NPR News: 12-31-2024 12PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: Episode Summary – December 31, 2024, 12 PM EST

Released on December 31, 2024

---

1. U.S. Treasury Department Investigates Chinese Cyber Espionage

Host: Louise Schiavone
Segments: [00:26] – [01:44]

The U.S. Treasury Department is actively collaborating with the FBI and national security officials to investigate a recent cyber breach targeting several Treasury workstations. Identified as a state-sponsored attack from China, the breach allowed Chinese hackers unauthorized access to sensitive Treasury systems. Although the Treasury has successfully shut down this intrusion, the U.S. Government continues to identify new victims within this widespread espionage campaign.

Notable Quote:
Jenna McLaughlin reports, “Government spying on digital communications is nothing new. However, U.S. officials have been raising the alarm over a Chinese hacking campaign targeting U.S. telecoms, one that has given Beijing broad access to millions of Americans' phone records” (01:00).

---

2. Intense Offensive in Gaza Leads to Hospital Shutdown

Host: Louise Schiavone
Segments: [01:44] – [02:32]

As conflict in Gaza shows no signs of abating, Israeli forces have intensified their offensive in the northern region, resulting in the displacement of tens of thousands of residents. The latest development involves the shutdown of the last major hospital in northern Gaza after Israeli forces raided the facility and detained numerous doctors and nurses. Israel asserts that the hospital had been utilized as a Hamas stronghold for several months.

Notable Quote:
Aya Batrawi explains, “With no ambulances able to work, no rescue services able to operate and pull people from the rubble, this hospital, Kamen Aduan, became people's only lifeline” (02:14).

---

3. Expansion of the Seal of Biliteracy Across U.S. High Schools

Host: Louise Schiavone
Segments: [02:32] – [03:22]

High school graduates from all 50 states are now eligible to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, a recognition awarded to students who have attained proficiency in English and one or more additional languages. A recent report highlights a significant increase in multilingual literacy, attributing this growth to the widespread adoption of the seal.

Notable Quote:
Janaki Mehta reports, “The idea is for the program to recognize English learners rather than to see them as having a deficit. It also helps connect students with employment opportunities where their language skills might be relevant” (02:46).

---

4. Power Outage Affects Over 1.3 Million in Puerto Rico

Host: Louise Schiavone
Segments: [03:22] – [04:09]

Puerto Rico faced a significant power outage as the new year began, leaving more than 1.3 million customers without electricity. Officials anticipate that restoring the power grid could take up to two days. The outage is believed to have been caused by a failure in an underground power line. This incident underscores the island's ongoing struggles with weakened infrastructure, a vulnerability exacerbated by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

---

5. Managing Physician Workload Through Online Medical Billing

Host: Louise Schiavone
Segments: [04:09] – [04:46]

The increasing reliance on patient portals for medical communication has led to a surge in messages to doctors, thereby escalating the workload for healthcare providers. In response, institutions like the Mayo Clinic have implemented billing for these online interactions, charging patients up to $50. Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that this approach has resulted in an 8.8% reduction in message volume, with minimal impact on patients' out-of-pocket costs.

Notable Quote:
Yuki Noguchi states, “Sending messages to doctors allows patients to avoid some in-person visits. But the massive influx of messages has added a workload for staff” (04:09).

---

6. Northern Lights Visible Across the U.S. and Stock Market Update

Host: Louise Schiavone
Segments: [04:46] – [05:04]

Residents from the Pacific Northwest to the coast of Maine have the opportunity to witness the northern lights tonight. On the economic front, Wall Street saw a downturn with the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreasing by 75 points and the NASDAQ dropping by 70 points.

---

Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the informative segments of the podcast.

Transcript

[Ramtin Arablouei]

Hi, I'm Ramtin Arablouei from Throughline. Electricity, Internet, cell service, all the things we rely on every day can be unreliable or inaccessible in an emergency. But through any storm or crisis, radio is a lifeline. Support the resource that's here for you no matter what. Give [e-mail] live from NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

In Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. The U.S. treasury Department is working with the FBI national security officials to investigate a breach earlier this month of several treasury workstations by what it is calling a state sponsored actor in China. The agency says that Chinese hackers access to treasury systems was shut down. The US Government is still finding new victims of the widespread espionage campaign from the Chinese hacking group that broke into U.S. telecoms to spy on Washington's elite. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports.

[Jenna McLaughlin]

Government spying on digital communications is nothing new. However, US Officials have been raising the alarm over a Chinese hacking campaign targeting US Telecoms, one that has given Beijing broad access to millions of Americans phone records. Verizon and ATT say they've finally evicted the Chinese hackers from their networks. But President Biden's deputy national security adviser Ann Neuberger recently said that the US Government has found a new victim of the spying operation. President Elect Trump's incoming national security adviser, Mike Walz has vowed to use offensive cyber attacks in response to efforts like China as telecom spying. But Experts are urging U.S. officials to focus on defense like basic cyber hygiene first. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

With no ceasefire in sight, the last major hospital in northern Gaza is now shut down. Israeli forces raided it and detained many of its doctors and nurses. Israel says the hospital was being used as a Hamas stronghold for months. Israeli forces have engaged in an intense offensive at Gaza's northern edge, displacing tens of thousands throughout the operation. This one hospital carried on treating patients. NPR's Aya Batrawi reports. The impact is profound.

[Aya Batrawi]

Many saw this as a starve or leave policy aimed at permanently expelling them from the territory. And a lot of them had to leave. The airstrikes were so severe and they were starving. But you know, with no ambulances able to work, no rescue services able to operate and pull people from the rubble, this hospital, Kamen Aduan, became people's only lifeline.

[Louise Schiavone]

NPR's Aya Batraoui. High school graduates in all 50 states can now earn what's called a seal of bailout. A new report shows multilingual literacy is increasing because of it. NPR's Janaki Mehta reports.

[Janaki Mehta]

The seal of biliteracy was established a decade ago in California to encourage high schoolers to learn a language other than English. That state is still where the highest number of seals was earned between 2022-23, nearly 38% of them. And not only are students learning more languages across the country, they're also earning the seal for a greater number of languages. The idea is for the program to ra recognize English learners rather than to see them as having a deficit. It also helps connect students with employment opportunities where their language skills might be relevant. Janaki Mehta, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

This is npr. Nearly all of Puerto Rico started the last day of 2024 in the dark as more than 1.3 million customers were without power early. Officials say it could take up to two days to restore the system. A private company, Luma Energy, oversees electricity and transmission in Puerto Rico. The says it appears the outage was caused by a failure in an underground power line. The island in general is struggling with a weak infrastructure that was smashed when Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm, hit Puerto Rico in 2017. People often reach out to their doctors through patient portals, adding to physician workload. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports. New research suggests that billing for online medical advice might help.

[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 helped curtail messages without adding significant costs for patients. Yukin Iguchi, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

From the Pacific Northwest to the coast of Maine, it could be possible to see northern lights across the nation's north tonight on Wall Street. The Dow is down 75 points. The NASDAQ is off 70. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

[Unknown Sponsor]

Listen to this podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to npr news +@ +npr.org that's +npr.org.