NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-19-2024 3AM EST

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

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Shae Stevens Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. Members of Congress are scrambling to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend. 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 ordinary Americans will suffer if GOP lawmakers back away from the negotiated proposal. 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. The current temporary spending plan expires on Friday. The Teamsters Union says it is launching strikes at Amazon facilities across the nation this morning, saying the online retailer has failed to bargain over a new contract. As NPR's Andrea Shue reports, the strikes come less than one week before Christmas. The Teamsters say a mix of workers, including pickers and packers and third-party delivery drivers, will be picketing seven Amazon facilities in and around Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City. Additionally, more pickets could form at other Amazon facilities where workers have not yet authorized strikes.

Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell, says any disruption at this time of year could be damaging to the company. It is the holiday season. People are expecting deliveries. This is the moment that the workers have influence over the supply chain. For its part, Amazon disputes the Teamsters' claim that it represents thousands of their workers. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. Florida's attorney general is filing attempted murder charges against Ryan Routh. That's the man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf club.

Routh has been in custody since the September incident, as NPR's Greg Allen reports. After the apparent assassination attempt on Trump, Ryan Ruth fled in his vehicle north on Interstate 95. Because of concerns that he might have explosives, law enforcement authorities stopped traffic in both directions. In a multi-vehicle accident a short time later, a six-year-old girl received what are being described as life-threatening injuries and remains in hospital care. Attorney General Ashley Moody says combined with Ruth's

other alleged crimes, it turns his actions into an attempted felony murder case. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has complained that federal law enforcement authorities have blocked the state investigation, but that after President-elect Trump takes office, he expects the federal roadblocks will be removed. Greg Allen, NPR News Miami. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over the constitutionality of a U.S. ban on TikTok. The ban is set to take effect next month unless TikTok's China-based owner sells it all. TikTok says that would be unconstitutional. This is NPR News.

The Justice Department has unsealed a civil complaint alleging CVS Pharmacy and various subsidiaries filled prescriptions that were not allowed by law, including opioids. The complaint accuses the pharmacy chain and the others of violating the False Claims Act. A CVS representative says the company disagrees with the allegations and has cooperated with investigators. A study released by the Biden administration suggests the incoming Trump administration should examine the pros and cons of increasing exports

of liquefied natural gas. Hallie Parker with the member station, WWNO, says the study warns a hike in gas exports would drive up costs in the United States. With the study's release, U.S. Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, says the future administration should think twice hike in gas exports would drive up costs in the United States. With the study's release, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the future administration should think twice before sending more American gas overseas. The main takeaway is that a business-as-usual approach is neither sustainable nor advisable.

The federal study shows that the U.S. has already approved more than enough natural gas export plants to meet global demand. It also found that with more gas exported overseas, prices will be set according to the global market, leading to greater volatility and the likelihood that natural gas and electricity bills will increase here. That could hurt manufacturers and drive up the cost of consumer goods. The study also showed that some export facilities could have a bigger climate footprint than most of the world's countries. For NPR News, I'm Hallie Parker in New Orleans. US futures are flat and after hours trading, Asia-Pacific markets are lower.

This is NPR News.