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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The House of Representatives has approved a short-term spending bill to fund the government through March 14th. As NPR's Barbara Spahn explains, it comes just hours before the government is set to run out of money, leaving little time for the Senate to act.
The legislation includes $100 billion in aid to communities recovering from natural disasters and a one-year extension of federal farm policy and aid to farmers. It does not increase the nation's borrowing limit, something Donald Trump demanded, but House Speaker Mike Johnson says the president-elect is still satisfied.
He knew exactly what we were doing and why, and this is a good outcome for the country. I think he certainly is happy about this outcome as well.
Trump and his advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, undermined a bipartisan agreement reached earlier this week, causing Republicans to spend several days intensely negotiating a new bill to appease Trump, their own members, and the Democrats whose votes were needed to approve the bill. Barbara Sprunt and Peer News, the Capitol.
The U.S. diplomatic delegation is in the Syrian capital Damascus meeting with the interim government, which overthrew the Assad regime just under two weeks ago. MPR's Hadeel Al-Shauchi has more from Damascus.
The U.S. State Department says the diplomatic delegation discussed, quote, transition principles with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which makes up the interim Syrian government. It said they also discussed the importance of fighting against ISIS. HTS has roots in al-Qaeda and some factions that made up the rebel forces which toppled former President Bashar al-Assad had ties to ISIS.
HTS is a designated terrorist organization by the U.S. No additional information was given on what it would take for the U.S. to drop that designation. The State Department also said the delegation sought more information about the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.
An NPR investigation has learned staff at the Louisiana Department of Health can no longer promote COVID, flu, or MPOX immunizations. Reporter Rosemary Westwood with member station WWNO in New Orleans has the story.
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