Friday morning news: November 15, 2024

Thune and Johnson on GOP agenda » The soon-to-be Senate Republican Leader John Thune has a message for Senate Republicans be ready to hit the ground running.

THUNE: And needless to say, the floor priority at the start of the year will be confirming President Trump’s nominees. And members should expect an aggressive schedule until those nominees are confirmed.

Thune will replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell when the new Congress convenes on January 3rd.

House Speaker Mike Johnson says he huddled with Sen. Thune shortly after he was elected leader.

JOHNSON:  We talked for a short period of time about the agenda going forward and how we have to do this in a bicameral fashion. We need the House Republicans and the Senate Republicans to be in lockstep on exactly the same page, and we will be.

Republicans have officially retained their majority in the House and could add up to four more seats to their existing majority.

Kennedy nomination Health Secretary » Among those nominees facing Senate confirmation hearings early next year will be Robert F. Kennedy Jr. President-elect Trump announced Thursday that RFK Jr. is his pick for Health secretary.

Though Kennedy hails from the most famous family in Democratic politics, he split with the party last year when he launched an independent White House bid, later bowing out to join forces with Donald Trump. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Kennedy says he’s on a quest … to make America healthy again.

He says the ‘big food’ industry has loaded American foods with harmful ingredients … fueling an “epidemic” of chronic diseases. He says he’s ready to take on both ‘big food’ and ‘big pharma.’

But Democratic senators are certain to grill him about his position on vaccines. His critics have labeled him an “anti-vaxxer.” Kennedy says that’s not accurate … that he merely supports more transparency about vaccine testing … and allowing individuals to make their own choices about vaccines.

Kennedy is a former environmental lawyer and professor, but senators are also likely to press him on his credentials to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Collins and Sauer nominated » Trump is also nominating former GOP Congressman Doug Collins as Secretary for Veterans Affairs. Collins is a veteran, and currently serves as a chaplain in the US Air Force Reserve Command.

The president-elect has also tapped John Dean Sauer for solicitor general. Sauer previously held that same title for the state of Missouri, and he once clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia.

The solicitor general of the United States plays a big role in shaping U.S. legal policy and is the government’s top lawyer before the Supreme Court.

FBI arrest of ISIS devotee » Federal authorities are revealing new details about charges against a Texas man accused of supporting ISIS and seeking to take part in a 9/11-style attack. Federal prosecutor Alamdar Hamdani:

WILLIAMS:  Mr. Said communicated with the official media outlet for ISIS, known as Saar al Khalifa, the Tower of the Caliphate. He also had pro ISIS propaganda videos and flyers he created.

28-year-old Anas Said pleaded not guilty to numerous charges in federal court on Thursday.

FBI agents executed a warrant to arrest Said last week.

Grossi Iran » Iran claims it's willing to negotiate differences with the United Nations over its nuclear program, but it will not respond to pressure.

ARAQCHI: [Speaking in Farsi]

That according to Iran's foreign minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, heard there.

But Iran knows pressure is coming with Donald Trump set to return to the White House. And Araqchi says Iranian leaders are now ready to negotiate.

His comments came during a meeting in Tehran with Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency.

Grossi warned world leaders that time is running out to curb Iran's nuclear program.

GROSSI: The fact that international tensions and regional tensions do exist — this shows that the space for negotiation and diplomacy is not getting bigger, it is getting smaller.

Grossi visited Iran in an effort to try and ensure that the Islamic country is abiding by the terms of an agreement made in March of 2023.

Iran has become increasingly uncooperative with international inspectors.

Syria - Israeli attack » Meanwhile…

SOUND: [Aftermath of Israeli strike]

Syria's state-run news media claims that Israeli airstrikes in the Damascus area killed more than two dozen people.

Those strikes came shortly before an advisor to Iran's supreme leader was scheduled to be in the capital to meet with Palestinian representatives.

Israel says the airstrikes hit terrorist military infrastructure.

HAGARI: [Speaking in Hebrew]

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari says Israel hit transit routes used by the terror group Hezbollah and the headquarters of the Islamic Jihad terror group.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: more take-aways from last week’s election results. John Stonestreet is next.

Plus, we review a stage production of the C.S. Lewis’s classic: The Horse and His Boy.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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