NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2024 10AM EST

Episode Date: November 19, 2024

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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 Cora Vickleman. President Biden is spending his final day in South America at the G-20 summit. He's working to further his climate goals before he leaves office.

NPS Asma Khalid reports from Rio de Janeiro. Biden has spent his presidency trying to invest in clean energy jobs in the United States. His team says the climate discussion has fundamentally moved into the realm of economics. At the G20 summit, Biden is announcing a $325 million US contribution to a climate investment fund to help developing countries with their clean energy

transformation. Biden is also meeting with Brazil's President Lula de Silva to launch a clean energy technology partnership. It's not clear what, if any of this, Brazil's president Lula de Silva to launch a clean energy technology partnership. It's not clear what, if any of this, president-elect Donald Trump will keep. He's vowed to roll back some of Biden's clean energy incentives. Asma Khalid, NPR News. Russia has changed its nuclear posture.

President Vladimir Putin approved guidelines that let Russia use nuclear weapons if hit by a massive air attack. This comes after President Biden allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-made long-range conventional missiles to attack Russian territory. Russia is claiming Ukraine has used these conventional missiles today in a strike. A Wyoming judge has struck down abortion bans in that state. Wyoming Public Radio's Hannah Merzbach reports abortion rights supporters are pleased with the decision. Wyoming OBGYN Jovenine Anthony says she breathed a sigh

of relief when she heard the news. She's been waiting to hear for almost a year whether the state's near total abortion bans are constitutional. But she says the fight isn't over. I am super thrilled, but also cautiously viewing the future and what that may hold, especially with the next legislative session. A representative for Wyoming Right to Life says the state will likely appeal the case to the Wyoming Supreme Court. For NPR News, I'm Hannah Merzbach in Jackson, Wyoming. Stocks opened lower this morning even as quarterly earnings indicate shoppers flocked to Walmart in search of bargains.

NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped about 350 points in early trading. The nation's biggest retailer reported better than expected sales and profits for the most recent quarter. More customers visited Walmart stores and they spent more once they got there. The discount chain says much of the increase was driven by higher income shoppers. The Lowe's home improvement chain also reported better than expected results and raised its forecast for the rest of the year. Home building activity slowed last month, partly as a result of

back-to-back hurricanes. Permits for future home construction were also down slightly. Still, a survey by the National Association of Home Builders shows growing confidence that market conditions will improve in the coming months, despite persistently high mortgage rates. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. European officials are investigating how two undersea communications cables were cut. Germany's defense minister is blaming sabotage that has not been proven. Officials say the cuts have not interrupted communications traffic.

It will take a couple of weeks to repair damage. SpaceX will try again today to launch its giant Starship rocket on another test flight from its facility in southern Texas. News reports say it is possible President-elect Donald Trump may come to view the launch. And Pierce Jeff Brumfield has more. Starship is the largest rocket ever built. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hopes it will someday carry people to Mars. But first, the rocket has to be put through its paces closer to Earth.

SpaceX's testing has been slowed by environmental concerns. Earlier this year, the EPA found its launches were in violation of the Clean Water Act. But with the soon to be return of President Trump, who counts Musk as a close ally, regulations may no longer be an obstacle. Lori Garver is a former deputy administrator of NASA, and she predicts... The FAA and the EPA will not be raising flags as they have been these last couple years. This next launch aims to see Starship fly partway around the world before landing in the southern Indian Ocean. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News.

World climate talks continue in Azerbaijan. Developing nations are pressing more wealthy countries to help them pay for the costs of dealing with climate change. This comes as scientists warn the planet is very close to warming to a point where climate change could turn even more destructive. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.