Shownotes Transcript
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President-elect Trump has tapped former Florida top prosecutor and Trump loyalist Pam Bondi to be the next attorney general. Trump chose Bondi after ex-Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz backed out of the process amid fallout over a sex trafficking investigation.
As NPR's Claudia Grisales reports, the future for Gates remains unclear. Many were sure he wouldn't survive the Senate vetting process. They said Gates would drop out because he would become a distraction, in turn become a hero for the hard right, and then leverage all of this oxygen for his nomination into a possible run for Florida governor. His name has been tossed around for that quite a bit.
But before then, he could return to his seat in January because that is a completely new term he was elected to, and that would force the ethics probe to start again. The ethics probe ended last week when Gates resigned from his House seat, sparking debate on whether the committee will release its findings.
The Justice Department says a high-ranking member of the powerful Mexican drug cartel has been arrested and charged with faking his own death. The defendant is accused of assuming a false identity in order to live in California. NPR's Ryan Lucas has more. Court papers say Cristian Fernando Gutierrez Ochoa is a senior member of the Jalisco New Generation cartel and the son-in-law of the group's founder.
U.S. officials consider the cartel to be one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. Prosecutors say Gutierrez Ochoa coordinated the transportation and distribution of tons of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States. On the run from Mexican authorities, Gutierrez Ochoa allegedly faked his own death and fled to the U.S., where he assumed a fictitious identity and lived in a luxury residence in Riverside, California. He was arrested there earlier this week.
He now faces drug trafficking and money laundering charges in federal court in the U.S. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli airstrikes struck several villages across southern Lebanon Thursday, killing at least 51 people. From Beirut, NPR's Jawad Rizkallah.
By phone from southern Lebanon, resident Pierre Atalla tells NPR he saw a cloud of dust rise in the distance as Israeli military vehicles invade hilltop towns. Meanwhile, social media posts showed plumes of black smoke rising over the Mediterranean coastal city of Tir. Israeli warplanes destroyed buildings there and in Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel's military said its airstrikes in Beirut targeted Hezbollah command centers, but did not provide proof.
It warned civilians to vacate residential areas within 500 yards of specific buildings. Lebanon's health ministry says some 40 people have been killed in the past day alone. For NPR News, I'm Jouad Reza Allah in Beirut. You're listening to NPR News.
Illinois Supreme Court has overturned actor Jussie Smollett's conviction of staging a 2019 hate crime against himself. The court did not address Smollett's claims of innocence, but did say that a special prosecutor had improperly intervened in the case.
Shares in India's Adani Group plunged 20 percent Thursday after its owner was indicted in connection with an alleged multi-billion dollar bribery and fraud scheme linked to solar projects. Amkar Kandahar has more. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged businessman Gautam Adani for conspiring to bribe Indian government officials to clinch a deal to develop the country's largest power plant.
The SEC indictment says Adani and seven others from his group of companies raised around $175 million from American investors while lying about their anti-corruption practices. The Adani group has denied the allegation.
India's political opposition has long accused Indian government of patronising the controversial billionaire. In recent weeks, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have ordered a review of their power project deals with the Adani group, and Kenya has cancelled a deal to hand over its main airport to them.
For NPR News, I'm Omkar Khandekar in Mumbai. NFL security staff are warning professional athletes that crime rings may target them. Players are being urged to practice social media safety and to implement home security measures. The warning comes after the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey were burglarized last month. These reportedly stole $20,000 in cash from Kelsey's home while he was playing out of town. This is NPR.
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