NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-30-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 30, 2024

NPR News: 12-30-2024 9AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Biden says he's lost a dear friend following yesterday's death of former President Jimmy Carter at the age of 100. Biden has declared Thursday, January 9th, the day of mourning for the late president. Funeral planning is underway. Carter's work as president is drawing fresh appreciation. Some are considering his environmental legacy. NPR's Jeff Brady reports a key focus for Carter was securing U.S. energy supplies. With the 1973 Arab oil embargo and concern that oil and gas supplies were dwindling, President Carter highlighted energy efficiency. He 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. There's been a bitter online argument among supporters of President-elect Trump. It's over an aspect of immigration. Many opponents have written online to criticize immigration programs, including the use of the H-1B visa. This visa is typically used by employers in the U.S. to hire workers from other countries for specialty occupations. Opponents say only Americans should be considered for these specialized jobs.

The New York Republican Congressman Mike Lawler says he opposes any effort to get rid of the H-1B visa. You cannot have no immigration at all. It will cripple the economy long term. He spoke to ABC's this week. President-elect Trump has said over the weekend he supports the use of the H-1B visa. Syria's de facto leader says it could take up to four years for his country to hold elections following the recent ouster of longtime President Bashar al-Assad by rebels and Piers Diahadeed reports from Damascus.

Ahmad al-Sharah spoke to Saudi owned Al-Arabiya to lay out his vision for the country barely three weeks after his rebels overran Damascus earlier this month, forcing the former leader Bashar al-Assad to flee. Shah Raha said elections would take time because the country had not had a proper census in years and because Syria needs a new constitution. Shah Raha says he hopes to hold a national conference with Syrian representatives who can set the agenda. He says at the conference, he'll dismantle the group he leads, HTS, or Hayat Tahrir Asham.

Dear Hadid, NPR News, Damascus. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, stock futures are lower. This is NPR. Officials are trying to learn why a South Korean passenger jet crash landed at Mwan Airport yesterday. 179 people were killed, two others survived. The plane skidded on the tarmac after its landing gear did not deploy. It crashed into a concrete fence and exploded. It is the deadliest plane accident ever on South Korean soil. On January 1, Belgium will become the first European Union country to ban disposable electronic

cigarettes, often called vapes. Terry Schultz reports Belgium is pressing the EU to adopt tougher anti-smoking laws across the bloc. Terry Schultz, The New York Times, Newsweek, New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New

York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, is significantly tightening regulations on all smoking, including the prohibition on sales of disposable e-cigarettes. Tobacco products may no longer be sold at temporary locations like festivals. Beginning April 1st, that will include large food establishments. As of December 31st, new restrictions will tighten existing limitations on smoking in public areas like parks and sports fields, and around entrances to schools, hospitals and public libraries. Authorities want to discourage people from picking up the habit and to protect non-smokers from second-hand effects.

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroek is calling on the EU to update tobacco legislation in all its 27 countries. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. In the U.S., deadly storms across the South have killed several people this weekend from North Carolina to Texas. There were dozens of tornado reports on Saturday and Sunday. The storms brought flash flooding and thousands of customers lost power for hours. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.