Day: December 24, 2024

8AM ET 12/24/2024 Newscast
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AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports that Hannah Katzir, an Israeli woman who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and freed in a brief ceasefire last year, has died. She was 78.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on how Christmas saved a boom town that had gone bust.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports a septuagenarian Israeli woman who was taken hostage by Hamas has died; a senior Catholic clergyman in hopes for peace in 2025; and UN investigative team says Syria’s new authorities ‘very receptive’ to probe of Bashar Assad war crimes.

Facing a manpower shortage, Ukraine is relying more and more on unmanned flying attack drones. The visas used by foreign-born scientists is an immigration category expected to come under renewed scrutiny under the incoming presidential administration. And, a look at three new species added to the scientific record this year. Join the new NPR Plus Bundle to support our work and get perks like sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes across more than 25 NPR podcasts. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter . Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Miguel Macias, Gisele Grayson, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Claire Murashima and Ana Perez. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports Bethlehem citizens will have a quiet Christmas, with no public celebrations planned.

The U.S. has deported a convicted Colombian drug lord back to his country. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

Former congressman Matt Gaetz is continuing to deny and criticize the findings of a House Ethics report, which has now been made public. Former President Bill Clinton has been hospitalized just before Christmas. President-elect Donald Trump is teasing the idea of the US expanding into Panama, Greenland and Canada. At least a dozen people have been killed in Turkey following a blast at an explosives and ammunition factory. Plus, we’ll tell you how humanity is set to get closer to the sun than ever before.
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