NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-20-2024 8PM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 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 of Representatives has approved a short-term spending bill to fund the government through March 14th. As NPR's Barbara Spahn explains, it comes just hours before the government is set to

run out of money, leaving little time for the Senate to act. The legislation includes $100 billion in aid to communities recovering from natural disasters and a one-year extension of federal farm policy and aid to communities recovering from natural disasters, and a one-year extension of federal farm policy and aid to farmers. It does not increase the nation's borrowing limit, something Donald Trump demanded, but House Speaker Mike Johnson says the president-elect is still satisfied. He knew exactly what we were doing and why, and this is a good outcome for the country. I think he certainly is happy about this outcome as well.

Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, undermined a bipartisan agreement reached earlier this week, causing Republicans to spend several days intensely negotiating a new bill to appease Trump, their own members, and the Democrats whose votes were needed to approve the bill. Barbara Sprunn and Peer News, The Capital. The U.S. diplomatic delegation is in the Syrian capital, Damascus, meeting with the interim government which overthrew the Assad regime just under two weeks ago. And Piroz Hadil al-Shalchi has more from Damascus.

The U.S. State Department says the diplomatic delegation discussed, quote, transition principles with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS, which makes up the interim Syrian government. It said they also discussed the importance of fighting against ISIS. HTS has roots in al-Qaeda and some factions that made up the rebel forces which toppled former president Bashar al-Assad had ties to ISIS. HTS is a designated terrorist organization by the U.S. No additional information was given on what it would take for the U.S. to drop that designation. The State Department also said the delegation sought more information about the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice. Hadil Alshalchi, NPR News, Damascus. An NPR investigation has learned staff at the Louisiana Department of Health can no

longer promote COVID flu or MPOX immunizations. Reporter Rosemary Westwood with Member Station WWNO in New Orleans has the story. Employees learned of the new policy in at least three meetings in October and November, according to four staff members interviewed by NPR. The sweeping restriction includes a prohibition on vaccine events and social media posts encouraging the shots.

Public health officials said the new policy will lead to more illnesses and deaths. It comes after Louisiana Surgeon General made false claims about the COVID and flu vaccines. In a statement, the health department said the changes mark a shift away from quote, paternalistic guidance and towards individual choice. For NPR News, I'm Rosemary Westwood in New Orleans.

A lawsuit filed against a number of big banks over the payment network Zelle contends they failed to protect hundreds of thousands of consumers from fraud, sued leveled against JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, saying they violated consumer financial laws. Stocks rallied on Wall Street today, the Dow is up more than 490 points. This is NPR. The union representing Starbucks workers is launching a strike in three major cities that could spread further. Unionized baristas and the coffee chain have been in a strain negotiation for the first collective bargaining contract, and the union is pushing for better offer.

And Parasolino Seluc has more. More than two years after Starbucks workers began joining the Starbucks Workers United, the union and the coffee giant this spring finally began negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. The union now represents baristas at more than 500 locations, and its members plan to strike for five days through Christmas Eve, starting in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago. Workers say it's the last resort to push the company to offer a quote, viable economic package with a bigger commitment to raise wages. The workers point to a new hire of a CEO from Chipotle

with a compensation package worth more than $100 million. Starbucks officials, for their part, say the union's wage demands are not feasible and accuse the union of prematurely ending negotiations. Alina Seluk, NPR News. The government's main highway traffic regulator is out with new proposed guidelines for self-driving vehicles. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration putting in place a plan that would not be approved for the end of President Biden's term.

It would likely fall to whoever is running the agency under the incoming Trump administration. Currently, there are no federal regulations specifically governing self-driving vehicles, whereas such vehicles must meet the same safety guidelines as all passenger vehicles. Cruel features prices moved higher today, oil up 8 cents a barrel to $69.46 a barrel in New York as the dollar eased and new inflation data bolstered expectations of future rate cuts by the Fed. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies.

Send, spend or receive money internationally, and always get the real-time mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Download the Wyse app today or visit wyse.com, tease and seize apply.