The News Roundup For May 17, 2024
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testifies before the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of House Appropriations Committee. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images hide caption
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testifies before the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of House Appropriations Committee.
Kent Nishimura/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed on terms this week to face off in two televised debates before the general election this November. Neither will involve the Commission on Presidential Debates, the organization responsible for scheduling and administrating these showdowns for the last 40 years or so.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was left "speechless" this week after a coalition of airlines banded together to sue his department over new rules concerning junk fees and making it easier for customers to receive refunds.
As Russia continues to make gains in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has canceled all his trips abroad. U.S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken traveled to Kyiv and has promised additional aid to Zelenskyy's troops.
As paramilitary forces surrounded the Sudanese town of El Fasher, civil groups are warning that millions of people trapped in the city could be in danger. Dozens have been killed in fighting last weekend.
Qatar's prime minister expressed concern over the state of peace talks between Israel and Hamas, saying that they were almost at a standstill.
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.