NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-13-2024 8AM EST

Episode Date: December 13, 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 in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. In Syria, thousands of people have gathered at a major mosque in Damascus to celebrate. It's the first Friday prayer since Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. Syrian rebel groups have said they want to create a transitional government.

Officials in Iran have been watching closely. They propped up Assad's family for decades. That let Iran send weapons to its Mideast proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas. MPR's Jackie Northam says Iranian leaders may feel vulnerable. One of the concerns is if Tehran feels cornered, it may try to use its nuclear program as leverage. But you know, the other thing that's worth noting in the wake of the shakeup in Syria is that Iran's hardline regime may also be worried about a threat

of upheaval from its own population. The economy is terrible. Any kind of dissent is crushed. And Tehran's watching what's happening in Syria and wonder if the same thing could happen in Iran. NPR's Jackie Northam reporting. In Gaza, the United Nations says two shipments of humanitarian aid got into the enclave recently, but NPR's Eya Batraoui

reports Israeli airstrikes killed and wounded more than 50 people ahead of the latest relief effort. The UN World Food Program says 70 trucks were waiting last night to transfer aid along an Israeli-controlled route in Gaza used twice before successfully, when Israeli airstrikes hit nearby. The WFP says those killed were civilians and local security personnel expected to help ensure a secure environment for the convoy. Palestinians say of those killed, 12 were Hamas

affiliated security personnel there to secure the route. Israel's military says it targeted Hamas militants who it says planned to hijack the trucks. It says the strikes were to ensure the safe delivery of aid to civilians. The WFP, however, says the trucks were completely looted after the airstrikes. Aya Boutraoui, MPR News. President-elect Trump has nominated nearly all the members for his incoming cabinet. Only one candidate has withdrawn from consideration, Matt Gaetz, as attorney general. He had faced allegations that he denied of sexual misconduct. And Piers Elena Moore reports on the history of cabinet picks.

For more than three decades, every former president has had at least one cabinet nominee withdraw. It's usually because unexpected information arises, like unpaid taxes or previously employing people who were in the country illegally. It used to be that there would be new things that would come up that people would find disqualifying. Now we're finding that there are old things that would have been disqualifying that are no longer disqualifying. Max Steyer heads the Partnership of Public Service and is a government expert. He noted that while Trump has picked nominees at a faster pace than past

transitions, he's largely skipped the traditional vetting process, which could cause problems as the Senate evaluates these picks. Elena Moore, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The states of Minnesota and New Jersey are suing gunmaker Glock. The state attorneys general are demanding that the company stop selling certain semi-automatic firearms. The officials say these can be converted with a switch to fire rapidly as if they were a machine gun. Machine guns are illegal in most circumstances.

The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against the producers of the reality TV show Love is Blind. The complaint argues that the dating show's contestants should be classified as employees, not merely participants. As NPR's Andrea Hsu reports, this could lead to big changes for reality TV. Andrea Hsu, NPR The difference between employees and participants is a meaningful one. Employees have rights under federal law to act collectively to improve their wages and working conditions.

Participants do not. The complaint finds that the producers of Love is Blind unlawfully classified contestants as participants, depriving them of basic protections under labor law. Love is Blind offers no cash prize, just a shot at true love. Cast members are paid a modest salary. Several former contestants have complained publicly about long hours and treatment they received while filming the show.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for April. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. New York's governor has declared a state of emergency in about a dozen western counties. That's because some areas have gotten up to three feet of snow. Forecasters say at least six inches or more could fall today in western New York. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.