NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-19-2024 11AM 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 Korova Coleman. A U.S. official has confirmed to NPR Ukraine has used U.S.-made long-range missiles in Russia for the first time. Russia has changed its nuclear posture today. The country may now consider using nuclear weapons if it is hit by a massive air attack. NPR's Joanna Kikissos reports the actions come as Ukraine is marking a thousand days since Russia invaded the country. A U.S. official told NPR that the Biden White House lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use

of these missiles earlier this week. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky marked 1,000 days of war in a speech by video link to the European Parliament. No one can enjoy calm waters amid a storm. And we must do everything to end this war fairly and justly. Russia is making steady territorial gains in eastern Ukraine and now occupies roughly a quarter of the country. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News.

European officials are investigating how two undersea communications cables linking countries in northern Europe were severed early yesterday in the Baltic Sea. NPR's Rob Schmitz reports this is raising suspicions of sabotage. Authorities say one of the undersea cables connected Finland and Germany and the other connected Sweden to Lithuania. Finland's state-owned cybersecurity company, CINIA, said, quote, Europe's security is threatened not only by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine but also by hybrid warfare by malicious actors. The damage to the cables came the same day President Biden authorized Ukraine to use long-range U.S. weapons against Russia.

Officials say the data line damage has so far had no noticeable impact on communications and will take up to two weeks to repair. Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin. World climate talks continue in Azerbaijan. NPR's Alejandro Burundes says this comes as climate scientists warn global warming could soon reach a point where weather events could be far more destructive. Scientists are also worried about these phenomena called tipping points. That's when the climate system passes some threshold beyond which it just behaves like differently

and could run away from us in ways that could be really self-destructive. The ice sheets have some of these tipping points, for example, and if they melt too much, the process can become self-reinforcing and maybe send sea levels up by many feet. And Piers' Alejandra Barrundo reporting. Democrats in the House of Representatives have re-elected New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries as minority leader. They've also returned his team. Massachusetts Congresswoman Catherine Clark, is Democratic whip. California Representative Pete Aguilar

is Democratic caucus chair. California Congressman Ted Lieu is vice chair. Republicans who hold the majority in the House have already re-elected Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson as speaker. On Wall Street, the Dow is down more than 200 points. This is NPR. The National Weather Service says a powerful storm is aiming for the West Coast and should arrive by tonight.

This atmospheric river could bring wind gusts to Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state that are close to hurricane strength. A new study finds just over half of all people in the U.S. face economic insecurity. NPR's Jennifer Ludden tells us the report is trying to measure who may be struggling even if they're not poor. Researchers wanted to know what it takes for families to thrive, as in make ends meet and

save a bit for retirement, a house, college. Greg Osh of the Urban Institute says it's a group not usually seen in data about poverty or unemployment. A lot of people are getting by, but it's hard. And you don't have much margin, and you can't really start planning for the future. One important takeaway? The key factor was not having higher costs. It was low wages or lack of other income.

Osh says many jobs just don't cover all the basic expenses that individuals and families have. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. Lizzie Borden is at the center of a trademark case in Fall River, Massachusetts. Borden was famously acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother in the 1800s. A ghost tour group that owns Bed, Breakfast, and Museum at the Lizzie Borden house sued its neighbor, Ms. Lizzie's Coffee, for trademark infringement. A federal appeals court sided with the coffee shop and says the name can stay.

This is NPR.