NPR News: 12-20-2024 7AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: December 20, 2024, 7AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman
Producer: NPR
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

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1. House Rejects Last-Minute Spending Plan to Avert Government Shutdown

Timestamp: 00:00 - 00:20

Korva Coleman opens the episode by reporting that the House of Representatives has unanimously rejected a last-minute spending plan aimed at preventing a federal government shutdown. The plan faced opposition from nearly all Democrats and dozens of Republicans.

Key Points:

• The White House criticized the spending plan as a "giveaway for billionaires."
• President Biden had initially supported a bipartisan deal to keep the government open.
• The proposal was derailed by President-elect Donald Trump and his advisor, Elon Musk.
• In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre accused Republicans of succumbing to billionaire interests, stating:

  "Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans and breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement that would lower prescription drug costs and make it harder to offshore jobs to China." (00:20)

• A government shutdown is imminent, with operations set to cease at midnight Friday if no agreement is reached.

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2. Teamsters Union Initiates Strikes at Amazon Facilities Nationwide

Timestamp: 01:02 - 01:55

Korva Coleman transitions to labor news, highlighting that the Teamsters Union has called for strikes at seven Amazon facilities across the United States. The union is urging Amazon to negotiate labor contracts to address workers' concerns.

Key Points:

• Strikes involve Amazon employees and workers from third-party companies.
• NPR's Andrea Hsu reports that Amazon has dismissed the union's claims as a public relations strategy, asserting that the Teamsters do not represent the workers involved.
• A significant point of contention is the employment status of third-party drivers. Amazon maintains that these drivers are not direct employees, a stance currently under legal scrutiny.
• Andrea Hsu elaborates:

  "The company has disputed that the Teamsters even represents these thousands of workers. And part of the issue is those third party drivers. Amazon says they're not company employees, but this has been a subject of litigation." (01:25)

• Despite the strikes, Amazon does not anticipate any delivery delays. It's noteworthy that Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters.

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3. U.S. Diplomatic Delegation Engages with Syria's Interim Government in Damascus

Timestamp: 01:55 - 02:55

Korva Coleman reports on a significant diplomatic move as a U.S. delegation arrives in Damascus to engage with Syria's new interim government—the first of its kind since the U.S. closed its embassy in 2012. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi provides an in-depth look into the mission's objectives.

Key Points:

• The State Department outlines that the delegation aims to discuss "transition principles" to aid Syria in building an inclusive government.
• A central focus is on mitigating the influence of Hayed Tahrir Hashem (HTS), a militia group that led the opposition against the Assad regime and is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
• HTS seeks to remove its terrorist label to access much-needed aid for Syria's reconstruction.
• Additionally, the delegation is investigating the disappearance of American journalist Austin Tice.

Hadil Al Shalchi states:

"The delegation will also be looking for new information on the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice." (02:19)

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4. President Biden Announces Expansion of Student Loan Forgiveness

Timestamp: 02:55 - 03:39

Korva Coleman covers a major development in student loan policies, with President Biden moving to forgive over $4 billion in student debt. Approximately 55,000 borrowers are set to benefit, particularly those enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Key Points:

• The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program assists teachers, nurses, law enforcement officials, and other public servants by erasing loans after 10 years of service in government or non-profit roles.
• This initiative aims to alleviate financial burdens on individuals dedicating their careers to public good, thereby encouraging more professionals to enter these essential fields.

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5. FDA Implements New Guidelines for 'Healthy' Food Labeling

Timestamp: 03:39 - 04:21

NPR's Allison Aubrey reports on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) introduction of new regulations determining which foods can be marketed as "Healthy." These changes are part of broader efforts to combat diet-related diseases, which remain a leading cause of disability and death in the U.S.

Key Points:

• To qualify for the "Healthy" label, food products must adhere to strict criteria, including limits on saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium.
• Additionally, products must contain specified amounts of at least one food group from the dietary guidelines, such as beans, lean meats, fish, fruits, or vegetables.
• Claudine Cavanaugh from the FDA emphasizes the importance of these changes:

  "The healthy claim can be a real quick signal to help empower consumers." (04:02)

• The FDA underscores that diet-related conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease contribute to the U.S. having the lowest life expectancy among large high-income countries.

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6. Severe Snowstorms Lead to Emergencies in Minnesota

Timestamp: 04:21 - End

Korva Coleman concludes the episode with a weather update, reporting that significant snowfall has hit parts of Minnesota. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have declared snow emergencies, leading to the closure of several public schools.

Key Points:

• More than half a foot of snow has accumulated in various regions of Minnesota.
• The severe weather conditions have disrupted daily activities and transportation, prompting local authorities to take precautionary measures to ensure public safety.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the December 20, 2024, episode of NPR News Now, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the day's most pressing news topics.

Transcript

[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The House of Representatives has rejected a new last minute spending plan to avert a federal government shutdown. Dozens of Republicans join nearly all the Democrats in voting against it. NPR's Asma Khalid reports. The White House blasted the new spending plan as a, quote, giveaway for billionaires.

[Asma Khalid]

The White House says President Biden supported an earlier version of the plan, a bipartisan deal to keep the government open. That deal was upended on Wednesday by President elect Donald Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk, who also happens to be the wealthiest person in the world. In a statement, White House press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans and breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement that would lower prescription drug costs and make it harder to offshore jobs to China. If Congress cannot reach a deal, the government will begin shutdown operations at midnight Friday. Asma Khalid, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The Teamsters union has called strikes at seven Amazon facilities across the country. The union wants the online retailer to come to the bargaining table to hammer out labor contracts. Some of the people who are striking work for Amazon, but Others work for third party companies. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports. The company rejects the union's position.

[Andrea Hsu]

Amazon has called this a PR play on the part of the Teamsters. The company has disputed that the Teamsters even represents these thousands of workers. And part of the issue is those third party drivers. Amazon says they're not company employees, but this has been a subject of litigation. The Teamsters and federal labor officials have argued that even though these drivers are not direct employees of Amazon, they only work for Amazon. Amazon controls their wages and their working conditions.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Andrea Hsu reporting. Amazon says it doesn't expect delivery delays. Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters. A U.S. diplomatic delegation is in Damascus to hold talks with Syria's new interim government. It's the first official delegation of its kind since the U.S. closed its embassy in 2012. NPR's Hadil Al Shilci has more from Damascus.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

The U.S. state Department said that the diplomatic delegation traveling to Damascus will push what it called transition principles with Syria's interim leaders on how to build an inclusive government. The militia, which led opposition forces to topple the Assad regime, is Hayed Tahrir Hashem, or HTS. It is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. hTS is desperate to shed the title, which severely restricts the amount of aid Syria would receive, money that it needs to rebuild the country. The delegation will also be looking for new information on the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The White House says President Biden is moving to forgive more student loan debt. It's worth well over $4 billion. About 55,000 borrowers are eligible who are enrolled in an existing program called Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This is intended to support teachers, nurses, law enforcement officials and more. It is supposed to erase loans after 10 years of work in government or non profit jobs. The Food and Drug Administration has new rules to determine which foods can be labeled as Healthy. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports. The changes come at a time when diet related diseases are a leading cause of disability and death in the US.

[Allison Aubrey]

If a food manufacturer wants to add a healthy claim on their label, the product must not contain too much saturated fat, added sugars or sodium. In addition, the product must contain certain amounts of at least one of the food groups included in the dietary guidelines. This includes beans, lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables. The FDA's Claudine Cavanaugh says the new definition may help foster a healthy food supply.

[Claudine Cavanaugh]

The healthy claim can be a real quick signal to help empower consumers.

[Allison Aubrey]

The FDA says diet related conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease contribute to America's status of having the lowest life expectancy among large high income countries. Alison Aubrey, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Parts of Minnesota got very heavy snow yesterday. The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul both declared snow emergencies. Some public schools were closed. More than half a foot of snow fell across parts of Minnesota. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.