NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2024 10PM EST

Episode Date: November 20, 2024

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph 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 Jack Spear. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Linda McMahon to be Education Secretary, potentially the last since Trump during the campaign threatened to do away with the agency.

Trump citing McMahon who served as head of the SBA under his first administration as a tireless advocate of school choice. McMahon is co-founder and CEO of the WWE professional wrestling franchise. So even with Trump's starts to abolish the education department, he likely lacks authority to do so, that is without congressional approval. Trump also nominated billionaire Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick to head

the Commerce Department. Lutnick is a supporter of Trump's proposed tariffs, and was among the potential choices to head the Treasury Department. That job remains in play. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has announced he'll nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz, known for the Dr. Oz show on daytime TV, to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In Paris, Selena Simmons-Duffin reports Oz has been criticized for promoting unproven therapies, especially weight loss products.

Dr. Mehmet Oz has a medical degree. He's a cardiothoracic surgeon. He built his fame and fortune by promoting alternative therapies like unproven diet products, cleanses, and detoxes. He first became famous as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. That led to a radio show and daytime TVs, The Dr. Oz Show.

That ended in 2022 when Oz ran as the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania. He narrowly lost to John Fetterman in that race. If he's confirmed by the Senate, he'll be overseeing an enormous health agency that spends about $1.5 trillion a year. That's more than the Department of Defense. Selena Simmons-Duffin and PR News, Washington. The Texas State Board of Education today moved a step closer to approving a controversial curriculum that embeds Bible stories into elementary classes. Bill Ziebel with Member Station KERA in Dallas says more. The Texas Education Agency proposed a curriculum from Blue Bonnet Learning designed to

build a broad array of student skills. It incorporates Bible lessons like the Golden Rule. But critics, including Southern Methodist University Religious Studies professor Mark Chansey, say the focus tilts heavily toward Christianity. Not only is it taught in such a way that's going to promote some religions over others, but in many cases, it even just gets the basic facts wrong. The Texas State Board of Education is scheduled to take a final vote on Friday. I'm Bill Ziebel in Dallas.

California voters are rejecting a measure that would have raised the minimum wage there to $18 an hour, the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. While proponents of the initiative said it would help millions of workers support their families, opponents said it would have increased costs led to higher taxes and forced businesses to cut jobs. California's current minimum wage for most workers is still among the highest in the U.S. at $16 an hour. Stocks closed mixed on Wall Street today, the Dow down 120 points, the Nasdaq rose 195 points. This is NPR. Wrapping up his final G20 meeting in Brazil, President Joe Biden made an urgent appeal

to his fellow world leaders to work to curb climate change. Biden announcing a $325 million contribution to help developing countries move away from damaging fossil fuels. It's in contrast to President-elect Trump, who's repeatedly called the climate crisis quote a hoax. A new Broadway musical with a score by Elton John called Tammy Faye about the famous televangelist announced it will be closing in December, less than a month after it opened. While the show received rave reviews in London's West

End as well as Olivier Awards, it is the first high-profile flop of the new Broadway season, Jeff London reports. Capitalized for up to $25 million, Tammy Faye will close after only 29 performances, losing its entire investment. Show me mercy, show me mercy, show me mercy. With music by Elton John and lyrics by Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters, the show was greeted across the board with pans from the critics and struggled to find an audience.

Last week, it grossed less than $400,000 in ticket sales. By comparison, Hamilton and a similarly sized theater brought in about $1.6 million. Tammy Faye's final performance will be on Sunday, December 8th. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. Critical futures prices moved higher today. Oil up 23 cents a barrel to settle at $69.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.