Trump’s New Picks; Mueller’s Big Day; Kevin Hart Out As Oscars Host

Plus, a new congresswoman vows to pay her interns $15 an hour. It’s kind of a big deal. [NPR] by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up Here’s what we’re following today. President Trump intends to nominate William Barr as his next attorney general. The Justice Department veteran [served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush]( and now is a corporate lawyer. He's said to hold an expansive view on executive power. The arrest of the CFO of China-based Huawei highlights the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China that national security adviser John Bolton says will be a major focus of negotiations over the next three months. "You should not turn a blind eye when states, as a matter of national policy, are stealing intellectual property from their competitors," [Bolton told NPR's Morning Edition](. President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. If she's confirmed, Nauert — a former Fox News host — [will succeed Nikki Haley]( who is leaving at the end of the year. The jobless rate remained the lowest in nearly 50 years last month as employers added fewer jobs than expected. Meanwhile, [wages grew 3.1 percent]( over the past 12 months, the same as in October. Comedian Kevin Hart has dropped out as host of next year's Oscars ceremony after facing criticism for homophobic tweets he posted years ago. He initially had refused to apologize to the LGBTQ community, only to announce hours later that [he was stepping down](. Today is a busy day for special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation on four different fronts. Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen and James Comey all have a role. [Here's what to watch for](. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Good A new congresswoman vows to pay her interns $15 an hour. It’s kind of a big deal. [Progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrates with supporters at a victory party in the Bronx after upsetting incumbent Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley on June 26, 2018.]( Scott Heins/Getty Images When Democratic Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York takes office next month, [she has pledged to pay her interns](. "Time to walk the walk," she tweeted on Tuesday. About 90 percent of House offices don't pay their interns at all, according to an organization called Pay Our Interns. Half of Senate Democrats pay their interns at least a stipend, while 55 percent of Senate Republicans do. Ocasio-Cortez hopes to start a bipartisan effort for members of Congress to pay the interns they employ. “Elvis Presley” is helping German pedestrians cross the street in one town. [Silhouettes of Elvis Presley appear on a traffic light in Friedberg, Germany, where he was stationed as a U.S. soldier from October 1958 to March 1960.]( Michael Probst/AP Elvis' image has been used to create action figures, reading lamps and Christmas ornaments. His face has adorned socks, slippers and soap — and countless other products over the decades since the American rock legend first got audiences all shook up. Now the German town of Friedberg, where the American rock legend served in the U.S. Army, has installed [traffic lights that honor Presley](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper Native Americans on tribal land are ‘the least connected’ to high-speed Internet. The Census Bureau says just 53 percent of Native Americans have access to high-speed internet service, compared to 82 percent of all U.S. households. People in Indian Country often use mobile phones to connect, [but many communities — especially those in rugged, rural areas — don't have reliable cell coverage](. "Folks find a way to access it. Folks are resilient," says Tracy Morris of the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State. "We should have the same access as other folks, and if we don't, it's going to put us down a path of further haves and have nots." She says it's hard to convince service providers to invest in building cell towers or lay fiber-optic cable on sparsely populated tribal land. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen [Stephan James and KiKi Layne star as Fonny and Tish, the couple at the center of If Beale Street Could Talk. The movie is director Barry Jenkins' adaptation of a James {NAME} novel of the same name.]( Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures The Oscar-winning director of Moonlight, Barry Jenkins, has made a new film: If Beale Street Could Talk, based on the James {NAME} novel. He's using it to represent black complexity, vulnerability and skin colors. NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks to Jenkins about showing vulnerability on-screen, and lighting and filming dark-skinned actors. (Listening time, 8:01) [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show Turning a gentle but unsparing lens on Alzheimer's. [April 10, 2005]( Stephen DiRado Photographer Stephen DiRado spent decades documenting his father’s decline from Alzheimer’s. The black-and-white portraits spanned decades and turned into [a documentary project called With Dad](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Sugar maple trees need snow to keep their roots warm. This allows them to grow fast enough to help maintain people's livelihoods while also absorbing carbon dioxide emissions.]( Jonathan Lesage/Getty Images - Not-so-sweet news: A study says it's possible that by the end of the century, proper conditions for [making maple syrup]( might no longer exist. - Kendrick Lamar and several female stars — including Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves and Janelle Monáe — [lead the major Grammy nominations]( which were announced today. - He’s Jewish, but [he says being Santa Claus is his calling](. - Rapper 2 Milly is suing the maker of Fortnite, claiming it stole [his signature dance move, the Milly Rock]( and included them in the game. - [An unauthorized exhibition of Banksy’s work at Art Basel Miami Beach]( doesn’t have the artist’s blessing, but his fans are flocking to see it anyway. --------------------------------------------------------------- ✏️ What do you think of today's email? 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