NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-31-2024 2PM EST

Episode Date: December 31, 2024

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Oh, oh, oh, Santa here coming to you from the North Pole. We're the elves in our podcast division of just completed work on this season's best gift for public radio lovers. NPR plus give the gift of sponsored free listening and even bonus episodes from your favorite NPR podcasts, all while supporting public media. Learn more at plus dot NPR dot org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. The war in Gaza continues and no ceasefire has been struck between Israel and Hamas. NPR's Emily Fang reports from Tel Aviv that ceasefire talks this year have been rocky.

There's still disagreement about which Palestinian prisoners and detainees Israel would release for surviving hostages in Gaza. Plus, Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire. Israel wants a temporary truce first. Jamal Zahaka, a former member of Israel's parliament who worked closely with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he thinks the prime minister is no longer in a rush to secure a ceasefire. I think Netanyahu is he thinks the prime minister is no longer in a rush to secure a ceasefire. I think Netanyahu is waiting for Trump.

He says Netanyahu believes he can get more concessions after Trump becomes U.S. president again because he sees Trump as a closer political ally. Emily Fang and Pierre News, Tel Aviv, Israel. Mexico is testing a cell phone app that allows migrants in the United States to alert their consulate if they think they're about to be detained. From member station KJZZ, Nina Kravinsky reports the app is part of Mexico's preparations in case of mass deportations next year. The app's alert button is designed so that with one tap, migrants who suspect they're about to be detained by the U.S. Immigration Department can let the Mexican consulate know. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will carry out mass deportations when he takes office in January.

Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente presented the app as one of the ways his country's consulates in the U.S. are preparing for that possibility. This permits us to be notified from the moment someone perceives imminent risk that they could be detained. He says the app is already being tested on a small scale and is working well. The Mexican government estimates there are nearly 5 million undocumented Mexican nationals in the U.S. For NPR News, I'm Nina Krovinski.

2024 has been a good year for stock investors. NPR's Scott Horsley reports on the year's double-digit market gains. The S&P 500 index is up more than 20 percent from a year ago, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped nearly 30 percent. Retail gasoline prices are also up slightly. AAA says the average price of regular gas climbed to just over $3.04 a gallon. That's still about 7 cents less than this time last year. New figures out of China show that country's manufacturing sector is still growing, but just barely. Government efforts to stimulate the world's second largest economy appear to be falling

short. Stocks were lower in Shanghai, but up in Hong Kong overnight. Markets in Tokyo and Seoul were closed for the New Year's holiday. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, except for the bond markets, trading closes as usual today, reopens the day after New Year's. At last check, the Dow was down 91 points, the NASDAQ off 167, this is NPR. During this difficult holiday season in Ukraine with frequent power cuts and missile strikes, many families are turning to the American film Home Alone for comfort. The movie has been a holiday staple in Ukraine for decades.

NPR's Brian Mann reports from Kyiv. The tale of Kevin, the little boy mistakenly left home by his parents, first caught on in Ukraine in the 90s and it's broadcast every year here. Anna Bondarenko, a long time fan of the movie, says Ukrainians love it. Because it's really a small kid, it's a universal language. Her son Sasha, who's 10, says the film is hilarious, especially when Kevin gets the best of bungling burglars. The film was so popular, there was a knockoff version made by a Ukrainian production company.

One of its stars was Volodymyr Zelensky, then a popular actor, now the wartime president of Ukraine. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv. Former U.S. Open doubles champion Gabriella Dabrowski, a 32-year-old Canadian who won the bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics, is revealing on Instagram she played championship-level tennis throughout 2024 after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Third ranked in women's doubles, she received the diagnosis in April, skipped competition

in that month in May due to surgery, but went back in June. Debrowski briefly delayed further treatment to compete at Wimbledon and declared early detection saves lives. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.