NPR News: 12-25-2024 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: Detailed Summary of December 25, 2024, 9 AM EST Episode

Published on December 25, 2024

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1. Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash in Kazakhstan

Breaking Incident:

At the outset of the episode, Louise Schiavone reports a tragic aviation accident:

"An Azerbaijan airlines plane carrying 67 people on board has crashed in Kazakhstan, according to Kazakh officials." ([00:17])

Details of the Crash:

Fatma Tanis provides further insights into the incident:

"The plane was flying from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia when it notified the airline that it was making an emergency landing in Kazakhstan. The plane then caught fire and crashed." ([00:36])

Kazakh authorities responded swiftly, deploying numerous emergency units to the crash site to assist survivors and recover bodies. The majority of passengers were Azerbaijani, with additional nationals from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan onboard. The Azerbaijani government has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

2. President-Elect Donald Trump's Stance on Capital Punishment

Policy Shift Announcement:

Louise Schiavone highlights a significant development in U.S. federal death penalty policies:

"President elect Donald Trump is promising to expand capital punishment after President Biden this week commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row to life imprisonment." ([01:12])

Reaction from Advocacy Groups:

Abraham Bonowitz, Executive Director of Death Penalty Action, comments on the situation:

"We're absolutely grateful for what President Biden has done, but he needs to finish the job. Every person that's left on the federal and the military death throes is being handed over to Donald Trump for execution." ([01:42])

Bonowitz emphasizes that while Biden's commutations are appreciated, the remaining individuals on death row are poised to face execution under Trump's promised policies. Trump has yet to specify which additional offenses may become punishable by death.

3. Stock Market Rally Hopes Amid Year-End Trading

Market Performance Overview:

Louise Schiavone introduces the topic of stock market movements leading up to Christmas:

"Stocks rallied on the day before Christmas, raising hope it could be the start of what investors call a Santa Claus rally." ([02:07])

Analysis by Financial Expert:

Rafael Nam delves into the specifics of the market behavior:

"It was a shorter trading day, but stocks gained strongly, with the S and P and the NASDAQ up by over 1%... Traders are hopeful we could see [a Santa Claus rally] this year." ([02:22])

Nam explains that historically, the final trading sessions of the year and the beginning of the new year tend to perform well, fostering investor optimism. Although recent months saw fluctuations post the November election of Donald Trump, the Christmas Eve surge has revitalized hopes for a robust year-end performance.

4. White Christmas Weather Across the United States

Weather Update:

The episode transitions to weather-related news with Louise Schiavone reporting:

"Heavy mountain snow in the west and freezing temperatures that have preserved snow that fell this week in parts of the Northeast are delivering a white Christmas to lots of Americans today." ([03:03])

This significant snowfall is affecting various regions, contributing to the festive ambiance for many households celebrating the holiday.

5. Civil Suit Against Alec Baldwin Pursued by Helena Hutchins' Family

Legal Proceedings Update:

Louise Schiavone sheds light on ongoing legal actions involving actor Alec Baldwin:

"The family of the late cinematographer Helena Hutchins says they are pursuing their civil suit against actor Alec Baldwin." ([03:03])

Despite recent developments where New Mexico prosecutors decided not to appeal the dismissal of charges related to Hutchins' death during a movie rehearsal, the family's civil case moves forward. The incident occurred on the set of the film Rust near Santa Fe in October 2021.

6. Stress Over Political Discussions During the Holidays

Public Sentiment on Family Discussions:

Louise Schiavone introduces a social commentary segment:

"Nearly 40% of adults say they're stressed about the possibility of political discussions coming up at the holidays." ([03:51])

Expert Insight:

Katia Riddle presents findings from a recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association:

Dr. Vale Wright states, "It's not selfish, and it doesn't mean you don't care about the issues." ([04:06])

The survey reveals that a significant portion of Americans intends to avoid political conversations during holiday gatherings to maintain harmony. This avoidance sometimes extends to distancing from family members and, in some cases, questioning the very notion of celebrating the holiday season amidst political tensions.

7. American Airlines' Technology Glitch Disrupts Holiday Travel

Travel Disruptions Reported:

Louise Schiavone reports on operational challenges faced by American Airlines:

"American Airlines flights were back in the sky yesterday after a technology glitch at the airline led the FAA to ground their planes briefly." ([04:21])

Impact on Travelers:

According to Aviation Analytics company Cirium:

"Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. 19 flights were canceled." ([04:21])

Despite the inconvenience caused by the technological issues, the pilots' union noted that, generally, there was no widespread chaos. This incident coincided with the peak of pre-Christmas travel, amplifying the significance of the disruption for holiday travelers.

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This summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, and insights from the NPR News Now episode aired on December 25, 2024. For more detailed coverage, listeners are encouraged to access the full episode.

Transcript

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[Louise Schiavone]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. An Azerbaijan airlines plane carrying 67 people on board has crashed in Kazakhstan, according to Kazakh officials. Authorities say at least 29 people had Surv the crash and were taken to the hospital. NPR's Fatma Tanis has more.

[Fatma Tanis]

The plane was flying from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia when it notified the airline that it was making an emergency landing in Kazakhstan. The plane then caught fire and crashed. According to Kazakh authorities, Dozens of emergency units were deployed to the site to recover bodies and help survivors. Most of the passengers were were from Azerbaijan, but there were also citizens from Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on board. The government of Azerbaijan says it has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Fatma Tanis, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

President elect Donald Trump is promising to expand capital punishment after President Biden this week commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row to life imprisonment. The pardons do not include cases of terrorism and hate motivated mass murder. Three federal inmates still face execution. Advocates against the death penalty praised Biden's move in general, but some are not completely satisfied. Abraham Bonowitz is the executive director of Death Penalty Action.

[Abraham Bonowitz]

We're absolutely grateful for what President Biden has done, but he needs to finish the job. Every person that's left on the federal and the military death throes is being handed over to Donald Trump for execution. And one of the motivations that the president articulated in his statement was that he understood that and wanted to head that off. But he's left seven people for Donald Trump to execute, which Donald Trump has promised to do.

[Louise Schiavone]

For his part, Trump has not specifically explained which additional offenses he wants to make punishable by death. Stocks rallied on the day before Christmas, raising hope it could be the start of what investors call a Santa Claus rally. NPR's Rafael Nehem explains.

[Rafael Nam]

It was a shorter trading day, but stocks gained strongly, with the S and P and the NASDAQ up by over 1%. Stocks traditionally have done well in the last five trading sessions of the year and in the first two of the new year, hence the nickname Santa Claus rally. And now traders are hopeful we could see one this year. Stocks had surged after the election of Donald Trump in November, but they have given up some of those gains in December. The bump on Christmas Eve, though, has has investors hoping for a stronger end to the year. In Wall Street. Rafael Nam, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

Heavy mountain snow in the west and freezing temperatures that have preserved snow that fell this week in parts of the Northeast are delivering a white Christmas to lots of Americans today. This is NPR News in Washington. The family of the late cinematographer Helena Hutchins says they are pursuing their civil suit against actor Alec Baldwin. Despite this week's development in the case. New Mexico prosecutors announced Monday they will not pursue an appeal of a court's decision to dismiss the charge in the death of Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set of the movie Rust outside Santa Fe in October 2021. Nearly 40% of adults say they're stressed about the possibility of political discussions coming up at the holidays. NPR's Katia Riddle reports.

[Katia Riddle]

A recent report shows that most Americans plan to avoid political discuss discussions over the holidays. Dr. Vale Wright is with the American Psychological Association. That's the group that conducted this survey. She says not talking about hard stuff at these moments is understandable.

[Dr. Vale Wright]

It's not selfish, and it doesn't mean you don't care about the issues.

[Katia Riddle]

Possibly to evade these uncomfortable conversations, nearly 40% of adults said they were avoiding family members. They disagree with this holiday season altogether. Katie Arettle, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

American Airlines flights were back in the sky yesterday after a technology glitch at the airline led the FAA to ground their planes briefly. Americans say the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. 19 flights were canceled. The timing couldn't have been worse. Coming at the peak of pre Christmas travel, the pilots union said that in general, there appeared to be no chaos. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News.

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