Trump taps Brooke Rollins of America First Policy Institute for agriculture secretary President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Brooke Rollins, head of the America First Policy Institute, to oversee the Department of Agriculture. She has a long history in conservative politics. Read more on NPR

Winter storms sweep across the U.S. while a new system is expected for Thanksgiving A major storm dropped more snow and record rain in California, while on the opposite side of the country blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect Saturday. Read more on NPR

Infant dies and 10 others sick in latest listeria outbreak tied to ready-to-eat meat The cases appeared in California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York between July 31 and Oct. 24, the CDC said. Nine out of the 11 infected individuals were hospitalized. Read more on NPR

NATO head and Trump meet in Florida for talks on global security U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday. Read more on NPR

Climate change plays a role in global rise of dengue fever Over 12 million cases of dengue fever were reported in 2024, the most ever. A study suggests climate change has likely played a significant role in the disease’s expansion. Read more on NPR

Opinion: Remembering Vladimir Shklyarov, a dancer for the people NPR’s Scott Simon remarks on the death of ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov. Reports from Russian media say he fell from a 5th floor balcony. Read more on NPR

What a mollusc shell and fiber optic cables have in common A heart cockle shell has been found to let in light through a design that resembles fiber optic cables. This could inspire everything from helping coral survive to designing new camera lenses. Read more on NPR

Bringing Thanksgiving food on a plane? Here is what you should know Thanksgiving favorites such as mac and cheese, turkey and casseroles can be brought through TSA checkpoints. But cranberry sauce, maple syrup and gravy must go in checked baggage, the agency says. Read more on NPR

South Africa’s illegal gold miners are locked in an underground standoff with police Surviving on a diet of toothpaste and toilet paper, South Africa’s notorious “zama-zama” illegal miners continue a weeks-long standoff with police in the darkness of a disused gold mine. Read more on NPR

Trump’s deportation vow alarms Texas construction industry Texas builders warn mass deportations of undocumented migrants could devastate the construction industry, threatening housing and infrastructure work in one of the nation’s fastest-growing states. Read more on NPR