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

Episode Date: November 15, 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 Jack

Spear. President-elect Donald Trump has tap-noted vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the agency that oversees public health programs, including the Food and Drug Administration. Trump is nominating R.F.K. Jr. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Bureau Stephen Fowler is more. If he's confirmed by the Senate, the role gives Kennedy the chance to actualize a vision that's

often at odds with mainstream health and science, likely through a combination of scaling back existing programs and refocusing others to align with his, quote, make America healthy again goals. He told NPR that the government isn't going to take away vaccines from anybody But said the science on vaccine safety has huge deficits now vaccine experts disagree with that assessment NPR's Stephen Fowler HHS also oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institutes of Health and Medicare and Medicaid Kennedy ran as an independent presidential candidate for dropping out in August and throwing his support behind Trump. And more nominations to announce tonight. Trump has chosen his personal attorney, Todd Blanch, as his deputy attorney general. If confirmed, Blanch would be second to Trump's attorney general nominee, former Florida representative Matt Gaetz. Other announced picks are former Georgia Congressman Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Dean John Sauer, solicitor general. Sauer represented Trump at the Supreme Court, convincing the conservative majority to give presidents broad immunity from prosecution. Republicans will again control the U.S. House, according to a call by the

Associated Press. As NPR's Domenico Montanaro explains, it sets a clear path for President-elect Trump. 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. In Israel, the court is rejecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to delay his corruption trial amid war. He'll now testify next month. NPR's Daniel Eshterna is more from Tel Aviv. Netanyahu's lawyers argued he didn't have enough time to prepare his testimony because of the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah. The judges in his case said they gave Netanyahu five months to prepare and that the circumstances

of the war had not changed significantly to justify a delay. The trial has lasted more than four years and concerns his alleged dealmaking with media moguls for positive press coverage. In a new development, Israeli authorities are investigating Netanyahu's inner circle. Israeli media report allegations that classified information was leaked about the Gaza war to benefit Netanyahu. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. On Wall Street, the Dow was down 207 points. This is NPR. The outgoing Biden administration appears to be using at least some of its remaining time in office

to shore up various regulations as the president winds down his term. The administration today releasing new guidelines for using artificial intelligence in the power grid, water system, air travel networks, and other critical infrastructure. New guidelines were unveiled by the Department of Homeland Security. Among other things, they recommend developers evaluate potentially dangerous capabilities in their products, make sure hardware and software supplies used in the cloud, computing infrastructure are properly vetted. The European Commission has fined Facebook parent company Meta $841 million for pushing

its classified ad service on social media users in Europe. Here's NPR's Rob Schmitz. The executive body of the European Union says Meta unfairly tied Facebook Marketplace to its popular social network, thereby imposing unfair terms on rival ad providers. The commission says Facebook Marketplace enjoyed a substantial distribution advantage, which competitors could not match. It has ordered Meta to immediately halt this practice. The tech company said in a statement it would appeal the fine but, quote, comply and work quickly and constructively to launch

a solution which addresses the points raised. Rob Schmitz and PR News, Berlin. Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsay Vaughn now says she plans to come out of retirement to rejoin the U.S. ski team. Vaughn's announcement coming after more than six years from her last Olympics appearance. Vaughn won a downhill gold and super G bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games and another bronze in 2018. A four-time overall world champion, Vaughn also has eight world championship medals. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.