NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-31-2024 8AM EST

Episode Date: December 31, 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 Korva Coleman. The funeral plans for former President Jimmy Carter have been announced. His state funeral will be held in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, January 9th.

President Biden has ordered federal agencies closed on the 9th. One of Biden's last official acts as president will be to deliver Carter's eulogy. Biden will leave office on January 20th. His supporters say Biden has many accomplishments from his time in the White House, such as the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. And Piers Tamer-Keith says Biden is confident in his work. In his own self-assessment, Biden now argues that he's leaving the country in better shape than it was when he started. The unemployment rate is much lower than it was when Biden took office.

Crime is down. Wages are up. But so are prices. And globally, alliances may be stronger, but war is raging in the Middle East and Ukraine. NPR's Tamara Keith reporting. This year saw dramatic changes in abortion rights across the United States. It's been more than two years since the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion. NPR's Alyssa Nadwarni reports the issue

is now left up to the states. The number of abortions in the US continues to go up, despite the fact that access to it in the US is really a patchwork. In the South, from Texas over to Florida up to South Carolina, there's very limited access. But then in the Northeast or on the West Coast, there's protections. This fall, 10 states put abortion rights on the ballot, and for the most part, they voted in support of abortion rights. And yet, many states have GOP opposition in legislatures. Meanwhile, it's unclear what

the incoming Trump administration will do. Trump says he doesn't support a national abortion ban and he doesn't want to limit abortion medication. But anti-abortion groups who support him are urging him to use existing laws and regulations to make abortion less accessible nationwide. Elissa Nadwani, NPR News. A South Korean court has now issued an arrest warrant for suspended South Korean President Yoon Song-yol. This is over his failed declaration of martial law earlier this month.

NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul, Yoon is charged with insurrection and abuse of power. A Seoul District Court issued the warrant after Yoon ignored three summonses to appear for questioning. The Court rejected claims by Yoon and his lawyers that investigators have no jurisdiction over insurrection cases. Yoon was suspended from his official duties after Parliament voted to impeach him on December 14. Detaining Yoon may prove difficult, as his security detail has blocked investigators from executing court-approved searches of his office and residence on the grounds that they contain military secrets.

By law, Yoon has immunity against criminal prosecution, but that does not include charges of insurrection or treason. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The National Transportation Safety Board has brought a team of aviation experts to South Korea. They'll help investigate last weekend's plane crash that killed 179 people. South Korea's acting president has ordered improvements to the country's airline operation

system and South Korea has already started an emergency safety aviation inspection. This is for the South Korean airlines that used the Boeing 737-800 model that was involved in the deadly crash. 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. The Census Bureau says on New Year's Day there will be just over 8 billion people in the

world. That's an increase of more than 71 million people from last year. In the U.S., the agency estimates the population will be 341 million people. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.