NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-16-2024 5AM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. A Southwest Airlines plane was struck by a bullet as it was preparing to take off from an airport in Dallas last night. NPR's Dave Mistich reports an investigation is underway to determine the origin of the gunshots. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines says Flight 2494 taxied safely back to the terminal after being struck just under the flight deck. The company says the crew was preparing the flight for departure for Indianapolis.

Southwest says law enforcement authorities have been informed and the plane has been removed from service. In a post on social media, Lovefield says the runway was temporarily closed, but has since reopened, leaving minimal impact on airport operations. They also say no injuries were reported. That's NPR's Dave Mistich reporting. President-elect Donald Trump has picked longtime aide and campaign spokeswoman Caroline Levitt to be the next White House press secretary.

NPR's Elena Moore reports at the age of 27, Levitt will be the youngest person ever to hold the position. Caroline Levitt has become a prominent face on the Trump team. She recently served as national press secretary for the campaign and previously worked as an aide in Trump's first administration. Just two years ago, she also ran for Congress

in a competitive district back in her home state of New Hampshire and failed to unseat the Democratic incumbent. Now, instead of being one of the first members of Gen Z to serve in Congress, she will be the first Gen Z White House press secretary. Alana Moore, NPR News, Washington. Speaker Mike Johnson is urging the House Ethics Committee not to release its report on the conduct of former Congressman Matt Gaetz.

The Florida Republican has been under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct and sex trafficking. He was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the nation's next Attorney General. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is the first time the leaders have spoken in two years. NPR's Rob Schmitz reports Scholz urged Putin to end the escalating war with Ukraine. According to a government spokesman, Scholz was on the phone with Putin for an hour. The Chancellor condemned Russia's war on Ukraine, criticizing Russia's recent airstrikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, and pointed out that the deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine would lead to a serious escalation of the conflict.

Shultz also called on Putin to end the conflict and withdraw his troops. A government spokesman says Shultz pushed Putin to negotiate a solution to the conflict to achieve a quote, just and lasting peace. Schultz had prepared for this call for weeks, says the spokesman, coordinating closely with the American, British, and French governments. Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin. This is NPR. Officials say a wildfire burning along the New York-New Jersey border is now mostly contained. The blaze has burned about seven and a half square miles since it broke out more than

a week ago. After five years of restoration, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is scheduled to reopen to the public in a couple of weeks. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports a beloved statue that survived a massive fire in 2019 was returned to the cathedral last night. A procession wound through the streets of Paris Friday evening. People held candles, sang and prayed as they accompanied a 14th century statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus that was found intact in the ruins of

the 2019 fire. Parisian Samuel Dupont took part. We have been waiting for this a very long time so it's yeah it's a very significant moment. For the last five years the statue has been housed in another Paris church. The cathedral will reopen with two days of ceremonies and celebration on December 7th and 8th. Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News, Paris. Tropical storm Sarah is moving through Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It brought torrential rain and flooding to the northern coast of Honduras on Friday. The National Weather Service says the storm is expected to track over Belize, Guatemala,

and southeast Mexico before fizzling out. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.