NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-15-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: November 15, 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 Corva Coleman. President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports that the government is planning to nominate the governor of the United States, and that the governor of the United States Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports Burgum is likely to usher in a dramatic shift in energy policy on federal

lands. A billionaire software developer, Governor Burgum mounted a brief campaign for president before dropping out of the primary and throwing his support behind Trump. Burgum is known as a big booster of oil and gas drilling, though his state's boom has mostly occurred on private land. Historically, Interior Secretaries have generally come from Western states, with large tracts of federal public land. North Dakota is only about 4% federally owned. If confirmed, Burgum is expected to push for more oil and gas and coal development on public

lands while likely moving to reverse the more conservation and renewable energy focus of the Biden administration and his current Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, the nation's first Indigenous cabinet member. Kirk Siegler in PR News, Boise. There's been a lot of talk on Capitol Hill about Donald Trump's choice of former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Gaetz was investigated by the Justice Department and the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sex trafficking. He has denied these allegations. The federal probe was ended, and the House Ethics probe was terminated once Gaetz resigned

from Congress on Wednesday. But there have been calls for the Ethics Committee to release its report on what investigators learned. And Pierce-Georgia Walsh says some senators who will vote on the Gates nomination want to see it. This ethics report is turning out to be a flashpoint in this nomination. But even some of Gates' strong supporters say the ethics report is part of the record the Senate should be able to review, along with things like an FBI background check. These are things they do for all nominees. NPR's Deirdre Walsh reporting. A Texas grand jury has indicted a construction supervisor and his employer in connection with

a deadly trench collapse in 2021. As NPR's Robert Benicaso reports, a 24-year-old worker died in the incident. Juan Jose Galván Batalla was completely buried in soil and debris when he was working in a trench in Travis County installing a sewer line. Project Superintendent Carlos Alejandro Guerrero and his employer were charged with criminally negligent homicide. County District Attorney Jose Garza cited NPR's investigation earlier this year, which found that 250 workers died in largely preventable trench collapses from 2013 to 2023, and that only 11 employers had been prosecuted. Garza noted that none of those prosecutions took place in Texas and that it was time to hold employers accountable.

An attorney representing the project superintendent says the workers' death was a tragedy, but it was also an accident. Robert Benincasa, NPR News. President Biden is attending an International Economic Summit in Peru. Today he'll meet the leaders of Japan and South Korea. They are set to talk about technology and security cooperation. This is NPR. The Latin Grammy Awards were held last night in Miami. It's the show's 25th anniversary. NPR's Felix Contreras reports,

artists celebrated music and history. 25 years ago, CDs were king and the Latin Grammys only had 40 categories. Now the ceremony boasts 58 categories, reflecting a wide variety of genres, styles, and cultures, including Colombian vocalist Ella Talbert, who won this year's Best New Artist award. Veteran Dominican star Juan Luis Guerra picked up trophies for both Record of the Year and

Album of the Year. The program also featured a tribute to the late Brazilian music pioneer Sergio Mendes, performed by current Brazilian stars Anitta and Tiago York. The awards were once again broadcast on the Univision television network. Félix Contreras, NPR News. World climate talks in Azerbaijan are contentious. Developing nations are urging more wealthy countries to help them financially cope with climate change. Some economists have estimated one trillion dollars are needed to help support this effort.

Authorities in the Philippines are preparing for Typhoon Mani. This is the sixth typhoon to strike that country in about a month. The storm may strike the capital, Manila. The most recent typhoon is just now pulling away from the northern Philippines. The National Hurricane Center is tracking tropical storm Sarah. It is closing in on the coast of Honduras and could bring catastrophic flash flooding. Forecasters are warning of up to 20 inches of rain. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.