Senate leadership rules out sending standalone $2,000 checks to U.S. workers. Arizona grapples with the second-highest COVID-19 rate in the nation. And, the Census Bureau will miss a year-end deadline.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

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The Biden administration has proposed a change to immigration laws meant to discourage people from crossing the border illegally. An American-built floating pier off the coast of Gaza is nearly ready — and U.S. officials say it will help increase the flow of aid into the war zone. And two months after armed gangs took control of the capital of Haiti the country may finally be starting to stabilize. 

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Kelley Dickens, Vincent Ni, Tara Neill, Ben Adler, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Destinee Adams and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent and our technical director is Stacey Abbott. Our executive producer is Erika Aguilar.

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U.S. Asylum Rule Change, Gaza Aid Pier, Haiti Update

President Biden says he'll stop the shipment of U.S. military aid to Israel if it launches a major offensive in Rafah. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has survived a leadership threat, thanks in part to Democrats. And when House Republicans questioned public school leaders about antisemitism, the superintendents pushed back.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Vincent Ni, Kelsey Snell, Nicole Cohen, Ben Adler, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams, Destinee Adams and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Phil Edfors, and our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

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Biden Warns Israel, Democrats Save Speaker Johnson, House Anti-Semitism Hearing

The Biden administration is weighing how hard to push back on Israel's conduct of its war against Hamas. Stormy Daniels testifies in Donald Trump's New York trial about an affair that the then-presidential candidate is accused of covering up in 2016. And TikTok wants a federal court to throw out Congress's new "sell-or-be-banned" law.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Vincent Ni, Dana Farrington, Kevin Drew, Lisa Thomson, Alice Woelfle and Ben Adler. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Hannah Gluvna. And our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

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Israel-Rafah Latest, Stormy Daniels Testifies, TikTok Sues U.S.

After seven months of war and nearly 35,000 deaths, a pause in the fighting in Gaza seemed in sight — and then it wasn't.
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes his fifth oath of office, which if he serves the full term would give him a longer tenure than Joseph Stalin. And the House could vote on another motion to oust a Republican speaker — but this time, Democrats might save Mike Johnson.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Vincent Ni, Nick Spicer, Kelsey Snell, Lisa Thomson, Alice Woelfle and Ben Adler. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Phil Edfors. And our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

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The Gaza Ceasefire That Wasn't, Putin's Fifth Inauguration, House Speaker Vote?

The Gaza ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appear to have hit a roadblock. China's president heads to France for a state dinner — hoping to drive a wedge between Europe and America. Boeing is hoping it has better success in space than it's lately had inside the atmosphere.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Vincent Ni, Nick Spicer, Russell Lewis, Lisa Thomson, Elana Perl and Ben Adler. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Phil Edfors. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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Thursday, December 31, 2020

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