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Chapter 1: What are the New Year celebrations like in New York City?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Cities along the East Coast are gearing up to ring in the new year. New York City's Times Square is packed with people waiting to watch the annual ball drop at midnight. Mayor Eric Adams says the city is prepared to host tonight's celebration.
The NYPD, FDNY, Emergency Management, DOT, Sanitation, and just so many other agencies are going to be out there with the Times Square. And these major events, I don't think anyone does it better.
Chapter 2: How are cities in Europe celebrating the New Year?
Europe has already welcomed the new year in Germany. Crowds gathered for a huge open-air party around Berlin's Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the new year. The United Kingdom followed shortly afterward with a fireworks display in central London. Tens of thousands of people gathered around the London Eye and Big Ben to ring in 2025.
Chapter 3: What new technology is Mexico using for migrant safety?
Mexico is testing a new cell phone app that allows migrants in the U.S. to alert their consulate if they think they're about to be detained. Nina Kravinsky from member station KJZZ reports the app is in preparation in case of mass deportations next year.
Chapter 4: What does the app for migrants do?
The app's alert button is designed so that with one tap, migrants who suspect they're about to be detained by the U.S. Immigration Department can let the Mexican consulate know. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will carry out mass deportations when he takes office in January.
Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente presented the app as one of the ways his country's consulates in the U.S. are preparing for that possibility. This permits us to be notified from the moment someone perceives imminent risk that they could be detained. For NPR News, I'm Nina Kravinsky.
Chapter 5: What are the recent developments in Gaza hospitals?
A new report by the UN's Human Rights Office says deadly Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have turned them into a death trap. NPR's Aya Batraoui reports.
The UN says Israel has provided insufficient information to substantiate allegations that these hospitals were being used as command centers or launching sites by militants. The report calls for independent investigations of more than three dozen medical facilities in Gaza that were raided or attacked.
Over the weekend, Israeli forces shut down another major hospital in Gaza following months of deadly airstrikes. Its director, Dr. Hossam Abou-Safaya, had posted videos like this of staff trying to save wounded patients while under Israeli fire. Israel detained him over, quote, potential involvement with Hamas.
Staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital say it was the last lifeline for people under intense fire in northern Gaza. Israel says it was a Hamas command center. Aya Batrawi, NPR News. This is NPR.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of aviation experts to South Korea. They'll help investigate Sunday's plane crash that killed 179 people. In the meantime, South Korea's acting president has ordered improvements to the country's airline operations system. High school graduates in all 50 states can now earn what's called a seal of biliteracy.
According to a new report, more and more students are learning another language because of it. NPR's Danica Medica reports.
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 to 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 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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases of the norovirus continue to surge in parts of the U.S. The CDC says more than 90 cases of the virus were confirmed in the first week of this month. The agency says the caseload exceeds the number of outbreaks recorded in early December in the years leading up to the pandemic. At the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 29 points.
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