--:-- 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 world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, will arrive in the Northern Caribbean on Sunday. That's according to a U.S. military official.
--:-- Dale Willman: The arrival takes place as tensions with Venezuela grow. NPR's Laura Sullivan has more.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: The USS Gerald Ford will be joining some 15,000 soldiers and sailors already in the region. A U.S. military official told NPR the U.S. is gearing up for possible military action, saying, quote, the table is being set.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: High-level meetings with members of Congress and foreign leaders are continuing, along with ongoing military exercises. It remains unclear, however, if President Trump will use military force against the country.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: The U.S. has conducted multiple strikes on boats in the region. President Trump has also repeatedly called on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to resign.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: Officials told NPR the arrival of the USS Gerald Ford could be just another pressure tactic on Maduro who has put his own forces on high alert.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: Laura Sullivan NPR News
--:-- Dale Willman: A major corruption investigation is underway in Ukraine. Independent corruption agencies say associates close to President Volodymyr Zelensky plotted to skim around $1 million from the country's energy sector.
--:-- Dale Willman: That should be $100 million from the country's energy sector, NPR's Jeronica Kisses explains.
--:-- Jeronica Kisses: This probe is extensive. It took 15 months, used about 1,000 hours of wiretaps. There were seven alleged participants, including Timur Mindich. He's a close business associate of Zelensky's.
--:-- Jeronica Kisses: Investigators say this group manipulated contracts at Enerho Atom, which is Ukraine's state nuclear energy company, and they got kickbacks laundering roughly $100 million.
--:-- Jeronica Kisses: The scandal has forced the resignation of two ministers in Zelensky's government so far, but Zelensky has not been implicated in this probe, and he is calling for the prosecution of those accused of committing crimes.
--:-- Dale Willman: NPR's Joanna Kakissis with that report.
--:-- Dale Willman: The season's first heavy rainfall is pounding Gaza this weekend. It's flooding tents and hampering recovery after two years of war.
--:-- Dale Willman: With winter approaching, the United Nations says the needs of refugees are immense. NPR's Lauren Freyer has this report.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: Wind and rain are hampering efforts to stay warm and dry in places like Al where up to half a million displaced Palestinians are staying mostly in temporary tents.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: A spokesperson for Gaza civil defense agency Mahmoud Basal says rain has inundated those makeshift shelters.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: In a statement, Hamas decried what it called Israel's continued obstruction of humanitarian aid into the Strip.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: Israel says it opened a border crossing this week into northern Gaza, where the UN declared a famine last summer.
--:-- Lauren Freyer: The UN now says, quote, full and sustained opening of existing and additional crossings is required, and that the transport of aid within Gaza remains limited and highly congested.
--:-- Dale Willman: Lauren Fryer, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
--:-- Dale Willman: And you're listening to NPR News.
--:-- Dale Willman: Colombia's Human Rights Ombudswoman says seven children were killed earlier this week in a controversial airstrike against a rebel camp.
--:-- Dale Willman: The attack occurred in the country's southern region.
--:-- Dale Willman: The revelation comes as the government steps up its efforts to regain control of rural areas.
--:-- Dale Willman: The strike was aimed at the FARC-EMC rebel group.
--:-- Dale Willman: The Trump administration has requested that a former Colorado election clerk serve time in a state prison to be moved to a federal prison while she appeals her state conviction.
--:-- Dale Willman: From Colorado Public Radio, Benta Birkeland reports.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: Tina Peters is serving a nine sentence for helping an unauthorized person access her county voting machines in 2021.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: Many prominent Republicans including President Trump have alleged she a political prisoner.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: Trump cannot pardon Peters because it's a state conviction.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: Her lead attorney, Peter Tickton, says she's at risk in the state prison.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: For somebody who's perhaps a little more genteel, a little bit more educated, a little bit more established, it puts her in a more difficult position.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: For sure she's been threatened.
--:-- Benta Birkeland: The Colorado Department of Corrections did not say whether she's faced threats, but said it's received the request and will review it.
--:-- Dale Willman: For NPR News, I'm Benta Berkland.
--:-- Dale Willman: Michaela Schifrin opened the Olympic slalom season in convincing style Saturday.
--:-- Dale Willman: She dominated a World Cup race and finished Lapland for her record-extending 102nd career win.
--:-- Dale Willman: The American built on her first run of more than a second to beat second-place Laura Coultery by 1.66 seconds.
--:-- Dale Willman: Germans Emma Etcher placed third.
--:-- Dale Willman: I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.
--:-- Dale Willman: This message comes from Mint Mobile. Starting at $15 a month, make the switch at mintmobile.com slash switch.
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