NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-25-2024 4PM EST

Episode Date: November 25, 2024

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Big news stories don't always break on your schedule, but with the NPR app, news, culture, and podcasts are ready when you want them in your pocket. Download the NPR app today. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Special counsel Jack Smith is moving to drop two federal prosecutions against President-elect Donald Trump. And Pierre's Kerry Johnson reports Smith will leave the Justice Department before Trump's inauguration. Kerry Johnson The special counsel is likely to produce a report about the two cases that he built against President-elect Trump. But because of a long-standing Justice Department

view that presidents cannot be charged or prosecuted, Jack Smith is asking judges to dismiss the cases against Trump in Washington, D.C. and Florida. DOJ will continue to pursue Trump's co-defendants in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case. Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira have pleaded not guilty to obstruction and other charges. Once Trump takes office, he could direct the Justice Department to drop that case or move to pardon both men. Prosecutors say they're confident in the strength of the cases, but presidents are different under the law. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington. If you're among the millions of people planning to travel out of town this Thanksgiving week,

don't forget to pack a little patience. Rick Cotton, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says all three area airports, for example, are expecting heavy crowds. We expect record volumes of travelers setting really the highest level of usage that we have seen. Cotton warns of delays in and out of JFK airport because of major construction. In North Carolina, Charlotte Airport service workers are on strike. They're demanding more pay.

Then there's the weather. Heavy rainfall and high elevation snow in the west, heavy rain along the East Coast. That could make return trips from the holiday break a headache. President Biden pardoned two turkeys from Minnesota this morning ahead of Thanksgiving. And PRS Franco Ordonia's reports, it's the last time Biden will participate in the annual White House tradition. President Biden said the two turkeys, peach and blossom, are named after the Delaware

State flower, the peach blossom, which he said fitting for the day symbolize resilience. Well, fellas, your prayer is going to be answered today. Based on your temperament and commitment to being productive members of society, I hereby pardon peach and blossom. The longtime tradition marks the official start of the holiday season at the White House. Biden noted it would be the final holiday season he'd spend at the White House expressing gratitude for what he called the honor of his life. So happy Thanksgiving, America. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News.

US stocks end the day higher with the Dow closing out 440 points or nearly 1%. U.S. stocks end the day higher with the Dow closing up 440 points or nearly 1 percent. At 44,736, the S&P was up 18 points and the NASDAQ rose 51. This is NPR News. A search is underway for at least 16 people after their tourist boat sank in the Red Sea. Egyptian authorities say more than two dozen people were rescued after officials received a distress call before dawn Monday. Some of the people still unaccounted for include foreigners. If your neighborhood Starbucks seems to be operating slower than usual, the

cause might be a ransomware attack. The coffee chain says its software supplier was hit, and that's affecting Starbucks' ability to pay baristas and manage their schedules. Gladiator 2 and Wicked Part 1 got people back to cinemas over the weekend, and PR's Bob Mondello says they're helping Hollywood make up lost ground. Bob Mondello, Wicked Part 1, The Wicked, and Wicked, 2024 was always going to be tough for the film industry, with last year's actors and writers strikes reducing the number of movies released, observers initially expected box office earnings to drop more than a billion dollars from 2023. Those predictions looked accurate through last Thursday, but then Glick-It, or Wikia, or whatever,

popular, I know about popular brought the deficit down to under 900 million, and next week it will likely come down further with the opening of Disney's animated princess adventure Moana 2. Also giving industry watchers hope are Marvel's supervillain epic Kraven the Hunter and a Lion King prequel called Mufasa. Bob Mandello, NPR News. The Dows close up nearly 1% of 440 points to end the day at 44,736. This is NPR.