NPR News: 12-25-2024 7AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 25, 2024, 7 AM EST

NPR's "News Now" episode released on December 25, 2024, delivers a comprehensive update on global events, touching on Christmas celebrations amidst conflict, humanitarian crises, acts of violence against the media, aviation accidents, veterans' affairs in the United States, and natural disasters. This summary distills the key points, insightful discussions, and significant conclusions from the episode, enriched with notable quotes and structured for clarity.

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1. Christmas Celebrations Amid Global Conflict

Host: Luis Schiavone
Contributors: Hadeel Al Shalchi

The episode opens with a contrast between the joyous Christmas celebrations worldwide and the subdued observances in conflict zones. Pope Francis led the Vatican's annual Christmas Eve service at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, where he delivered a hopeful message:

"Hope is not dead. Hope is alive, and it envelops our lives forever."
(00:12)

Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, midnight services at the Church of the Nativity lacked the usual festive lights and marching bands. This somber atmosphere is attributed to the ongoing conflict initiated two years prior by a Hamas terror attack in Israel, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.

In Damascus, Syrian Christians protested after a Christmas tree was burned, reigniting fears about the protection of minorities under the new Syrian leadership. Hadeel Al Shalchi reports that:

"Videos posted online showed pro-Christian armed men in pickup trucks waving flags and loudly honking their car horns. 'Raise your cross up high,' they chanted."
(01:14)

This incident underscores the tenuous position of religious minorities and the challenges faced in ensuring their safety and freedom of worship.

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2. Humanitarian Crisis in West and Central Africa

Host: Luis Schiavone
Contributor: Emmanuel Akinwatu

The United Nations' food agency has issued alarming reports indicating that over 40 million people in West and Central Africa are struggling to secure food, with the situation expected to deteriorate. The crisis is driven by a combination of climate change, economic instability, and the devastating conflict in Sudan.

Emmanuel Akinwatu elaborates on the Sudanese civil war:

"Both sides of the war have been accused of blocking aid in the areas that they each control, and that's the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF."
(02:22)

The RSF, controlling most of Darfur—a region previously devastated by genocide two decades ago—has been implicated in ethnic violence against African ethnic groups. The war has displaced millions, who remain isolated and deprived of essential humanitarian assistance.

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3. Violence Against the Media in Haiti

Host: Luis Schiavone
Contributor: Emmanuel Akinwatu

In a distressing development from Haiti, two reporters and a police officer were killed during a gang attack on a news conference held on Christmas Eve. The conference aimed to announce the reopening of Haiti's largest public hospital, which had been closed earlier in the year due to street gang control. This attack highlights the perilous environment for journalists and the broader struggle for stability and public services in Haiti.

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4. Aviation Accident in Kazakhstan

The episode reports on a tragic aviation incident involving an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines. The plane, carrying 67 passengers and crew, crash-landed in Kazakhstan. The emergency ministry confirmed:

"At least 29 people survived the crash and have been hospitalized. At least 30 people are likely dead, and some bodies have been recovered."
(03:45)

The crash underscores ongoing concerns related to aviation safety and the urgent need for effective emergency response mechanisms.

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5. President Biden’s Pardon for Gay Veterans Underutilized

Host: Luis Schiavone
Contributor: Quill Lawrence

In the United States, President Biden issued a blanket pardon in June 2024 for veterans dismissed from the military due to their homosexuality. However, the uptake of this pardon has been disappointingly low. Quill Lawrence explains:

"Only a handful of veterans have accessed the pardon since it was issued because of daunting Pentagon red tape."
(03:45)

Before the repeal of discriminatory laws in 2011, tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals were expelled from the military, stripping them of benefits and honors. While the White House promoted the pardon, bureaucratic hurdles within the Pentagon have deterred many veterans from applying. Conversely, the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a more accessible process for these veterans to secure healthcare and accrued benefits, encouraging those affected to reach out for assistance.

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6. Kilauea Volcano Activity Monitored in Hawaii

Host: Luis Schiavone

The episode also touches on natural disaster monitoring, specifically Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. Authorities report renewed activity, with molten lava remaining confined within the volcano's summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Fortunately, no residential areas are threatened. The affected zone has been closed to the public since 2007, ensuring safety despite the ongoing volcanic activity.

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Conclusion

NPR's "News Now" episode for December 25, 2024, provides a multifaceted overview of significant global events, from the intersection of faith and conflict during Christmas celebrations to pressing humanitarian and safety issues. Notable quotes from contributors like Hadeel Al Shalchi and Quill Lawrence offer poignant insights into these complex situations, emphasizing the enduring challenges faced by diverse communities worldwide.

Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Luis Schiavone]

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[Luis Schiavone]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Luis Schiavone. Christmas celebrations have been underway all over the world. This is the sound of the choir at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, where Pope Francis led the Vatican's annual Christmas Eve service. In his Christmas sermon, the pope preached, hope is not dead. Hope is alive, and it envelops our lives forever. But the bright lights and festive marching bands were missing in Bethlehem, where midnight services at the Church of the Nativity were subdued as the Holy Land mourns the loss of tens of thousands in a conflict triggered two years ago by a Hamas terror attack inside Israel. Syrian Christians took to the streets yesterday in the capital Damascus after a Christmas tree was burned. This comes as the new Syrian leadership tries tries to assuage worries that minorities and religious sects will be protected under their leadership. NPR's Hadil Al Shalshi reports from Damascus.

[Hadeel Al Shalchi]

Videos posted online showed pro Christian armed men in pickup trucks waving flags and loudly honking their car horns. Raise your cross up high, they chanted. The video of a Christmas tree being set on fire in a central Syrian city went viral, stoking worry and anger among Christians. The group currently in charge of Syria is Hay'etahri Hashem, or hts. It has roots in Al Qaeda and is a designated terrorist organization by the United States. Local HTS officials said that the culprits were not Syrian and that the tree would be put back up. The new prime minister also announced that December 25th and 26th would be public holidays in Syria. Hadeel Al Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.

[Luis Schiavone]

The UN's food agency is reporting more than 40 million people across west and Central Africa are now struggling to feed themselves with the situation expected to become more severe in the coming months. Analysts blame climate, economic instability and conflict in Sudan. A brutal civil war between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group has fueled a near unprecedented humanitarian crisis. NPR's Emmanuel Akinwatu has more.

[Announcer]

Both sides of the war have been accused of blocking aid in the areas that they each control, and that's the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, or rsf. And for example, the RSF control most of Darfur, and that's the region where there was a genocide 20 years ago. And there's been an outbreak of similar ethnic viol against African ethnic groups since the war started. There are millions of displaced people in this region, but they're almost completely isolated.

[Luis Schiavone]

NPR's Emmanuel Akinwatu. In Port au Prince, Haiti, two reporters and one police officer were killed in a gang attack on a news conference on Christmas Eve. The media conference had been called to announce the reopening of the country's biggest public hospital after street gangs had forced the hospital's closure earlier this year. This is NPR News in Washington. In Kazakhstan, an Embraer 190 aircraft flown by Azerbaijan Airlines and carrying 67 people, including crew, crash landed today. Kazakhstan's emergency ministry is reporting that at least 29 people survived the crash and have been hospitalized. At least 30 people are likely dead and some bodies have been recovered. In June, President Biden issued a blanket pardon for veterans kicked out of the military for homosexuality. But as NPR's Quill Lawrence reports, very few veterans have been able to take advantage of it.

[Quill Lawrence]

Before laws were repealed in 2011, tens of thousands of Americans got kicked out of the military for being gay, leaving them with no military benefits or honors. In connection with other clemency granted. This month, the White House has mentioned a blanket pardon of gay vets, but advocates say only a handful of veterans have accessed the pardon since it was issued in June because of daunting Pentagon red tape. The Pentagon did not respond to NPR's query about the exact number. The Department of Veterans affairs has a relatively much easier process and has encouraged gay veterans of any era to contact VA where they can likely qualify for healthcare and benefits they earned for serving in the military. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.

[Luis Schiavone]

Officials and scientists are monitoring Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, which was active again yesterday. Molten lava from the volcano on Hawaii's Big island has stayed within the mountain's summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. No homes were threatened. The eruption occurred in an area that has been closed to the public since 2007. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

[Announcer]

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