NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-19-2024 5AM EST

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. House Republicans say they're reworking a stopgap spending bill designed to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government. NPR's Barbara Sprunt says hours after the measure was unveiled by congressional negotiators, President-elect Donald Trump spoke out against it. After intense pressure from billionaire adviser Elon Musk, President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance are calling on Republicans to reject the bill. The short-term measure includes over $100 billion towards disaster aid and farm subsidies,

among other things. In a statement, Trump and Vance called for a bill they say doesn't include any legislative wins for Democrats. This leaves Republicans scrambling to keep the government open, right as Congress is also prepping to go home for the holidays. Barbara Sprint, NPR News, The Capitol. The government's current funding measure expires tomorrow night. The disaster aid included money for those affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southeastern U.S. The Biden administration is setting a new, more ambitious climate goal for the U.S.,

one that would extend into the next decade. As NPR's Jeff Brady reports, that's despite the likelihood that Donald Trump will withdraw the country from an international treaty after he begins his second term in the White House. Under the Paris climate agreement, nations set greenhouse gas reduction goals to meet an overall target. The Biden administration is boosting the U.S. goal by about 20 percent, putting the target range at 61 to 66 percent reduction by 2035. That's based on the country's 2005 climate pollution. Even if Trump pulls the U.S. out of the Paris agreement, Biden climate adviser

John Podesta says states, cities, and private companies can still help the U.S. meet the goal. Some national leaders in the United States can continue to show the world that American climate leadership is determined by so much more than whoever sits in the Oval Office. But independent modeling shows it would be difficult to meet the new goal without more federal climate policies. Jeff Brady and Peer News. The Federal Reserve says it's cutting interest rates by another quarter point. It marks the Fed's third rate cut since September. However, stocks on Wall Street plunged yesterday as the Fed also signaled it expects fewer rate cuts in 2025 due to elevated

inflation in the U.S. economy. It remains above the Fed's annual target of 2%. The Dow lost 1,123 points yesterday or more than 2.5%. The S&P dropped close to 3%. The Nasdaq shed more than 3.5%. The Fed is projecting two quarter point rate cuts next year, down from its September estimate of four. The Teamsters Union says workers at seven Amazon facilities in the U.S. are going on strike today demanding contract talks. They include places in California and New York. This is NPR News. The Pentagon says three detainees have been moved out of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. They include a man from Kenya who was held there for 17 years without charge.

The other two detainees were from Malaysia. They were transferred to their home country after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a deadly bombing in Bali in 2002. The Pentagon says those two agreed to testify against the alleged ringleader of that and other attacks. The Israeli military carried out air strikes across Yemen today after Houthi rebels there fired a missile at central Israel. NPR's Daniel Estrin has more from Tel Aviv. Air raid sirens wailed in Israel as the military said it intercepted the Houthi missile. Israel says its fighter jets traveled more than a thousand miles to Yemen and struck Houthi military sites.

The rebels, backed by Iran, are the strongest military force in Yemen. They fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea throughout the Gaza War. The U.S. has also struck Houthi targets this year. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari. With their attacks on international shipping vessels and routes in the Red Sea and other places, the Houthis have become a global threat. Israel's defense minister has threatened to target Houthi leaders themselves in the future. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been holding his annual news conference and call-in show today in Moscow,

where he boasted about the country's military gains against Ukraine, with the invasion moving closer to the three-year mark. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.