NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-17-2024 6PM EST

Episode Date: November 17, 2024

NPR News: 11-17-2024 6PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The ocean floor is abundant with minerals needed to power electric cars and other green technologies, but mining those minerals may harm coastal communities. These metals that are going to be dig out of our ocean will not benefit anyone from here. On the Sunday story from Up First, a look at the opportunity and dangers of mining the ocean floor. Listen now on the Up First podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. Ukraine's president acknowledged reports that the U.S. is ready to let Ukrainian troops fire Western-supplied long-range missiles at military targets deep inside Russia. NPR's Joanna Kikissis reports Ukraine has been pushing for the change for months and

is concerned that the incoming Trump administration will cancel it. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed the White House for months to let his troops use long-range aerial missiles like Atacams. In his nightly video address he said his so-called victory plan to end the war on Ukraine's terms includes the use of these long-range missiles. There is a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for these actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced.

The missiles will speak for themselves. A U.S. official told NPR that the strikes will be used in and around Russia's Kursk region. The permission may not last long. The incoming Trump administration can cancel it. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News. Donald Trump is challenging the Senate to confirm three nominees some Republican senators believe are unqualified.

The three controversial nominees are Pete Hegseth for defense, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Matt Gaetz for attorney general to run the justice department. And Piers Mara Eliason reports Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News host, would be the least experienced defense secretary in U.S. history and the other two also don't have experience running large organizations. Tulsi Gabbard is a former Democratic House member and a Putin apologist. Matt Gaetz is a former Republican House member who's been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for drug abuse and having sex with underage women.

There's been some pushback from Republican senators like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, but some other Republican senators say presidents should be able to have who they want running executive branch agencies. Republicans will have a 53 to 47 majority in the new Senate so they can afford to lose three votes. Mara Eliason, NPR News. President Biden is in Brazil today, the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest where he announced 50 million dollars in funding to help reserve what is often called the lungs of the world and touted efforts to protect 20,000 square miles of land and more.

We all know there's much more we can do and must do at home and abroad. That's why today I issued an official proclamation to support the conservation of nature around the world. Because the fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity for generations to come. Biden heads to Rio de Janeiro tonight for the G20 summit that gets underway tomorrow. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A gold Tiffany pocket watch given to the captain

of the Titanic's rescue ship more than 100 years ago sold at auction for $2 million. Vicki Barker has more from London. The inscribed Tiffany timepiece was presented to Arthur Rostron, captain of the Carpathia, by Madeline Astor, the widow of millionaire John Jacob Astor, and two other wealthy widows. They were among the 705 survivors rescued from the Titanic's lifeboats their husbands perished. The successful bidder was a private

collector in the US. The $2 million prize breaks the previous record for Titanic memorabilia set back in April when a gold pocket watch recovered from the body of John Jacob Astor himself sold for $1.5 million. For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London. Millions of people have been evacuated in the Philippines after Typhoon Manye slammed the country's most populous island today with flash flooding, landslides, and huge waves. The storm left uprooted trees, downed power lines and power outages, and houses and buildings that were destroyed. No casualties were immediately reported.

Airports had to be closed for a short time. The typhoon, which has now passed the Philippines, but forecasters warn of dangerous storm surges that could swamp vulnerable coastal communities, including the capital of Manila. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.