NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-20-2024 12PM EST

Episode Date: November 20, 2024

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Starting point is 00:00:00 On the TED Radio Hour on December 24th, NASA's Parker Solar Probe will touch the sun. The spacecraft will hit the closest approach ever to the sun. Astrophysicist Noor Wawafi leads the mission. We will be making history. To this day, it's still like magic to me. Ideas about the sun. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. Lyle from NPR News in Washington. I'm Lakshmi Singh. A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley in February. The verdict was announced a short time ago against Jose Ibarra.
Starting point is 00:00:39 Federal officials say the 26-year-old entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was allowed to remain in the country while pursuing his immigration case. Ybarra's arrest fueled the national debate over immigration overhaul and the Trump campaign's message that President Biden is weak on immigration. Many voters cited immigration as one of the key reasons they voted for Trump instead of Vice President Harris. The House Ethics Committee is expected to meet today to discuss their investigation, that is, of former Congressman Matthew Gates, who recently resigned after President-elect Trump nominated him for Attorney General.
Starting point is 00:01:17 Gates is one of several picks drawing criticism. Trump has also said he will nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports Oz is best known for his former daily talk show. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 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 TV's The Dr. Oz Show. That ended in 2022 when Oz ran as
Starting point is 00:01:51 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. Selena Simmons-Duffin and PR News Washington. Danielle Pletka Trump has also selected Matthew Whitaker to be his ambassador to NATO, the military alliance whose European member as a president-elect is accused of failing to contribute their fair share toward defense. That would include contributions toward Ukraine's defense against Russia. Well, the Biden administration has agreed to send landmines to Ukraine in an attempt to stop
Starting point is 00:02:26 advances by Russian ground troops. NPR's Greg Myrie notes this is the second time in recent days the U.S. has changed policy and given Ukraine greater freedom to use U.S. weapons. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the new policy as he spoke to reporters on a trip to Asia. He said Russia is sending waves of ground troops towards Ukrainian forces and Ukraine needs the landmines to quote slow down that effort. The mines will be for use in eastern Ukraine where Russian forces have been making incremental gains and are placing the
Starting point is 00:02:56 greatest pressure on the Ukrainians. The Biden administration had opposed landmines as part of a larger global trend to halt their deployment worldwide. In recent days, President Biden also agreed to let Ukraine fire U.S. ballistic missiles into Russian territory. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Washington. U.S. stocks are trading lower. The Dow is down 56 points. This is NPR News. Target stores missed the mark in its most recent
Starting point is 00:03:28 earnings report. NPR Scott Horsley reports on the mixed signals coming from some of the nation's biggest retailers. Stock in Target slumped after the retailer reported disappointing earnings for the most recent quarter and offered a conservative forecast for the Christmas shopping season. The news was a marked contrast with rival retailer Walmart, which reported better than expected results on Tuesday. Target has been cutting prices on groceries and other essentials in an effort to lure shoppers, but the chain says customers are cautious about spending on more discretionary
Starting point is 00:03:59 items, such as home goods. Scott Horsley, Impair News, Washington. The hit by Shaboozy, a bar song tipsy, tops the pop charts again this week, but NPR's Stephen Thompson reports that a seasonal change is brewing. For months, a bar song has been creeping up on the all-time record for most weeks at number one of any song in Billboard chart history. Now, with 18 weeks at the top, Shibuzy is just a single week away from tying the all-time record. There's just one problem. Winter is coming, and with it, a flood of holiday songs that take over
Starting point is 00:04:34 the top 10 each year. In fact, this week's Billboard charts issue an early warning, as Wham's 1984 hit, Last Christmas, re-enters the top 40 at number 38. With Wham, Mariah Carey, and other holiday favorites on deck, Shaboosie's hopes of breaking the record could be headed up in smoke, or more to the point, up the chimney. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. This is NPR.

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