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

Episode Date: November 25, 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, I'm Dale Willman. Less than two months before he's sworn in, President-elect Donald Trump has already identified a number of people he wants to take key positions in his administration. Among them is Robert Kennedy Jr., who Trump wants as his Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy has been criticized for his anti-vaccine stance, but NPR's Luke Garrett says he's getting some surprising support on Capitol Hill. Kennedy has received bipartisan criticism for these anti-vaccine stances. He hasn't yet visited Capitol Hill or met with senators, but since his nomination, he has found some support or just openness among bipartisan members of Congress. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker posted a video on social media criticizing U.S. food systems, saying, quote, food in America is making us sick, end quote. While Booker did not mention R.F.K.

Jr. by name, this message does echo portions of Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again agenda. That's NPR's Luke Garrett reporting. Conservative advocates are hoping that the Republican focus on anti-trans ads during the recent presidential campaign will now translate into anti-trans policy. As NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin reports, in order to make that happen, they could use the anti-abortion rights playbook. John Schweppe is policy director for the American Principles Project, a conservative advocacy

group. He would like to see the new Republican-controlled Congress move to limit who has access to gender-affirming care using limits on insurance. One of our goals is to create a Hyde amendment for so-called gender-affirming care. We don't believe taxpayer funding should should go towards that for minors or for adults. The Hyde amendment is a 1977 policy that says you can't use any federal dollars for abortion. If the same kind of policy were to be put in place for gender-affirming care, low-income people on Medicaid essentially wouldn't have access to the care. Such an effort would certainly be

met with legal challenges from LGBTQ advocates. Selena Simon-Stuffin, NPR News. Israeli officials now say that a rabbi has been killed in the United Arab Emirates in what is an anti-Semitic act of terrorism. As NPR's Daniel Estrin reports, the UAE says it's arrested three suspects in connection with his death.

Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, a dual Israeli Moldovan national, went missing Thursday in Abu Dhabi. Now Israeli authorities say Emirati security officials have located his body. Rabbi Kogan was stationed in Abu Dhabi with the Chabad Organization, an Orthodox Jewish outreach group with chapters around the world. The group expanded its presence in the UAE since the country established diplomatic ties with Israel. Israeli security authorities have reissued a travel advisory urging Israelis to avoid non-essential travel to the UAE. Israeli media are widely reporting the suspects are Uzbek nationals suspected of being dispatched

by Iran. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. And you're listening to NPR News. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that grants debt forgiveness to new army recruits who sign up to fight in Ukraine. The measure shows the growing need for more military personnel in the war, which is now almost three years old. Holiday season is here and with it comes the feasts. So many people are concerned about eating too much during the holidays.

But NPR's Regina Barber reports on how people may be counteracting big meals in unhealthy ways. A hospital group in Florida, Orlando Health, recently surveyed over a thousand Americans nationally and found that during the holidays, the tactics to stay healthy might be counterproductive. One in four people surveyed thought it was a good idea to skip meals in preparation of a large holiday feast. Dietitians actually advised people to eat regularly to help people not overeat during one meal. The survey also found that a third of participants felt they needed to detox themselves after overeating. Dieticians stress that that is not needed and could even be harmful because the body's

kidneys and livers are experts at doing that detox. Lastly, health professionals say enjoy the holidays. Only eating one healthy meal or one high in calories isn't going to change your health dramatically. Regina Barber, NPR News. Alabama and Ole Miss both dropped from the top ten this week. Alabama was manhandled by Oklahoma on Saturday losing 24 to 3 while Ole Miss was beaten by Florida.

Oregon remains the number one pick while the Ohio State Buckeyes remain in second. Texas is in third, followed by Penn State, Notre Dame moved up into fifth place, followed by Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, SMU, and Indiana, which dropped from number five following its loss to Ohio State. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.