NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-15-2024 6PM EST

Episode Date: November 15, 2024

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This message comes from Wondery. Some of the craziest conspiracy theories are actually classified government operations. To hear more about these hidden truths, listen to redacted, declassified mysteries with Luke Lamanna on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Donald Trump's reelection is raising questions about the U.S. role in global climate change initiatives. But NPR's Michael Copley reports, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm tells the UN Climate Conference in Azerbaijan,

the world will keep shifting to cleaner sources of energy no matter who's at the White House. Granholm touted a climate law passed under President Biden called the Inflation Reduction Act that's delivering big investments, including in Republican districts. She also said companies, along with states and cities, will keep taking steps to cut U.S. climate pollution, and called on other nations to strengthen their efforts.

This is the time to accelerate, to fill that gap that may be left by leadership in the United States. President-elect Trump says he'll adopt policies to boost U.S. production of fossil fuels, the main source of heat trapping emissions, and activists expect he'll pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement. Michael Copley, NPR News. In something of a reversal of his previous stance,

House Speaker Mike Johnson is now saying he'll strongly request the House Ethics Committee not release its report on the conduct of former Florida representative Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, who was president-elect Donald Trump's controversial choice to be attorney general, resigned his house seat this week, headed with the release of what was expected to be a scathing report focusing on allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. But Gaetz's resignation effectively ended those proceedings. Johnson's remarks, while there's a bit of an about face, he previously withheld comment

on the matter, noting Speaker of the House, quote, is not involved in what happens in ethics. Nearly three quarters of all U.S. adults are now overweight or obese. That is the conclusion of a broad new study. It finds obesity rates among adults and children skyrocketing since 1990. Here's in Paris Maria Godoy. The study found that rates of obesity among adults and adolescents ages 15 and up have at least doubled in the past three decades.

And more than one in three children now have overweight or obesity. The researchers say that's alarming because obesity can trigger serious health conditions that are now occurring at younger ages, including type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and cancer. They note that already the prevalence of childhood hypertension and diabetes is rising. The researchers warn that, without action to reverse these trends, more than 43 million kids and adolescents ages 5 and up will be overweight or obese by 2050. The findings appear in the journal The Lancet. Maria Godoy, NPR News.

The Federal Reserve officials are out with a lengthy defense of the need for central bank independence. It comes just days after Donald Trump, a longtime Fed critic, won re-election. Fed board member Adriana Kuhler saying that economic research shows an independent central bank does a better job of keeping inflation low. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, when asked recently if he would resign if asked by President-elect Trump, said Trump does not have the authority to fire him. You're listening to NPR News in Washington. Tropical Storm Sarah is dumping huge amounts of rain as it moves just off the coast of Honduras.

NPR's Adair Peralta reports forecasters say the weather system could cause widespread damage. The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Sarah will meander near the northern coast of Honduras through tomorrow evening. It means some parts of the country could see more than 20 inches of rain, which could cause quote catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides. The Disaster Management Agency in Honduras says some areas have been experiencing torrential rain since Thursday night. So far, the agency says 20,000 people have been affected, 86 homes have been damaged,

and three people are missing. Tropical Storms era is expected to make landfall in Belize and then make its way across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before emerging in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. Eder Pralta, NPR News, Mexico City. A group representing many of the country's major electric vehicle makers is calling on the incoming administration not to kill tax credits for electric vehicles citing the possible effects on the industry and states where they're made. Zero Emissions Transportation Association whose members include Tesla, Rivian, Uber, Lucid and Panasonic say production credits are fueled job gains in states like Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Georgia where large numbers of

people voted for Trump. The Trump transition team has talked about doing away with the current $7,500 consumer tax credit for buying certain EVs. Critical Futures gave back some of their recent gains on worries of possible weakening demand from China and a slowing of Fed rate cuts. Oil dropped $1.68 a barrel to $6702 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.