NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-20-2024 12AM EST

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. The U.S. House has rejected a new last-minute spending plan to avert a government shutdown. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the plan. The White House blasted it as a quote, giveaway for billionaires, as NPR's Usma Khalid reports. 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 adviser Elon Musk, who also happens to be the wealthiest person in the world.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Corrine Jean-Pierre said Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hard-working 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 the suspect and the slaying of United Health Care CEO Asma Khalid, NPR News. The suspect in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is now in New York, where he's facing murder and other charges. Twenty-six-year-old Luigi Mangione was transferred from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested days

after the December 4th attack in Manhattan. He's being held without bail. And New Jersey federal regulators are temporarily barring drone flights over critical infrastructure at more than 20 locations. As NPR's Joel Rose reports, this comes amid a flurry of drone sightings that have raised concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration is temporarily prohibiting drone flights over critical infrastructure at more than a dozen locations in New Jersey for the next 30 days.

Homeland Security officials continue to insist there's no threat to public safety, but say the restrictions are being issued out of an abundance of caution. Authorities say the vast majority of reported unexplained drone sightings are actually manned aircraft or commercial and hobbyist drones. Still, mounting speculation and concerns about drones have prompted a dramatic spike in the number of people in the area pointing lasers at Airplanes flying overhead the FAA said which is illegal and potentially dangerous Joel Rose NPR News Washington in remarks to the United Nations Thursday

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced a 230 million dollar aid package for war-torn Sudan Blinken says a humanitarian crisis continues to play out amid atrocities across vast parts of the Northeast African nation. We continue to see war crimes and crimes against humanity committed across vast parts of Sudan. In Zamzam, people have resorted to eating grass and peanut shells. By some estimates, a child there dies every two hours for lack of food. Blinken says the U.S. aid package includes funding for food, shelter and health care, plus $30 million to help Sudan transition back to a democratic form of government.

This is NPR News. A winter weather advisory remains in effect for parts of the nation's upper Midwest. A powerful weather system is dumping heavy snow, ice, gusty winds, and bitter cold on parts of Minnesota and North Dakota. The Twin Cities could receive up to seven inches of snow. The National Weather Service says another storm will bring light to moderate snowfall to the northeast overnight and into Saturday. New York will soon require schools to relocate students if classroom temperatures become

too hot. As Rebecca Rettelmeyer from member station WSKG reports, the move comes amid an increase in the number of days of sweltering heat during the school year. The new legislation requires New York schools to take action if classroom temps reach 82 degrees. That means turning on fans or providing water breaks. If classrooms reach 88 degrees, schools must take steps to relocate students and staff. A few states, such as California, Minnesota, and Nevada, also have heat protection laws

that apply to schools. But there are no federal regulations for this. Researchers have found that students don't learn as well in hot classrooms. But in New York and nationwide, many schools have limited access to air conditioning. New York's largest teachers union has welcomed the new legislation. For NPR News, I'm Rebecca Rettelmeier in Ithaca, New York. Amazon says a strike by union workers will not impact deliveries over the holidays. Workers set a picket line at

seven Amazon facilities early Thursday, claiming that the online retailer ignored a Sunday deadline for contract talks. U.S. futures are lower in after-hours trading on Wall Street following Thursday's losses. This is NPR.