NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-22-2024 1AM EST

Episode Date: November 22, 2024

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph 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 Shea Stevens, M.P.R. News. Live from M.P.R. News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn himself from consideration to become the next U.S. Attorney General. Gaetz, who's under scrutiny amid ongoing drug and sexual misconduct allegations, says he

didn't want to be a distraction. As M.P.R.'s Ryan Lucas reports, some observers believe Trump's new pick, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, will have a less contentious confirmation process. A lot of Republican senators on Capitol Hill who had reservations about Gates will be happy with this pick of Bondi. But like Gates, Bondi does have a years-long relationship with President-elect Trump. She was an attorney for Trump in his first impeachment. She also heads the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, which is led by Linda McMahon, who is Trump's pick to lead the Department of Education in the second term.

So Bondi is very much rooted in the world of Donald Trump. NPR's Ryan Lucas reporting. An atmospheric river is slamming the West Coast intermittently, leaving thousands of people without power and forcing some school closings. The National Weather Service warns that the northern California city of Eureka could see flooding. Suhee Lewis of member station KQED has more. Nearly 12 inches of rain fell in the nearby coastal mountains in just 24 hours.

James White of the National Weather Service says the biggest area of concern is the Eel River south of Eureka, which is expected to keep rising overnight and into tomorrow. As it reaches major flood stage, it's going to cut off a lot of roads and a lot of those farmers need to move their livestock as the river rises. So that can always be a dangerous situation if people get trapped out there. Transportation officials say they're preparing in case the rising water cuts off the small Northern California town of Ferndale. As rain continues to fall on already saturated ground, there's also a greater risk of downed trees and mudslides.

For NPR News, I'm Suki Lewis in Eureka. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former defense minister, accusing them of war crimes in Gaza. But as NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports, Palestinians are skeptical that the warrants will mean anything. Salah, Abu Ramadan and Central Gaza went to read about the news as soon as he heard it. But ultimately, he doesn't think the warrants will make a difference, he told NPR's producer in Gaza, Anas Baba.

Israel has always been above international law, he says. No one can stop them. Ibrahim Abou Hadr agrees, saying he doesn't think anything will change for the people in Gaza. No one holds Israel accountable, he says. The court's allegations against Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Galan include the use of starvation as a weapon and, quote, intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population. Israel contests those allegations. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

This is NPR. Russia fired an intermittent-range ballistic missile into central Ukraine on Thursday, raising suspicions that it was sending a warning to NATO. The attack marked the first time that the newer, faster missile was used in the conflict. There are conflicting reports on whether the missile hit a plant in Ukraine. If you're a student hoping to enroll in college next year, you can now fill out the FAFSA form. The financial aid application helps millions of students unlock money to help pay for their education. NPR's Johnika Mehta has more.

Turmoil, chaos, debacle. All words that have been used to describe the last rollout of the FAFSA form. This year, things look to be different. It's a piece of cake, honestly. That's Cristina Martinez, a financial aid advisor at California State University, Los Angeles. She's been helping dozens of students fill out the form and say things are going smoothly so far. On average, she says it's taking students 20 minutes to finish the form. Financial aid experts are getting similarly positive reviews from around the country.

The Department of Education says it's fixed glitches from the last cycle and increased its call center volume by almost 80 percent since January to prepare for the surge of applications that will start rolling in today. Janaki Mehta, NPR News. A volcano in southwestern Iceland is erupting once again for the seventh time in a year. The volcano is sending molten lava towards the Blue Lagoon Spa, which is a major tourist attraction. The lava also reached a pipeline that supplies the peninsula's hot water for heating. The Civil Protection Agency

is issued an evacuation order. This is NPR.