NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-19-2024 8PM 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. The House has rejected a new last-minute spending plan to avert a government shutdown, with dozens of Republicans joining Democrats and voting against it.

The White House blasted it as a, quote, giveaway for billionaires. More from NPR's Asma Hallett. The White House says President Biden supported an earlier version of the plan, a bipartisan deal to keep the government open. That deal was upended on Wednesday by President-elect Donald Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk,

who also happens to be the wealthiest person in the world. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Kareem Jean-Pierre said Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans and breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement that would lower prescription drug costs and make it harder to offshore jobs to China. If Congress cannot reach a deal, the government will begin shutdown operations at midnight

Friday. Asma Khalid, NPR News. Members of the Teamsters Union and multiple Amazon warehouses across the country have taken to the picket lines. Delivery workers going on strike this morning demanding better wages and working conditions. Union is calling it the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. NPR's Andrea Hsu says it's not clear how long the Teamsters will stay off the job. The Teamsters say that at some locations the pickets are going to go on all night, others will take a break and come back in the morning. Beyond that, we don't really know. All the teamsters have

told us is that the strikes would last longer than one day. But the union does clearly recognize that this is a moment of leverage for workers because lots of people are still hoping to get those last minute gifts. Amazon for its part has said it doesn't expect the strike to impact operations or holiday shipping. Drivers walked off the job at three locations in Southern California and one each in New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, and Skokie, Illinois. Amazon is an NPR sponsor. 25 people were executed in the U.S. this year. That's about the same number as last year and close to historic lows. As NPR's Martin Costee reports, the death penalty is being applied in a narrow slice of the country.

In its annual report, the Death Penalty Information Center found that only four states accounted for three-quarters of all executions this year. Those states are Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Missouri. The center's executive director, Robin Maher, says that has made the death penalty less of a national issue. The death penalty is now a local story, one that plays out according to local laws and at the direction of local officials. So for the residents in a few active states, the death penalty may be an occasional headline, but for most of the rest of the country, the death penalty isn't even on their radar.

This is the 10th year in a row that the total number of people executed by the states has been below 30. Martin Costi, NPR News. The stocks have stabilized somewhat after yesterday's sell-off, prompted by concerns about the future of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in the coming year. The Dow was up 15 points, the Nasdaq closed down 19 points. You're listening to NPR. Residents in the upper Midwest are being battered by a fast-moving winter storm, which, along with strong winds, has left snow, ice, and bitter cold in its wake.

The weather system is snarling traffic in the Twin Cities, enforcing officials in North Dakota to shut down an interstate highway. The reports of dangerous driving conditions across parts of the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with multiple accidents on a stretch of Interstate 94. Up to seven inches of snow could fall in Minnesota, including the Twin Cities. A former top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on bribery charges. Elizabeth Kim from Member Station WNYC has more.

As chief advisor to the mayor, Ingrid Lewis Martin was considered the second most powerful person at City Hall. She now joins Adams again, becoming the second member of the administration to be indicted on corruption charges. Manhattan prosecutors say Lewis Martin helped expedite city approvals on a building project in exchange for gifts that included $100,000 that she and her son used to buy a Porsche. Lewis Martin has denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Mayor Adams is fighting federal corruption charges. Adams has accused prosecutors of being politically motivated by his criticisms of President Biden's handling of illegal immigration.

For NPR News, I'm Elizabeth Kim in New York. Sales of previously owned homes took a surprising bump up last month. Existing home sales in November, growing at their fastest pace since March, rising 4.8% from the previous month. As perspective, buyers were encouraged by a wider selection of properties. National Association of Realtors says sales were up sharply from the same month last year. I'm Jack Spear, NPR 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. Shop the full collection today at Amazon.com slash Wondery Kids.