NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-23-2024 8AM EST

Episode Date: November 23, 2024

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate hedge fund manager Scott Besant to serve as Treasury Secretary, making him a key player in the incoming administration's economic team, as NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

Besant, who runs the key Square Group hedge fund, has been one of Trump's biggest cheerleaders in the financial world. He'll be tasked with carrying out the president-elect's economic agenda, including an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. Those cuts are expected to get a friendly reception in the Republican-controlled Congress, though they'll likely add to the federal debt, which has just surpassed $36 trillion. Besant is a protege of billionaire Democratic donor George Soros. He's also a longtime friend of Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. In a social media

post Trump called Besson one of the world's foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategist. Besson and his husband have two children and spend most of their time in South Carolina. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. Trump also chose former Texas state representative Scott Turner to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former Florida representative Dr. Dave Weldon to head up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Negotiations at the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan are in overtime. The amount wealthy nations should pay developing countries to tackle climate change remains

the key sticking point. Reports say the European Union and the United States are offering to raise pledges to $300 billion a year after Friday's proposals were rejected. The BBC's Matt McGrath says it's been a long night for the negotiators. The Azerbaijan presidency who are running these talks, they're trying to put together an improved text from what was published yesterday. They've been at that now for 12 or 13 hours, maybe longer, and we're expecting something later this afternoon. And that may have some higher numbers in it. Hope, I think, from everybody here

that that deal can be done, but I think there's also a worry in some respects that so upset were the developing countries by the numbers yesterday that actually the whole thing might fall flat. We're not at that point yet. The BBC's Matt McGrath reporting the U.S. life expectancy is around 77 years, but when researchers dug into the data, they found huge disparities within 10 different groups in the country, as NPR's Ping Huang reports. P.S. The 10 Americas are divided by geography, race and ethnicity, and income level. The America with the highest life expectancy is Asian America at 84 years.

The American Indian and Alaska Native population living in the West has the lowest life expectancy at 64 years. Tom Boyke, with the Council on Foreign Relations, co-authored the study in The Lancet. He says the huge difference surprised him. It is stark. It has now grown to over 20 years, and that's a gap that you really see in different countries. Boiky says it's as if people in the U.S. are living in 10 different countries health-wise. Ping Huang, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. Winter weather alerts are in effect today for areas from central Appalachia to the northeast,

but the rain and snow easing the fire danger. Tens of thousands remain without power in New York and Pennsylvania, but New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced full containment of the Jennings Creek fire, and in New Jersey, officials have lifted burning restrictions statewide. On the west coast, California is getting more snow and rain from that atmospheric river storm and nearly 100,000 customers in Washington state are starting the weekend without electricity. The championship match in the National Women's Soccer League is set for tonight in Kansas City between the Washington Spirit and number two seed and the top seed Orlando Pride reporter Greg Eklund has a preview of the match

Orlando is riding its hopes on 38 year old Marta the Brazilian superstar who scored the prides game-winning goal in their semi-final match last weekend Washington forward Ashley Hatch who was around for the spirits only NWSL title in 2021, says aware of Marta's stature respect her, but we also So I think it's a combinat But I think playing against as Marta, like it brings

to the game during the re played Orlando twice and lost both contests. For NPR News, I'm Greg Eklund in Kansas City. Again, that title match in the National Women's Soccer League is set for tonight in Kansas City. I'm Joel Snyder, NPR News.