NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-25-2024 8PM EST

Episode Date: November 26, 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 autografecollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. A federal judge is dismissing the election's interference case against President-elect Donald Trump at the request of special counsel Jack Smith. As NPR's Kerry Johnson explained, Smith will leave the Justice Department before Trump's

inauguration. 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, 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. Israeli airstrikes have been hitting targets in Lebanon, even as there have been some reports of progress towards a ceasefire between the two sides. Israel's been striking targets there as it battles Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. After around a year of skirmishes, Israeli troops launched a ground invasion of Lebanon in October. At least 12 people reportedly were killed in the latest strike. The fighting there comes even as

Israel has been battling Hamas forces in Gaza since 2022. The Justice Department and Google made closing arguments today in a trial over whether Google's ad business breaks US competition laws. Comes days after a judge in a separate case declared Google's search engine an illegal monopoly. Warf MPR's Bobby Allen. Justice Department lawyers argued before a judge in Virginia that Google's highly lucrative advertising empire was built by breaking the law. Google sells ad space online. They own tools that websites use to display ads and Google highly lucrative advertising empire was built by breaking the law. Google sells ad space online, they own tools that websites use to display ads, and Google controls the largest

auction house where ad transactions take place. Justice attorneys say it's a monopoly that has boxed out competition. Google countered that if online advertising is brought in to include social media and TV services, it is not as dominant as the government claims. The judge is expected to rule sometime next month. It follows Google losing another case over Google search, which could result in the company spinning off its popular Chrome browser. Bobby Allen, NPR News. The U.S. appeals court has rejected a request from British socialite, Jelaine Maxwell, to revisit the decision upholding her conviction for helping the late financier

Brite or Epstein sexually abused teenage girls in the order in the US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan court rejecting several arguments to set aside the 62 year old Maxwell's 2021 conviction she's currently serving a 20-year sentence Epstein died in prison in 2019 awaiting trial on charges in the case with authorities declaring that he took his own life. Stocks continue to power to new record highs and what will be a holiday shortened trading week the Dow up 440 points today the Nasdaq rose 51 points. You're listening to NPR. Queen Latifah will host this year's Kennedy Center Honors the actor singer and entrepreneur

was herself an honoree last year. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports. Queen Latifah will host this year's Kennedy Center Honors. The actor, singer, and entrepreneur was herself an honoree last year. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports. Queen Latifah is an Emmy and Grammy Award winner who became the first female rapper to win a Kennedy Center Honors. ["You and I, T.Y." by Queen Latifah playing on radio.] Earlier this year,

Latifah hosted the NAACP Image Awards. The Kennedy Center Honors celebrate career achievements in the arts. This year's honorees are Bonnie Raitt, The Grateful Dead, Arturo Sandoval, Francis Ford Coppola, and The Apollo. The show will be broadcast on CBS

and stream on Paramount Plus on December 22nd. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News. Our Texas judge was sent here arguments today in the case over a bid for the assets of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones by the satirical news outlet The Onion. Jones has alleged a bankruptcy auction was marred by fraud and collusion. It's not clear how the judge will rule. He would allow The Onion to move ahead.

He could allow, rather, The Onion to move ahead with its purchase, order a new auction, or even name the only other bidder as the winner. Jones filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion following defamation lawsuits filed by families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. Jones had claimed the school shooting that left 26 people dead, including 20 children, was fake. Crude old futures prices closed lower today amid some easing of Mideast tensions, oil dropped $2.30 a barrel to end the session at $68.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile

Exchange. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University performs breakthrough research every year, making discoveries that improve human health, combat climate change, and move society forward. More at iu.edu slash forward.