NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-20-2024 6AM EST

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

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Otograph 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 Korova Coleman. The federal government could partially shut down late tonight because there isn't any money to pay the bills. The House failed last night to pass a short-term spending bill that would allow the federal government to pay the bills. The House failed last night to pass a short-term spendingColeman, the federal government could partially shut down late tonight because

there isn't any money to pay the bills. The House failed last night to pass a short-term spending bill backed by President-elect Trump and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk. Nearly all the Democrats opposed it. There lived it because Republicans backed out of a bipartisan spending plan this week after Musk and Trump objected to it at the last minute. But the new spending plan failed when 38 Republicans joined the Democrats to vote no,

including Texas Congressman Chip Roy. I want appropriators and leadership who are always the ones who are obstacles to actually cutting spending to pony up and explain why they won't agree to the spending cuts that we said we should put in place. Trump is furious. Writing online, he's called for a challenger to face Roy in a primary election.

But Trump supports the looming government shutdown. He says it's better for the country to close than to agree to what Democrats want to, quote, force upon us. The suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has appeared in federal court in New York City. Luigi Mangione was already indicted by a New York grand jury on murder and terrorism charges. NPR's Sarah Ventry reports Mangione now faces federal counts. The federal charges include murder and two counts of stalking. The unsealed complaint filed in the Southern District of New York includes a timeline of Mangione's alleged movements. It states that the shooter, quote, undertook extensive efforts to identify the victim,

place the victim under surveillance, and track the victim's whereabouts. In a statement, Mangione's attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo says the federal government's decision to, quote, pile on top of an already overcharged first degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. Sarah Ventry, NPR News, New York. Amazon drivers

nationwide are joining strikes against the online retailer just days before Hanukkah and Christmas. For member station KVCR, Anthony Victoria has more from a picket line in the City of Industry in Los Angeles County. The Teamsters decision to strike follows what it calls Amazon's refusal to negotiate labor contracts and working condition. Vanessa Valdez has worked as a driver at the company's facility in the City of Industry for six years. She says she's striking because while her workload is increasing, her pay isn't. I would love to have job security to know that I have a place here in another six years and not be let go as I age. An Amazon spokesperson accused the Teamsters of misleading the public and

using illegal tactics to pressure workers. Randy Corgan, the director of the Teamsters Amazon division, says the union isn't doing anything illegal. For NPR News, I'm Anthony Victoria in the City of Industry. Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, stock futures are lower. This is NPR. Workers at Starbucks stores across the country say they're planning to launch a five-day strike today.

They'll start the strike in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. The union that represents the workers says Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment it made to settle a new labor agreement this year. Starbucks says the union walked away from the bargaining table this week. Officials in Australia are telling social media companies to start planning for a new age verification law. NPR's Bobbi Allen reports Australia passed the world's first ban on social media for children under 16 years old.

Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and other social media apps now have to confirm a user's age under Australia's new law to prevent children under 16 from logging on. Violating companies can pay fines up to $50 million. The country's e-safety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told NPR in an interview that social media should be treated in Australia like water safety. She says decades ago, there was a spate of fatal drownings in swimming pools. So the country passed fencing requirements. But we don't try and fence the ocean because that's futile.

What we do is we teach our children to swim at the youngest age, just like we need to teach them digital literacy. Grant says the aim of the law is to keep children away from the addictive design features of social media. Some apps, like gaming and messaging platforms, will be exempted. Bobbi Allen, NPR News. The State Department says U.S. diplomats are in Damascus for the first time in more than a decade.

The diplomats want to talk to leaders of the interim Syrian government. I'm Korva Kuhlman, NPR News in Washington. This is Eric Glass. On This American Life, we like stories that surprise you. For instance, imagine finding a new hobby and realizing... To do this hobby right, according to the ways of the masters, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to have to bend the law

to get the materials that you need. If not break it. Yeah. To break international laws. Real life stories, really good ones. This American Life.