NPR News: 12-26-2024 5PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 26, 2024, 5 PM EST

Hosted by Jeanine Herbst

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1. President Biden Vetoes Federal Judgeships Bill

Overview: President Joe Biden has exercised his veto power against a bill aimed at creating 66 new federal judgeships over the next three presidential terms. This move has sparked debate among lawmakers regarding the management of the judiciary and the ongoing backlog of cases.

Details: The bill, which had garnered strong bipartisan support in the Senate during the summer, faced delays in the House, particularly after Donald Trump's victory in November. President Biden cited concerns over the allocation process of the new judgeships in his veto message, describing the House’s handling of the bill as "hurried" and inadequate in addressing key questions about judge distribution.

Notable Quote: Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana and the bill's lead author, criticized the veto, stating, “Issuing this veto is partisan politics at its worst” [00:38].

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2. WHO Director Survives Airstrike in Yemen

Overview: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesa, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), narrowly escaped injury during Israeli airstrikes at Yemen’s Sana'a Airport. The attack has heightened tensions in an already volatile region.

Details: While preparing to board a flight in Sana'a, Dr. Tedros witnessed the airport being bombed, resulting in injuries to a crew member and the deaths of two others. The strike damaged critical infrastructure, including the air traffic control tower and the runway. Dr. Tedros was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and assess the country’s dire humanitarian needs.

Notable Quote: Dr. Tedros recounted the incident, saying, “I was just about to board a plane in the Yemeni city of Sana'a when the airport came under bombardment” [01:28].

Context: Israel has stated that the strikes targeted Houthi leaders and infrastructure in response to persistent missile attacks originating from Yemen towards Israel, escalating the conflict that intensified following last year’s war in Gaza.

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3. Nigeria Faces Severe Economic Crisis Amidst Unrest

Overview: Nigeria is grappling with its most severe economic crisis in decades, marked by soaring inflation and widespread hardship. The situation has led to social unrest, including deadly stampedes at charity events.

Details: Despite recent reports of economic growth, the Central Bank of Nigeria has reported an inflation rate of 34%, making essential goods like food and energy increasingly unaffordable for the populace. This economic strain has resulted in public frustration and tragic incidents during charity distributions.

Notable Incident: Local authorities reported that approximately 60 people lost their lives in three separate stampedes at charity events across the country. In Ibadan, a city near Lagos, a charity event intended to aid children turned tragic when around 35 children died amidst the chaos [02:37].

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4. Wall Street Closes Mixed; FDA Ends Zepbound Shortage

Overview: The stock market experienced mixed results amid a holiday-shortened trading week, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the resolution of a significant drug shortage affecting obesity and type 2 diabetes treatments.

Market Summary: By the close of trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had risen by 28 points, whereas the NASDAQ fell by 10 points, and the S&P 500 declined by 2 points [03:02].

Drug Shortage Resolution: The FDA has lifted the official shortage status of Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro after a lawsuit prompted a reassessment of the situation. Despite some patients experiencing difficulties in obtaining prescriptions recently, the FDA concluded that the shortage has been adequately addressed.

Details: The agency based its decision on comprehensive data, including manufacturer inventory and projected demand. Additionally, the FDA consulted with patients, healthcare providers, and compounding pharmacies, which had been temporarily producing copies of the drugs during the shortage. Moving forward, these pharmacies will cease production of the copies [03:38].

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5. Tensions Escalate in the Baltic Sea Over Infrastructure Sabotage

Overview: Finnish authorities have detained a Russian-linked ship amid investigations into damage caused to critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, exacerbating tensions between Finland and Russia.

Details: The ship was apprehended after damaging the S Line 2 undersea power cable, which facilitates electricity transmission between Finland and Estonia. Additionally, several data cables were compromised, disrupting key communications and power supplies. Finnish officials have labeled the act as aggravated vandalism, raising concerns over the security of underwater infrastructure.

Context: This incident is part of a series of disruptions affecting vital underwater cables in the region. Reports indicate an increased presence of Russian ships in both the Baltic and North Seas, intensifying scrutiny over their activities related to the protection and potential targeting of critical infrastructure beneath the ocean’s surface [04:18].

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Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Biden vetoed a bill this week that would have created dozens of new federal judge positions. NPR's Asma Khalid wrote reports on why he rejected this offer effort rather that some lawmakers felt could help with the judicial backlog.

[Asma Khalid]

The Bill calls for 66 new federal judgeships over the next three presidential terms. The Senate passed this legislation in the summer with strong bipartisan support, but House Republicans failed to take up the bill until Donald Trump's victory in November. In a letter to Congress explaining his veto, Biden described the House's actions as hurried and said the bill failed to resolve questions about how the new judgeships are allocated. Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana, was the lead author of the bill, and he's criticizing Biden's decision. In a statement, he wrote, quote, issuing this veto is partisan politics at its worst. Asma Khalid, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The head of the World Health Organization says he was in Yemen at the airport when it was hit by Israeli airstrikes. NPR's Fat Matanis has more.

[Fatma Tanis]

Dr. Tedros Adnam Ghebreyesa said he was just about to board a plane in the Yemeni city of Sana'a when the airport came under bombardment. One crew member was injured, he said, and two other people were reportedly killed. He said the air traffic control tower, the departure lounge and the Runway were all damaged. Tedros said he was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN Staff there and to assess the humanitarian situation in the country. Israel said it hit the airport, two power stations and ports on the coast as it vowed to target Houthi leaders and infrastructure in Yemen after the group's repeated missile attacks at Israel since the beginning of the war in Gaza last year. Fatma Tanis, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

In Nigeria, the holidays are hard this year as the country deals with its worst economic crisis in decades. Despite recent quarters of economic growth, inflation has soared. The central bank puts inflation at 34, causing food, energy and necessities to become much more expensive. NPR's Emmanuel Ikinwotu reports. That's led to unrest, including stampedes.

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Local Police say about 60 people have died in three stampedes at different charity events around the country where people were giving out food and cash donations. One of those events was for children in Ibadan. It's a city just outside Lagos, and thousands of people arrived there with their kids, many of them arriving a day before the event even started. But then this charity event just became a tragedy. About 35 children died.

[Jeanine Herbst]

NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reporting. Wall street ended the day in mixed territory. By the closing bell on this holiday shortened trading week, the dow was up 28, the NASDAQ down 10s and P500 down 2. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The shortage of a popular obesity and type 2 diabetes drug is over. That's the Food and Drug Administration's decision after a lawsuit prompted it to re evalu whether it was right to remove Zepbound from its official shortage list in October. NPR's Sydney Lupkin has more.

[Sydney Lupkin]

Almost exactly two years after the shortage of Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro began, the FDA has declared the shortage to be resolved. The FDA has heard that some patients have had a hard time filling prescriptions recently, but it doesn't think that means the shortage is ongoing. The agency says it took many factors into account, including the drug manufacturer's inventory data and projected demand. It says it also spoke to patients, healthcare providers and compounding pharmacies, which had been temporarily allowed to make essentially copies of these drugs during the shortage. Compounding pharmacies will need to stop making copies in the coming months. Sidney Lupkin, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to Russia as they look into whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It's the latest in a series of incidents disrupting key underwater infrastructure. Police and border guards border the Eagle S and took control this after The S Line 2 undersea power cable was damaged. It carries electricity between Finland and Estonia. Finland calls it aggravated vandalism. Russian ships have been reported in the Baltic and North Seas over where critical infrastructure lies beneath the surface. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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