NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-22-2024 12PM EST

Episode Date: November 22, 2024

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Laxmelea Sing, NPR News in Washington. New York Judge Juan Marchand has indefinitely adjourned President-elect Donald Trump's criminal sentencing in his Hush Money case. NPR's Jimena Bustia reports both sides signal they wanted to push a sentencing after Trump won the presidential election. After several days, today Marchand adjourned next week's sentencing date. Trump's lawyers have long attempted to dismiss the case, arguing that evidence used in the case should not have been introduced and the incoming president cannot be prosecuted.

Prosecutors have also prepared to fight the dismissal. Filings are due in December. Jimena Bustillo, NPR News, New York. The Northwestern U.S. is closing out a week of intense weather, more than a foot of flood-generating rainfall, broad electricity, cutting wind gusts. Blame it on the atmospheric river. Here's NPR's Lauren Summer with this explanation. Atmospheric rivers are basically these plumes of moisture that move across the Pacific Ocean.

And if you look at a weather map, it actually kind of looks like a fire hose is pointed at the West Coast. It's pretty narrow, so it doesn't affect the whole coast. These storms are important. They're how California gets as much as half of its rainfall every year. And this one has been affected by another weather system nearby, which is a bomb cyclone. And PR's Lauren Summer, negotiators at the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan, are making progress.

NPR's Jeff Brady reports a new draft agreement would increase the amount wealthy countries pay to help developing nations to adapt to climate change. The new draft would have wealthy countries pay $1.3 trillion a year by 2035. That's a mix of government and private money flowing to countries that did little to cause climate change but are suffering the consequences of fossil fuel pollution. David Waskow with the World Resources Institute says under this draft, wealthy governments would directly pay $250 billion a year. I do think that the $250 billion will strike many as being on the low side.

Still, a senior U.S. official said that would be a significant lift over the previous $100 billion pledge, which wealthy countries never fulfilled. Jeff Brady, NPR News. US envoy Amos Hoxtein has left Israel after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hoxtein had been in the region trying to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. NPR's Kat Lohenonstorf reports from Tel Aviv.

Hoxtein didn't brief media in Israel before departing, but in Lebanon earlier this week, he called talks quote, very constructive. Hoxtein had extended his stay in Beirut by an extra day and made what he called additional progress in talks with a Lebanese parliament speaker who's been negotiating on Hezbollah's behalf. In Israel, Hoxtein met with Netanyahu and Israel's new defense minister, Israel Katz. Israel launched an invasion into southern Lebanon more than seven weeks ago after Hezbollah and Israel had been trading cross-border fire for nearly a year.

It's NPR News. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has dismissed the possibility of further dialogue with United States. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul that talks between the U.S. and North Korea broke down in 2019 and have not resumed. Kim said in a speech that North Korea had gone to every length in negotiations with the U.S. But it had only confirmed what Kim called the U.S.' the US's unchanging invasive and hostile policy towards the North. Kim spoke Thursday at an arms exhibition where North Korea's latest

intercontinental ballistic and hypersonic missiles were on display. North Korea's nuclear arsenal has grown since 2019 and it now has stronger backing from Russia. South Korea's national security adviser Shinwon Cheek said Friday that Russia has provided North Korea with anti-aircraft missiles as payment for North Korea sending troops to Russia to help it fight Ukraine. Anthony Kuhn in PR News Seoul. Danielle Pletka Harry Potter is set to make his rugby debut for Australia on Sunday. No, not that Harry Potter known for his quidditch skills in J.K. Rowling's popular books

We're talking about the 26 year old who was selected by the Wallabies last month for their end-of-year European tour One teammates already nicknamed him wizard The real-life Potter seems to be taking it in stride even challenging journalists to see if they can top all the puns He has likely already heard top all the puns he has likely already heard. On Wall Street, U.S. stocks are trading higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 327 points, or roughly three-quarters of a percent. At 44,198, the S&P is up 17 points. You're listening to NPR News.