NPR News: 12-19-2024 7AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 19, 2024, 7AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman

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Government Shutdown Impasse

Timestamp: [00:11] – [00:28]

NPR's Korva Coleman opens the episode with urgent news from Washington, D.C., where congressional Republicans have withdrawn their support for a bipartisan government funding bill. This withdrawal leads to an impending partial federal government shutdown slated to begin late tomorrow. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise remarked, “[00:21] Obviously, there's still a lot of negotiations, conversations going on, but there's no minimal agreement.” The collapse of the agreement follows intense pressure from President-elect Trump, who threatened GOP lawmakers with primary challenges if they supported the bill, accusing them of funding Democratic priorities.

Biden Administration's Ambitious Climate Goals

Timestamp: [00:28] – [01:52]

In a significant policy development, the Biden administration has unveiled a more ambitious climate goal aimed at reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 61 to 66% by 2035, a 20% increase from the previous target based on 2005 levels. NPR’s Jeff Brady reports on the administration’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement, despite President-elect Trump’s threats to withdraw the United States from the treaty upon taking office. Jeff Brady notes, “[01:04] The Biden administration is boosting the US goal by about 20%, putting the target range at 61 to 66% reduction by 2035.”

John Podesta, Biden’s climate advisor, emphasizes that even if the U.S. exits the Paris Agreement, sub-national actors such as states, cities, and private companies will still drive progress towards the new goals. Steve Scalise supports this view, stating, “[01:32] Sub national leaders in the United States can continue to show the world that American climate leadership is determined by so much more than whoever sits in the Oval Office.” However, Brady cautions that independent models indicate meeting these enhanced targets will be challenging without additional federal climate policies.

High-Profile Court Case

Timestamp: [01:52] – [02:23]

The episode highlights a significant criminal case in central Pennsylvania, where Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is set to appear in court. New York prosecutors seek Mangione’s extradition to face murder charges, in addition to existing weapons charges in Pennsylvania. The case has garnered national attention, reflecting the ongoing challenges in cross-jurisdictional law enforcement.

Syria’s Rebuilding Efforts

Timestamp: [02:23] – [03:04]

Turning to international news, NPR’s Hadil Al Shalchi reports from Damascus on Syria’s progress in rebuilding infrastructure under the new leadership of Hay E Tahrir Shem (HTS). The first domestic flight since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad departed Damascus, landing at Aleppo Airport an hour behind schedule. Enes Rustom, overseeing the airport, described the event as, “[02:23] a big accomplishment towards rebuilding the country.” Although international flights have yet to resume, Rustom expressed optimism about welcoming flights from all nations. Additionally, Syria has restored ATMs and electronic payment services—a crucial step towards economic normalization. Despite these advancements, HTS faces the immense task of uniting a fragmented nation and revitalizing state institutions weakened by years of sanctions and corruption.

Coping with Grief During the Holidays

Timestamp: [03:04] – [04:07]

In a poignant human interest segment, NPR’s Windsor Johnston shares personal stories from listeners about managing grief during the holiday season:

• Don Pilar, facing his first Christmas without his wife Rose, reflects on their favorite holiday market in Chicago: “[03:22] It has been bittersweet walking through our favorite holiday market this month.”

• Sophia Dembling from Dallas, Texas, mourns her husband Tom, who passed away four years ago: “[03:34] Christmas still isn't the same without him.” She reminisces about their traditions, saying, “[03:51] I loved buying gifts for him. We would get up and we would have, you know, sweet rolls for breakfast and exchange gifts.” Despite efforts to establish new traditions, Sophia struggles with the void left by her loss.

Steve Scalise adds, “[03:34] It's tough, but while the sorrow is always there, just having that memory of what we did here, you know, it sort of brings her back to life.” These narratives underscore the enduring impact of loss and the complex emotions experienced during holiday times.

Amazon Worker Strike

Timestamp: [04:07] – [04:51]

In labor news, thousands of Amazon employees are striking across the United States. The Teamsters union reports that delivery drivers and warehouse workers are picketing at seven major facilities, including locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Skokie (Illinois), and New York City. The union alleges that Amazon refuses to engage in meaningful bargaining, prompting the widespread protests. In response, Amazon released a statement contending that the Teamsters do not represent its workers and are promoting a misleading narrative. This strike highlights ongoing tensions between large tech employers and labor organizations advocating for better working conditions and fair negotiations.

Additional News: Ancient Mastodon Discovery

Timestamp: [04:51] – [End]

In lighter news, a New York man gardening in his yard earlier this year unearthed two giant teeth from an ancient mastodon, which led researchers to discover an entire mastodon jawbone. Experts are now actively searching for more fossils, offering a fascinating glimpse into prehistoric life and contributing to the paleontological understanding of the region.

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Closing Notes:

The episode of NPR News Now delivers a comprehensive roundup of significant national and international events, from political impasses and climate policies to personal stories of grief and labor strikes. With detailed reporting and direct quotes from key figures, the summary provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of the day's most pressing issues.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Congressional Republicans have yanked their support for a bipartisan government funding bill. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

[Steve Scalise]

Obviously, there's still a lot of negotiations, conversations going on, but there's no minimal agreement.

[Korva Coleman]

No new agreement on a spending bill means the federal government will partially shut down late tomorrow. Republicans backed away after President elect Trump demanded they torpedo it at the last minute. He threatened Republicans, saying if they supported the bill that funded Democratic Priorities, he would make sure GOP lawmakers faced primary challenges. The Biden administration is setting a new, more ambitious climate goal for the U.S. one that would extend into the next decade. As NPR's Jeff Brady reports, that's despite the likelihood that President Elect Trump will withdraw the country from an international treaty after he takes office.

[Jeff Brady]

Under the Paris Climate Agreement, nations set greenhouse gas reduction goals to meet an overall target. The Biden administration is boosting the US goal by about 20%, putting the target range at 61 to 66% reduction by 2035. That's based on the country's 2005 climate pollution. Even if Trump pulls the US out of the Paris agreement, Biden climate advisor John Podesta says states, cities and private companies can still help the US Meet the goal.

[Steve Scalise]

Sub national leaders in the United States can continue to show the world that American climate leadership is determined by so much more than whoever sits in the Oval Office.

[Jeff Brady]

But independent modeling shows it would be difficult to meet the new goal without more federal climate policies. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson will appear in a courtroom in central Pennsylvania today. New York prosecutors want to extradite Luigi Mangione to face murder charges, but he also faces weapons charges in Pennsylvania. In Syria, the first domestic flight since the fall of former President Bashar al Assad departed Damascus yesterday. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi reports. It's just one way the new leadership is trying to prove it can get Syria back up and running.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

The commercial Syrian Air flight landed in Aleppo Airport an hour behind schedule. But Enes Rustom, the man appointed to oversee the airport, said that it was, quote, a big accomplishment towards rebuilding the country. There was no word of when international flights would resume, but Rustom said Syria welcomed flights from all countries to start coming back. ATMs and electronic payment services are also now back online in Syria, the group currently in charge of running Syria is Hay E Tahrir Shem, or hts, and faces a massive challenge. It needs to reunite a very diverse Syria and bring back state institutions that have been crippled by years of sanctions and corruption. Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.

[Korva Coleman]

In premarket trading on Wall street, stock futures are higher. You're listening to NPR. Coping with grief during the holidays can be overwhelming. NPR's Windsor Johnston reached out to some of our listeners and asked them to share their stories of dealing with loss.

[Windsor Johnston]

Don Pilar is facing his first Christmas without his wife, Rose, who died from cancer in June. He says walking through their favorite holiday market in downtown Chicago this month has been bittersweet.

[Steve Scalise]

It's tough, but while the sorrow is always there, just having that memory of what we did here, you know, it sort of brings her back to life.

[Windsor Johnston]

Sophia Dembling from Dallas, Texas, lost her husband Tom, four years ago. She says Christmas still isn't the same without him.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

I loved buying gifts for him. We would get up and we would have, you know, sweet rolls for breakfast and exchange gifts.

[Windsor Johnston]

Dembling says she's been trying to reinvent the holidays with new traditions, but it's been hard. Windsor Johnston, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Thousands of Amazon workers are going on strike. The Teamsters union says delivery drivers and warehouse employees are picketing this morning at seven facilities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Skokie, Illinois and New York City. The union says the online retailer refuses to come to the bargaining table. Amazon released a statement that says the Teamsters don't actually represent its workers and that it's pushing a false narrative. A New York man who was gardening in his yard earlier this year found two giant teeth from an ancient mastodon. Researchers who checked it out then discovered an entire mastodon jawbone. They say now they're looking for more. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

[Progressive Insurance]

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