NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-19-2024 10AM EST

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

NPR News: 12-19-2024 10AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What happens to democracy when one political party has near complete power? That's the question at the heart of Supermajority, the series The New Yorker just named one of the 10 best podcasts of 2024. Listen and hear what all the hype is about. It's season 19 of NPR's Embedded Podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The federal government could partially shut down late tomorrow night. That's because congressional Republicans have decided to oppose a bipartisan government

spending bill. President-elect Trump demanded they torpedo it, saying it should not give anything to Democrats. Members of the conservative Freedom Caucus have expressed frustration with House Speaker Mike Johnson's management of the bill. Caucus Chair, Maryland GOP Congressman Andy Harris, spoke to MSNBC. Well, I don't know. I'm only one vote out of 220.

Look, I think the Speaker could have handled this differently. At this point, I'm still supportive of the Speaker, but I will tell you that voices both inside the House Freedom Caucus and outside the Freedom Caucus have been very disappointed at what's happened this week. The failed government spending bill was supposed to provide disaster relief to many states suffering from hurricane damage this year. Workers at seven Amazon facilities across the country are on strike. The Teamsters Union says they're demanding that the online retailer come to the bargaining table to settle contracts.

The U.S.'s consumer finance watchdog is taking steps to rein in credit cards that use bait and switch tactics for their rewards programs. As NPR's Laura Walmsley reports, the moves are intended to protect consumers from illegal practices and help people save money. We've all seen credit cards offering big rewards like free flights or cash back for signing up. But according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the credit card companies often fail

to deliver the rewards they promised. The agency issued a new circular to law enforcement agencies and regulators, warning that some credit card companies may be breaking the law, for instance, by illegally devaluing rewards points and airline miles. The CFPB has launched a new tool that allows consumers to find the lowest credit card rates

available. Research from the agency has found that the largest credit card issuers charged interest rates 8 to 10 percentage points higher than did smaller banks and credit unions. And store-issued cards tend to have the highest rates of all. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News, Washington. Stocks opened higher this morning, regaining some of the ground lost in yesterday's big sell-off. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped about 230 points in early trading. Investors were spooked on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve hinted it may have to keep

interest rates higher for longer next year to curb stubborn inflation. The central bank cut its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point, but policymakers projected fewer rate cuts in 2025. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell says the U.S. economy is performing well. The Commerce Department says the economy grew a little bit faster in July, August, and September than initially reported. Revised figures show GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent during the quarter, up from 2.8 percent in the earlier tally. The upward revision was largely due to stronger exports and consumer spending. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The suspect accused in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson is in court in central Pennsylvania. He's facing extradition demands from New York, where Thompson was killed. Mangione faced his separate weapons charges in Pennsylvania, where he was detained. Los Angeles officials say FBI agents searched the home of an LA deputy mayor this week. Libby Rainey of LAist reports they're investigating a bomb threat he allegedly made against City Hall. The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that an investigation had found that Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Brian Williams was the likely source of a bomb threat made against City Hall earlier this year. The LAPD says it then referred the case to the FBI. That's

because Williams oversaw the department and other public safety agencies in his role as deputy mayor. LA Mayor Karen Bass's office said that Williams has been placed on immediate administrative leave. Williams could not immediately be reached for comment. For NPR News in Los Angeles, I'm Libby Raney. A French court has convicted nearly 50 men of rape. One man drugged his then-wife and then invited strangers to assault her. He recorded the attacks for more than a decade. He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Reuters News Service says oil from damaged oil tankers in the Black Sea has now

fouled several miles of the shoreline. Volunteers are cleaning the beaches. Two Russian oil tankers were damaged in stormy weather last weekend as they sailed the Kerch Strait. That's between Russia and Crimea, the region that Russia annexed. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.