NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: November 19, 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. Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is facing scrutiny over his fitness for the job as the next U.S. Attorney General. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports there are renewed allegations against him central to a House Ethics Committee investigation. The House Ethics Committee was investigating Gaetz over allegations including sexual misconduct

and illicit drug use. Joel Leppard, an attorney who represents two women who testified before the committee, says one of his clients told the panel that she saw Gates have sex with a minor at a party in July 2017. He also says his clients told the committee that Gates paid them for sex. Leppard is calling on the committee to release its report on the investigation. Gates has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and a spokesman for the Trump transition called the allegations baseless and said they are intended to derail the second Trump administration.

The spokesman said Gates is the right man for the job and that he will be the next attorney general. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a change in the country's nuclear doctrine. It will allow Russia to consider using nuclear weapons if it's hit with a massive air attack. The change comes as President Biden approved Ukraine's use of U.S.-made long-range conventional missiles to hit parts of Western Russia.

The White House has not officially announced this change in policy. Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, notes that today marks 1,000 days since Russia invaded Ukraine. For 1,000 days, the people of Ukraine have not broken or bent. But while today is an important marker, there's nothing special about this summer occasion. She notes that Russia continues to attack Ukrainian infrastructure as winter approaches. President Biden is asking Congress for nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid. It's for people facing crises such as Hurricane Helene, which hit in late September. Residents of Asheville, North Carolina can get clean water

out of their taps again after the storm damaged their water system. Laura Hackett of Blue Ridge Public Radio has more. It's been over 50 days since Asheville residents have had clean drinking water. After Helene caused severe damage to its water system and completely muddied the reservoir, the city struggled to put the pieces back together. They have used everything from chemicals to industrial curtains to clean up the water. And now finally, the wait is over. Dena Larson is one of the many Asheville residents who is rejoicing over the news that clean water has returned. There are definitely tears of happiness much sooner than anyone expected. Larson says she hopes that water will help Asheville enter its next chapter of recovery

and lead to the city's economy bouncing back. For NPR News, I'm Laura Hackett in Asheville, North Carolina. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The National Weather Service says a powerful storm is aiming for the West Coast and should arrive by tonight. The atmospheric river could bring wind gusts to northern California, Oregon, and Washington State that are close to hurricane strength. Heavy rain is forecast, and weather forecasters are warning of storm damage and power outages.

A new survey from Pew Research Center finds that one in five Americans get their news from social media influencers. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the researchers say influencers have become a key alternative to traditional news outlets. Pew found that among young people, the trend was especially pronounced. For adults between 18 and 29, nearly 40% turned to personalities on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to understand the world. These influencers tend not to have journalism training, but many have amassed audiences that rival leading news outlets. Pew also found a clear ideological bend. On platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, the number of right-leaning influencers exceeds left-leaning ones. And the authors note

that news influencers are more likely to be men than women. But across parties and gender, the survey found surging demand for influencers to deliver and explain the news. Bobbi Allen, NPR News. Lizzie Borden is at the center of a trademark case in Fall River, Massachusetts. Borden was famously acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother in the 1800s. A ghost tour group that owns a bed, breakfast, and museum at the Lizzie Borden house sued its neighbor, Miss Lizzie's Coffee, for trademark

infringement. A federal appeals court sided with a coffee shop and says the name can stay. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.