NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-25-2024 11AM EST

Episode Date: November 25, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington on Korova-Coleman, President-elect Donald Trump has finished nominating his major cabinet picks for his second term in the White House. That includes Brooke Rollins as Agriculture Secretary. She's now the head of a think tank that is focused on Trump's policy agenda. NPR's Amy Held reports that Rollins joins other Trump cabinet nominees to be considered by the Senate, such as Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. Trump's picks are largely loyal, light on related experience, and several have been accused of sexual misconduct. Documents remain unsigned by the Trump transition team, including those that would reveal donor names. And

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tells ABC's This Week those Tevet nominees. If they keep delaying on these background checks, we will have a delay in getting these cabinet officials in. But Republican Senator Bill Haggerty of Tennessee says voters don't care about FBI background checks and he supports recess appointments allowing Trump to go around Senate confirmation altogether. I think everything should be on the table.

The Republican-led Senate is set to start the confirmation process next year. Amy Held and PR News. The World Climate Summit has concluded in Azerbaijan. The World Climate Delegates work through the weekend to clinch an agreement. It asks wealthy nations to raise $300 billion a year to help developing nations cope with climate change. And Pierce Michael Copley tells us not everyone was pleased with the agreement. The money the countries promised wasn't nearly enough. Researchers estimate that developing

countries will need more than a trillion dollars a year for climate change. And it's not just the amount of money. You know, it's not due until 2035. And what developing countries had said they need is more grant funding, not loans, so they don't add to their already high debt burdens. They didn't get any commitment around that. NPR's Michael Copley reporting. Airport workers at a major U.S. hub walked off the job today as the busy Thanksgiving travel week begins. NPR's Kristen Wright reports some service workers at Charlotte Douglas International

Airport in North Carolina are on strike. As Kristen Wright reports, some service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina are on strike. The airport workers are striking for 24 hours over what they call poverty wages and unfair labor practices. They're fighting to unionize for better working conditions. Laura Kelly escorts wheelchair users and unaccompanied minors. We're tired of having to worry about where we're going to lay our heads and if our kids are going to have food to put in their bellies.

For one. Two, we need respect. The Service Employees Union says the workers make between $12.50 and $19 an hour. They're striking against American Airlines contractors Prospect and ABM and hold vital jobs such as cleaning airplane cabins and bathrooms. According to the Associated Press, the companies say they recognize the seriousness of the timing and plan to limit disruptions. Kristin Wright, NPR News. On Wall Street, the Dow is up more than 380 points. The Nasdaq is up 88 points. You're

listening to NPR News. Israeli officials say they're getting closer to reaching a ceasefire agreement in the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. There reportedly are some remaining disputes that need to be settled. NPR has learned that one of these is Israel's demand for the right to strike Lebanon in the future if it detects a threat. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli attacks killed more than 80 people over the weekend in Lebanon. Officials say that yesterday militants fired some 250 rockets from Lebanon into Israel. One person was killed today when a DHL cargo plane skidded into a residential building

as it was attempting to land in Lithuania's capital. Esme Nicholson reports and investigation is underway. The DHL freight plane was approaching Vilnius International Airport this morning when it came down, damaging an apartment building on impact. Lithuanian rescue services say they were able to evacuate 12 residents from the building and nobody on the ground is hurt. The plane had taken off from DHL's central hub in Leipzig, Germany, where earlier this year packages caught fire. Passes at warehouses in the UK and Poland have also recently caught fire. European intelligence officials suspect Russia could be behind those explosions. Lithuanian and German authorities say there is nothing

to suggest an explosion caused today's crash, but that investigations are ongoing. For MPI News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Berlin. The White House says First Lady Jill Biden will receive the official White House Christmas tree today. She'll be joined at the event by military-connected families. The Christmas tree is a Fraser fir from North Carolina. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.