NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-21-2024 1AM EST

Episode Date: November 21, 2024

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Live from MPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. A U.S. House panel is deadlocked on whether to release its report on former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. He was the subject of an ethics committee probe into allegations of illegal drug use and having sex with minors. Gaetz was asked about the matter after leaving a gathering with senators who will vote on his confirmation to become attorney general. I'll be honest with you, I've been focused on what we got to do to reform the Department of Justice.

I've been meeting with senators, I haven't been paying much attention to that. Gates resigned from the U.S. House last week, ending the Ethics Committee's investigation. President-elect Donald Trump says a federal abortion ban is off the table, but anti-abortion groups still have goals for the incoming administration. As NPR's Sarah McCammon reports, they aim to build on what they achieved during Trump's first term. Groups opposed to abortion rights say they have a list of objectives for the next four years.

Carol Tobias with the National Right to Life Committee says a top goal is cutting federal funds to groups like Planned Parenthood. I think to be realistic, what we are going to see and I think most likely accomplish is just getting government out of the abortion business. Existing federal law prohibits the use of federal funds for most abortions. Another group, Students for Life of America, recently released a plan called Make America Pro-Life Again, which includes pushing for new federal limits on abortion pills and new restrictions in states. Sarah McKammon, NPR News.

The man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Lakin Riley in February has been sentenced to life in prison. 26-year-old Jose Ibarra was found guilty on 10 counts, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape. The case drew national attention to the immigration crisis. Ibarra is an undocumented migrant from Venezuela. The Biden administration has agreed to send landmines to Ukraine in an attempt to stop advances by Russian ground forces. As NPR's Greg Myhre reports, this is the second time in recent days that the U.S. has changed its policy toward Ukraine.

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 toward Ukrainian forces and Ukraine needs the land mines to, 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 greatest pressure on the Ukrainians. The Biden administration had opposed land mines 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. futures are lower in after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR News. Federal prosecutors in New York have indicted Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and several of his business associates on wire and securities fraud charges. The defendants are accused of paying over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials in exchange for solar energy contracts. They're also accused of deceiving investors.

Adani is said to be one of the richest people in the world. Five new lawsuits were filed against Sean Diddy Combs in New York this week. All of the complaints allege that the music mogul drugged and raped several victims, including an underage girl. NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento has details. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento The five most recent lawsuits against Sean Diddy Combs follow a similar pattern. Each lawsuit alleges that an unnamed plaintiff was offered a drink by Combs or his associates

that caused them to become disoriented. One of the victims claims she was forced to perform sexual acts on Combs and his bodyguard in a limousine. Other plaintiffs allege that they lost consciousness and awoke to Combs sexually assaulting them. One of the victims says she was a 17-year-old model attending one of Combs' Fourth of July parties at the time of the alleged crimes. The lawsuits were filed by Texas attorney Tony Busby, who represents more than 100 alleged victims of Combs.

Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento, NPR News. Back-to-back storms are pounding areas from northern California to northern Washington state. I'm Paula Gomez-Tarmiento, NPR News.