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--:-- Dale Willman: This message comes from NPR sponsor, FX's The Lowdown, starring Ethan Hawke. This new crime drama follows quirky journalist Lee Raybon, whose obsession with the truth always gets him into trouble. FX's The Lowdown, all new Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu.
--:-- Dale Willman: Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.
--:-- Dale Willman: President Trump says he hopes more of his political enemies will be indicted. This comes after Trump handpicked a new federal prosecutor in Virginia who then returned an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. He's been one of Trump's more outspoken critics.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Comey was indicted on two counts related to allegedly lying to Congress in testimony five years ago, after Trump demanded that the Justice Department prosecute him.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Trump says he expects more of the people who made his life miserable over the last eight years to be prosecuted. It's about justice, really. It's not revenge. It's also about the fact that you can't let this go on. They are sick, radical left people, and they can't get away with it. And Comey was one of the people. He wasn't the biggest, but he's a dirty cop.
--:-- Tamara Keith: Comey says he is innocent and he looks forward to proving it at trial.
--:-- Dale Willman: Tamara Keith NPR News the White House
--:-- Dale Willman: The U Department of Transportation is tightening the requirements for non-citizens to get commercial driver licenses and as NPR Jill Rose reports the department says all states must comply with the new rules.
--:-- Jill Rose: The Transportation Department is announcing the new rules after fatal crashes this year in Florida, Texas, and Alabama. Officials say all three were caused by non-citizen truck drivers who should not have received commercial driver's licenses.
--:-- Jill Rose: The rules will make it impossible for many immigrants to get those licenses because only three specific classes of visa holders are eligible.
--:-- Jill Rose: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding from California unless it complies.
--:-- Jill Rose: A spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom defended the state's safety record, saying commercial driver's license holders from California have a fatal crash rate almost 40% below the national average.
--:-- Dale Willman: Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
--:-- Dale Willman: Two major ABC affiliate groups, Sinclair and Nextar, are putting Jimmy Kimmel Live back on the air. As NPR's Chloe Velpin reports, the local TV giants initially held out after national broadcaster ABC reinstated Kimmel this week.
--:-- Chloe Velpin: In a statement, Sinclair says its decision to restore Jimmy Kimmel's show is the result of receiving feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders.
--:-- Chloe Velpin: Nextstar press release says discussions with ABC parent Disney prompted its change of heart.
--:-- Chloe Velpin: Sinclair and Nextstar pulled Jimmy Kimmel live following comments the comedian had made during his September 15th broadcast about the suspect in Charlie Kirk's assassination.
--:-- Chloe Velpin: ABC restored the show on Tuesday after suspending it for nearly a week. The head of the Federal Communications Commission had publicly pressured Disney to punish Kimmel.
--:-- Chloe Velpin: Disney experienced enormous public blowback for caving in to the FCC's threats.
--:-- Dale Willman: Chloe Veltman, NPR News.
--:-- Dale Willman: In college football, the University of Virginia just beat No. 8 Florida State in overtime, 46-38. And you're listening to NPR News.
--:-- Ava White: In Alaska, voting continues. In the Fat Bear Week contest at Katmai National Park and Preserve, The original bracket of 12 is now reduced, even as some familiar bears continue fattening up for the winter.
--:-- Ava White: One is No. 32, or Chunk, a 1,200-pound-plus bear who was last year's runner-up.
--:-- Ava White: Another is two-time defending champion No. 128, or Grazer. She'll be the first bear to achieve a consecutive three-peat if she wins.
--:-- Ava White: Jessica Franzen is a teacher in Cabot, Arkansas. She's following Fat Bear Week with her students who are split between Grazer and Chunk.
--:-- Jessica Franzen: A lot of them were Grazer, a lot of them were Chunk. But to be fair, those are two really excellent choices. And when you show them against all the other bears, Chunk is massive and Grazer kicks everybody's butt, so they love her for that, so it's hard to compete with those two.
--:-- Ava White: Voting is closed for the weekend, but reopens Monday. Fat Bear Week ends Tuesday. You can vote online at explore.org.
--:-- Dale Willman: For NPR News, I'm Ava White in Anchorage.
--:-- Dale Willman: A group of former national park superintendents is calling on the Trump administration to close the nation's parks to visitors in case of a government shutdown at the end of the month.
--:-- Dale Willman: In a letter, they said that past shutdowns in which parks remained open led to the vandalism of iconic symbols, destruction of wildlife habitats, and the possible endangerment of visitors.
--:-- Dale Willman: The parks are already under strain from a 24 percent reduction in staff and severe budget cuts.
--:-- Dale Willman: Asada Shakur has died in Cuba. The black liberation activist had escaped from a U.S. prison in 1979. She had been serving a life sentence for killing a police officer.
--:-- Dale Willman: The Cuban government says that Shakur died on Thursday due to health conditions and advanced age.
--:-- Dale Willman: I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.
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