NPR News: 12-30-2024 5PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: Detailed Summary of December 30, 2024, 5 PM EST Episode

NPR News Now delivered a comprehensive update on the latest national and international news. This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode released on December 30, 2024.

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Remembering Former President Jimmy Carter

The episode opened with a heartfelt tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. Residents in Atlanta gathered at the Carter Presidential Center to honor Carter's legacy.

Notable Quote:

• Tanner Jorgensen (00:51): "So I know he's a big Braves fan. He was a good guy. He was definitely a Georgia legend, and it was good to be able to pay tribute in any way. Hope his family's at peace. 100 years old, that's an amazing accomplishment."

Carter, the only president from Georgia, is remembered not only for his tenure as the 39th president of the United States but also for his extensive humanitarian work post-presidency.

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House Republicans Strategize Speaker Selection with Trump's Endorsement

As the new Congress is set to convene on Friday, House Republicans are actively preparing to elect a new speaker. President-elect Donald Trump's endorsement of House Speaker Mike Johnson has become a focal point in this political maneuvering.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump (02:02): "Complete and total endorsement. Mike Johnson is a good, hard working and religious man."

Lexi Schapitel reported that Trump's support could either bolster Johnson's bid or test the extent of Trump's influence within Congress. Johnson aims to secure reelection smoothly, contrasting the tumultuous 15-round vote that led to Kevin McCarthy's speakership in 2023. However, internal frustrations within the Republican conference over Johnson's handling of the recent government spending bill could pose challenges.

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Mitigating Physician Burnout: Billing for Online Medical Advice

The podcast addressed the growing issue of physician burnout exacerbated by the increased use of patient portals. Yuki Noguchi highlighted new research suggesting that billing patients for online medical advice could alleviate some of the workload burdens on medical staff.

Notable Details:

• Research Findings (02:17): Implementing a billing system for online messages resulted in an 8.8% reduction in message volume.
• Patient Impact: Less than half a percent of patients received a bill, indicating minimal financial burden while effectively curtailing unnecessary messages.

Institutions like the Mayo Clinic have adopted this model, charging up to $50 for online consultations to manage the influx of patient messages.

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Donald Trump's Legal Defeat in E. Jean Carroll Case

A significant legal development was reported concerning President-elect Donald Trump, who lost his attempt to overturn a $5 million judgment. The court ruled that Trump was liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a New York City department store during the 1980s and for subsequently defaming her.

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2024 Best Selling Books: Rise of Romantasy

Neta Ulaby provided an overview of the year's top-selling books, noting the emergence of a new genre called "Romantasy," which blends romance with fantasy elements.

Highlights:

• Top Romantasy Titles (03:31):

  • A Court of Thorns and Roses and its sequel A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, featuring fairy characters.
  • Fourth Wing and its sequel Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, incorporating dragons.

• Top Bestseller:

  • The Women by Kristin Hannah, a historical romance about an army nurse serving in the Vietnam War, topped the charts.

• Other Notable Bestsellers:

  • Dogman series by Dave Pilkey (children's book)
  • Atomic Habits (self-help book), the sole nonfiction title in the top 10.

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Northern Lights Expected in Several States Thanks to Solar Storms

Listeners were informed about the potential to witness the northern lights across more than a dozen states due to solar storm activities.

Details:

• Affected States Include: Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and New York.
• Timing: Solar storms are set to create colorful auroras starting the evening of December 30th.

This meteorological event is anticipated to provide a spectacular natural display as the year concludes.

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Stock Market Update: Wall Street Closes Lower

The episode concluded with a brief update on the stock market's performance.

Market Performance (04:17):

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Decreased by 418 points.
• Nasdaq Composite: Fell by 235 points.

The overall sentiment was bearish, with investors reacting to various economic indicators and global events impacting the markets.

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This episode of NPR News Now effectively covered a diverse range of topics, from political developments and significant legal cases to cultural trends and scientific phenomena. The inclusion of direct quotes and timestamps provided clarity and authenticity to the discussions, making the summary valuable for those who did not listen to the full episode.

Transcript

[Catherine Marr]

Hi, I'm Catherine Marr, CEO of npr, where we're guided by a bold mission to create a more informed public. Join us today by [e-mail].

[Windsor Johnston]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Throughout the day, people in Atlanta have been gathering to pay their final respects to former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100. Georgia Public Broadcasting Sarah. Larry Kalas reports people are using the Carter Presidential center as a spot of reflection.

[Sarah Kalis]

Local residents left flowers and candles at the sign at the entrance to the Carter center to pay tribute to the former Georgia governor and 39th president of the United States. Tanner Jorgensen brought a Braves hat to leave in Carter's memory.

[Tanner Jorgensen]

So I know he's a big Braves fan. He was a good guy. He was definitely a Georgia legend, and it was good to be able to pay tribute in any way. Hope his family's at peace. 100 years old, that's amazing accomplishment.

[Sarah Kalis]

Carter, the only president from Georgia, left a long legacy of humanitarian work following his time in the White House. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Kalis in Atlanta.

[Windsor Johnston]

House Republicans are gearing up to elect a speaker when the new Congress begins on Friday. President elect Donald Trump is throwing his support behind House speaker Mike Johnson. NPR's Lexi Schapittel reports The endorsement could be a boon for Johnson or a test of Trump's influence in Congress.

[Lexi Schapitel]

Johnson is hoping to secure reelection without the drama that surrounded Kevin McCarthy's fight for the gavel in 2023. But some in his conference were frustrated by Johnson's handling of the government spending bill that passed earlier this month. And Johnson can't afford even a handful of defectors. President Elect Trump wrote on social media that Johnson has his, quote, complete and total endorsement, also calling Johnson a good, hard working and religious man. But Trump also endorsed McCarthy in 2023, and it took him 15 rounds of voting to win the speakership. Lexi Schapitol, NPR News, Washington.

[Windsor Johnston]

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.

[Yuki Noguchi]

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% 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.

[Windsor Johnston]

President elect Donald Trump has lost his bid to overturn a $5 million jud. The decision found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a New York City department store in the 1980s and later defaming her. This is NPR News in Washington. The best selling books of 2024 include a mix of historical fiction, self help and a newer category called Romantasy. NPR's Neta Ulaby reports. It mixes fantasy and romance.

[Neta Ulaby]

Romantases make up nearly half of the year's top 10 bestsellers. They include A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and its sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury. Many of its characters are fairies. The other big romantasy is the book Fourth Wing and its sequel, iron Flame. The series by Rebecca Yarros features lots of dragons, but the top selling book of 2024 was a historical romance by Kristin Hannah. Her book the Women is about an army nurse serving on the front lines, Vietnam War. Other top sellers this year included a kids book in the Dogman series by Dave Pilkey and the self help book Atomic Habits. It is the only nonfiction book on this year's top 10 list. Netta Ulibi, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

More than a dozen states may get a glimpse of the northern lights just in time for the new year. The national oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says solar storms could create colorful auroras starting tonight in several states, including Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Michigan. Parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and New York could also see the lights. Stocks traded lower today on Wall Street. At the close, the dow was down 418 points. The Nasdaq composite lost 235. This is NPR News from Washington.

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