NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-14-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: November 14, 2024

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Otograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Lawyers in Washington and veterans of the Justice Department are urging the Senate to conduct a full vetting of Matt Gaetz. NPR News is a proud sponsor of the National Law Firm. The National Law Firm is a proud veterans of the Justice Department are urging the Senate to conduct a full vetting of Matt Gaetz. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports the former Florida congressman is President-elect Donald Trump's

nominee to lead the Justice Department. Trump's selection of Matt Gaetz for attorney general shocked people inside the DOJ and even many Republicans on Capitol Hill. Gates is a frequent critic of the Justice Department and FBI and from 2019 until last year he was under federal investigation for sex trafficking. That investigation ended with no criminal charges but a separate House ethics probe had been underway at the time of Gates's resignation from Congress. Lawyer Greg Nunziata says the Senate needs to impose a character and fitness test on

some of Trump's cabinet nominations. Trump's floated the idea of bypassing Senate confirmation to try to install some of his picks during a congressional recess. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington. Pennsylvania's top elections official is ordering a recount of ballots in the state's U.S. Senate race. The Associated Press has called the Senate race for Republican David McCormick. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports Pennsylvania state law requires a recount because of the small margin of votes separating the two leading candidates. About 29,000 votes or less than half of 1% of the

ballots cast in Pennsylvania separate Republican David McCormick and the Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Casey. That's why Pennsylvania's secretary of the Commonwealth, Al Schmidt, has ordered an automatic statewide recount of ballots. The associate press declared McCormick the winner last week. At the time, the AP concluded there were not enough uncounted ballots in areas supporting Casey for the Democrat to ultimately take the lead.

Still, Casey has not conceded. And in court filings, McCormick and Republican allies have signaled preparations to challenge the counting of some provisional ballots. The final outcome of Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race is not expected to change the balance of power in the new Senate. Republicans are set to be in the majority. Anzela Wong, NPR News. A group of Republican-led House subcommittees held a hearing yesterday on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs. These are also known as UFOs. Lawmakers questioned some witnesses

about unproven allegations that the federal government has been concealing unexplained phenomena. Former NASA official Michael Gold says there should be an open review of all the data the government has on UAPs. I think probably the vast majority of UAPs are drones, experimental aircraft, weather conditions, which is again why I say if we review the data I think we're going to discover a lot about things we weren't even thinking about. But there is a percentage that isn't. The Pentagon issued a report last March. It says the Defense Department has found no evidence of extraterrestrial spacecraft.

You're listening to NPR. The group Human Rights Watch has issued a report alleging Israel has committed grave violations against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The report specifically examines orders or statements to civilians to evacuate. The report claims the Israeli military fails to provide enough time for Palestinian civilians to move or frequently doesn't communicate the orders at all. The Israeli military has not commented on the report so far. Developing nations that are hit hardest by climate change are demanding

that wealthy countries do more to deal with global warming. And Piers Michael Copley reports that some vulnerable countries are looking for options outside of global climate negotiations. The United Nations highest court next month will consider calls for governments to face tougher obligations to limit global warming and protect communities from climate disasters. Gaston Brown, Prime Minister of the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, said at climate talks in Azerbaijan that his country will send representatives to the hearing at the International Court of Justice. If voluntary pledges remain broken, then international law will be our pathway to justice.

The court's opinion in the case wouldn't be binding but could push governments to take stronger action. Michael Copley, NPR News. President Biden is flying to Peru later today to attend an international economic summit. He'll meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday. The White House says Biden will tell his counterpart the U.S. and China must maintain stability, clarity and predictability as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to govern the U.S. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.