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Today’s top stories

President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will nominate Linda McMahon to head the U.S. Department of Education. During Trump’s first term, she was picked to lead the U.S. Small Business Administration. She is best known for building the professional wrestling company WWE into a powerhouse with her husband.

Linda McMahon speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Matt Rourke/AP Photo

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Matt Rourke/AP Photo

• 🎧 McMahon is a surprise for the role, as she wasn’t one of the education candidates with real conservative credentialstells NPR’s Cory Turner Up first. She served on the Connecticut State Board of Education for about a year. After being nominated, she told the committee that she had entered college with plans to become a teacher. Most recently, she chaired the board of the America First Policy Institute, which supports school choice. When it comes to shutting down the Department of Education, Turner says a bipartisan group has told him that McMahon — or any education secretary — probably can’t win. The department was created by Congress and only Congress can abolish it.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was questioned by Congress yesterday about allegations that the agency was slow to respond disasters and discrimination against some hurricane victims for political reasons. Meanwhile, the Biden administration wants more money for disaster recovery after this year’s onslaught of hurricanes, flash floods and wildfires.

• 🎧 Criswell was specifically pressed about FEMA’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which hit the Southeast back to backsays NPR’s Debbie Elliott. In one specific incident that sparked scrutiny, a now-fired FEMA supervisor ordered workers to skip homes in Florida with Trump campaign signs during the aftermath of Milton. That former crew leader claimed she followed standard protocol to avoid hostility faced by workers in the field after misinformation spread in Helene’s wake. Criswell denied any broader issue in how FEMA provides disaster relief and said the employee’s actions are not indicative of widespread cultural problems at FEMA.

At least 100,000 people have left social media platform X since Trump won the presidential election in what has become known as the X-odus. X is owned by Elon Musk, an outspoken Trump supporter and now one of his top advisors. The platform has been flooded with messages about Musk and Trump. Many looking for an alternative have turned to Bluesky.

• 🎧 “After Trump won, many at X noticed an uptick in Trump content,” NPR’s Bobby Allyn says. In the run-up to the elections, Musk tinkered with the algorithm to boost his messages. The app has always had conservative content, but users noted that it was no longer a mix of views. Bluesky is still a small social network, but CEO Jay Graber says it has grown by about a million users per day since the election. Allyn says it’s too early to tell if Bluesky will be the next Twitter, especially since its infrastructure and staff are currently limited.

Looking for common ground

In recent years and during this year’s controversial campaign season, there has been a coarsening in the way people talk to each other. Reporters within the NPR network are looking for people examples working through their differences. These stories explore how some people try to bridge gaps.

As the holidays approach, many people are preparing to have conversations with loved ones who may have different opinions. Research in neuroscience and psychology shows that, despite our differences, there are effective ways to bridge divisions. If you have a disagreement where there is mutual respect and you are interested in constructive dialogue, science offers several tools to make the conversation more productive.

Listen today

Emily Watson, left, and Olivia Williams, right, play two Harkonnen sisters who form a sisterhood later known as the Bene Gesserit in the HBO prequel series Dune: Prophecy.

Marco Postigo Storel for NPR

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Marco Postigo Storel for NPR

In the new HBO series Dune: ProphecyEmily Watson and Olivia Williams play two forming sisters a powerful sisterhood, later known as the Bene Gesserit. The show is set 10,000 years before the rise of the novel’s messianic figure, Paul Atreides. Watson and Williams jokingly talk about the period 10,000 years BC – before Timothée Chalamet, who plays Atreides in the Dune films. The sisterhood works to guide humanity on the right path after a massive war in which humans defeat machines. The six-episode season premiered on Sunday. Morning edition host Michel Martin spoke with Watson and Williams about the way the series tackles the way women see and exercise power.

3 things you need to know before you go

Rep. Nancy Mace (right) has introduced a bill that would ban trans women from women’s bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, just weeks before newly elected Rep. Sarah McBride (left) — the first openly transgender person elected to Congress — is set to be elected. sworn.

Andrew Harnik, Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, via Getty Images

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Andrew Harnik, Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, via Getty Images

1. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has drafted a measure that would ban transgender women women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol. This comes weeks before Democratic Rep.-elect. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, is expected to be sworn in.
2. Alex Jones filed a lawsuit against satirical news channel The Onion on Monday to prevent it from gaining control of Infowars and its parent company.
3. Rust has its world premiere today at a Polish film festival called Cameraimage. It’s been more than three years since cameraman Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set.

This newsletter has been edited by Suzanne Nuijen.