NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2024 10AM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. President Biden has declared January 9th as a day of national mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. He died yesterday at the age of 100. He'd been in hospice care for more than a year. Carter served as the nation's 39th president for one term, winning election in 1976. Despite notable accomplishments, he was voted out of office with anger, over-sowering inflation, and the Iran hostage crisis.

NPR's Stephen Fowler says that Carter drew a claim for work after he left the White House. His signature work with the eponymous Carter Center, along with his late wife Rosalind, vowed to quote wage peace through work on democracy, global health, human rights, including effectively eradicating this parasitic disease, the guinea worm in Africa. He was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. NPR's Stephen Fowler reporting. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the hospital recovering from what doctors

say was a successful surgery to remove his prostate. His hospitalization comes at a critical time. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports Netanyahu is standing trial for alleged corruption and Israel is fighting wars on multiple fronts. Doctors say Netanyahu's surgery went well and that quote there was no fear of cancer or malignancy. They added that quote we only hope for the best. The Prime Minister's office said Netanyahu was fully conscious and is recuperating in a bomb-proof underground recovery unit. Netanyahu is expected to remain in the hospital

for several days. Judges in his trial on corruption charges granted Netanyahu a three-day recess. At 75, he is one of the world's oldest leaders today. He has had health issues before, including a heart condition. Critics in Israel say they're concerned about his health as he deals with the war in Gaza,

active troops in Lebanon and Syria, and battles with Houthi rebels in Yemen. Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Tel Aviv. The World Meteorological Organization warns this year's record-breaking heat is likely to continue next year. It'll speed up climate change. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva

the WMO is calling for urgent action. WMO reports 2024 is set to be the warmest year on record. The United Nations Weather Agency says climate change has increased the number and impact of extreme weather events in all regions of the world. That included Hurricane Helene, which hit Florida, causing widespread flooding and wind damage. Historic flooding across West and Central Africa killed more than 1,500 people. Raging wildfires and severe drought have caused irreparable suffering and huge economic losses to countless millions. WMO is urging nations to slash the use of fossil fuel and promote renewable energy. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

Stocks are falling on Wall Street. The Dow was down 685 points. The Nasdaq is down 350. This is NPR. In South Korea, investigators are trying to discover what caused yesterday's plane crash south of Seoul. 179 people were killed when the jet landed at the airport. The plane's landing gear was not deployed.

It exploded after it crashed into a concrete barrier. Officials say they've recovered the plane's flight data recorders. The passenger jet was a Boeing 737-800 model. South Korean authorities will inspect all of these Boeing models now in service with the country's airlines. A new study looks at the effects of artificial light at night on coral reefs, and Piers Jonathan Lambert explains. Coral reefs exposed to artificial light at night are a lot more active, according to

research published in the journal Global Change Biology. Artificial light attracts more predatory fish and keeps daytime fish that would otherwise be asleep up and foraging for food. This could lead to less productive reefs over time. But the researchers say that simple actions, like turning off unnecessary lights or using motion detectors, can help preserve these ecosystems. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. Award-winning actress Linda Lavin has died of complications from recently discovered

lung cancer, according to her representative. She was 87 years old. Lavin won a Tony Award for the play Broadway Bound. Later, she won two Golden Globes. Those were some of her most beloved work. She played the title character on the TV show Alice. Launched in 1976, it featured a widowed woman who raised a son and worked as a waitress in Phoenix. Funeral services for Lavon have not been announced.

I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.