NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2024 8AM 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 in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. President Biden says he's lost a friend following the death of former President Jimmy Carter yesterday at the age of 100. One of Carter's most enduring legacies was his decision to open formal diplomatic ties

with China. That happened at the start of 1979. NPR's John Rewich reports it ushered in an era of engagement that's been facing strains in recent years. The establishment of diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing helped bring China out of isolation and underpin the country's meteoric economic rise. For years, few questioned robust engagement, but the mood has shifted. President Trump launched a trade war against China during his first term, and President

Biden has cast the country as a competitor and tried to limit its access to U.S. technology. A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington paid tribute to Carter, though, saying the 39th president demonstrated, quote, extraordinary political courage and vision in normalizing ties with China. The spokesperson said China is ready to work with the U.S. to find what he called the right way to get along in the new era. John Ruech, NPR News. Investigators in South Korea are trying to learn why a plane skidded off a runway and crashed yesterday south of Seoul.

179 people aboard were killed in the crash of the Boeing 737-800 model. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to help. The president of Azerbaijan is demanding that Russia accept full responsibility for the downing of an airliner last week that claimed 38 lives. While the investigation is still underway, officials in Azerbaijan say it's clear Russian air defense weapons hit the plane. NPR's Brian Mann has more. For days after the crash, Russian officials offered theories about what might have downed the Azerbaijan Airlines jet that was en route to the Russian city of Grozny.

They suggested bird strikes or an explosion on board the plane might be the cause. In a televised address, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said it was certain the plane was hit by Russian weapons. He spoke through an interpreter. Compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, to the injured passengers and crew members. These are our conditions. In a statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin stopped short of accepting responsibility

but did apologize, quote, for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv. In the U.S., public health officials are tracking the status of bird flu among humans and among animals. Both are often exposed through raw milk products or raw meat that is sold as pet food to animals. And Pierre's Will Stone says there are other ways pets can be exposed. We do know that all kinds of mammals, including cats and dogs, can catch bird flu, and it can be serious, even fatal. The recommendation is keep them away from wild birds, also mice if possible, because the virus is still very widespread. NPR's Will Stone reporting.

On Wall Street, Dow futures are lower. This is NPR. The White House says President Biden is sending a fresh tranche of aid to Ukraine. It's worth nearly two and a half billion dollars. Biden says this is for security assistance. He says the United States has now spent all the money allocated by Congress to help Ukraine. This is happening before Biden leaves office on January 20th. The bestselling books of 2024 include a mix of historical fiction, self-help, and a newer

category called Romanticie. As NPR's Netta Ulibi explains, 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 bookas, and its sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury. Many of its characters are fairies. The other big romantic 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 Hannah. Her book, The Women, is about an army nurse serving on the frontlines 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 Ulipi, NPR News. Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is returning to a tournament in New York. He left the chess event last Friday in New York because he wanted to wear jeans. He was fined for breaking the dress code. Carlsen says the dispute has been resolved and he'll be back today.

I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.