NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-29-2024 11PM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 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 Dale Willman. Former President Jimmy Carter has died. He had spent much of the last two years in hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, and his family says he died peacefully.

Carter was 100 years old, making him the longest-lived American president. President Joe Biden mourned Carter's death and says the world lost a remarkable leader, statesman, and humanitarian with his passing. The entire Carter family on behalf of the world, the whole nation, we send our whole heartfelt sympathies and gratitude, our gratitude for sharing President Carter with us for so many years. You know, Jimmy Carter stands as a model of what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose, life of principle, faith and humility.

His life dedicated to others. And Biden said the world lost a friend when Carter died. Carter spent just one term in office before being defeated by Ronald Reagan. Carter's administration had many difficult issues to overcome, from an energy crisis and soaring inflation to the Iran hostage crisis. MPR's Stephen Fowler has more on the Carter presidency. Carter's time in office was a time of crisis. I mean, he's known now as a humanitarian waging peace, but when he was president, he had a

difficult road. He helped broker a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. He tried to bring the nation together in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. real in egypt he tried to bring the nation together in the wake of the vietnam war and the watergate scandal but he was president during a major economic crisis inflation the deeply deeply unpopular president one of the most unpopular president in the last several decades at the end of the term there was the iran hostage crisis which was ultimately part of what led to his loss once he left office carter built a reputation as a humanitarian and a champion of democracy.

He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and he eventually earned a Nobel Peace Prize. The president of Azerbaijan says Russian anti-aircraft weapons hit the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed this week, killing 38 people. Speaking on Azerbaijan television, Ilham Aliyev criticized Russian officials for initially denying any involvement. NPR's Brian Mann has more. President Aliyev said in the interview, we can say with complete clarity the plane was shot down by Russia. He added there's no evidence Russia struck the passenger liner intentionally.

But Aliyev accused Russia of trying to hush up the incident by giving what he described as delirious versions of the crash. He called for Russia to prosecute those involved and pay compensation. The plane was en route from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, a city in Russia, when it began to fly erratically, eventually crashing in nearby Kazakhstan. 29 people survived. In a statement, Aliev's office said he has spoken a second time with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the downed plane.

The statement offered no details about their exchange. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv. This is NPR News. A pair of men from Portland, Oregon have died while on a search for Sasquatch in Washington State. NPR's Sean DeLis Duster has more on their death and their search for the mythical Sasquatch. Police say a 37-year-old man and a 59-year-old man had been searching for the legendary creature known as Bigfoot in eastern Schamania County.

They were supposed to return home on Christmas Eve and were reported missing by a family member. After a three-day search beginning on Christmas Day, police say they found the men dead in a heavily wooded area of Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Police say their deaths appear to be caused by exposure based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness. While the creature's existence is unclear, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization says there have been more than 700 reports of Bigfoot sightings in Washington State alone. Harming the creature, if found, in Skamania County is considered a crime and can lead to jail time. Shondalese Duster, NPR News.

Two family films dominated the box office this weekend. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 took first place in ticket sales, bringing in 38 million dollars from North American theaters. Mufasa was a close second, with a take of 37.1 million dollars. The R-rated horror flick Nosferatu, meanwhile, had a surprisingly strong opening weekend. It brought in 21.1 million dollars. And the Thanksgiving release Holdovers, Wicked and Moana 2 continued to show life in the theater as they rounded out the weekend's top five. I'm Dale Willman and you're listening to NPR News.