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President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to become U.S. Attorney General. The announcement came just hours after former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration.
NPR's Ryan Lucas reports. In a statement announcing his decision, Trump notes that Bondi was a local prosecutor in Florida before she served as the state's attorney general. Trump says Bondi is tough and smart and will refocus the Justice Department on fighting crime and making America safe. Trump has known Bondi for years. She spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and later was an attorney on Trump's legal team during his first impeachment.
Trump named Bondi as his choice for the top Justice Department job after his controversial first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew on Thursday.
Gates said his confirmation was becoming a distraction for the Trump transition and that there was no time for a drawn-out battle over it, so he pulled his name from consideration. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the next U.S. Senate. Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has conceded defeat to Republican businessman David McCormick. As member station WPSU's Sidney Roach reports...
This follows weeks of litigation over Pennsylvania mail-in ballots and an automatically triggered recount. In a video on social media, Casey said he is proud to have served Pennsylvania as U.S. Senator since 2007. This race was one of the closest in our commonwealth's history, decided by less than a quarter of a point. That narrow margin triggered an automatic recount by state law.
Even though the Associated Press called McCormick as the winner shortly after the election, Casey argued every vote should be counted. I'm proud of the work we've done since Election Day to enfranchise voters across the state. McCormick, the former CEO of the world's largest hedge fund, said he will bring leadership to the job. On the campaign trail, he often called Casey a do-nothing and weak career politician.
For NPR News, I'm Sydney Roach in State College, Pennsylvania. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that few people have been vaccinated against flu or COVID-19 as this year's holiday season approaches.
And PR's Rob Stein has more. The CDC says only about one-third of adults have gotten this year's flu shot, and less than 18% have gotten one of the new COVID boosters. As for the new RSV vaccine, only 40% of adults ages 75 and older have gotten that recommended shot.
There isn't a lot of flu or RSV right now, and the COVID numbers are still falling from this summer's big surge. But all those viruses could pick up quickly as people start to travel and gather for Thanksgiving in the winter holidays. Rob Stein, NPR News. You're listening to NPR. The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of actor Jussie Smollett.
As NPR's Mandelito Barco reports, this latest legal turn is based not on the underlying facts of the case, but on how it was handled. Five years ago, the star of the TV series Empire reported to police that he'd been attacked in Chicago by two men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs, poured bleach on him, and wrapped a noose around his neck.
A court found that Jussie Smollett had lied to police. He agreed to do community service and pay a $10,000 bond in exchange for charges being dismissed.
Then, in 2020, a special prosecutor investigated the case and charged Smollett again. In court, two brothers testified that Smollett had paid them to carry out the attack, and again he was found guilty of lying to police. The actor served a small portion of his five-month jail sentence. Now the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the new charges should not have been filed after Smollett's initial deal. Mandali Delbarco, NPR News.
The International Criminal Court, or ICC, has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as his former defense minister and Hamas leader. The ICC is accusing Israel of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. The court alleges Hamas has committed acts of murder, rape, and torture. Dozens of nations do not recognize the ICC, including Israel and the United States.
Brazil's federal police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others, accusing them of trying to stage a coup following his successor's victory in 2022. Bolsonaro denies the allegations. This is NPR.
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