Dale Willman

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei average fell almost 2% after the release of data showing weak factory activity in November.

In Seoul, meanwhile, the KOSPI slipped 0.2%, while Taiwan's TAIX lost 1%.

Futures for the S&P 500, meanwhile, were down 0.7%.

Dow futures were also down.

This is NPR News.

When the government shutdown disrupted federal food assistance, many local governments stepped in to help low-income residents.

Now, one of those efforts is showing traction in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tony Gonzalez with member station WPLN reports the city accelerated a program that allows qualifying residents to ride city buses for free.

The WNBA and the Players Union have agreed to an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement to January 9th.

That agreement came just before the current extension ran out Sunday night.

Both sides had met over the weekend, hoping to come up with an agreement.

Michaela Schifrin extended her winning streak in slalom skiing this weekend to four with a victory in Colorado.

The win gave her a record-extending 104th World Cup victory, as well as her 67th win in slalom.

She beat Lena Doerr of Germany by 1.57 seconds.

Her Copper Mountain win was her first win in Colorado in more than a decade.

I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

On the web at theschmidt.org.

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.

President Trump says he held a call with Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro as the Pentagon continues strikes in the Caribbean.

As NPR's Luke Garrett reports, Trump continued to defend those strikes on alleged drug boats.