NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-21-2024 2AM 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, I'm Dale Willman. The Senate voted 85 to 11 tonight to approve another short-term spending bill to fund the government. It's now headed to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.

NPR's Claudia Gracia says the measure will keep the lights on in Washington, at least for now. This would fund the government until March 14th and extend the federal farm program for one year. It has roughly $100 billion in funding for communities recovering from natural disasters. So a lot of those elements were in the last bill. It does not include any attempt to address the debt limit.

This is something that President-elect Trump demanded earlier this week, and Democrats did not want to sign on to that deal. That's NPR's Claudia Grisales. Federal regulators are extending temporary flight restrictions on drones to 30 locations in New York State. The latest restrictions come as a lot of recent drone sightings across the Northeast have been raising concerns.

NPR's Joel Rose has more of that story. The Federal Aviation Administration is temporarily barring drone flights over critical infrastructure at 30 locations across New York. The move comes a day after the FAA announced similar restrictions at more than 20 locations in New Jersey. New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the latest restrictions are purely precautionary and that there are no threats to any of the sites across New York City and its suburbs. Federal authorities say they've received thousands of tips from the public,

but many of the objects that have been reported in the skies were actually legal drones, commercial or private planes, and in some cases, stars. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. The Biden administration's chief envoy for hostage negotiations is in Syria this weekend, where he's meeting with members of that country's interim government. Roger Carston says, among other things, he's looking for information on where U.S. hostage Austin Tice might be. As you can imagine, I think we've all been pressing and unrelenting in our efforts to get on the ground in Damascus to search for Austin Tice, mainly because we feel it's our duty as the U.S. government to press on until we know with certainty what happened to him,

where he is, and to bring him home. Tice was a freelance photographer and journalist when he was kidnapped in Damascus in August of 2012. It's shaping up to be yet another busy holiday weekend for travelers. The AAA says more than 119 million people will be traveling at least 50 miles away from home in the period from now until New Year's Day. The nation's airlines are expected to have their busiest days this weekend and next Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Rodley Leonard had two scores Friday night as Notre Dame beat Indiana 27 to 17

in the first playoff game of the new postseason era. It was the Fighting Irish's 11th straight win. They'll now play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st. Indiana hasn't won at Notre Dame since 1898. On Wall Street, stocks finished on an up note today. You're listening to NPR News. At least two people were killed and at least 60 others were injured when a car drove into a crowded holiday market in Germany on Friday night. Police in the city of Magdeburg say at least 15 of those injured are in critical condition. The region's interior minister has identified the driver as a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi

Arabia who was arrested after the incident. Starbucks workers in Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago have walked after the incident. Starbucks workers in Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago have walked off the job. It's the start of a five day strike targeting the busy holiday season. For member station KUOW in Seattle, Monica Nicholsburg reports. Mari Cosgrove has been fighting for a contract since unionizing their Seattle store in 2022.

I want to see fired workers get reinstated, some of whom have been waiting for over two years. And I want to see Starbucks take us seriously and come to the table with a respectful bargaining proposal. In a statement, Starbucks accused the union of making unsustainable demands. Starbucks Workers United, representing the striking employees, says the company is failing to negotiate in good faith or offer meaningful raises. Starbucks has said the strike will not have a significant impact on store operations.

For NPR News, I'm Monica Nicholsburg in Seattle. Unit officials meanwhile say the strike could expand to hundreds of other stores by Christmas. Officials at the former Hanford nuclear Site say an ammonia leak caused some 75 workers to shelter in place. No one was injured during the incident. The leak occurred at the facility's wastewater treatment plant. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.