NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-24-2024 3AM EST

Episode Date: November 24, 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, I'm Dale Willman. The United Nations Climate Conference in Azerbaijan ended this weekend and its leaders announced a deal that would triple the amount of money rich countries will offer to developing

nations to help address the effects of climate change. As NPR's Jeff Brady reports, the deal was immediately praised by wealthy countries in attendance while it was criticized by people from developing countries. Under the new agreement, wealthy countries will boost their current pledge to developing nations from $100 billion a year to $300 billion. With private and other funds, the goal is to get to $1.3 trillion a year by 2035. India's representative objected, saying the final passage had been stage-managed. But European Union Commissioner Volker Hoekstra praised the deal.

And we feel it is ambitious, it is needed, it is realistic, and it is achievable. Next year countries will meet in Brazil and by then most will have released new plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Jeff Brady and Pierre News. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Italy this weekend to attend a meeting of the Group of Seven major democracies. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, the trip comes as tensions rise over Russia's war against Ukraine and as diplomats struggle to find a way to end conflicts

in the Middle East. The State Department says Blinken will be discussing a range of issues with U.S. partners from the Middle East to Russia and the Indo-Pacific, as well as the ongoing crises in Haiti and Sudan. The Secretary of State also plans to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican. Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G7 and has invited Arab foreign ministers to take part in meetings on Gaza and Lebanon. The G7 is also talking about ways to support Ukraine going forward. Europeans are bracing for cutbacks in USAID as President Trump prepares to re-enter the

White House in January. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. A record rainfall in central California this week forced people in Sonoma County to move to higher ground because of major flooding. Shannon DeFour says they had little time to get out ahead of the waters. The water is coming up so fast and I look at my boyfriend and I'm like we have to get out of here like right now. Like we've got to get the cars out of here at least and try to come back with a truck or something.

We've got to just go. The flooding in the area famous for its wineries was caused by three days of rain that filled two waterways that flow past a number of low-lying communities. President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will nominate Brooke Rollins to be his Secretary of Agriculture for his second term. Rollins was the director of the Domestic Policy Council during Trump's first term. She is currently the president and CEO of the group the America First Policy Institute. She's originally from Texas and has a degree in agricultural development.

This is NPR News. Weather forecasters are warning that a round of winter weather could make Thanksgiving holiday travel difficult in some places this year. They say the Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow on Monday, and the East Coast will be hit on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. A winter storm warning, meanwhile, is in effect in California's Sierra Nevadas until Tuesday, with as much as four feet of snow expected at higher elevations. Ancient temples, castles, and archaeological sites in Lebanon are at risk of damage during Israel's war with Hezbollah. As NPR's Neda Ulibi reports, UNESCO is calling for enhanced protection for those places. The Temple Complex in Baalbek is a marvel.

It contains some of the grandest surviving Roman architecture on the planet. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was nearly hit by recent Israeli airstrikes. The ancient Phoenician city is among 34 cultural properties that UNESCO has placed under what it calls enhanced protection, meant to help preserve these fragile, irreplaceable sites from attacks and use by military forces. The agency is also lending expertise and financial aid. Other sites on the list include the National Museum of Beirut and the Mediterranean port city of Byblos, which has been continuously inhabited for at

least 7,000 years. Neda Ulibi, NPR News. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is condemning violence and anti-Semitism that took place during protests in downtown Montreal on Friday night. The pro-Palestinian protesters were also critical of NATO, which is holding its annual assembly in Montreal this weekend. Protesters set two cars on fire and smashed windows. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.