Skyfall: American Airlines Hits Pause on Flights During Holiday Rush

William Brangham:

The U.N. reports that over 24,000 individuals have perished during 20 months of conflict in Sudan, with 14 million being displaced from their residences. This accounts for approximately 30 percent of the population.

Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger has tragically lost her life in an avalanche at a mountain resort. The skiing federation of the country announced that the event occurred yesterday at the Arosa resort in Switzerland. The 26-year-old athlete participated in the women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team variant at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

In California, meteorological officials are alerting residents of treacherous surf and potential flooding following a series of intense storms. Some waves could reach heights of up to 35 feet today. Two individuals required rescue after a pier partially gave way in Santa Cruz yesterday, while a third managed to swim to safety.

In another incident, one man died when a towering wave trapped him beneath debris. Additionally, another individual remains unaccounted for, likely pulled into the surf. Californians will experience a brief respite from the severe weather on Christmas Day before additional storms arrive.

Bill Clinton has been released from a hospital in Washington, D.C., where he received treatment for the flu. The former president was admitted on Monday afternoon for testing and monitoring after experiencing a fever. The 78-year-old has a history of medical issues, having undergone a quadruple bypass surgery in 2004.

Pope Francis has formally inaugurated the 2025 holy year, marking the jubilee that takes place once every 25 years. Today, with a knock from the pontiff, the grand Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican opened, allowing him to enter for the Christmas Eve mass. More than 32 million individuals are anticipated to make a pilgrimage to Rome for this jubilee, which Pope Francis has devoted to the theme of hope.

On Wall Street today, stocks surged in a shortened Christmas Eve session. The Dow Jones industrial average gained nearly 400 points on the day, while the Nasdaq rose about 1.33 percent, closing back above the 20,000-point milestone. The S&P 500 also concluded firmly in the positive zone.

Additionally, a NASA spacecraft is endeavoring to approach the sun’s surface closer than ever before. The Parker Solar Probe will withstand intense temperatures and extreme radiation as it comes within four million miles of the sun, nearly seven times closer than any preceding missions.

Scientists will not know if the probe survived its fiery passage for several more days. However, if everything unfolds as expected, the probe will continue to orbit the sun until at least September, enhancing our understanding of solar processes.

Upcoming on the “News Hour”: the new Food and Drug Administration regulations aim to redefine what is deemed healthy; our reviewers’ insights on this year’s essential Hollywood films and a few lesser-known treasures; and, on Christmas Eve, a special exploration of the origins of NORAD’s Santa tracker.