NPR News: 11-20-2024 6AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: Episode Summary for November 20, 2024

NPR’s “News Now” delivers the latest headlines in a concise, five-minute format. In the November 20, 2024, episode hosted by Korva Coleman, listeners are updated on critical political developments, severe weather alerts, international tensions, significant arrests in Brazil, high-profile legal proceedings in Hong Kong, and a peculiar incident involving escaped monkeys in South Carolina.

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1. Capitol Hill Scrutiny Over Former Congressman Matt Gaetz

Timestamp: 00:18 – 00:58

NPR’s Korva Coleman opens the episode by highlighting the intense focus on Capitol Hill regarding the House Ethics Committee's investigation into former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, a prominent figure in the Republican Party, has recently been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of Attorney General.

• Giles Snyder, an NPR correspondent, explains the Senate Judiciary Committee's concerns:
  “The House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz is looming over the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold Gaetz’s confirmation hearings” (00:34).

• Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa is poised to lead the Judiciary Committee next year, emphasizing the need for maximum transparency:
  “He’s calling for as much transparency as possible” (00:34).

• Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the current Democratic chairman of the committee, suggests that Gaetz's recent resignation from Congress was an attempt to prevent the public release of the Ethics Committee’s report:
  “Gates’ move to resign from Congress last week was designed to stop the public release of the report” (00:58).

This developing story underscores the political tensions and the spotlight on ethical standards within high-ranking government officials.

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2. Severe Winter Storm Hits the Pacific Northwest

Timestamp: 00:58 – 02:03

The episode transitions to a significant weather event impacting the Pacific Northwest. A formidable storm system has unleashed blizzard conditions across parts of Washington State, with extending warnings from Northern California to Idaho.

• Ezra David Romero reports on the storm’s impact: “Parts of Washington State just east of Seattle are in blizzard conditions” (00:58).

• Meteorologist Dial Hong from the weather service’s Bay Area office provides detailed forecasts: “The largest rain totals are expected in the next few days” (01:26), and
  “A flood watch starts Wednesday” (01:26).

The weather system is causing strong winds, resulting in downed trees and at least one fatality north of Seattle. Hong warns of increasing flooding concerns as soils saturate and waterways fill, anticipating some weather relief by Saturday with potential snowfall in the Sierra Nevada:

“Rainfall totals may be above the seasonal average for the rest of the month and into early December” (01:44).

This severe weather event is expected to have lasting effects on the region’s infrastructure and safety over the coming days.

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3. Heightened Tensions in Ukraine and Russia’s Nuclear Policy Shift

Timestamp: 02:03 – 03:10

Amid escalating conflicts, the US Embassy in Ukraine’s capital has been shuttered, with employees instructed to shelter in place due to fears of a potential Russian air assault. This reaction follows Ukraine’s deployment of seven US-made long-range missiles into Russia, an act Russia has denounced as an escalation.

• Tom Bowman, NPR’s correspondent, delves into Russia’s alarming policy change: “Russia has lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons” (02:28).
  He further explains that this adjustment means Russia might employ nuclear arms in response to conventional attacks deemed a critical threat to its sovereignty or territorial integrity: “That means nuclear weapons could be used in the case of a conventional weapons attack on Russia” (02:28).

Previously, Russia had stipulated that nuclear weapon use would be reserved for scenarios like direct attacks, threats to regime survival, or encirclement of its army. This doctrinal shift indicates a precarious escalation risk, potentially broadening the scope of nuclear engagement in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

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4. Arrests in Brazil Linked to Plot Against President Lula

Timestamp: 03:10 – 03:57

In a significant security development, Brazilian authorities have apprehended five police officers accused of conspiring to assassinate President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and two other government officials. These arrests coincided with the conclusion of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

• The plot allegedly emerged following Lula’s victory in the 2022 presidential election, suggesting instability within Brazil’s political landscape.

• Notably, four of the accused officers are members of the Brazilian military, highlighting the gravity of the conspiracy.

This crackdown underscores the Brazilian government's commitment to safeguarding its democratic institutions amidst global diplomatic gatherings and internal political shifts.

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5. High-Profile Testimony: Hong Kong Media Mogul Jimmy Lai

Timestamp: 03:57 – 04:43

The episode covers the ongoing legal struggles of Hong Kong's prominent media figure, Jimmy Lai. Accused of violating China’s stringent national security laws, Lai has been incarcerated for nearly four years.

• Emily Fang reports on Lai’s court appearance: “At the stand, he appeared significantly thinner than before his detention” (03:57), indicating the personal toll of his prolonged imprisonment.

• During his testimony, Lai admitted to meetings with international figures, including Taiwan’s former president and U.S. officials like former Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. However, he maintains that he did not solicit any concrete actions against China: “I did not ask them to take concrete action against China” (03:57).

• Addressing accusations of advocating for Hong Kong’s independence, Lai stated: “I thought it was, 'too crazy to even think about Hong Kong independence from China'” (03:57).

His trial proceeds without a jury, overseen by three judges appointed specifically for national security cases, casting doubts on the fairness and impartiality of the judicial process in politically sensitive cases.

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6. Escaped Monkeys Cause Stir in South Carolina

Timestamp: 04:43 – 04:57

In a lighter yet unusual news segment, authorities in South Carolina are actively searching for four monkeys that escaped from a research facility two weeks prior. These primates were part of a larger group of 43 that managed to break free through an unlatched door.

This incident has garnered attention due to the rarity of such escapes and the potential implications for both the research facility’s security protocols and the safety of the public.

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NPR News Now continues to provide timely and comprehensive updates on pressing national and international issues, ensuring listeners are well-informed on the latest developments shaping our world.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The focus on Capitol Hill today will be on the House Ethics Committee and whether it will release its report on former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. He's President Elect Donald Trump's nominee for Attorney General. NPR's Giles Sny Snyder said senators are weighing in on the issue.

[Giles Snyder]

The House Ethics Committee investigation into Gates is looming over the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold Gates confirmation hearings. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is set to lead the panel next year. He's calling for as much transparency as possible. The committee's current Democratic chairman, Dick Durbin of Illinois, says Gates move to resign from Congress last week was designed to stop the public release of the report.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Giles Snyder reporting. A powerful storm system moving into the Pacific Northwest has triggered winter storm warnings from Northern California to Idaho. Parts of Washington State just east of Seattle are in blizzard conditions. The strong winds north of Seattle knock down trees, killing at least one person. The system is funneling a lot of moisture into the region. From member station kqed, Ezra David Romero reports Northern California could get a foot of rain.

[Dial Hong]

The largest rain totals are expected in the next few days. Dial Hong, a meteorologist with the weather service's Bay Area office, says a flood watch starts Wednesday.

[Meteorologist]

The soils will begin to saturate and small creeks and streams will begin to fill up. We will see flooding concerns increase through Friday and the weekend.

[Dial Hong]

Hong says the rain will likely begin to subside on Saturday. A foot or so of snow could fall on the highest elevations in the Sierra Nevada. Hong says rainfall totals may be above the seasonal average for the rest of the month and into early December. For NPR News, I'm Ezra David Romero in San Francisco.

[Korva Coleman]

The US Embassy in Ukraine's capital is closed today. Employees are being told to shelter in place. There's concern about a possible Russian air attack. This comes after Ukraine fired seven U S made long range missiles into Russia yesterday, something Russia said was an escalation of the war. And NPR's Tom Bowman tells us Russia also changed its nuclear weapons policy yesterday.

[Tom Bowman]

Russia has lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. That means nuclear weapons could be used in the case of a conventional weapons attack on Russia, one that is, they say, a critical threat to sovereignty or its territorial integrity. Russia has been saying for some time that such long range attacks would mean NATO is directly involved in the Ukraine war, indicating that Russia could hit NATO targets like, you know, stocks of weapons destined for Ukraine. But this change in Russian doctrine, you know, there were basically before this three reasons for the use of nuclear weapons, if such weapons are used against Russia, if there's a threat to regime survival or if its army is surrounded.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Tom Bowman prepared that report. You're listening to NPR. Authorities in Brazil say they've arrested five police officers who were accused of plotting to kill President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and two other Brazilians government officials. The arrests came on the last day of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. Officials say the officer's alleged plan to kill Lula and the others came after he won the presidential election in 2022. Four of the accused are members of the Brazilian military. The imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has testified in his long running trial. The Hong Kong billionaire is accused of violating a national security law that was installed by China. NPR's Emily Fang reports.

[Emily Fang]

Lai has been in prison for almost four years. His newspaper, Apple Daily, was shut down and filed for bankruptcy, and several of his executives and sons were also arrested. Now he's speaking at his own trial in which he's being charged with colluding with foreign forces and sedition. At the stand, he appeared significantly thinner than before his detention. He said he'd had meetings with Taiwan's former president and numerous U.S. officials, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but said but he did not ask them to take concrete action against China. And Lai said he thought it was, quote, too crazy to even think about Hong Kong independence from China. He's facing a no jury trial presided over by three judges specially chosen for national security cases. Emily Fang, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Police in South Carolina say they're still trying to capture four remaining monkeys that escaped from a research facility two weeks ago. They were part of 43 monkeys that made a break for it through an unlatched door. This is npr.

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