NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2024 4PM EST

Episode Date: November 19, 2024

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Hey, it's Aisha Harris from Pop Culture Happy Hour. If you love NPR podcasts, you'll want the new NPR Plus podcast bundle. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat selection of NPR Plus podcasts with sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes. Plus, you'll be supporting public radio. Check it out at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Ukraine has fired seven U.S.-made ballistic missiles deep into Russia for the first time. Russia says it shot down the incoming missiles but describes the attack as a significant escalation in the war.

Here's NPR's Greg Myrie. Ukraine launched missiles, known as Atacams, into southwest Russia across the border from northern Ukraine. Ukraine appeared to be targeting a weapon storage facility. A U.S. official confirmed the attack to NPR. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called it a new phase in the war, saying, quote, this is a signal they want escalation. President Biden recently gave Ukraine permission to use the Atacombs inside Russia. Previously, the U.S. said Ukraine could only fire the powerful missiles against

Russian forces inside Ukraine. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Washington. Nearly a hundred House Democrats have sent a letter urging the Ethics Committee to release a findings of an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against former Congressman Matt Gaetz. The president-elect's pick for attorney general is expected to go through a rigorous confirmation hearing in the Senate. Republican Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina says relevant information will come to light with or without the report. It's nonsense.

I mean, we're creating a false crisis because the reality is all that information is going to be on display at the hearing. Think Brett Kavanaugh. And attorney for two women says that his clients testified before the House Ethics Committee that Gates paid them for sex. Joel Lebritz quoted saying one of his clients testified she witnessed Gates having sex with a 17 year old girl at a 2017 party. Gates has denied the allegations and according to multiple media outlets The Trump transition team is standing by the president-elect's nominee for attorney general

Trump's made his pick for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick if confirmed the veteran Wall Street CEO would carry out Trump's trade and tariffs agenda Many economists have warned that imposing steep tariffs on all imported goods could drive up inflation Which is currently cooling toward the Fed's 2% target. This afternoon in Texas President-elect Trump will attend a launch of Elon Musk's newest rocket. NPR's Jeff Brumfield with details. This will be a test flight of a massive rocket called Starship. Elon Musk's company SpaceX is spending billions to develop it. Musk hopes

it will someday carry people to Mars, something Trump brought up during his campaign rallies. We will land an American astronaut on Mars. Thank you, Elon. Thank you. Get going, Elon. In recent months, Starship's test launches have been held up by environmental concerns. Experts think that will likely change under the Trump administration and that the pace of testing will accelerate dramatically next year. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has closed down 120 points to end the day at 43,268. This is NPR News.

A new study finds just over half of all people in the United States face economic insecurity. NPR's Jennifer Ludden tells us the report is trying to measure who may be struggling even if they're not poor. Researchers wanted to know what it takes for families to thrive, as in make ends meet and save a bit for retirement, a house, college. Greg Osch of the Urban Institute says it's a group not usually seen in data about poverty or unemployment. A lot of people are getting by, but it's hard.

And you don't have much margin, and you can't really start planning for the future. One important takeaway, the key factor was not having higher costs. It was low wages or lack of other income. Osh says many jobs just don't cover all the basic expenses that individuals and families have. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. The Justice Department announced the founder

of an artificial intelligence company that worked with some of the biggest school districts in the U.S. has been arrested on fraud and identity theft charges. Prosecutors say Joanna Smith Griffin bilked investors out of millions of dollars after misrepresenting the financial health of her now defun company, All Here Education, Inc. Washington spirit owner Michelle Kang is pledging $30 million to U.S. Soccer. The Women's Soccer Mogul's gift is the largest donation ever directed for the organization's girls and women's programs.

$30 million will be disbursed over five years to bolster female players, coaches, and referees. This is NPR.