NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2024 5PM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 2024

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On the latest NPR Politics podcast, we look back on the life and legacy of Jimmy Carter. The former president died Sunday at the age of 100. And unlike other presidents, his accomplishments after leaving the Oval Office are arguably what most define his story. Listen to our remembrance of the 39th president on the NPR Politics podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Throughout the day, people in Atlanta have been gathering to pay their final respects to former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100. Georgia Public Broadcasting's Sarah Kalis reports people are using the Carter Presidential

Center as a spot of reflection. Local residents left flowers and candles at the sign at the entrance to the Carter Center to pay tribute to the former Georgia governor and 39th president of the United States. Tanner Jorgensen brought a Braves hat to leave in Carter's memory. So I know he's a big Braves fan, he was a good guy, he was definitely a Georgia legend, and it was good to be able to pay tribute anyway. Hope his family is at peace. hundred years old. That's amazing Accomplishment Carter the only president from Georgia left a long legacy of humanitarian work following his time in the White House

For NPR news. I'm Sarah Callis in Atlanta House Republicans are gearing up to elect a speaker when the new Congress begins on Friday. President-elect Donald Trump is throwing his support behind House Speaker Mike Johnson. NPR's Lexi Shibhittle reports the endorsement could be a boon for Johnson or a test of Trump's influence in Congress. Johnson is hoping to secure reelection without the drama that surrounded Kevin McCarthy's fight for the gavel in 2023.

But some in his conference were frustrated by Johnson's handling of the government spending bill that passed earlier this month, and Johnson can't afford even a handful of defectors. President-elect Trump wrote on social media that Johnson has his, quote, complete and total endorsement, also calling Johnson a good, hardworking, and religious man. But Trump also endorsed McCarthy in 2023, and it took him 15 rounds of voting to win the speakership. Lexi Shapittle, NPR News, Washington. People often reach out to their doctors through patient portals, adding to physician workload and burnout. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports new research suggests billing for online medical

advice can reduce the volume of messages. Sending messages to doctors allows patients to avoid some in-person visits, but the massive influx of messages has added a workload for staff. The Mayo Clinic was among those that began billing for those messages, up to a maximum of $50 in out-of-pocket cost for the patient. The result, according to research in the Annals of Internal Medicine, was a modest but meaningful 8.8 percent reduction in message volume. Only a tiny fraction of those, less than half a percent, resulted in a bill suggesting that the system helped curtail messages without adding significant costs for patients.

Yuki Noguchi, NPR News. President-elect Donald Trump has lost his bid to overturn a $5 million judgment. The decision found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a New York City department store in the 1980s and later defaming her. This is NPR News in Washington. The bestselling books of 2024 include a mix of historical fiction, self-help, and a newer category called Romanticie. NPR's Neda Ulubi reports it mixes fantasy and romance. Romanticies make up nearly half of the year's top ten bestsellers.

They include A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and its sequel A Court of Mist and Fury. Many of its characters are fairies. The other big romanticie is the book Fourth Wing and its sequel Iron Flame. The series by Rebecca Yaros features lots of dragons. But the top-selling book of 2024 was a historical romance by Kristin Hanna. Her book, The Women, is about an army nurse serving on the front lines of the Vietnam War. Other top sellers this year included a kids' book in the Dog Man series by Dave

Pilkey and the self-help book Atomic Habits. It is the only nonfiction book on this year's top ten list. Neda Ul Ulibi, NPR News. More than a dozen states may get a glimpse of the northern lights just in time for the new year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says solar storms could create colorful auroras starting tonight in several states, including Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Michigan. Parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and New York could also see the lights. Stocks traded lower today on Wall Street. At the close, the Dow was down 418 points. The Nasdaq Composite lost 235.

This is NPR News from Washington.