Congress Scrambles to Avert Shutdown; White House Starts Scrapping Student Debt Cancellation

Congress was scrambling to avert a partial government shutdown on Friday, hours after more than three dozen Republicans rejected a demand by President-elect Donald Trump to use the measure to lift the nation’s debt ceiling.

The White House is abandoning its plan to cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans. This is the Biden administration’s first step in scrapping pending regulations and unfinished rules across a number of agencies in its final days.

U.S. Central Command reports that American forces have killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif in Syria. The precision airstrike was carried out on Thursday.

Topics in this episode include:

1. Lawmakers Go Back to the Drawing Board on Funding Bill
2. Johnson: Plan C Reached to Avert Shutdown, Vote Expected
3. White House Starts Scrapping Student Debt Cancellation
4. Biden to Meet Pope Francis in Rome in January
5. Centcom: ISIS Leader Killed in Precision Airstrike in Syria
6. 1st US Delegation in Over 10 Years Arrives in Syria
7. Pentagon Says It Has Double the Number of Troops in Syria
8. Lawsuit: US Failed to Evacuate Palestinian Americans in Gaza
9. ICE Deports the Most Illegal Immigrants Since 2015
10. Texas Governor Launches Ad Campaign to Curb Illegal Immigration
11. Should Debt Ceiling Be Scrapped: Analysis
12. Jan. 6 Defendant Allowed to Attend Trump Inauguration
13. Former NYC Mayor’s Top Aide Pleads Not Guilty in Bribery Case
14. Fresh Snow Brings Holiday Cheer to Midwest
15. Fire Breaks Out at Former Virginia Intermont College Campus
16. Trump Wants EU to Buy More US Oil, Gas or Face Tariffs
17. Russia Targets Kyiv With Ballistic, Hypersonic Missiles
18. Sweden Will No Longer Fund UNRWA Aid Agency
19. German President to Decide on Dissolving Parliament
20. Suspect in Croatian School Stabbing Was Former Student
21. France Trial Concludes With 51 Guilty Verdicts for Mass Rape
22. Chinese National Charged as Beijing Agent in California Election
23. Taiwanese Lawmakers Clash Over Bills
24. Canada’s Trudeau to Reshuffle His Cabinet Friday
25. Lord Mandelson Picked as UK’s New Ambassador to US
26. Warriors Curry, Green Go Without Field Goal for 1st Time
27. ‘Raygun: The Musical’ Will Continue Under Different Name
28. College Football Playoffs Tonight: Indiana–Notre Dame
29. The Town of Eternal Christmas in Mexico
30. Santa Hands Out Christmas Trees in Jerusalem
31. Record-Breaking Travel Expected at Nation’s Busiest Airports
32. Winter Village at Toronto’s Historic Distillery District
33. Business Leaders Praise Shen Yun’s Spiritual Impact

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