COVID-19 Relief Bill; Pandemic Politics Driving Health Care Workers From Small Towns

Plus, famed Frech fashion designer Pierre Cardin dies at 98. by Jill Hudson First Up [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Capitol Hill last month. The House voted Monday to increase direct payments to Americans above what is provided in the COVID-19 relief legislation President Trump signed on Sunday.]( Drew Angerer/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. The Senate is expected to vote on Tuesday to override President Trump’s veto of a Pentagon spending bill. The House voted to do so Monday. [If the Senate follows suit]( it would be the first veto override of Trump’s presidency. The Democratic-led House passed a bill to increase direct COVID-19 relief payments from $600 to $2,000. The matter now moves to the Senate, where the Republican leadership negotiated against the higher checks. The pressure is on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. [Here’s what’s in the relief package](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [Election cases are among those before the U.S. Supreme Court, though none that will change President Trump's defeat.]( J. Scott Applewhite/AP The Supreme Court embarks on the second half of its term in January. Conservatives now have a 6-to-3 majority — a vote to spare on any given issue. What’s on the docket? Religion, abortion, guns and race, to name a few topics. [Listen here]( or [read the story](. One of the biggest mysteries of this year’s election is why there was a disparity between President-elect Joe Biden's decisive win and Democrats' disappointing down-ballot performance. Democrat leaders are trying to figure out what voters were trying to tell them. [Listen to the story]( or [read it](. Morning Edition host David Greene is embarking on a new chapter, but fortunately, the Morning Edition Song Project he helped create will live on in 2021. He chatted with Rachel Martin about how the project started and some of the highlights so far. [Click here to listen](. [Political divisions over the pandemic are creating a wedge and splitting off health care workers from small communities that desperately need them.]( Charlie Riedel/AP The coronavirus has exposed a weakness in many rural communities, where divisive pandemic politics are alienating some of their most critical residents — health care workers. [Listen]( or [read](. For the 78 residents of St. Joseph's Senior Home in New Jersey, the arrival of hazmat-suited officials in March in their caravan of ambulance buses was terrifying. Some evacuees with dementia shouted and furiously clawed at them. Others begged not to be taken away. [Hear the story]( or [read it](. As the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan, it leaves behind a country grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. Hunger is widespread, with children under 5 especially hard hit: More than 40% are severely malnourished. [Click here for the audio](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [French designer Pierre Cardin has died at age 98. Here, the member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts is seen in 2016, at the end of a fashion show marking 70 years of his creations at the Institut de France in Paris.]( Chesnot/Getty Images - Famed French designer Pierre Cardin, who extended his brand far beyond the fashion world, [has died at age 98](. - Dr. James Phillips is no longer working at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, months after [criticizing President Trump]( flouting of coronavirus safety guidelines. - In a new audio and visual project at NPR, we will take a look at the American melting pot, exploring the universal themes that immigrant communities of color encounter while navigating their identity in America. [Share your story here](. NPR's Rachel Treisman contributed to this report. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]