CNN 5 Things

Meet the Traveling Piano Man spreading joy across the US through music. People with memory loss disorders are getting sound prescriptions. The youngest-ever World Chess Champion returns home to a hero’s welcome. A beloved local Santa in New York passed away, but his son is carrying on his legacy. Plus, could mouse sperm orbiting Earth be the future of humanity? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

House Speaker Mike Johnson secured enough votes to pass a government spending bill hours before the deadline. Authorities in Germany say at least two people are dead after a driver plowed into a crowd. A US delegation met with the leader of a rebel group that has taken control in Syria. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is suing several US banks over their handling of fraud on Zelle. Plus, the Food and Drug Administration has updated its standards for “healthy” foods for the first time in 30 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

House GOP leaders are racing to sell their latest funding bill to avoid a shutdown at midnight. President-elect Donald Trump is threatening Europe with tariffs. We have sentencing details for the Indiana man convicted of killing two teenage girls in 2017. We’re tracking a storm system that could bring significant snowfall to parts of the eastern US. Plus, two big retail chains are closing stores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US is hours away from a government shutdown, while lawmakers scramble to find an agreement on a funding bill. The Federal Reserve’s go-to inflation gauge ticked up less than expected last month. American officials are in Syria, while US military forces continue airstrikes on ISIS targets in the country. President Joe Biden is set to approve more student debt relief. Plus, researchers say they’re discovered dozens of new species in northwestern Peru. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Republicans have just hours left to find a last-minute solution to avoid a government shutdown. Thousands of Starbucks baristas and Amazon drivers are on strike. A new report shows that last year the US carried out the highest number of deportations in a decade. Malaysia announces the search for MH370 will resume. Plus, we’ll tell you why Apple is being urged to get rid of an AI feature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Republicans are scrambling to find an 11th hour solution to a government shutdown, after a funding proposal backed by President-elect Donald Trump was voted down last night. Luigi Mangione is back in New York, after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Both New Jersey and New York have brought in new drone restrictions. A US delegation is in Syria today. And, LeBron James adds another record to his legendary basketball career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The man accused of killing healthcare CEO Brian Thompson made his first appearance in a New York federal court today. House Republicans have come up with a bill that would keep the government funded through March. Investigators detained a man with a possible link to the Wisconsin school shooter. Sources tell CNN the Department of Governmental Efficiency could target diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Plus, Syria's transition of power continues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The government could shut down at midnight tomorrow if Congress doesn’t reach a spending agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he’s “ready” to meet with President-elect Donald Trump. We’ll tell you why some last-minute climate efforts by the Biden administration aren’t likely to last. First-time unemployment claims settled back down after a Thanksgiving spike. Plus, life expectancy in the US is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Georgia appeals court disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting President-elect Donald Trump. The accused killer of United Healthcare’s CEO is on his way to New York and now faces federal charges too. Congressional leaders are scrambling to avert a shutdown after Trump demanded changes. Thousands of Amazon workers go on strike. Plus, the Starliner astronauts are stuck in space even longer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The deadline for Congress to keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown is fast approaching, after a bipartisan bill was scrapped. The woman at the center of a mass rape trial in France paid tribute to other victims, following her former husband’s sentencing. We’ll tell you where the weather could be causing headaches for holiday travelers this weekend. And, people in the US can now speak to ChatGPT on the phone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A bipartisan spending bill to keep the government funded has been scrapped. The victims of the Madison school shooting in Wisconsin have been named. Israel’s military says it’s launched deadly airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. A verdict has been reached in the mass rape trial that's gripped France. Plus, the US has completely wiped out an insect, but officials say it’s a good thing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dow fell more than 1,100 points after a disappointing outlook from the Federal Reserve. The GOP’s government funding plan is on shaky ground. One expert gives his perspective on the prospects of a ceasefire deal in Gaza. We’ll tell you about what could be one of President Joe Biden’s last major climate acts before leaving office. Plus, a new KFC spinoff is targeting Gen Z. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ll tell you how much the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates and why it could be the last cut for a while. House Republicans are singling out former GOP congresswoman Liz Cheney in their Jan. 6 investigation. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in the country. TikTok’s last-ditch effort to keep operating in the US is in the hands of the Supreme Court. Plus, Poland is auctioning off a very precious product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court will take up TikTok’s bid to avoid a US ban. The House Ethics Committee has secretly voted to release a report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz. Experts are skeptical that New York prosecutors will make Luigi Mangione's first-degree murder charge stick. Police are speaking to students as they try to find a motive in the Wisconsin school shooting. We’ll tell you why some of President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans might sound familiar. Plus, a Hawaii woman who was missing for weeks speaks out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ll tell you about President-elect Donald Trump’s meetings with some of the biggest names in tech. A man from Uzbekistan has been detained for the killing of a senior Russian general and his assistant. Prosecutors say several factors in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO point to it being an act of terrorism. Indiana has carried out its first execution of a death row inmate since 2009. And, Disney has cut the storyline of a transgender character in its new animated series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hundreds of people have held a candlelight vigil in Wisconsin to remember the Madison school shooting victims. Lawmakers have unveiled a bill to prevent a government shutdown, but it’s angered conservatives. We'll tell you what the Fed is expected to do with interest rates at its last meeting of 2024. Honda and Nissan are in merger talks. Plus, a record has been broken for the longest spacewalk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luigi Mangione is facing several charges – including a rare one – for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO earlier this month. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune has a plan to get the new Congress up and running next month. The suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings has been charged with the murder of a seventh victim. The US Preventive Services Task Force may have new recommendations for preventing falls and fractures in older adults. Plus, a 500-year-old British institution is in the process of being sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re learning what’s next in law enforcement’s investigation into the deadly school shooting in Wisconsin. President-elect Donald Trump is escalating his legal campaign against media outlets. There’s optimism about the prospects of reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza. The Dow is at risk of hitting its longest losing streak in decades. And, we’ll tell you what the fall of Assad’s regime could mean for Syrian refugees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Police are investigating a potential manifesto written by the teen shooter at a private school in Madison, Wisconsin. A surge of drone sightings has prompted local politicians to propose options on how to deal with them. 538 electors are meeting today to formalize the 2024 election results. A deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit a Pacific island nation. Plus, an Alabama grandma received a gene-edited pig kidney transplant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Police are starting to piece together what happened at the shooting at a private school in Madison, Wisconsin. Ukraine is claiming responsibility for an explosion that killed a Russian general. TikTok wants the Supreme Court to weigh in, as it’s just weeks away from possibly being banned in the US. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is having problems in his own government. Plus, there’s some wild weather coming to the western US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices