Overview of NPR News Now (November 12, 6 a.m. ET)
NPR’s morning headlines cover historic gains and losses for Black representation in Congress, a dispute over congressional oversight, an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital during a ceasefire, a deadly building collapse in Brooklyn, climate talks in Turkey, and Pope Leo’s visit to Peru.
U.S. Politics and Congress
- Democrat Scott Colom’s projected win in Mississippi would make him the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction. Along with Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, he would help bring the number of Black senators in the new Congress to a record seven.
- Black representation in the House is expected to fall from 63 members to 60. Retirements, campaigns for higher office, and Republican-led redistricting that eliminated some majority-Black districts contributed to the decline. High Black voter turnout helped Democrats defend a seat in Alabama and gain seats in North Carolina.
- The White House counsel warned Representative Robert Garcia, expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, against what it called abusive threats of investigations. Garcia said Democrats would continue their oversight work and would not be deterred by legal threats. NPR noted that Republican-led oversight committees have also pursued broad investigations.
Gaza Hospital Strike
An Israeli airstrike hit the surgical ward of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis during an agreed ceasefire, damaging its intensive care unit. Gaza’s Health Ministry said six people were killed, including a surgeon and other medical staff, and several others were injured. Israel said it targeted a senior Hamas figure and alleged Hamas used the hospital to store weapons and conduct interrogations. Hamas condemned the strike as a war crime and called for international journalists to be allowed into Gaza.
Other Headlines
- Brooklyn: At least two people were killed and 17 injured when an apartment building collapsed. Authorities had not determined whether anyone else was missing.
- Climate summit: At the UN climate summit in Turkey, the secretary-general urged representatives of nearly 200 nations to strengthen climate action. Scientists warn that climate change increases the risks of severe sea-level rise and ecosystem collapse.
- Peru: Pope Leo arrived in Lima to large crowds, beginning the final leg of his South American tour. He recalled his longstanding ties to Peru, where he had worked as a missionary and served as a bishop.