NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-14-2024 6PM EST

Episode Date: November 14, 2024

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Joe Biden's on his way out and Donald Trump's on his way back. Want to know what's happening as the presidential transition is underway? The NPR Politics Podcast has you covered with the latest news and analysis. Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general Florida Republican Matt Gates has resigned from his House seat, but some Republican senators want to see a report from a House Ethics Committee investigation on sex trafficking and drug use

allegations against Gaetz, a probe that effectively ended with his resignation. More from MPR's Elena Moore. The House Ethics Committee can no longer pursue its investigation of Matt Gaetz, but its findings remain a variable in his nomination for attorney general. Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn is a senior member of the Judiciary Committee. He wants to see all relevant information when deciding on Gaetz, and that includes the report. I don't think any of us want to fly blind and because that wouldn't be

discharging our responsibilities, but, part of this is to protect the president against information or surprises coming out later that he and his team weren't aware of. Cornyn added he's open to subpoenaing the investigation's findings if necessary. Elena Moore, NPR News, The Capitol. As president-elect, Donald Trump continues to assemble the inner circle for his next administration, he will have a GOP-led House and Senate to work with. In his latest controversial cabinet pick, Trump pegging noted vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy has also said he would recommend water agencies stop adding fluoride to drinking water and firing and replacing 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health, which oversees vaccine research. Kennedy's nomination will need to be approved by the Senate. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced today she filed a complaint in federal court against FEMA Administrator, Ian Criswell, and now fired FEMA worker. Central Florida Public Media's Danielle Pryor is more. The former FEMA worker Marnie Washington instructed relief workers to avoid homes in Florida with Trump signs in their yards when carrying out Hurricane Milton relief. Chris Well has since apologized calling Washington's actions a clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles and reprehensible.

But in a statement on the social media platform X, Attorney General Moody says she's still taking legal action to, quote, find out how far FEMA's political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served regardless of their political affiliation. Criswell is scheduled to appear before a House Oversight Committee next week. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Pryor in Orlando. The number of people filing first-time jobless claims took a dip this week. Unemployment falling to its lowest level in six months as layoffs remain contained. The Labor Department says initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 4,000 last week

to around 217,000. That was below analyst estimates. Stocks closed lower on Wall Street today, the Dow down 207 points, the NASDAQ fell 123 points. This is NPR. Alex Jones confirms his Infowars studio is now shut down after his right-wing media company was sold at a bankruptcy auction yesterday. Proceeds will help pay families who won $1.5 billion in two defamation suits against Jones. After he spread lies, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting never happened. Sen. Piers Tovey Smith explains Infowars will now be owned by the left-leaning satirical news outlet, The Onion. No joke, The Onion says no price would be too high for Infowars audience of quote malleable minds and for the chance to quash what the Onion calls Infowars brainwashing and promotion

of delusional paranoia. Jones spent his last hours on the show ranting against a sale he says was rigged and vowing not to go down without a fight. We're going out like vikings in the Infowar with swords in our hands. The Sandy Hook Connecticut families gave up some of their proceeds from the sale to help boost the onions bid. They said the onion has done a public service to hinder Jones's ability to do more harm. Tovia Smith, NPR News.

Without admitting liability in the case, meat processor Smithfield is agreeing to pay a two million dollar fine to resolve charges that violated child labor laws. Authorities say the Virginia-based company employed nearly a dozen children in a meat processing plant in St. James, Minnesota, at least some of whom were performing potentially dangerous work. State's Labor Department says those employed ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old. Smithfield says it did not knowingly hire anyone under the age of 18 to work there.

Crude oil futures prices close slightly higher in choppy trading today, oil at 68.70 a barrel. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.