NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-24-2024 2PM EST

Episode Date: November 24, 2024

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Hey, it's Aisha Harris from Pop Culture Happy Hour. If you love NPR podcasts, you'll want the new NPR Plus podcast bundle. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat selection of NPR Plus podcasts with sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes. Plus, you'll be supporting public radio. Check it out at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. After a weekend whirl of announcements, plans for the incoming presidential cabinet are now

complete. NPR's Amy Held reports President-elect Donald Trump named nine picks Friday. Amy Held Trump's announcement Saturday of longtime aide and ally, Brooke Rollins, as Agriculture Secretary, rounds out his selections of executive branch department heads. The Republican-controlled Senate begins the confirmation process early next year. Trump's choices, charged with the nation's health, defense, education, and more, share some common threads. Fierce loyalists, some with tons of TV experience, but not much related

to the top jobs. Trump campaigned on promises to shake up government bureaucracy. His transition so far is behind on its paperwork. Still unsigned, documents that would show which interest groups or wealthy donors may be contributing and allow his cabinet picks to get FBI background checks. Amy Held and PR News. A former sheriff in eastern Kentucky will be arraigned tomorrow after being indicted for the September shooting to death of a local judge. Stan Engold of Member Station WEKU reports. Sean Mickey Steins was the sheriff of Letcher County when officials say he walked into District

Judge Kevin Mullins' chambers in Weitzberg and opened fire after a brief argument. Mullins died at the scene and Steinz surrendered to authorities without incident shortly after. Steinz pleaded not guilty to murder and has been held in another county. On Thursday, a grand jury indicted Steinz on one count of murder of a public official. Police have given no motive for the shooting. The arraignment will take place Monday in the Letcher County Circuit Court. For NPR News, I'm Stan Engold in Richmond, Kentucky. The Travel Club AAA estimates this will be the biggest travel week ever, with nearly 80 million Americans traveling more than 50 miles.

The Transportation Security Administration estimates its agents will screen more than 18 million air passengers through next Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration expects some 50,000 flights to take off on Tuesday alone. Administrator Michael Whitaker says the agency is preparing for any problems because of a shortage of air traffic controllers in the Northeast. We will use traffic flow management initiatives to deal with any straffing shortages on that

particular day in this airspace, and we expect to have some of those shortages. Travel will also be complicated by the weather. The National Weather Service predicts more snow and rain in California, as well as in the Midwest and Great Lakes region this week. The UN climate change talks concluded today in Baku, Azerbaijan. Richer countries agreed to pledge $300 billion a year by the year 2035. To help developing countries deal with climate change, they say that amount is not enough. This is NPR News in Washington.

The capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, is partially locked down today because of a planned protest. Demonstrators are demanding the release of the former premier, Imran Khan, imprisoned for more than a year on several criminal charges. His supporters say the charges are politically motivated. Officials have closed major roads leading into the city and suspended mobile and internet services. The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that some air bases it uses in the UK have been buzzed by drones.

Vicki Barker reports from London. The drones were spotted over three days this past week near three Royal Air Force bases in southeast England used by U.S. forces. One, Lakenheath, is home to F-35A and F-15E fighter jets. Another, Mildenhall, hosts the U.S. Air Force's refueling wing. The third, RAF Base Feltwell, is mainly used for logistics and housing. U.S. and U.K. Air Force officials say it is not yet clear if the drones were the work of a hostile actor. They also declined to say what if any action was taken to repel them, but add there was no harm to base residents or infrastructure.

For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. On Wall Street, this will be a shortened trading week because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but investors will still have new information to consider. More companies will report their earnings and data on new home sales will be released. Traders are hoping that a report out this week from the Federal Reserve will show inflation continues to ease. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.