NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-19-2024 7PM EST

Episode Date: December 20, 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. House lawmakers have rejected a government stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded past midnight tomorrow. Republicans abandoned a bipartisan deal and crafted a revised measure after criticism

from entrepreneur Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson, even as the latest bill was failing on the floor with dozens of Republican no votes, said what's being called Plan B should move forward. The lawmaking is done. It's a long process. Sometimes it takes a while to reach consensus, but we're going to do the right thing here tonight. The American Relief Act of 2024 will provide temporary funding to get us into the first part of next year. We're excited about that because Republicans will have control of the White House and the Senate and the House. Short-term funding bill designed to fund the government for three

more months while including disaster assistance and allow more borrowing through January of 2027. The White House blasted the spending proposal as quote a giveaway for billionaires saying President Biden supports the earlier bipartisan deal. Oh the Syrian regime has fallen there is still fighting in some parts of that country after a ceasefire broke down yesterday. In the northeast, Turkish-backed Syrian fighters have been pushing back U.S. allied Kurdish-led fighters. And Burj Jena Raf filed this report from the southeast city of Manbij during a law on the

fighting. I'm standing near the Euphrates River and where we are is one of the fault lines in this new Syria. The U.S. has mediated a truce between Kurdish-led forces on one side and the Syrian fighters backed by Turkey on this side who helped bring down the regime. One of the big challenges here is solving this conflict within a conflict that's raged for years. Jane Araf and Perrin Hughes in northeastern Syria. Thousands of Amazon drivers are picking at multiple facilities across the country

amid the holiday shopping rush. Marlon Heidef member station WABE reports from Atlanta where delivery workers are organizing for higher pay, improved working conditions and better health care. How are we? Teamsters! Dozens of drivers waved signs outside the DGT-8 delivery station in Alpharetta, Georgia in a strike launched by the Teamsters' union. The union says it represents about 10,000 Amazon drivers.

Amazon accuses the Teamsters of quote, misleading the public and coercing employees to join them. Amazon driver Andrew Jacobs says they're overworked and do not receive holiday pay. A lot of people that you see here today, they're just fighting for the right to be treated equally or the same as the actual Amazon workers in the warehouse. Amazon says in a statement that these protests

historically have not impacted its operation. For NPR News, I'm Marlon Hyde in Atlanta. Stock stabilized a bit after yesterday's major sell-off, prompted by concerns about the future of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in the coming year. The Dow closed up 15 points, the Nasdaq was down 19 points, the S&P fell 5 points. This is NPR. Millions of people could be receiving an increase in their monthly Social Security checks as part of something called the Social Security Fairness Act, which is set for a final vote in the Senate.

The measure would end long-time provisions that reduce the federal benefit for people who are also eligible for other pensions, policy heavily affecting people who work in state, local, and federal government jobs, as well as teachers, firefighters, and police officers. The measure has bipartisan support, though could potentially up the workload to the Social Security Administration, which would have to review individual cases. The Tony Award-winning team behind the musical The Band's Visit is bringing a new show to Broadway, Dead Outlaw.

Jeff London reports. Based on a true story, Dead Outlaw tells the macabre tale of a hapless early 20th century criminal whose dead body is mummified and becomes a sideshow attraction. As odd as it may seem, the musical was a hit with audiences and critics off-Broadway last season. Your mama's dead, your daddy's dead, your brother's dead, and so are you. The New York drama critics Circle, Off-Broadway Alliance, and Drama Desk all named it Best Musical.

Its April opening on Broadway is part of a busy season. An adaptation of the indie film Real Women Have Curves and a staged version of the Buena Vista Social Club have announced spring openings as well. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. Jack Spear MPR 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.

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