News Information and Media Site: Nightly Rundown: Massive workplace explosion in Louisville; U.S. flights to Haiti suspended after gunfire; Trump expected to nominate Rubio, Noem

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By Dan Donahue

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Good Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters are responding to a massive explosion in Louisville, the U.S. is halting commercial fights to Haiti after planes were hit by gunfire, and President-elect Donald Trump is moving quickly to staff his new administration.

Here is what's in our Nightly Rundown.

Massive workplace explosion prompts shelter-in-place order in Louisville

First responders are on the scene of a massive workplace explosion in Louisville, Kentucky, this afternoon, authorities said.

A shelter-in-place order is in effect for a 1-mile radius due to a "hazardous materials incident," according to Louisville Metro Emergency Services.

Police have blocked off roads near the location, and are asking residents to stay away from the area.

FAA bans U.S. flights to Haiti after two planes hit by gunfire

The FAA is barring U.S.-based airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days after two planes were struck by gunfire amid escalating gang violence.

"U.S. civil aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet" will be prohibited, according to the FAA.

The move comes after a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale was hit by bullets while attempted to land in Port-au-Prince Monday, the airline said.

Later on Monday, JetBlue said that a post-flight inspection of a plane used for a flight from Port-au-Prince to New York's JFK Airport found evidence that it had also been struck by a bullet.

Trump expected to nominate Rubio, Noem, and Huckabee for key roles

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for secretary of state, according to three sources familiar with the selection process, as he moves quickly to fill key positions in his Cabinet with loyalists.

Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and vice chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence, would be the first Latino to serve as the nation's top diplomat if he is confirmed.

Trump and Rubio put aside their differences after they clashed during the 2016 race, when Trump derided Rubio as "Little Marco," and Rubio called Trump a "con artist" and insulted his "small hands."

Trump is also planning to nominate South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to four sources familiar with the decision.

The governor had been in the conversation for Trump's potential running mate, but she faced backlash in the spring after she admitted in her memoir that she shot an "untrainable" dog that she "hated" on her family farm.

Also today, Trump announced he is nominating Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Judge delays Trump immunity decision in hush money case

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York has delayed a key ruling in the case following Trump's decisive election win, raising questions over whether he will be sentenced later this month as scheduled — or ever.

Trump's attorneys have moved to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts, arguing that some of the evidence used in the case falls under the Supreme Court's decision in July granting presidential immunity for official acts.

Prosecutors asked Judge Juan Merchan to pause decisions in the case until Nov. 19 so they can consider how to proceed, now that Trump is the president-elect.

Trump had been scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 26, but that date is now stayed for the time being, and it's unclear whether the judge will proceed with the sentencing.

Red Flag Warnings across Northeast as deadly wildfires rage

Fire alerts including Red Flag Warnings are in effect today for 35 million people across the Northeast due to a combination of gusty winds, low humidity, and bone-dry conditions.

The greatest fire danger is across southern New England and southern New York, where wind gusts could reach 40 mph and humidity will be as low as 20%.

The Jennings Creek Wildfire burning on the New Jersey-New York state line, which has left at least one person dead, has grown to 3,500 acres and is only 20% contained.

Red Flag Warnings are in effect today for New York City, Hartford, Albany, Providence and Boston.

Missing Wisconsin kayaker believed to have faked his death, authorities say

A married father of two who disappeared while kayaking in Wisconsin over the summer appears to have faked his own death and traveled to Europe, authorities said.

Ryan Borgwardt has been missing since August, when his kayak was found capsized in a lake, and his vehicle and trailers were discovered in a park, according to Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll. Authorities searched for Borgwardt for nearly eight weeks to no avail.

The investigation found that Borgwardt had likely traveled to "some place in Europe" using a Canadian passport, and that he was believed to have communicated with a woman from Uzbekistan, Podoll said. In January, Borgwardt took out a $375,000 life insurance policy, according to investigators.

Podoll said authorities are still trying to determine Borgwardt's current location and motive for disappearing.

What else we're watching:

Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sharing military secrets online.

A federal judge has blocked a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. The state attorney general said she's planning an immediate appeal.

A driver intentionally plowed his car into a crowd in China, killing 35 people and injuring 43 others, police said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned over his handling of sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps.

We're tracking a tropical system in the Caribbean that could strengthen into Hurricane Sara, with potential impacts to Florida.

In Chicago, a car plunged 20 feet off a shopping mall parking garage with an elderly woman inside, but firefighters said she escaped any serious injuries.

A Chicago man made a stunning discovery about a local bakery where he's been a customer for years.

Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app.