident, only four had body cameras

that were turned on, but they weren't activated and only recorded in standby mode without audio. Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the termination of the 14 employees involved in the incident or who failed to intervene. Criminal charges are also possible pending the outcome of James's investigation. For Imperial News, I'm Charles Lane in New York. The head of the World Health Organization has told the BBC it was public knowledge that he was in Yemen on Thursday when Israel launched airstrikes on Houthi targets. Dr. Tadros Ghebreyesus said regardless of whether or not he was there, the International Airport in Sana'a is a civilian

facility and should not have been targeted. The explosion was so heavy, and it's the departure lounge next to us that was hit, and of course later on the control tower. And Bozz who were at the control tower helping flights were killed. In Gaza the health ministry says Israel's army has detained the director of one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza. The announcement comes after the Israeli military forcibly shut down the Kamal AdAdwan hospital, saying it was being used as an operating base for Hamas fighters. Israel denies claims it entered the hospital or set fire to it.

The ministry says staff and patients were forced outside to strip in winter weather. This is NPR News. The White House says Russia may be responsible for this week's crash in Kazakhstan of a passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines. A spokesman says early indications suggest it could have been brought down by Russian air defense systems. An Azerbaijani official says the plane was subjected to what he called external interference. Russia is urging the public not to speculate until the investigation is complete.

38 people were killed in the crash. There is a single jackpot winner from last night's Mega Millions lottery drawing. That ticket worth more than a billion dollars. Details from reporter Steve Futterman. The one jackpot ticket was purchased in the small northern California town of Cottonwood, population a bit more than 5,000. According to Mega Millions officials, the ticket is worth an estimated $1.22 billion. It's not clear if the ticket was purchased by an individual or a group of people who

will share the prize. The winner or winners will have an option to collect the billion dollars plus over a 30-year period or take a lump sum immediate payment of nearly $550 million. The last jackpot was won more than three months ago on September 10th. Each time someone failed to win, the prize money went up. This is the fifth highest mega-million jackpot ever. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. Longtime sportscaster Greg Gumbel has died of cancer.

He was 78. His family announced Gumbel's died of cancer. He was 78. His family announced Gumbel's death in a statement released by CBS. In March, Gumbel missed his first NCAA basketball tournament since 1997 due to what he said at the time were family health issues. I'm Joel Snyder, NPR News.