NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-22-2024 5AM EST

Episode Date: November 22, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. Now that former Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the process, President-elect Donald Trump is nominating Pam Bondi to serve as attorney general. Bondi is the former attorney general of Florida and served as one of Trump's lawyers during his first impeachment. In a statement, Trump praises Bondi as a tough prosecutor with nearly 20 years experience who's dealt with violent criminals, including drug traffickers. Gates withdrew his nomination yesterday amid scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct

and illicit drug use, accusations he denies. Gates served four terms in the House representing Florida. He resigned from Congress after being nominated by Trump. Donald Trump has been moving at a rapid clip to name those he once serving in his upcoming administration. But NPR's Tamara Keith says Trump has been slow to deal with other aspects of the transition to power. The Trump transition has failed to sign at least three required formal agreements with the Biden administration needed to gain access to agencies and classified briefings. It's incredibly important for national security purposes.

Danielle Caputo is legal counsel for ethics at the campaign legal center. Instead, they're going to be spending the initial periods in the administration trying to play catch up on a lot of information that they didn't have access to because they failed to sign these memorandas. The Trump transition team says it is still constructively engaged with the Biden administration about the documents, but no decision has been made. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Mexico's president says her government is preparing for Donald Trump to follow through on his pledge to carry out mass

deportations from the U.S. once he returns to the White House. Nina Kravinsky with Member Station KJZZ reports. Mexican President Claudia Schoenbaum says her country is prepared to receive deportees if there are mass expulsions next year, but she says her first step is to show the incoming administration that immigrants from her country are an important part of the US economy and said that immigrants shouldn't be treated as criminals. Trump has promised deportations starting at the beginning of his new administration in January. He confirmed this week that he plans to declare a national emergency and use the military to carry out those deportations. According to the Pew Research Center,

there are around 4 million unauthorized immigrants from Mexico and the US. For NPR News, I'm Nina Kravinsky in Edmosillo, Mexico. A former county sheriff in Kentucky has been indicted in the September shooting death of a district judge. A grand jury in Letcher County indicted Sean Mickey Steins on one count of murder for the killing

of Judge Kevin Mullins. He was shot in his chambers in Weitzberg. Steins has pleaded not guilty. Authorities are not commenting on a potential motive for the attack. This is NPR News from Washington. A U.S. official tells NPR Russia did not fire an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine yesterday as Ukraine's Air Force first reported. The official says it was an experimental medium-range ballistic missile that Russian forces launched at Dnipro in what appears to have been a calculated message to the White House and the West. Russia used the experimental missile days after President Biden gave Ukraine the go-ahead to use American-made long-range missiles against targets inside Western Russia.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and in the suburbs of Beirut have killed dozens of people in the last day or so. NPR's Jawad Rizkallah reports from Beirut. By phone from southern Lebanon, resident Per Atalla tells NPR he saw a cloud of dust rise in the distance as Israeli military vehicles invade hilltop towns. Meanwhile, social media posts show plumes of black smoke rising over the Mediterranean coastal city of Tire. Israeli warplanes destroyed buildings there and in Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel's military said its airstrikes in Beirut targeted Hezbollah command centers, but did not provide proof.

It warned civilians to vacate residential areas within 500 yards of specific buildings. Lebanon's health ministry says some 40 people have been killed in the past day alone. For NPR News, I'm Juad Razallah in Beirut. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is dismissing the idea of further dialogue with the U.S. Talks between the two countries broke off five years ago. In a speech, Kim described the U.S. as having an invasive and hostile policy towards North Korea. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.