NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2024 6AM EST

Episode Date: November 19, 2024

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Otograaff Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at otograaffcollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved changes to the country's nuclear doctrine. The policy now says Russia may choose to respond with nuclear weapons if it is hit with a massive air attack. The change comes after President Biden approved Ukraine's use of U.S.-made long-range conventional missiles in parts of Western Russia. The White House has not officially announced this change in its policy. Today marks the 1,000th day of the war in Ukraine. Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut yesterday, killing at least five people. And Pierce Jane

Araf reports from Beirut the attacks were followed by a Hezbollah strike on Tel Aviv. The airstrikes hit central Beirut, including a densely populated neighborhood near a major route to the airport, not far from the main headquarters of the UN. The U.S. has been working to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon to end what has escalated into all-out war since September. Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Makati told Lebanese media that U.S. envoy Amos Hoxstein was expected in Beirut for talks on an agreement. An Israeli airstrike Sunday killed Hezbollah's media chief, Mohammed Afeef, in the latest assassination of the group's leadership, since it killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah

in September. Jane Araf and Peer News, Beirut. President-elect Donald Trump's conviction in his hush money case returns to a New York courtroom today. A Manhattan judge is expected to decide what happens next now that Trump is returning to the White House. NPR's Giles Snyder has more. New York Judge Juan Murchon had been expected to rule last week on whether the Supreme Court's

ruling on presidential immunity applies to the case. But now that Trump has president-elected, Mershon effectively froze the proceedings to get prosecutors time to consider next steps. Trump's lawyers say the case should be dismissed, arguing it would cause unconstitutional impediments to Trump's ability to govern. NPR's Giles Snyder reporting. The Library of Congress says unidentified hackers recently broke into its networks. According to a message sent by officials, saboteurs may have stolen emails between Library

of Congress staff and congressional offices. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin has more. Sometime between January and September of this year, the Library of Congress was breached by an unidentified adversary. A message from the library's IT experts says the hackers may have stolen emails between congressional offices and library staff, potentially including researchers working for the Congressional Research Service, or CRS. Many CRS reports are eventually made public, but not all, and not private communications between offices. The Library

of Congress says it has mitigated the vulnerability used to break into its networks and referred the matter to law enforcement. It appears House and Senate networks and the U.S. Copyright Office were not affected. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. President-elect Trump has tapped former congressman and current Fox News host, Sean Duffy,

as his nominee for transportation secretary. Duffy was previously a district attorney in Wisconsin and served as a congressman for a Wisconsin district. He now hosts a show on the Fox Business Network. President Biden is asking Congress for nearly $100 billion in emergency U.S. disaster aid. White House officials say it's for people and businesses affected by natural disasters, most recently hurricanes Helene and Milton. Tens of thousands of people marched in New Zealand's capital today, calling on officials to withdraw a proposed law that redefines New Zealand's

founding treaty with indigenous Maori people. Carolyn Kuklia has more. Amid chants of kill the bill, a large crowd arrived at parliament in Wellington to mark the end of a nine-day march that covered over 600 miles from New Zealand's far north to the capital. Parliament is considering the bill that seeks to redefine how the Treaty of Waitangi is interpreted in law and policy making. Signed more than 180 years ago by the British colonizers and Maori chiefs, the treaty covers matters including Maori land and cultural rights. Opponents fear that if passed, the proposed law could weaken specific protections for Maori people. For NPR News, Christina Kukwala in Melbourne, Australia.

A court in Hong Kong has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to prison terms of up to 10 years each. They were convicted after they helped hold an unofficial primary election. This was to choose candidates not supported by China. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.