NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-21-2024 10AM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2024

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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. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Your life stories, really good ones, this American life. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. The federal government is staying open at least until mid-March. Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown late last night, wrapping up a chaotic week on Capitol Hill by approving a budget deal.

NPR's Sarah McCammon has more. In addition to funding the federal government for a few more months, the deal includes money for farmers and $100 billion in aid for victims of natural disasters, including wildfires in Hawaii last year and hurricanes and flooding in the Carolinas this year. The agreement approved by the House and Senate was the third iteration of the bill introduced in recent days. The first deal fell apart after President-elect Donald Trump and his close adviser billionaire Elon Musk expressed opposition. The final deal ultimately passed with bipartisan support and without an increase to the nation's debt ceiling that Trump had requested. Sarah McCammon, NPR News.

President Biden is expected to sign the stopgap measure into law today. Its passage marks the end of the 118th Congress. Lawmakers have now left Capitol Hill for the holidays. Union representing Starbucks workers says a five day strike will spread to Columbus, Denver and Pittsburgh today and that walkouts will escalate daily and could reach hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve. The strike began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, where Lindsay Bergener works. I deserve to have a living wage. I deserve not to have all of these unfair labor

practices against my fellow workers. The Starbucks workers joined Amazon delivery drivers who began a strike at seven facilities on Thursday. The drivers are members of the Teamsters union, workers at a prominent warehouse in New York. expected to join the strike at midnight last night. Stocks rallied on Friday but still ended down for the week. NPR's Scott Horsley reports that investors were disappointed when the Federal Reserve hinted that interest rates may stay higher for longer next year. The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday in what policymakers described as a close call. Markets were happy about the rate cut but not so

happy with the Fed's forecast about 2025. Inflation-weary policymakers suggested they might lower interest rates by only half a percentage point next year, not the full point they were projecting back in September. That news triggered a sell-off in stocks on Wednesday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling more than 1,100 points. Stocks later regained some of that ground, but the Dow still finished down two and a quarter percent for the week while the S&P 500 index lost 2% and the NASDAQ fell about 1.8%. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz calling last night's attack on a Christmas market in the central

German city of Magdeburg a dreadful tragedy. He spoke today after visiting the scene where authorities believe a driver intentionally rammed his car into a large crowd. Authorities now say at least five people were killed and scores were injured. And from Washington, this is NPR News. Pressure is mounting on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down following this week's resignation of Finance Minister Christia Freeland. A key ally, Jack McSing of the New Democratic Party, says he will present a formal motion of no confidence when Parliament returns late next month.

Trudeau is said to be taking the Christmas break to consider his future. He's led Canada as prime minister for more than nine years. With the arrival of the winter season and the holidays approaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the number of people catching respiratory viruses is picking up and Beers Robb Stein has the latest. The CDC says COVID-19 activity is increasing again. At the same time, seasonal flu activity continues to rise across the country, and RSV is still spreading widely. All three viruses are expected to spread even more as people travel and gather for the holidays. The CDC says that's worrisome because most people

still haven't gotten the latest COVID and flu shots. Only about 21 percent of adults have gotten an updated COVID booster and less than 42 percent have gotten a flu shot. Rob Stein and PR News. Lindsey Vonn has returned to World Cup ski racing. She is competing this weekend in Switzerland, six years after retiring due to a series of crashes and injuries. She says she decided to return after knee replacement surgery, saying it feels better than it has in years. Vaughn competed in a Super G race at St. Marie's today.