How would RFK Jr. handle bird flu? His record on vaccines has experts on edge Trump’s pick for health secretary has a record of attacking vaccines. In fact he’s even taken direct aim at bird flu shots. Some scientists fear this doesn’t bode well in case of a crisis. Read more on NPR

Trump’s energy secretary nominee faces questions over climate posts and LA fires Trump’s pick for secretary of energy, fracking executive Chris Wright, faced questions about a past social media post calling wildfires “hype.” Read more on NPR

What happens after a wildfire destroys your home? A survivor has tips “What the hell just happened to my future?” — that’s the immediate thought for many people when they learn a fire has destroyed their home, says consumer advocate Annie Barbour. Read more on NPR

The Transportation Department sues Southwest Airlines for alleged oft-delayed flights The agency is seeking civil penalties against Southwest Airlines, and also fined Frontier Airlines for its continuous delays. Read more on NPR

Trump’s pick for secretary of the Interior Department is Doug Burgum. Here’s what to know Doug Burgum, former North Dakota governor and businessman is President Donald Trump’s pick to be Secretary of the Interior. The confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thurs., Jan 16, 2025. Read more on NPR

Trump wants a quick end to the Ukraine war. That’s a tall order The war has reached a critical point. A real peace seems unlikely, but a ceasefire is possible, most experts agree. The question is whether it can be achieved without placing Ukraine in further peril. Read more on NPR

We asked experts to grade Biden’s job on education. They gave it a C average We asked more than a dozen educators, researchers, advocates and experts how they would grade Biden’s education legacy. He got two F’s, no A’s and lots of votes in the middle. Read more on NPR

A need for speed: Several states are looking for ways to count votes faster Lawmakers in California and other states want to change vote-counting rules to speed up the process. One key question is whether counting can be sped up without sacrificing access to the ballot. Read more on NPR

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches massive New Glenn rocket on first test flight The rocket was supposed to launch Monday, but ice buildup caused a delay. It’s built to haul spacecraft and eventually astronauts to orbit and also the moon. Read more on NPR

Pro-Stacey Abrams groups to pay record fine for breaking Georgia campaign finance law The two groups’ current leadership admitted 16 instances of illegal activity in a consent decree and will pay a $300,000 fine, the largest in state history, according to the commission. Read more on NPR