NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-16-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: December 16, 2024

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Hey, it's Peter Sagal, the host of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Now, if you like Wait, Wait, and you're looking for another podcast where the hosts take self-deprecating jabs at themselves and invite important guests on who have no business being there, then you should check out NPR's How to Do Everything. It's hosted by two of the minds behind Wait, Wait, who literally sometimes put words in my mouth. Find the How to Do Everything podcast wherever you are currently listening to me go on about it. Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, President-elect Trump's cabinet

nominees are continuing to meet with senators on Capitol Hill. Trump continues to fully support his choice for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox host. Hegseth has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman, of public intoxication, and of mishandling money when he ran a veteran's organization. He has denied the allegations. South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says Hegseth told him he will release the woman who accused him of sexual assault from a confidential settlement agreement.

There's one allegation in a police report about sexual assault. That person has the right to come forward to the committee. But about mismanagement of money, police report about sexual assault, that person has the right to come forward to the committee, but about mismanagement of money, about having a drinking problem and saying inappropriate things, all of these are anonymous allegations. He's given me his side of the story. It makes sense to me.

I believe him. Unless somebody's willing to come forward, I think he's going to get through. He spoke to NBC's Meet the Press. South Korea's Constitutional Court is preparing to review the impeachment of the country's president, Yoon Song-Yul. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul the South Korean parliament voted to impeach Yoon over the weekend because of his recent decision to impose martial law. The court's justices' meeting is to discuss dates for hearings and procedures for reviewing

evidence. They have six months to either uphold the impeachment, in which case Yoon will be removed from office, or overturn it, in which case he'll be reinstated as president. In 2017, the court took about three months to confirm the impeachment of then-president Pak Geun-hye. Yoon is also being investigated on charges of insurrection. Prosecutors summoned Yune for questioning last week, but he didn't comply. In a phone call with President Biden on Sunday, acting President Han Dok-su reassured him

that the U.S.-South Korea alliance will remain steadfast. Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Seoul. There are indications in Israel that a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas in Gaza could be close. But even as negotiations continue, Israeli forces continue to strike Gaza. Palestinian health officials there say the strikes have killed more than 150 people. And Piers Michelle Kelleman has more. Skywriting planes drew huge ribbons in the skies above Tel Aviv,

a reminder that Israelis are still waiting for the return of 100 hostages captured by Hamas over 14 months ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend about the efforts to get the hostages home. A source familiar with the negotiations tells NPR there is momentum. U.S. officials and analysts say Hamas is showing more flexibility, too. But Palestinians under bombardment remain skeptical, and some families of the hostages worry that the deal will only bring some of them home. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

On Wall Street in pre-market trading, stock futures are higher. This is NPR. The ousted leader of Syria has released a statement online deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow. In the statement published online, he says he did not leave Syria voluntarily but was evacuated as Russian troops at their base in western Syria came under attack from terrorists. Rebel Syrian groups have seized the capital Damascus. They say they will install a transitional government.

The Church of England is engulfed in sex scandals. The head of the church resigned last month. Now his successor is facing calls to do the same. And here's Lauren Freyer reports from London. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, resigned last month after a damning report concluded he'd failed to adequately discipline a prolific child sex abuser. In the new year, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is slated to fill the Church's top job until a permanent replacement is named.

But now Cottrell, too, is facing calls to resign over yet another sex abuse scandal. This one involves a priest who was allowed to keep his job even after the church banned him from being alone with children and after he paid compensation to a sex abuse victim. The head of the Church of England also leads 85 million Anglicans in 165 countries around the world. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London. There's been significant weather across the U.S. this weekend. It began Friday with an ice storm in the Midwest.

Parts of western New York state got nearly three more feet of snow on top of heavy layers of snow already there. In the west, a tornado touched down about 70 miles south of San Francisco on Saturday. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.