NPR News: 11-23-2024 4AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: November 23, 2024, 4AM EST

Host: Dale Willman
Produced by: NPR

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1. President-Elect Donald Trump's Nomination for CDC Director

Timestamp: [00:12]

Reporter: Ping Huang

President-elect Donald Trump has announced Dave Weldon as his nominee for the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Weldon is an internal medicine doctor, army veteran, and former Republican congressman from Florida. Trump lauded Weldon on Truth Social, describing him as “a respected conservative leader on fiscal and social issues” who will “restore the CDC to its true purpose and work to end the chronic disease epidemic” (00:23).

Weldon served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009, participating in several key committees, including Appropriations and Health and Human Services. He is known for advocating space research funding and introducing the Weldon Amendment, which protects anti-abortion healthcare workers and groups from discrimination. Notably, Weldon will be the first CDC director nominee to undergo the Senate confirmation process.

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2. Trump’s Expanded Cabinet Nominations

Timestamp: [01:13]

Reporter: Dale Willman

In addition to his pick for the CDC, President-elect Trump has unveiled several other cabinet nominees:

• Scott Turner: Former NFL player and White House aide nominated to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Lori Chavez de Reimer: Oregon Republican Representative selected as Secretary of Labor.
• Scott Besant: Hedge fund manager nominated for Treasury Secretary.
• Russell Vogt: Proposed to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

These nominations indicate Trump's strategy to appoint individuals with diverse professional backgrounds to key governmental positions.

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3. Adjournment of Donald Trump's Sentencing in New York

Timestamp: [01:53]

Reporter: Ximena Bustillo

New York Judge Juan Mershon has indefinitely adjourned the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump for his criminal hush money conviction related to actions in New York City. Following Trump's recent election victory, both the defense and prosecution have expressed interest in delaying the sentencing further. Trump's legal team argues that the incoming president should not be prosecuted, while prosecutors are prepared to contest the dismissal. Filings on this matter are expected by December (01:53).

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4. EU’s Response to ICC Arrest Warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

Timestamp: [02:18]

Reporter: Terry Schultz

The European Union is navigating the implications of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As ICC members, EU countries are obligated to arrest indicted individuals upon entry into their territories. While nations like Belgium, France, and Italy have expressed willingness to comply, Germany has shown reluctance, stating it would be difficult to enforce the warrant. Additionally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared his intent to invite Netanyahu to Budapest as a defiance of the ICC’s mandate. This situation marks the first time the ICC has indicted a leader of a Western ally for war crimes, challenging longstanding alliances and international legal norms (02:18).

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5. Supreme Court to Hear Appeal on Government Subsidy Fund Legality

Timestamp: [03:06]

Reporter: Dale Willman

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal early next year concerning a lower court's decision that deemed the government fund for subsidies on phone and Internet services in schools, libraries, and rural areas unconstitutional. This fund, managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and financed by telecommunications providers, was challenged on the grounds that Congress overstepped its authority by empowering the FTC to administer it. The Supreme Court's decision will have significant implications for federal funding mechanisms and regulatory authority (03:06).

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6. Passing of Alice Brock, Inspiration Behind “Alice’s Restaurant”

Timestamp: [03:45]

Reporter: Mandalit Albarco

Folk singer Arlo Guthrie has announced the death of his longtime friend Alice Brock, the muse behind his iconic 1967 anti-war anthem “Alice’s Restaurant.” Alice Brock was a school librarian and later a restaurateur, artist, and illustrator living in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The 18-minute ballad narrates Guthrie’s experiences, including being arrested for dumping Alice’s trash on Thanksgiving Day and narrowly avoiding the draft for the Vietnam War. The song evolved into an anti-war anthem, inspiring both a feature film and a cookbook, and bringing fame to both Guthrie and Brock (03:45).

Notable Quote from Arlo Guthrie:

“You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant.” (03:53)

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7. Expansion of National Women’s Soccer Team and MLS Developments

Timestamp: [04:29]

Reporter: Dale Willman

WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid to secure an expansion team for the national women’s soccer league. The league is expected to announce its 16th team by the end of the year, with FC Cincinnati leading the effort to claim the franchise. Meanwhile, the league's 15th team is slated to begin play in Boston in 2026. This expansion reflects the growing popularity and investment in women's soccer, aiming to broaden the league's footprint and provide more opportunities for athletes (04:29).

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Note: Advertisements and promotional messages from sponsors, including Progressive Insurance and Shopify, have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the news content.

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Conclusion

The November 23, 2024 episode of NPR News Now provided a comprehensive overview of significant political developments, legal proceedings involving President-elect Trump, international diplomatic challenges, Supreme Court activities, cultural news surrounding Arlo Guthrie, and advancements in women’s sports. Notably, Trump's cabinet nominations and the handling of Netanyahu's ICC arrest warrant highlight ongoing shifts in both domestic and international political landscapes. Additionally, the cultural impact of “Alice’s Restaurant” and the expansion of women's soccer underscore the diverse range of topics covered in this concise five-minute news update.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance]

This message comes from Progressive Insurance, where drivers who switch could save hundreds on car insurance. Get your [e-mail] today. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates.

[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. President elect Donald Trump has announced his pick for the next head of the Centers for Disease control and prevention. NPR's Ping Huang has more.

[Ping Huang]

Dave Weldon is an internal medicine doctor, an army veteran and a former Republican congressman from Florida. He's now Trump's pick for head of the cdc, the nation's public health agency. In the announcement posted on Truth Social, Trump described Weldon as a respected conservative leader on fiscal and social issues and someone who will, quote, restore the CDC to its true purpose and work to end the chronic disease epidemic. Weldon served in the US House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009, where he served on several committees including Appropriations, Health and Human Services and Science. He advocated for space research and funding and he's also known for introducing the so called Weldon Amendment, which protected anti abortion abortion, healthcare workers and groups from discrimination. Weldon will be the first CDC director nominee to go through the Senate confirmation process. Ping Huang, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

Trump Friday also named several more people he wants to be in his new cabinet. He said Friday he'll nominate former NFL player and White House aide Scott Turner to head the Department of Housing and Development. He also named Oregon Republican Representative Lori Chavez de Reimer as his labor secretary and hedge fund manager Scott Besant as the next treasury secretary. Russell Vogt, meanwhile, would head the omb. New York Judge Juan Mershon has indefinitely adjourned President elect Trump's sentencing for his criminal hush money conviction in New York City. As NPR's Ximena Bustillo reports, both sides have signaled they want to delay the sentencing even further after Trump won the.

[Ximena Bustillo]

Presidential election after several days. Today, Mershon adjourned next week's sentencing date. Trump's lawyers have long attempted to dismiss the case, arguing that evidence used in the case should not have been introduced and the incoming president cannot be prosecuted. Prosecutors have also prepared to fight the dismissal. Filings are due in December. Jimenez Bustillo, NPR News, New York.

[Dale Willman]

European Union governments are grappling with how to handle the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that was issued on Thursday by the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Terry Schultz reports that EU countries are perhaps ICC's strongest supporters, but the tribunal has never before indicted the leader of a Western ally for war crimes.

[Terry Schultz]

All EU countries belong to the International Criminal Court, so they're obligated to arrest indictees who enter their territory, including Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Several governments, including those of Belgium, France and Italy, have announced they're willing to do so, but a German government spokesman said his country would find it hard to imagine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he'll actually invite Netanyahu to Budapest just to defy the icc.

[Dale Willman]

That's Terry Schultz reporting, and you're listening to NPR News. The Supreme Court said Friday it will hear an appeal early next year of a lower court ruling that found the government fund that offers subsidies for phone and Internet services in schools, libraries and rural areas to be unconstitutional. The money is collected from the telecommunications providers and administered by the ftc. The lower court ruled that Congress violated the Constitution by empowering the FTC to manage that fund. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie has announced the death of his longtime friend Alice Brock. As NPR's Madelito Barco reports, she inspired his 1967 anti war Thanksgiving anthem.

[Mandalit Albarco]

Arlo Guthrie's 18 minute ballad starts off about his friend Alice Brock, a school librarian living in an old church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

[Arlo Guthrie]

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant.

[Mandalit Albarco]

In his musical monologue, Guthrie tells about being arrested and jailed for dumping out Alice's trash on Thanksgiving Day. Then he was almost drafted for the Vietnam War.

[Arlo Guthrie]

Cause you wanna know if I'm moral enough to join army, burn women, kids, houses and villages. After being a litter bug, Alice's Restaurant.

[Mandalit Albarco]

Became an anti war anthem, inspiring a movie and a cookbook. It brought fame to the son of folk singer Woody Guthrie and to Brock, a restaurateur, artist and illustrator. Mandalit Albarco, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark has joined a bid by Cincinnati for an expansion national women's soccer team. The league plans to announce its 16th team by the end of the year. The Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group to claim that franchise. The league's 15th team will start play in Boston in 2026. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

[Progressive Insurance]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Shopify, the global commerce platform that helps you sell and show up exactly the way way you want to customize your online store to your style. Sign up for a $1 per month trial [e-mail] NPR.