NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-20-2024 9PM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2024

NPR News: 12-20-2024 9PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. House lawmakers have voted to approve a temporary stopgap spending measure. The latest version was similar to a bill that failed yesterday with one major exception, ignoring President-elect Donald Trump's demand to address the nation's ability to borrow. Republican Tom Colville Oklahoma said while far from perfect the other option was worse. Governing by continuing resolution, Mr Speaker is never ideal but Congress has a responsibility to keep the government open and operating for the American people. The alternative a government shutdown would be devastating to our

national defense and for our constituents and would be a grave mistake. The ranking Democrat on the committee Connecticut representative Rosa Rosa DeLauro, said she preferred the initial bipartisan agreement. We had a strong bipartisan and bicameral agreement among the leadership of both parties at both ends of the Capitol to avert a disastrous and pointless government shutdown. The latest effort would fund the government at current levels through March and include $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in agricultural assistance to farmers. At least two people are dead.

Dozens more were hurt today when a car plowed into a crowded Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, though reports seem to be indicating the death toll could go higher. A German news agency is reporting at least 60 people were injured when the car plowed into the market. The driver of the vehicle is reported to be a 50-year-old Saudi citizen has been arrested. This latest incident comes eight years after an Islamist extremist drove into a Berlin Christmas market killing 13 people.

Reporters Without Borders is calling on Apple to remove a new artificial intelligence feature after it circulated a false headline. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the Press Freedom Group says the tech giant's AI service is unreliable. Apple Intelligence is the tech company's AI feature, which summarizes news notifications and headlines. The tool falsely said the suspect in the murder of the United Health CEO had shot himself,

when that was not true. To Reporters Without Borders, that was enough proof that Apple's AI service is, quote, too immature to produce reliable information for the public and should not be allowed on the market. The group is calling on Apple to pull the AI feature, saying the risk of pushing false information to millions of people is high. Apple did not return a request for comment. When it introduced Apple Intelligence in June, it said the tool can deliver useful and relevant alerts to

users processed by AI. Bobby Allen, NPR News. Workers at Starbucks stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle have been going on strike today. What is expected to be a five-day labor action to protest a lack of progress in contract negotiations with a company. Workers at 535 of Starbucks' 10,000 company-owned stores have voted to unionize. Starbucks workers union-accusing Seattle-based coffee chain of failing to honor a commitment made back in February to reach a labor agreement this year. This is NPR.

There is new evidence suggesting that ancient people may have arrived in the New World far earlier than thought. Archaeologists say the latest findings from sites in both North and South America would seem to suggest early people in the Americas may have spent millennia sharing prehistoric savannas and wetlands with giant beasts including mastodons, saber-toothed cats and dire wolves. Scientists say new research methods in recent years have expanded their knowledge into the story of ancient people. Today, the Federal Department of Health and Human Services launched a website promoting routine childhood vaccines.

Sen. Percelina Simmons-Duffin reports the Let's Get Real website launches as vaccination rates among children are declining. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine explains childhood vaccines have all but eliminated many illnesses. For instance, when Levine started residency in the early 1980s, there was no vaccine for an illness called Haemophilus influenza type B, which caused serious infections in children.

Pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis. And after the vaccines came out and had been given for a number of years, we really no longer see those infections. In a few weeks, the incoming Trump administration aims to put several prominent anti-vaccine activists in place at HHS. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington. Some new arrivals at the LA Zoo officials saying a couple of new parenitide lizards News, Washington.