NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-25-2024 4AM EDT

Episode Date: October 25, 2024

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Shaya Stevens Support for this podcast and the following message come from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over $1.75 million to support NPR programming. Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, you can learn more at nprwineclub.org slash podcast. Must be 21 or older to purchase. Shea Stevens Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Former President Barack Obama rallied with Vice President Kamala Harris last night in Atlanta.

It was the first time the two appeared together on the campaign trail, and it was the biggest rally Harris has held in three months of her campaign. NPR's Deepa Sivaram has more. Obama introduced Harris after spending most of his remarks criticizing former president Donald Trump and talking about how he mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris told the crowd of about 20,000 that her approach to the Oval Office would be a stark contrast to Trump's. It's either Donald Trump in there stewing, stewing over his enemies list or me working for you checking off my to-do list. Harris also specifically spoke to young people in the crowd and first-time voters, praising

them for being impatient and advocating for change. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, Atlanta. National Security Advisor, former President Donald Trump made a pitch, albeit brief, to change. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, Atlanta. National security adviser. Former President Donald Trump made a pitch, albeit brief, to the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community yesterday. As NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports from Las Vegas, Trump traveled to the swing state of Nevada for one of the first events geared toward the AAPI community. Former President Donald Trump only spent a couple minutes directly addressing

Asian-American voters in an hour and a half speech in Las Vegas. You are the greatest people, hard-working people, and we're gonna take care of you. We're gonna take care of you. You're gonna take care of us. While the speech largely tracked his recent stump speeches, the event was built to celebrate the Asian American community and encourage voter participation. The Asian American community is the fastest growing segment of the electorate, and their political power is concentrated in key swing states like Nevada, where they make up more than 10 percent of the vote. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, Las Vegas.

The White House has signed off on a new strategy for artificial intelligence. That's according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. He addressed the matter during a forum at the National Defense University in Washington. Our competitors also know how important AI leadership is in today's age of geopolitical competition. And they are investing huge resources to seize it for themselves. So we have to start upping our game. And that starts with people. America has to continue to be a magnet for global scientific and tech talent. Sellevon says the framework is the nation's first strategy for harnessing the power of

AI and managing its risks to national security. The Justice Department says the Singapore-based owner of the massive container ship that crashed into Baltimore's Key Bridge has agreed to pay almost $102 million. That's to settle a civil lawsuit. This is NPR News. The federal government has granted approval for a major new lithium mine in Nevada. The project could produce enough lithium for 370,000 electric vehicles per year. As NPR's Kamila Domenosky reports, the project has been challenged because of its impacts on a rare wildflower. Ryalite Ridge is home to a rich deposit of lithium and boron, and to the team's buckwheat,

an endangered wildflower that grows nowhere else. The mining company Ioneer changed the design for its mine to reduce harm to the wildflower. In a statement, the company praised the permitting process for making the mine, quote, a stronger and more sustainable project. The Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement that this new federal permit makes quote a mockery of the Endangered Species Act and vowed to keep fighting it. This is the first lithium project approved by the Biden administration. The Trump White House approved Thacker Pass, also in Nevada, which is currently under construction. Camila Domenoski, NPR News.

McDonald's officials say fresh onions were the source of a deadly E. coli outbreak that sickened at least 49 people in 10 states. The contamination was traced to fresh onions grown at a farm in California. The produce was used on a quarter pounder hamburgers reportedly eaten by many of the victims. Grammy-winning crooner Jack Jones, who's known for the theme song of the television show The Love Boat, has died at the age of 86. His manager says that Jones died Wednesday at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California,

after a two-year battle with leukemia. This is NPR News. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autografecollection.com.