NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-24-2024 10PM EST

Episode Date: November 25, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President-elect Donald Trump has announced all of his major choices for his cabinet in his second administration. Some senators are weighing in today on some of the nominees. Democrat Tammy Duckworth from Illinois says Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and Fox News anchor, should not be the next defense secretary. He never commanded a unit.

He never commanded a company, let alone battalions, brigades or whole armies. He was a platoon leader. He served at a very low level in the military. And we're talking about an organization that is three million servicemen and women and civilians and a budget of over $900 billion. He does not have the experience to run an organization of that size. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, is also seen as controversial. In the past, Gabbard has expressed sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated

Russia's talking points. The incoming president has an ambitious economic agenda that includes big tariffs and tax cuts. One group could stand in his way, though, bond investors. NPR's Rafael Nam reports. Many investors in Wall Street were excited when Trump was elected. Not in bond markets, however. Trump's promise of sweeping tariffs would likely increase the cost of all kinds of imports, from shoes to phones, and that could lead to higher inflation. And he's also promising to cut taxes, which

could make the country's fiscal deficits even bigger. Those concerns have led to a major sell-off in bond markets. And that's not good news for regular Americans. All kinds of interest rates are influenced by the bond markets, from mortgages to car payments. So when bonds fall, those loans can become much more expensive. Rafael Num in PR News. Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel today, injuring at least seven people. NPR's Lauren Frere reports the strikes came a day after Israel attacked Lebanon, killing 84 people. These cross-border attacks have spiked even as Israel and Lebanon negotiate through a

U.S. mediator the terms of a possible ceasefire. More than two dozen of those killed in Lebanon were likely in bed when a 4 a.m. airstrike flattened their building. Bulldozers are still combing through debris for more bodies. It was one of the largest Israeli airstrikes to date, and it hit in the heart of the capital Beirut without warning. Among many other attacks, an Israeli strike on the Mediterranean coast killed a soldier from the Lebanese army, which has largely been on the sidelines of this war. Prime Minister Najib Makati called it a quote, direct bloody message. That's NPR's Lauren Frere. This is NPR News.

UN climate change talks concluded today in Azerbaijan. Richard countries agreed to pledge $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries deal with climate change. The developing nations and some experts say that amount is not enough. The agreement also calls on private companies and international lenders like the World Bank to cover hundreds of billions to make up the shortfall. Two former presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, one black and one white, are asking to bridge the racial divide in the Deep South. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports they've launched gospel-focused discussion groups in cities that were active in the U.S.

slave trade. The project is modeled after a group started in Mobile, Alabama nearly 10 years ago. Pastor Ed Litton, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, says talking about the racial divide was hard. We're very much aware of it, but I think we just have learned to ignore it and to isolate ourselves by saying, you know what, I'm not a bigot, I'm not prejudiced, but it's not my problem. To foster a broader dialogue, he teamed with another former Southern Baptist president,

the first black man to lead the convention, the Reverend Fred Luter of New Orleans. We've got to learn some way, somehow to live together. Yeah, we may have differences about Democrats, Republicans, Independents, but the fact is we're all Americans. They've launched the Unify Project to foster church-based racial reconciliation groups in the Deep South. Debbie Elliott, NPR News. This is NPR.