NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-18-2024 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

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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. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President-elect Donald Trump and VP-elect JD Vance are attacking a bipartisan measure aimed at preventing a government shutdown after midnight Friday. President-elect Trump basically telling House Speaker

Mike Johnson to blow up the agreement and threatening any Republican lawmakers who break ranks. House Democratic leader, Arkeem Jeffries, however, was quick to note if there is a government shutdown Republicans will be to blame. House Republicans will now own any harm that is visited upon the American people that results from a government shutdown or worse. An agreement is an agreement. It was bipartisan and there was nothing more to say. Trump, along with entrepreneur Elon Musk, who co-chairs a government efficiency advisory

committee, claimed the stopgap spending bill is a give-away to Democrats. The White House said a government shutdown would endanger government services and hurt communities recovering from disasters. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to the ongoing spread of bird flu and dairy cattle, the declaration a sign of growing concern over the situation in California. NPR's Will Stone has more.

More than 300 dairy herds have tested positive in California in the last 30 days alone. The governor said that cases detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California showed the need for expanded monitoring and a more coordinated statewide response. There's no evidence of ongoing human-to-human spread in California or the rest of the country, but scientists warned that uncontrolled spread in dairy cattle heightens the risk of spillover into humans, which could give the virus a chance to acquire dangerous mutations.

The state of emergency in California comes on the heels of another worrying into humans, which could give the virus a chance to acquire dangerous mutations. The state of emergency in California comes on the heels of another worrying development, the first severe illness in a U.S. resident linked to bird flu. That was reported in a Louisiana resident who tested positive after being exposed to sick birds. Will Stone, NPR News. The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter percentage point today, but hinted at fewer rate cuts next year.

MPR's Scott Horsley reports the news triggered a sharp sell-off on the stock market. All the major stock indexes dropped sharply after the Fed signaled that it may keep interest rates higher for longer than investors had expected. On average, members of the Central Bank's rate-setting committee now expect rates to fall just half a percentage point in 2025, not the full point they were projecting back in September. Inflation has been sticky in recent months, and some of President-elect Donald Trump's policy proposals could push prices higher. Given that, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell says it makes sense to proceed with caution. It's not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking into a dark room full of furniture.

Powell says the U.S. economy continues to perform well, giving the Fed more latitude to take its time in lowering rates. Scott Horsley in Pear News, Washington. The Dow fell more than 1100 points, a drop of 2.5%. The Nasdaq fell 716 points today. You're listening to NPR. President-elect Donald Trump's pick up by the, well, pick by the nation's next health secretary is making the rounds on Capitol Hill

Robert F Kennedy jr. Expected to meet with as many as 20 senators this week and while some are receptive Kennedy's also likely to meet with some more skeptical lawmakers including Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who's on questions about his stance on vaccines and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina Who said he looks forward to hearing more. Halfway through the meetings, no Republicans have signaled, though they intend to block the nomination. With Republicans holding a 53 to 47 majority once a new Senate is sworn in,

Kennedy cannot afford to lose more than three GOP votes if all Democrats oppose him. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost a final appeal in a fraud case and has been sentenced to one year in prison. NPR's owner Beardsley reports he'll be allowed to wear an electronic bracelet instead of being incarcerated. France's highest appeals court confirmed a lower court's verdict against former president

Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption and influence peddling. He and his lawyer were convicted of forming a corruption pact with a judge to share confidential information with them regarding another case involving Sarkozy. That case was about using false billing to go over the legal spending limits for his 2012 re-election bid. The conviction is a first for a former French president. Sarkozy says he will respect the French court's decision, but plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Avignon France. Critical futures prices rose oil up 50 cents a barrel today to end the session at 70.58 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Wondery Kids and the number one kids science podcast, Wow in the World. Be wowed by fascinating companion audio stories that come exclusively with each Wow in the World STEM toy. Shop the full collection today at Amazon.com slash Wondery Kids.