NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2024 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 31, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The United States is announcing billions of dollars in additional military aid for Ukraine. NPR's Franco Ordoniez reports. President Biden announced almost $2.5 billion in defense assistance. He said in a statement that the aid would bring an immediate influx of capabilities as Ukraine continues to defend their independence from Russian aggression. Biden said the money includes $1.25 billion in military aid drawn from U.S. stockpiles and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package. Biden said the U.S. has now allocated all of the money he promised as part of that USAI

package. The aid is in addition to $3.4 billion in assistance announced by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. It all comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office, raising uncertainty about future support. Franco Ordonez, NPR News. President Biden has declared Thursday, January 9th, a day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100.

NPR's Jeff Brady reports Carter's work as president is drawing fresh appreciation for the mark he made on U.S. energy policy. With the 1973 Arab oil embargo and concern that oil and gas supplies were dwindling, President Carter asked Americans to turn down thermostats to save gas. He also boosted renewable energy installing solar panels on the White House in 1979. Honesting the power of the Sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil. Carter was warned about climate change but energy security was his primary concern.

He encouraged more domestic coal production. The country is now grappling with the greenhouse gases emitted from burning all that coal. Still, ambitious climate change policies today can be traced back to Jimmy Carter's work on conservation and alternative energy. Jeff Brady, NPR News. People often contact 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% 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. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has lost his bid to overturn a $5 million judgment that found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a New York City department store in the 1980s and later defaming her. The appeals court also rejected Trump's request for a new trial in the case. Five people have been charged in the death of musician Liam Payne. The British singer, formerly a member of One Direction, was on drugs when he fell from

a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October. NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports. An Argentine judge charged three people with manslaughter in connection with Liam Payne's death. One is a businessman who was with Payne during his stay in Argentina. The other two are managers of the hotel where Payne was staying when he died. The judge also ordered pre-trial detention

for an employee of the hotel and a waiter who allegedly supplied the singer with drugs. According to prosecutors, Payne's toxicological exams showed there were traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant in his system shortly before his death. The 31-year-old fell from a third-story balcony and died from injuries and external bleeding. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.

More than a dozen states may get a glimpse of the northern lights 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. This is NPR News in Washington.