NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-21-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: December 21, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. The death toll and the attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg is rising. Officials in the state of Saxony-Anhalt now say five people were killed and more than 200 injured. Police believe a driver intentionally drove his vehicle into the crowd. They have the man in custody. Tamara Sischang is the state's interior minister heard here speaking through a

BBC interpreter. He's a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who first entered the Federal Republic of Germany in 2006. He had a settlement permit and therefore a permanent residence permit. He last worked as a doctor in Bernburg. According to information so far, he acted alone. Chairman Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Magdeburg. A memorial service is to take place at the city cathedral this evening. A stopgap government funding bill has cleared Congress, averting a holiday season shutdown. The Senate gave the measure final passage just after the midnight deadline, as MPR's Barbara Sprunt reports. The Senate gave the measure final passage after just after the midnight deadline as Zimpira's Barbara Sprunt reports.

The Senate quickly mobilized after the House approved a funding bill that provides $100 billion in disaster relief and aid to farmers. It does not raise the debt ceiling despite demands from President-elect Donald Trump. This caps off a chaotic week on Capitol Hill where a bipartisan agreement was tanked by Trump and his top adviser, billionaire Elon Musk. It sent GOP leadership scrambling to come up with a new proposal, one that would satisfy Trump himself, factions within the Republican conference, and enough Democrats to get the bill over the finish line. It now goes to President Biden's desk for his signature. Barbara Sprint and Peer News, The Capitol. B.J. Sprint President, Biden is expected to sign that stopgap measure into law today.

Its passage marks the end of the 118th Congress. Lawmakers have now left Capitol Hill for the holidays. Ukraine launched drone attacks into Russia's interior early today, with Russian media and officials reporting damage to residential buildings in the city of Kazan, roughly 600 miles from the front lines. MPR's Brian Mann reports from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Much of the grimmest fighting is happening along the front lines in Ukraine's east, but Kyiv and Moscow are also bringing the war deep into enemy territory. Ukraine's latest strike hit Kazan, where local officials said at least eight drones struck

the city. There were no casualties, but explosions hit residential buildings and an industrial facility. Russia meanwhile sent more than a hundred drones into Ukrainian territory in the last 24 hours. All were shot down or crashed after being hit with electronic jammers. Russia did hit Kyiv with a heavy missile strike Friday, killing one civilian. In a statement, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, which he said must not be perceived

by the world as something routine. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kiev. And from Washington, this is NPR News. The top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East as the rebel force that led the ouster of Syria's Bashar al-Assad remains a designated foreign terrorist organization But Barbara leaf says the US will not pursue a 10 million dollar reward for HTS leader and Syria's de facto new leader Ahmed al-sharaa leaf led the first delegation of US diplomats into Syria since Assad's Leeve led the first delegation of U.S. diplomats into Syria since Assad's ousters. She said Al-Sharah has committed to renouncing terrorism. Each year, the holiday season brings with it visions of snow on the ground on Christmas

morning. Imperial Chandelier-Stuster reports on who will likely see a white Christmas this year and who will likely not. The National Weather Service says the majority of the United States will not wake up to a white Christmas this year. The agency also says the last time a large portion of the US experienced a white Christmas was nearly 15 years ago. Parts of Northern California and Utah are forecast to see a blanket of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. Areas around the Great Lakes, New York, and Northern New England also have high chances of seeing snow.

The National Weather Service says other parts of the country are expected to have temperatures that are milder than average on Christmas Day. Climate experts warn we could see fewer white Christmases because of warming temperatures. This year has been the warmest year on record globally. Chandelis Duster, NPR News. To southern England now, thousands of people gathered today at Stonehenge to mark the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Stonehenge, one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments.

It was built thousands of years ago. I'm Trial Snyder. This is NPR News.