NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-14-2024 10PM EST

Episode Date: December 15, 2024

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JANENE HERPST. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. JANENE HERPST. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herpst. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says U.S. officials have been in direct contact with

the Syrian rebel group that led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government to work on the transition. MPs Leila Fadl is in Damascus and has more on the challenges the rebel group faces. Leila Fadl, MP, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, opposition. It isn't united. And if you look across the country, that continues.

There are issues with the security vacuum. Do foreign fighters, do ISIS take advantage of this moment? Are there counter-revolutionary forces? So a lot could go wrong. But Syrians hope that they are the exception, that a lot could go right. And here's Leila Fadl reporting from Damascus. ABC News and its parent company, Disney, settled a defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump for $15 million that will be paid to his future presidential foundation and museum, plus $1

million to his lawyer, along with an apology. Trump sued, claiming George Stephanopoulos and the network defamed him when the anchor repeatedly said that a jury found Trump civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll, but the civil jury instead found him liable for sexual abuse. Trump is appealing both of the Carroll verdicts. The Texas attorney general is suing a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas. And here's Alyssa Nadwerny reports, it's one of the first legal challenges to shield laws in the U.S. meant to protect physicians after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

In a statement, Ken Paxton, the Texas AG, said, Out of state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents. Abortion medicine is approved by the FDA. The Doctor is one of the founders of an organization called Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine. They support providers sending abortion medication by mail. The case pits a state with a near total abortion ban against a state with laws that specifically protect doctors in the state from prescribing pills to people in other states. New York's

attorney general and the governor both said they would uphold the state's shield law and protect their providers. Alissa Nadwani, NPR News. Financial ratings agency Moody's has downgraded France's credit rating, citing recent political uncertainty. And here's Eleanor Beardsley has more. Moody's downgraded France's rating, reflecting doubt the new government can turn around the nation's worsening financial situation. Incoming Prime Minister François Bayroux, who says he plans to take on France's spiraling debt, political fragmentation and distrust of government.

He's hoping to avoid the same fate as his predecessor. Outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier was applauded at a handover ceremony in Paris Friday. His government lasted only three months after the far right and far left joined forces to bring it down. Bae-Roo is the fourth prime minister this year. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris. This is NPR News. South Korea's parliament today voted to impeach President Yoon Sang-yol over his attempt to impose martial law, triggering political chaos and protests. Large crowds gathered around the country celebrating the impeachment vote.

Prime Minister Han Deok-su takes over as acting president. South Korea's constitutional court has six months to rule on the impeachment. Sell-by, use-by, best- by, these phrases are common on food packaging, but many consumers are confused about what they actually mean. And Piers Maria Godoy reports the USDA and FDA are working to change that. For the most part, food date labels are supposed to indicate when food is freshest, not when it's gone bad. But that's what many consumers think they mean and that leads to a lot of food waste.

The average American family spends at least $1,500 a year on food that gets tossed out and it often ends up in landfills where it emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The USDA and FDA are asking the public and the food industry to weigh in on food date labels as part of a national strategy to reduce food waste. The agencies have previously asked food companies to voluntarily standardize the use of date labels. While many companies have complied, there's still lots of different labels and lots of confusion about what they mean.

Maria Godoy and PR News. Some Irish pubs in the UK ran out of Guinness beer this week, the start of the festive season after the company that owns and distributes the beer capped the amount pubs and bars in England, Wales and Scotland could order because of high demand amid international rugby tournaments and the holidays. This is NBR.