NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-16-2024 2PM EST

Episode Date: November 16, 2024

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Hey, it's Aisha Harris from Pop Culture Happy Hour. If you love NPR podcasts, you'll want the new NPR Plus podcast bundle. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat selection of NPR Plus podcasts with sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes. Plus, you'll be supporting public radio. Check it out at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. President Biden and China's leader are meeting today at the close of the Asia-Pacific Economic Summit in Peru. U.S. and China relations have long been strained as the two superpowers clash over trade, Taiwan,

and Russia. But uncertainty over the incoming Trump administration has brought new tensions to the relationship. NPR's Carrie Khan reports. President-elect Trump has vowed to slap 60 percent tariffs on Chinese imports. Speaking Friday in Peru without mentioning the incoming president, Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed concern about the rise of, quote, unilateralism and protectionism. He said the world is entering a phase of quote turbulence and transformation. She will be in Latin America for a week, attending a state dinner and the G20

conference in Brazil, as well as overseeing major Chinese investments in Latin America. Biden also heads to the G20 with a stop in Brazil's Amazon Sunday. The rainforest's major rivers are at their lowest recorded levels due to a historic drought, scientists say is caused by climate change. Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. President-elect Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department. NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin reports Kennedy's support for abortion access could make his Senate

confirmation difficult. Kennedy spent much of his career as an environmental activist and later promoted vaccine conspiracy theories. Some Republicans are concerned about his support for abortion access. Kennedy explained his view in May on a podcast with host Sage Steele. I wouldn't leave it to the states. Right. I would. He would say completely wouldn't leave it to the states. You wouldn't, right. I would.

He would say completely, it's up to the woman. I believe we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn't have government involved. Republicans are eager to curtail abortion access once they take power in Washington and the secretary of HHS is an important position to further that goal. Kennedy needs to secure 51 votes in the Senate to be confirmed. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington. — A federal judge in Texas has blocked a Biden administration rule that expanded the right to earn overtime to millions of workers.

NPR's Andrea Hsu reports 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. 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. This is NPR. Hundreds of hotel workers are on strike against the Virgin Hotels Casino in Las Vegas. Their union says they want higher wages and better benefits, similar to those given to other Las Vegas union members. It's a busy weekend in the night sky, while a supermoon, which appears full for three days, is on its way out.

A meteor shower is peaking, and the seventh planet from the Sun shines bright. NPR's Amy Held reports. It's an active intersection on our journey through space. As the earth swings between the Sun and Uranus, it's the best chance to spot the ice giant. We are also passing through a comet's debris trail. The annual Leonid meteor shower is peaking. It may be outshined though as it's the curtain call for the year's last supermoon. Despite the action above, it's extra important for drivers to keep eyes on the road. Dominique Lord of Texas A&M University has found a link between full moon nights and the likelihood of a car crash with a wild animal. They're able to see more, they may be able to be more active

to hunt at night and because of that they are probably more likely to cross roads, especially in rural areas. While we continue a wild ride on our cosmic commute. Amy Held and PR News. The video streaming platform Netflix is back online after an outage. The tracking website, downdetector.com, says Netflix was disrupted for about six hours in the U.S. last night when many viewers were tuning in to watch the boxing match between former heavyweight

champion Mike Tyson, age 58, and YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul, age 27, Paul 1. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.