NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-14-2024 4PM EST

Episode Date: November 14, 2024

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The Code Switch team spent Election Day talking to folks about how the outcome might impact them. It's a time capsule of people's hopes and fears before they knew the results. One way or another, there's a change coming. I wanted to vote for Trump, but I voted for her. Gays for Trump. I cried this morning. I've been crying on and off. I'm terrified.

Listen to Code Switch, the podcast about race and identity from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington. I'm Lakshmi Singh. Come January, Republicans are set to take control of the White House and Congress now that the GOP has secured its majority in the U.S. House and taking control in the Senate. NPR's Domenico Montanaro reports that sets a clear path for president-elect Trump's agenda. Donald Trump will go into office with full control over the levers of power in Washington. He'll be in the White House and Republicans will have majorities in both the House and Senate.

That means Trump will likely have an easier time passing priorities like extending tax cuts and confirming more federal judges. Congress holds the purse string, so that could help on money for border control efforts, but much of what Trump intends to do to curb illegal immigration, including his promise of a mass deportation, will come from the White House and federal agencies. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington. Senators tasked with conducting confirmation hearings for Trump's nominees are pushing to see details of a House ethics report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican Trump has nominated for attorney general.

Senator John Cornyn sits on the Judiciary Committee. He says he's open issuing a subpoena to the House panel. I don't think any of us want to fly blind because that wouldn't be discharging our responsibilities. But again, part of this is to protect the president against information or surprises coming out later that he and his team weren't aware of. The House Ethics Committee conducted an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and other offenses by Gaetz. When the lawmaker resigned after being tapped for

AG, that effectively ended the probe. Florida is suing the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. NPR's Debbie Ellie reports a federal lawsuit accuses FEMA officials of discriminating against Florida hurricane victims who support President-elect Trump. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell for violating the civil rights of Florida citizens in the response to hurricanes Helene and Milton. The suit also names former FEMA supervisor Marnie Washington, who was fired after reports that she directed FEMA workers in Lake Placid to

skip over houses that displayed Trump campaign signs and flags. Criswell called Washington's behavior reprehensible, but the former supervisor has claimed she was following standard protocol to avoid hostility in the field. Criswell faces congressional scrutiny over the matter as well. She's scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee next week. Debbie Elliott, NPR News. Soccer fans are tuned into a major match in the French capital, but from the looks of it you might not know it.

This following last week's attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, the police presence in Paris is high while attendance at Stade de France is sharply down. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has closed down more than 200 points for nearly half a percent to end the day at 43,750. You're listening to NPR News. Street drug deaths in the United States are dropping at the fastest rate ever seen, according to a new report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data show roughly 16,000 fewer lives lost in a 12-month period. NPR's Brian Mann has details.

Drug deaths driven by fentanyl spiraled upward for years. But that trend suddenly reversed in 2024, and new CDC data show the decline in fatal overdoses is continuing and may even be accelerating. The latest surveys for the 12-month period ending in June show a 14.5% drop from a year earlier. Experts say that kind of improvement is unprecedented. In a statement, Dr. Ruhooghul Gupta, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, pointed to better medical care for people in addiction and the spread of the drug overdose medication naloxone, also known as Narcan. This marks the lowest level of fatal overdoses in nearly four years. Brian Mann,

NPR News, New York. Well, they tried to pin it on a bear in California. State insurance officials said four Los Angeles residents were arrested yesterday after they claimed a bear broke into luxury vehicles and caused more than $140,000 in damage. Authorities say video footage that the suspects provided to insurers showed it wasn't a bear at all, but someone in a bear costume. The Dow closed down 207 points, the S&P was down 36, and the NASDAQ closed down 123 points. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.