NPR News: 01-07-2025 5PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 7, 2025, 5 PM EST

Presidential Funeral of Jimmy Carter

Jack Spear opens the episode with significant news regarding the former President Jimmy Carter. "The rare event that is a presidential funeral has made its way to Washington with the body of Jimmy Carter taken by horse-drawn caisson through the snowy streets of the nation's capital" (00:24). Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 last month, is being honored with a flag-draped casket escorted by military personnel to the Capitol Rotunda. This solemn event allows members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and the public to pay their respects. A formal state funeral is scheduled for Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral.

Immigration Bill 48 Passes the House

Jimene Bustillo reports on the recent legislative developments in immigration. "Democrats joined 216 Republicans in the House in passing the Lake and Riley Act, which would require the detention of any unauthorized migrant charged with theft or burglary" (01:19). Named after Lake Riley, a Georgia nursing student tragically killed last year by a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally, the bill has become a focal point for Republicans critiquing the Biden administration's border security policies. With the Senate now under Republican control, the bill could advance to a vote as early as Friday, though it will require bipartisan support to proceed to the president for approval.

President Elect Trump's Proposal to Rename the Gulf of Mexico

In an unexpected move, Donald Trump announced his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. "We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name" (02:14). However, Host clarifies that such a change cannot be effected unilaterally and would necessitate a formal proposal to relevant geographic names boards, accompanied by substantial justification for the alteration (02:25). NPR's Windsor Johnston highlights the complexities involved in renaming international bodies of water.

Polar Vortex Brings Severe Winter Weather

Jack Spear details the ongoing impact of a polar vortex affecting large parts of the United States. "Frigid temperatures that have settled across a large swath of the country, courtesy of what meteorologists call a polar vortex, apparently not going away anytime soon" (02:52). The severe winter weather has led to school and government office closures, thousands of flight cancellations, and significant disruptions to daily life. Economically, the adverse conditions have also negatively impacted Wall Street, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 178 points.

Devastating Earthquake in Western China and Nepal

A strong earthquake has struck western China and areas of Nepal, resulting in significant casualties. Jack Spear reports, "A strong earthquake that hit western China and areas of Nepal yesterday is now being blamed for at least 126 deaths in Tibet" (02:52). The magnitude 7.1 quake caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, leaving streets strewn with rubble and nearly 200 individuals injured. Rescue operations are underway, with workers utilizing heavy machinery to search for survivors amid the devastation.

Amazon's Blue Origin Launches New Glenn Rocket

Jeff Bromfield discusses Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's latest venture into aerospace. "The rocket is called New Glenn. It's built by Bezos Space company Blue Origin" (03:57). The New Glenn rocket distinguishes itself from competitors like Elon Musk's SpaceX by focusing on girth rather than height. "While Musk and SpaceX are currently attempting to develop the tallest rocket ever, Bezos is focusing on girth. The New Glenn rocket will be nearly twice as wide as the one SpaceX currently uses for most of its launches. That added circumference should allow New Glenn to carry larger payloads" (03:57). The rocket is slated for launch from Florida later this week, marking a significant milestone for Blue Origin.

Getty Images Acquires Shutter Stock in $3.7 Billion Deal

Jack Spear concludes the episode with corporate news, "Getty Images says it's agreed to buy rival Shutter Stock in a $3.7 billion deal" (04:40). This acquisition aims to create a comprehensive visual content company capable of delivering a wide array of images, videos, music, and other media products. The merger is expected to enhance the companies' ability to serve diverse customer needs more effectively.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the NPR News Now episode released on January 7, 2025. From significant political developments and global natural disasters to advancements in aerospace and major corporate mergers, the episode provides a broad overview of the pressing issues and events of the day.

Transcript

[Host Name]

Okay.

[NPR Announcer Name]

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[Jack Spear]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spe. The rare event that is a presidential funeral has made its way to Washington with the body of Jimmy Carter taken by horse drawn caisson through the snowy streets of the nation's capital. Members of the military escorting Carter's flag draped casket to the Capitol Rotunda where the 39th President will lie in state this week. Members of Congress, the Supreme Court justices and the public will be able to honor Carter there. Carter's body left the Carter Presidential center in Atlanta this morning, was flown to Washington aboard a special plane. Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 last month. A formal state funeral will be held Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral. The new Congress, meanwhile, is moving ahead on immigration just days after being sworn in. NPR's Amanda Bastille reports about House passage of Immigration Bill 48.

[Jimene Bustillo]

Democrats joined 216 Republicans in the House in passing the Lake and Riley act, which would require the detention of any unauthorized migrant charged with theft or burglary. The bill is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. A Venezuelan man who had entered the US Illegally was convicted of her murder. Lake and Riley's death became a rallying cry for Republicans criticizing the Biden administration's approach to border security. With the Senate now in Republican control, the bill could be voted on as soon as Friday, but Republicans will need Democratic support to send the measure to the president. Jimene Bustillo, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

President elect Donald Trump is floating plans to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico. NPR's Windsor Johnson reports on what it would actually take to change the name of an international body of water.

[Host Name]

During a wide ranging press conference at Mar a Lago, Trump announced his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name.

[Host Name]

Trump didn't specify when or how he intends to make the change, saying he would provide those details at a later date. But renaming a body of water isn't something that can be done unilaterally. It typically requires a written proposal to the relevant state or federal geographic names board in addition to a compelling reason for the change. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.

[Jack Spear]

Frigid temperatures that have settled across a large swath of the country, courtesy of what meteorologists call a polar vortex, apparently not going away anytime soon. The weather system that dumps snow in much of the US now threatens to dump more snow in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Winter weather system has shuttered schools and government offices and led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays. Once again, a day where it's what's good for Main street went the other way. On Wall street, stocks losing ground. The Dow is down 178. You're listening to NPR. A strong earthquake that hit western China and areas of Nepal yesterday is now being blamed for at least 126 deaths in Tibet. The quake damaged homes and left streets littered with rubble. Nearly 200 others were reportedly injured in the strong earthquake which hit a sparsely populated region. According to USGS, the magnitude 7.1 quake was felt several hundred miles from the epicenter. Rescue workers were digging through debris with heavy equipment, searching for survivors. A new rocket developed by Amazon, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is preparing to launch from Florida later this week. NPR's Jeff Bromfield has more.

[Jeff Bromfield]

The rocket is called New Glenn. It's built by Bezos Space company Blue Origin. In many ways, it's similar to rockets being developed by another billionaire, Elon Musk. Musk's company, SpaceX, launches rockets that can fly back and land their lower stage, making them cheaper and more reusable. New Glenn will try a similar approach, but in other ways it's different. While Musk and SpaceX are currently attempting to develop the tallest rocket ever, Bezos is focusing on Girth. The New Glenn rocket will be nearly twice as wide as the one SpaceX currently uses for most of its launches. That added circumference should allow New Glenn to carry larger payloads. Jeff Brumfiel, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Getty Images says it's agreed to buy rival shutter stock in a $3.7 billion deal. Companies say the move creates a visual content company which would be able to better deliver images, video, music and other products. Once again repeating this hour's top story, the body of former Jimmy Carter has arrived at the US Capitol rotunda to Lyon State. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News, in Washington.

[NPR Announcer Name]

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