NPR News: 12-31-2024 7PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: Episode Summary – January 1, 2025

Host: Windsor Johnston
Release Date: January 1, 2025
Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

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1. International Space Station Welcomes the New Year

As the world celebrates the arrival of 2025, even those orbiting above join in the festivities. Windsor Johnston opens the broadcast by highlighting the unique New Year's celebrations aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Key Highlights:

• Astronaut Celebrations: Butch Wilmore, one of the two Boeing astronauts currently aboard the ISS, extends New Year greetings from space.

  Butch Wilmore [00:31]: "Well, happy New Year from the International Space Station."

• Multiple Celebrations: Wilmore shares the exhilarating experience of welcoming the New Year multiple times due to the ISS's rapid orbit around Earth.

  Butch Wilmore [00:46]: "We'll get a go around the planet here every 90 minutes, so we'll get 16 New Year celebrations here on the International Space Station."

2. Global New Year Festivities

While astronauts celebrate in space, major cities around the world are gearing up for grand New Year's events.

Key Highlights:

• United Kingdom and Ireland: Both nations are embracing 2025 with vibrant fireworks and musical performances.

• New York City: Times Square remains the epicenter of New Year's Eve celebrations in the U.S., with expectations of over a million attendees witnessing the iconic crystal ball drop at midnight.

3. Power Outages Plague Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve

A significant portion of Puerto Rico plunged into darkness on New Year's Eve, prompting federal intervention.

Key Highlights:

• Cause of Outage: A failed underground power line triggered a cascade effect within Puerto Rico's already fragile electrical grid, remnants of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

  Kayvon Antonio Haidari [01:38]: "Puerto Rico's latest outage was caused by a failed underground line, which started a cascade in the outdated electrical grid pulverized by Hurricane Maria in 2017."

• Impact: Over 1 million residents, including individuals like Roberto Olson, were left without electricity. The loss affected daily activities, with Butch Wilmore noting the widespread traffic light outages.

  Butch Wilmore [01:55]: "The lights went out this morning, early this morning. We can't travel anywhere in the island. All of the traffic lights are out."

• Response and Restoration Efforts: While airports and flights in San Juan remain operational, the energy company Luma anticipates that full power restoration could take up to three days. The Biden administration has extended federal assistance to expedite the recovery process.

  Kayvon Antonio Haidari [02:04]: "Energy company Luma says it could take up to three days for full power restoration."

4. Biden Administration Proposes Protection for Nevada's Ruby Mountains

Environmental conservation takes center stage as the Biden administration seeks to shield Nevada's Ruby Mountains from energy development.

Key Highlights:

• Protected Area: Nearly 300,000 acres of the Ruby Mountains are set to be safeguarded from future oil, gas, and geothermal drilling for the next 20 years.

• Cultural and Environmental Significance: The region is not only a haven for fishing and bird watching but also holds ancestral importance for the Tomoe tribe of Western Shoshone Indians, who advocated for its protection.

• Policy Details and Reactions:

  • The administration's announcement includes a two-year freeze on fossil fuel extraction and a 90-day public comment period.
  • Environmentalists, represented by the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized the move as "incomplete," pointing out the absence of provisions against gold mining.

  Nate Perez [02:28]: "But some environmentalists were not satisfied. In a statement, the Center for Biological Diversity called the protections incomplete, pointing out it does not ban gold mining."

• Political Context: While this protection marks a continuation of the administration's conservation efforts, there's uncertainty surrounding its permanence with the incoming President-elect Donald Trump, who may reverse these protections.

5. Medicare Introduces New Cap on Drug Spending

Significant financial relief is on the horizon for Medicare recipients, thanks to a pivotal provision in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Key Highlights:

• New Cap Implementation: Starting January 1st, out-of-pocket drug spending for Medicare beneficiaries will be capped at $2,000 annually.

• Expected Impact: The White House projects that approximately 19 million seniors and individuals with disabilities will benefit, each saving an average of $400 per year.

  Windsor Johnston [03:13]: "The White House estimates an estimated 19 million seniors and people with disabilities will save an average of $400 per year."

6. Biodiversity in Focus: New Species Discovered in 2024

Amidst a global biodiversity crisis, 2024 has been a fruitful year for scientists discovering new life forms.

Key Highlights:

• Notable Discoveries:

  • Australia: A biologist uncovered a fluffy longhorn beetle adorned with spindly white hairs.
  • Madagascar: Researchers identified an orchid boasting a foot-long nectar spur.
  • Japan: Divers found a new sea squirt species resembling a panda bear in a skeleton Halloween costume.
  • Unique Amphibians: Discovery of a frog species that resides its entire life within a tree leaf.

• Urgency in Documentation: Many of these species are rare, and scientists emphasize the need to catalog them swiftly before irreversible losses occur.

  Jonathan Lambert [03:58]: "Many of these new species are relatively rare, and amid the planet's ongoing biodiversity crisis, researchers are racing to describe them before it's too late."

7. Bird Flu Concerns in U.S. Dairy Herds

Health officials are monitoring an uptick in bird flu infections, predominantly affecting dairy herds in California.

Key Highlights:

• Human Cases: Over 65 individuals have contracted bird flu in the U.S. over the past year. However, the risk to the general public remains low, as most cases result from close contact with infected animals.

  Windsor Johnston [04:31]: "Almost all the human cases of bird flu have occurred after someone had close contact with infected animals."

• Current Situation: The majority of infections are confined to agricultural settings, with ongoing efforts to prevent further spread.

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This episode of NPR News Now provides a comprehensive snapshot of the most pressing news stories as the world transitions into the new year. From celestial celebrations to significant environmental policies and public health updates, listeners are kept informed on a diverse array of topics impacting both local and global communities.

Transcript

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[Windsor Johnston]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Astronauts on the International Space Station are wishing everyone a happy New Year as the clock strikes midnight at this hour.

[Butch Wilmore]

Well, happy New Year from the International Space Station.

[Windsor Johnston]

That was Butch Wilmore. He's one of the two Boeing astronauts who've been stranded in orbit for months. He says it's not often that you can bring in the new year more than once.

[Butch Wilmore]

We'll get a go around the planet here every 90 minutes, so we'll get 16 new year celebrations here on the International Space Station.

[Windsor Johnston]

The United Kingdom and Ireland are welcoming 2025 at this hour with fireworks displays and musical performances. In New York City, celebr are underway in Times Square, where more than a million people are expected to gather to watch the crystal ball drop at midnight. President Biden has spoken to the governor of Puerto Rico as the island works to restore power after widespread outages left most of the island in the dark on this New Year's Eve. The White House has offered the US Territory federal assistance to fast track restoration. More than a million Puerto Ricans are without electricity. Kayvon Antonio Hidari reports it could take days to get the lights back on.

[Kayvon Antonio Haidari]

Puerto Rico's latest outage was caused by a failed underground line, which started a cascade in the outdated electrical grid pulverized by Hurricane Maria in 2017. This leaves more than 1 million people, including Roberto Olson, without power and strategy.

[Butch Wilmore]

The lights went out this morning, early this morning. We can't travel anywhere in the island. All of the traffic lights are out.

[Kayvon Antonio Haidari]

People are resorting to generators, but San Juan's airports and flights are functioning normally. Energy company Luma says it could take up to three days for full power restoration. For NPR News, I'm Kevon Antonio Haidari.

[Windsor Johnston]

The Biden administration is proposing to protect a stretch of northeast Nevada from energy development for the next 20 years. NPR's Nate Perez reports.

[Nate Perez]

The move would protect nearly 300,000 acres of Nevada's Ruby Mountains from future oil, gas and geothermal drilling. The region is popular for fishing and bird watching. And it's the ancestral homeland of the Tomoe tribe of Western Shoshone Indians who had requested the protection. The Biden administration has made several announcements protecting public land since the November election. President elect Donald Trump could reverse many of the announcements once he's in office for now, the announcement protects the land from fossil fuel extraction for two years, and it opens a 90 day window for public comment. But some environmentalists were not satisfied. In a statement, the center for Biological Diversity called the protections incomplete, pointing out it does not ban gold mining. Nate Perez, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

This is NPR News. In Washington, Medicare recipients are about to save a big chunk of money at the pharmacy counter. Starting January 1st, there will be a $2,000 cap on out of pocket drug spending. The provision was part of the Inflation Reduction act signed by President Biden in 2022. The White House estimates an estimated 19 million seniors and people with disabilities will save an average of $400 per year. Every year, scientists describe thousands of new species, and 2024 was no different. NPR's Jonathan Lambert highlights some not added to the scientific record.

[Jonathan Lambert]

This year in Australia, a biologist discovered a fluffy longhorn beetle covered in spindly white hairs. Researchers in Madagascar described an orchid with a foot long nectar spur. And divers in Japan discovered a new species of sea squirt that looks like a panda bear wearing a skeleton Halloween costume. There was even a frog who lives its whole life in a tree leaf. Many of these new species are relatively rare, and amid the planet's ongoing biodiversity crisis, researchers are racing to describe them before it's too late. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

Health officials say bird flu is infecting more dairy herds, mainly in California. More than 65 people have caught the virus in the US over the past year, but researchers say the risk of catching the virus remains low for most of the public. Almost all the human cases of bird flu have occurred after someone had close contact with infected animals. This is NPR News.

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