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

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

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

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. Members of Congress are once again scrambling to avoid a partial government shutdown. President-elect Donald Trump is pressing Republican lawmakers to reject a bipartisan proposal that would fund government agencies through mid-March. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says that ordinary Americans will suffer if GOP lawmakers back away from the deal. We reached a bipartisan agreement to meet the needs of the American people and provide

assistance to farmers, families, children, seniors, veterans, men and women in uniform and working class Americans. Jeffries says House Republicans will be to blame if government shutdown causes harm. The current temporary spending plan expires on Friday. The Senate Judiciary Committee is weighing legislation that would put tighter regulations on sports betting. As NPR's Windsor Johnston reports,

wagering on sporting events has become a more than $10 billion industry since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized it in 2018. The use of new technology like smartphones has increased the risk for gambling addiction. Keith White is the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. With the digitization of sports and content, you can now bet 24 hours a day on hundreds, if not thousands, of events per day. And you can do that continuously from your phone.

Senate Democrats have introduced legislation that would implement stricter regulations on sports betting, including so-called affordability checks on large wagers and deposit limits. Critics of the measure say it undermines the progress that states have made on regulating betting markets. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. Ukrainian military officials reported dozens of fierce clashes with Russian forces on Wednesday. From eastern Ukraine, NPR's Brian Mann reports that battles continue around

the key coal mining and transportation hub of Pukrovsk. Ukrainian officials say Russia launched 27 attacks against villages on the outskirts of Pukrovsk, battles that continued after dark in the bitter winter cold. Pukrovsk is a vital position for the Ukrainians, but Russia's been making steady advances. In a statement, Ukraine's general staff said the defense forces are holding back the onslaught. But heavy fighting is also underway in Kursk, an area of Russia occupied by Ukrainian forces and in other areas along the front. This comes as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels looking for more aid from European and NATO leaders.

Writing on social media, Zelensky said Europe needs a strong united position to ensure lasting peace. Brian Mann, NPR News, Pavlorod, Ukraine. US futures are flat in after hours trading. This is NPR. Federal regulators are backing away from a warning about the safety of airbag inflators made by ARK Automotive. In July, the National Transportation Safety Board suggested that 49 million airbag inflators

could explode and cause injury. NTSB cited at least seven injuries and two deaths in the U.S. and Canada linked to the product. It is now considering some auto industry comments on technical and engineering differences between arc inflators and vehicles made by different manufacturers. Automakers have argued that NTSB has not established any systemic defect in the product. Pixar Studios has changed its upcoming animated series called Win or Lose to remove a transgender storyline. As NPR's Netta Ulubi reports, the series is scheduled to debut on Disney Plus in February.

The show is about a co-ed middle school softball team called the Pickles. It's the first long-form original animated series from Pixar, which is owned by Disney. One of the characters is transgender and voiced by a transgender teenage actress. That character is not being removed, but dialogue about gender identity will no longer be part of the series. In a statement, Disney said, when it comes to animated content for a younger audience, the company recognizes that many parents prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline. Nadeh Ulupi, NPR News.

On Asia Pacific markets, shares are lowered down 1 percent in Hong Kong at this hour. This is NPR News.