--:-- Ray: Hey, it's Ray from Car Talk. Are you tired of all the depth and thoughtful care that goes into NPR shows? Want some good old-fashioned goofing around and stumbling to figure out what's going on? Well, I've been taking occasional car questions again. You can hear them by signing up for NPR Plus, along with lots of other bonus content. Just go to plus.npr.org.
--:-- [Nora Rahm, NPR News, enters the conversation]
--:-- Nora Rahm: Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. Today is day 39 of the government shutdown, the longest ever. The Senate is working through the weekend to attempt to craft a bipartisan solution to the deadlock.
--:-- Ava Pukac: NPR's Ava Pukac reports. Hundreds of flights have been canceled after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a reduction of flights in the airspace for safety precautions amid staffing issues. Air traffic controllers are among the federal employees working without pay while the shutdown drags on. SNAP recipients remain in limbo. The Supreme Court granted the Trump administration a temporary stay on a court order to fully fund the federal nutrition program while a lower court order plays out.
--:-- Nora Rahm: Some states had already issued full payments to SNAP recipients on Friday. The Supreme Court order means other states could be prevented from initiating payments.
--:-- Ava Pugach: NPR News. A federal judge in Oregon has permanently blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard in response to protests against ICE agents in Portland. Oregon Public Broadcasting's Conrad Wilson reports.
--:-- Conrad Wilson: In a 106-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Karen Immigate found President Trump did not have a lawful basis to federalize the National Guard. She also said her ruling did not mean the president can never deploy soldiers in Oregon or anywhere else, quote, if conditions on the ground justify the Guard's intervention.
--:-- Nora Rahm: The ruling follows a three-day trial over Trump's decision to send troops to protests outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland earlier this fall. Immigrant concluded there was some violence in June, but local law enforcement could handle it. In the months since, the judge said demonstrations have been predominantly peaceful.
--:-- Conrad Wilson: For NPR News, I'm Conrad Wilson in Portland.
--:-- Nora Rahm: The Red Cross says it's facilitated another transfer of human remains between Gazan and Israeli authorities. The body of one deceased Israeli hostage has been exchanged for those of 15 Palestinians held by Israel. It's the latest handover under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza. NPR's Lauren Freyer reports.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: The Israeli prime minister office says forensic tests show the latest body returned to Israel is that of a retired Israeli military officer. An Israeli hostage forum says Lior Rudev was a 61-year-old volunteer ambulance driver who was killed on October 7, 2023, after a fierce battle with Hamas-led militants at the gates of the kibbutz where he lived in southern Israel.
--:-- Nora Rahm: In exchange, the Gaza Health Ministry says it's received the bodies of 15 Palestinians held by Israel, but their names are not yet known. The ministry says only about a third of the total number of Palestinian bodies returned under this ceasefire have been identified amid a shortage of DNA tests in Gaza.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: Lauren Freyer, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
--:-- Nora Rahm: This is NPR News. Authorities in Tanzania are charging hundreds of people with treason for protests against the disputed election last month. President Samia Saluhu Hassan claims to have won with more than 97 percent of the vote. Observers from the African Union say they saw irregularities, including ballot stuffing.
--:-- Nora Rahm: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its Class of 2025 tonight, encompassing everything from hip-hop to grunge to British rock. From member station WKSU, Kabir Bhantia reports.
--:-- Kabir Bhatia: He played keyboards with the triple crown of the British invasion, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Who. Now the late Nikki Hopkins is being inducted into the Rock Hall. The ceremony in Los Angeles also honors Joe Cocker, with whom Hopkins recorded many times.
--:-- Nora Rahm: Performers are eligible 25 years after the release of their first record. Two of the longest waiting acts this year are Chubby Checker, singer of The Twist, and Carol Kay, who played bass guitar on thousands of records for everyone from the Beach Boys to Sam Cooke.
--:-- Kabir Bhatia: More recent groups in this year's class include Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Outkast, and Salt-N-Pepa. For NPR News, I'm Kabir Bhatia.
--:-- Nora Rahm: In Sunday football, the Indianapolis Colts play the Atlanta Falcons tomorrow in Berlin. It's the NFL's first regular season game in the German capital. Former Colt Bjorn Werner will be there. He returned to his native Germany after retiring from the NFL. He's now a popular TV commentator and podcaster in a country dominated by the other football, soccer.
--:-- Nora Rahm: I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News. Listen to this podcast sponsor-free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.
