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Chapter 1: Who is Pete Hegseth and what allegations does he face?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. President-elect Donald Trump continues to back Pete Hegseth, his nominee to serve as the next Secretary of Defense, despite a number of allegations against him. NPR's Elena Moore reports Hegseth is facing accusations of sexual assault, financial misconduct, and excessive drinking.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Hegseth was, quote, "...doing very well." He called him a winner and added there is nothing that can be done to change that. Over the past few weeks, Hegseth has been meeting with Senate lawmakers on Capitol Hill trying to shore up support. But as he remains at the center of a number of allegations, it's left some lawmakers concerned.
Chapter 2: What challenges does Hegseth face for Senate confirmation?
And it's unclear whether Hegseth has the support needed to be confirmed. That said, Republicans will hold a majority in the Senate next year. And while no GOP senator has said they would be a definite no vote, enough have expressed reservations to potentially sink his nomination if Hegseth is ultimately unable to gain their support. Elena Moore, NPR News, Washington.
Chapter 3: What recent developments are there regarding TikTok?
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. has upheld a law that would ban TikTok in January unless it's sold. And Pierce Bobby Allen reports President-elect Trump once wanted to get rid of TikTok, but now he's promising to find a way to save the popular video app.
Chapter 4: Why is TikTok considered a national security threat?
The Federal Appeals Court in Washington wrote that TikTok's First Amendment arguments failed since lawmakers view the app as a national security threat. Authorities have said the app is vulnerable to manipulation by the Chinese government because TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing.
Chapter 5: What are the potential outcomes for TikTok under Trump?
The law states that TikTok is set to be banned on January 19th, but the app's future is now uncertain. When Trump assumes office, he may be able to extend the ban date. He can also order the law not to be enforced. Tech experts say it's possible for Trump to cut a deal with China to have TikTok sold off to American investors. Bobby Allen, NPR News.
Chapter 6: How did the U.S. labor market perform recently?
U.S. employers added 227,000 jobs last month, a little more than economists were expecting, showing the labor market remains solid. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.
Unemployment inched up a little bit in November from 4.1 to 4.2 percent, but that's still quite low by historical standards. We're also seeing an uptick in the number of workers quitting jobs, which typically is a sign that they're pretty confident they can find another position.
Maybe the clearest signal that we're still in a pretty solid job market is that wages continue to go up at a pretty healthy pace. You know, average wages in November were 4 percent higher than a year ago. That's almost certainly a bigger jump than we saw in prices. We'll find out for sure next week when the inflation data comes out.
And Pierre Scott Horsley reporting. The Labor Department says October's steep drop in hiring, which was revised up from 12,000 to 36,000, was impacted by hurricanes and the Boeing strike. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A federal judge has upheld race-conscious admissions at the U.S. Naval Academy.
This after the group Students for Fair Admissions, which successfully challenged affirmative action before the Supreme Court, also sued military academies. But Judge Richard Bennett says the Naval Academy has a distinct interest in considering an applicant's race in order to achieve diversity in its student body and that it's a matter of national security. The group says it will appeal that ruling.
The federal government is stepping up its efforts to look for evidence of bird flu virus in the nation's milk supply. The Department of Agriculture rolled out new requirements as part of its national testing initiative today. NPR's Will Stone has more.
This will give regulators the power to test samples from dairy farms or when the milk's being transported or processed. When bird flu is found, the USDA will trace the source. Private labs will also have to report any positive findings. The testing program is launching in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
Previous research has found no viable H5N1 virus in the milk sold on store shelves, which has been pasteurized. Recently, raw milk being sold in California was recalled after bird flu was detected. While the risks aren't entirely clear, scientists say it's possible consuming that could lead to an infection. Will Stone, NPR News.
Wall Street ended the day in mixed territory. The Dow down 123 points. The Nasdaq gained 159. I'm Janine Hurst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.
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