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Today's top stories

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, is fighting to save his nomination by defending himself against allegations of drinking and womanizing. In an interview with Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show, Hegseth said he has Trump's support. He is the latest of Trump's nominees to run into trouble.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Defense, and his wife Jennifer Rauchet walk through the Russell Senate Office building on Capitol Hill on Dec. 3, 2024.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Defense, and his wife Jennifer Rauchet walk through the Russell Senate Office building on Capitol Hill on Dec. 3, 2024. / Getty Images

  • 🎧 Hegseth says the allegations toward him are part of a smear campaign from anonymous sources who don't like what he would do with the Defense Department, NPR's Tamara Keith tells Up First. He says he doesn't have a drinking problem, but he would stop drinking if confirmed for the role. In addition to meeting privately with senators, he is doing something unusual for a nominee: He posted on social media, published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal and did the interview with Kelly. Keith says no Republican senators have said they are a "no" vote for the nomination, but enough have expressed reservations to potentially sink it.

A manhunt is underway after Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was gunned down and killed in New York City. He was shot yesterday morning, on the day of his employer's annual investors conference. Authorities say it was a targeted attack.

  • 🎧 Police released surveillance footage and photos showing the alleged gunman, who was wearing dark clothes and a mask. He was armed with a pistol, which appeared to have a silencer, NPR's Maria Aspan says. Thompson joined UnitedHealth Group two decades ago and took over the UnitedHealthcare unit three years ago. UnitedHealth isn't a household name, but it touches pretty much every part of the U.S. health care experience and is the largest employer of doctors in the country. With its size and scale, UnitedHealth has drawn criticism from consumers, regulators and lawmakers over how it wields its power.

If Trump's plan to deport millions of people from the U.S. succeeds, his administration won't be the first. Millions of people have been deported during past administrations, providing an opportunity to answer the question: Does deporting a lot of foreign workers improve the job market for U.S. citizens and people who reside in the country legally?

  • 🎧 An increase in deportations in a county doesn't lead to more job opportunities or higher wages for U.S.-born workers, economist Chloe East at the University of Colorado in Denver tells NPR's Jasmine Garsd. East says that for every half a million people deported, she estimates there were 44,000 fewer jobs for American workers. Immigrant labor is inextricably linked to the food supply. Over 90% of farm workers in California are foreign-born and mostly undocumented. According to East, the price of food would likely increase. She tells Garsd that if you are worried about the price of food now, you should be worried about mass deportations.

Today's listen

Players and coaches from Bay F.C. huddle before last Sunday's quarterfinal playoff game against the Washington Spirit in front of a sellout crowd at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Players and coaches from Bay F.C. huddle before last Sunday's quarterfinal playoff game against the Washington Spirit in front of a sellout crowd at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. / Getty Images

Women's sports have been making headlines, and 2024 arguably marks its best year professionally. Sue Bird played for the WNBA's Seattle Storm for 20 years and competed in the Olympics, bringing home five gold medals. She is now one of Seattle Storm's owners, and she cheers on the new stars in the league. Bird and her partner, former United States Women's National Soccer player Megan Rapinoe, talk about women's sports on their podcast A Touch More. Morning Edition host A Martinez spoke with them about the future of women's professional sports. Listen to what they had to say here.

Picture show

New York City is spectacular at sunrise. From the wildest corners of Central Park, the city is framed by forests, the sound of traffic and sirens softened by the murmur of mountain streams and geese lifting off from lakes.

New York City is spectacular at sunrise. From the wildest corners of Central Park, the city is framed by forests, the sound of traffic and sirens softened by the murmur of mountain streams and geese lifting off from lakes. / NPR

New York City — often known as the city that never sleeps — can also be a place of solitude. NPR's Brian Mann set out with his headlamp super early one morning into the tangled wilds of Morningside Park. As he walked through the winding trails, birds swiftly moved through the trees. Mann says it was magical how remote the park could seem.

3 things to know before you go

Duke Energy's Marshall Steam Station coal power plant operates earlier this year near Mooresville, N.C.

Duke Energy's Marshall Steam Station coal power plant operates earlier this year near Mooresville, N.C. / AP

  1. A small North Carolina town is suing Duke Energy, alleging it knew about climate change for over five decades but continued to operate coal and gas power plants that spewed greenhouse gases.
  2. Bitcoin hit $100,000 for the first time yesterday. The cryptocurrency's value has more than doubled this year, largely due to Trump's election win.
  3. A South Florida studio is offering tattoos under sedation. The sessions cost tens of thousands of dollars and allow multiple artists to collaborate on big pieces, cutting down the process time. (via WLRN)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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