--:-- Dale Willman: Support for NPR and the following message come from Indeed. Hiring? Do it the right way with Indeed's Sponsored Jobs. Claim a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com slash NPR. Terms and conditions apply.
--:-- Dale Willman: Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.
--:-- Dale Willman: The Pentagon says it's destroyed another small boat in the Caribbean. The attack killed all four men on board.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: NPS Quill Lawrence reports this is at least the 20th boat targeted since September.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted a video of a speedboat exploding. He says it was carrying drugs on a known smuggling route.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: The Trump administration says it is at war with drug cartels, and therefore the military may legally kill alleged traffickers on suspicion alone.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: Critics say this is murder.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: At least 80 people have so far been killed, and two survivors were repatriated and set free by their home countries.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: The latest strike comes as the U.S. has assembled a massive fleet off the coast of Venezuela in what is seen as an effort to intimidate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
--:-- Quill Lawrence: Maduro has responded by mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops to resist possible U.S. military action.
--:-- Dale Willman: Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
--:-- Dale Willman: Attorney General Pam Bondi has named a senior federal prosecutor to look into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ties with prominent Democrats banks and institutions
--:-- Ryan Lucas: This comes after President Trump publicly called on the Justice Department to do so NPR's Ryan Lucas reports.
--:-- Ryan Lucas: In a post on social media, President Trump accused Democrats of using the controversy over the Jeffrey Epstein files to deflect from their own actions in the recent government shutdown.
--:-- Ryan Lucas: He also called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate former President Bill Clinton and other prominent Democrats whom Trump alleges were involved with Epstein.
--:-- Ryan Lucas: In her own social media post, Bondi said she's tapping the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Jay Clayton, to take the lead on the matter.
--:-- Ryan Lucas: The moves come as Trump continues to face questions about his own ties to Epstein, particularly after House Democrats released a batch of emails this week that raised questions as to what Trump knew about Epstein's activities with underage girls.
--:-- Dale Willman: Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
--:-- Dale Willman: So far, the Justice Department has not begun a similar investigation into President Trump's possible involvement with Epstein.
--:-- Dale Willman: Evacuation warnings are in place for parts of Southern California as a major storm threatens to cause flooding and turned hillsides into mud.
--:-- Dale Willman: First responders are telling residents that if they don't evacuate when they're told to do so, it may be too late.
--:-- Dale Willman: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is asking residents to be cautious, slow down if you're driving, and plan ahead for the potential for longer travel times.
--:-- Dale Willman: And please, if you don't have to leave your home, please don't.
--:-- Dale Willman: The evacuation orders are expected to remain in place throughout the weekend.
--:-- Dale Willman: Disney and YouTube TV have reached a deal to bring Disney channels back to the Google-owned live streaming platform.
--:-- Dale Willman: The deal announced on Friday means channels including ABC and ESPN, will be available once again on YouTube TV.
--:-- Dale Willman: They were missing for almost six weeks while negotiations were underway.
--:-- Dale Willman: Stocks closed mixed on Wall Street Friday.
--:-- Dale Willman: The Dow Jones Industrial Average down 309 points.
--:-- Dale Willman: The Nasdaq closed up 30 points.
--:-- Dale Willman: This is NPR News.
--:-- Dale Willman: A Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital has killed six people and wounded at least 35 others.
--:-- Dale Willman: Ukraine's president says several blocks of high-rise apartment buildings in Kyiv were targeted, and the goal was to harm civilians.
--:-- Dale Willman: The attack also targeted the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv.
--:-- Dale Willman: In response, Ukraine launched its own drones and missiles at Russia.
--:-- Dale Willman: New research links high consumption of ultra-processed foods to early-onset colorectal cancer.
--:-- Dale Willman: As NPR's Alison Aubrey reports, the research suggests diet is one factor behind the increase in colon cancer among young adults.
--:-- Alison Aubrey: Doctors at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute analyzed data from nearly 30 female nurses under the age of 50.
--:-- Alison Aubrey: They found those who ate more ultra foods, including salty, high-fat snacks, such as chips and sugary drinks, had a significantly higher risk of developing precancerous polyps.
--:-- Dale Willman: Dr. Andrew Chan is an author of the study.
--:-- Dale Willman: If you have a family history, certainly if you have a history of polyps, trying to kind of adjust what you eat is one step you can take.
--:-- Alison Aubrey: Not all processed foods are unhealthy, but increasingly research shows a diet high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, as is found in many packaged foods, increases the risk of chronic disease.
--:-- Dale Willman: Alison Aubrey, NPR News.
--:-- Dale Willman: Walmart CEO Doug McMillan is planning on retiring early next year.
--:-- Dale Willman: In a surprise announcement, he said his successor has already been named.
--:-- Dale Willman: McMillan will step down on January 31st, and John Ferner will then take over.
--:-- Dale Willman: Ferner is the head of retailers' U.S. operations.
--:-- Dale Willman: Walmart shares fell 3% in pre-market trading after the news was announced.
--:-- Dale Willman: I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. Thank you.
