NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-22-2024 4AM 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. Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn himself from consideration to become the next U.S. attorney general, saying he doesn't want to become a distraction. As NPR'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.

Republican Congressman David Valadeo clinched reelection in the Central California District last week. Valadeo was one of two Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump. From member station KVPR, Joshua Yeager reports on how that decision could impact his future in Congress. The Republican Central Valley District counts more registered Democrats than voters from his own party. But that hasn't stopped David Valadeo from representing the region in Congress for more than a decade.

Many voters say it's because he avoids ideological extremes. One example? His choice to impeach then President Trump for inciting an insurrection. With Trump now heading back to the White House, that stand could come back to haunt him. True. I mean, I do think that Trump sort of relishes making people bend the knee for him. Michael Ault is a political science professor at CSU Bakersfield. He suggests Trump should consider that David Valadeo is helping Republicans

hold onto power in a deeply divided U.S. House. For NPR News, I'm Joshua Yeager in Bakersfield. Judges from the International Criminal Court in The Hague have approved arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister and for senior Hamas commander. Villamarks has the story from London. The warrants have been issued for Israel's longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Yoav Galant, who served as his Defense Minister until very recently and oversaw the country's sprawling military operations in Gaza. One was also issued for Mohammed Deif, once the head of Hamas's military wing,

though Israel says he was killed in July this year. Israel had challenged the court's jurisdiction over the alleged actions which occurred in Gaza, but a pretrial chamber at the ICC in the Dutch city of The Hague denied Israel's attempt to forestall the warrants. The court's decision was published online following allegations levelled in May by the ICC chief prosecutor Kareem Khan, including crimes against humanity and war crimes by the ICC chief prosecutor Kareem Khan, including crimes against humanity and war crimes by the Israelis inside Gaza and by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. For NPR News, I'm Willem Marx in London.

US futures are slightly lower in after-hours trading. This is NPR. South Korea's national security adviser says North Korea received an anti-air missile in exchange for sending troops to Russia. U.S. and South Korean officials say the North has sent more than 10,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine. The University of Texas System is offering free tuition for students who come from families making less than $100,000 a year.

Maya Fawaz of member Station KUT has details. The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved the Promise Plus program. The System is the first in Texas to offer a sweeping financial aid package. The UT System has 14 institutions and enrolls over a quarter of a million students, making it one of the largest public university systems in the country. James B. Milliken is the UT System Chancellor. He says this is a big step in making universities accessible and affordable. This has a significant impact on Texas families and on the ability of students to be able to attend one of our institutions and get a high quality education.

According to the UT System, more than half of its students receive some form of financial aid. Amaya Fawaz in Austin. More than 189,000 customers remain without power in Washington state as a bomb cyclone continues to pummel areas of the Pacific Northwest. The storm is blamed for at least two deaths from falling trees. The Weather Prediction Center warned of life-threatening flooding across coastal areas. Forecasters are predicting up to 16 inches of rain on parts of northern California and

southwestern Oregon. I'm Shea Stevens. This is NPR.