NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-15-2024 7PM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2024

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The Code Switch team spent Election Day talking to folks about how the outcome might impact them. It's a time capsule of people's hopes and fears before they knew the results. One way or another, there's a change coming. I wanted to vote for Trump, but I voted for her. Gays for Trump. I cried this morning. I've been crying on and off. I'm terrified. Listen to Code Switch, the podcast about race and identity from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President-elect Donald Trump's pick

to head the Department of Health and Human Services remains the subject of debate. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin says Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s prominent advocacy against vaccines is alarming some health experts. He has some views that are really far out of the mainstream, vaccine skepticism. Current CDC director Mandy Cohen wrote to NPR yesterday, quote, I don't want to go backwards and see children or adults suffer or lose their lives

to remind us that vaccines work, and so I'm concerned, unquote. The idea of someone who's actively sewed misinformation about vaccines being in charge of the government's scientific research and public health agencies really horrifies a lot of people in those fields. The idea of someone who's actively sowed misinformation about vaccines being in charge of the government's scientific research and public health agencies really horrifies a lot of people in those fields. MPR's Selena Simmons Duffin, his views on nutrition and even some of the questions he raises about existing policies do have a basis in science. According to his website, when he ran his independent presidential campaign,

R.F.K. Jr. says he supported abortion access. That could put him at odds with some GOP senators. President-elect Trump has put forth a number of proposals that could impact Social Security in coming years. NPR's Windsor-Johnston reports some Americans are concerned that Trump's agenda could put their monthly checks at risk. Social Security is already headed for a shortfall. Trump's proposals to make it more solvent include eliminating taxes on tips and imposing more tariffs. Charles Blahhouse specializes in Social Security at George Mason University. He says Trump's plan to end taxation on Social Security benefits would hurt the program the most.

It would worsen it, but if you weren't worried before, you shouldn't be that much worried about this because the incremental worsening of program finances would be small relative to the whole that we've already been living with. Any changes to Social Security's tax structure would require 60 votes in the Senate, meaning that Republicans would need at least some Democrats on board. Windsor-Johnston NPR News. Federal judges blocking a Biden administration rule that expanded the right to earn overtime to millions of workers. As NPR's Andrea Hsu explains, the rule was already partially

phased in. The overtime rule took effect in July. It required employers to pay time and a half to salaried workers earning less than $44,000 a year when they worked more than 40 hours a week. On January 1st, the threshold was set to rise again to $58,600 a year when they worked more than 40 hours a week. On January 1st, the threshold was set to rise again to $58,600 a year. The Labor Department estimated the rule would have made some 4 million more workers eligible to earn overtime. The ruling came in a case brought by the state of Texas and a coalition of business groups who argued that the rule was unworkable and would have had negative ripple effects across the workforce. The Biden Labor Department could appeal the decision, but the incoming Trump

administration would likely drop that appeal. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. Stocks took their biggest dive since the election at week's end. The Dow down 305 points. The Nasdaq fell 427 points. The S&P was down 78 points. This is NPR. Hundreds of workers on the Las Vegas strip are off the job today. A strike by the Culinary Workers' Union, which represents about 60,000 hospitality workers across the state, including the 700 who went on strike today against Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. Housekeepers, cocktail waitresses, porters, bellmen and others took to the picket lines. The Union says it is trying to win pay raises and benefits it's obtained for other members in Las Vegas.

The oldest member of Japan's royal family, Princess Yukiru, has died at the age of 101. As Anthony Kuhn reports, Japan's royal family has now dwindled to just 16 people. Princess Yuriko was the wife of Emperor Hirohito's brother. Hirohito reigned from 1926 to 1989. She was born into an aristocratic family in 1923. During World War II, her Tokyo home was destroyed by U.S. air raids and she lived in an air raid shelter. Yuriko did social work and philanthropy. She outlived three sons and is survived by two daughters. Japan has the world's oldest continuous monarchy. It's also one of the few where women cannot inherit the throne.

Advocates of reform point out that throughout its history, Japan has had eight empresses, and the royal family now has only three male heirs left. But conservative politicians in Japan's ruling party have staunchly opposed such changes. Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Seoul. Crude old futures prices gave back some of their recent gains on worries about possible weakening of demand from China.

Oil fell a dollar and 68 cents a barrel to $0.6702 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.