NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-21-2024 4PM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2024

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Ho ho ho! Santa here, coming to you from the North Pole. We're the elves in our podcast division of just completed work on this season's best gift for public radio lovers, NPR+. Give the gift of sponsored free listening and even bonus episodes from your favorite NPR podcasts, all while supporting public media. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Ha ha ho ho ho! Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dwahleesai Kowtow.

President Biden signed into law this morning the American Relief Act. That bill was narrowly passed just before its midnight deadline. NPR's Sarah McCammon reports the new stopgap spending bill does not include an increase in the nation's borrowing limit, something President-elect Trump wanted. He said he wanted this to be done on President Biden's watch so that he could go to work right away on implementing his own agenda next month. But that created more problems for Speaker Mike Johnson, who had to go back to the negotiating

table and try to create a bill that would not only satisfy Trump and various factions of the House Republicans, but also maintain some support from Democrats. This bill includes 100 billion dollars in disaster aid and money to help American farmers. In Germany's eastern city of Magdeburg, officials continued to collect evidence to try and learn the motive behind why the suspect. A 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist drove into a Christmas market, killing at least five people, including a nine-year-old. From Berlin, Rebecca Collard has the latest on comments by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He talked about solidarity with the victims, solidarity with the city, solidarity with Germans as a whole. And he said, of course, it's important that Germans not be divided by hate, but instead be united. You know, the chancellor said he also had received messages of support from around the world. And he said that an investigation is being carried out and that it is important to understand how this attack happened and also its motivation.

Rebecca Collard reporting from Berlin. A memorial service is being held this evening at the Magdeburg Cathedral where nearby hundreds of people have been laying flowers and teddy bears for victims of the Friday attack. Security has also been increased at Christmas markets across Germany. The busy holiday travel weekend kicks off today with AAA predicting more than 119 million people hitting the road and the skies between now and the New Year's Day. As NPR's Ava Puchac reports, some winter weather could create challenges for travelers. Some areas in the northeastern U.S. saw several inches of snowfall this weekend

as a storm system moved across the region. But for the holiday week, Frick Pereira, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, says they aren't forecasting widespread inclement weather. There will be some localized areas where travel may be a little bit more difficult. We're looking at the potential for mountain snow and lower elevation rain across portions of the Pacific Northwest over the next several days. That would certainly slow travelers down across that area. And while the East Coast is experiencing some of the coldest temperatures of the season, Pereira says temperatures will gradually start to rise as Christmas approaches. Eva Pukac, NPR News.

Flu experts are suggesting people get vaccinated. This is NPR News. Adjusting? People get vaccinated? This is NPR News. The fastest growing fan base in the NFL, Latinos. NFL sources confirm that Latino viewers have increased by 11 percent and, comparing previous years, Spanish broadcasts have jumped 34 percent. Netflix Mexico, for the first time this Christmas, will livestream NFL games. Kansas City

Chiefs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. Eastern followed by the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans at 430 p.m. Eastern. The union representing Starbucks workers says a five-day strike is spreading to Columbus Denver and Pittsburgh and that walkouts will escalate daily. The strike began Friday in Los Angeles Chicago Chicago, and Seattle, where Monica Nicholsburg of member station KUOW spoke with workers in the picket line. -♪ Hey, I'm your dancing, lousy pig!

That is how your coffee's made! -"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. Days after his 88th birthday, Pope Francis is sick with a cold. I'm Dwali Psykoutel, NPR News.