NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-28-2024 11PM EST

Episode Date: November 29, 2024

NPR News: 11-28-2024 11PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Dwahleesah Kautau. President Biden and the First Lady are in New England for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's been a long tradition for them to visit and share pies with neighbors. Earlier today, the Bidens, along with their four-year-old grandson, Bo, visited a firehouse in Nantucket. There Biden spoke of unity, telling reporters he is thankful for his family, for a peaceful transition to the presidency, and… I think with the grace of God, we're going to get some more progress in the Middle East.

And I'm really thankful for being able to get the first piece done on Letterman. There's a lot to be thankful for. President-elect Donald Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for the holidays. On his social media platform, he wrote, Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the radical left, lunatics, who have worked so hard to destroy our country, but who have miserably failed. Trump added, The great people of our nation just gave a landslide victory to those who want to make America great again. The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon appears to be holding in its second day, despite some incidents reported. But Israel's war in Gaza against Hamas still

continues. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports many there feel forgotten after the ceasefire in Lebanon. NPR's producer in Gaza, Anas Baba, spoke to several people at a market in Dar al-Bala shortly after the news of the ceasefire in Lebanon broke. 34-year-old Wala Hanuna says she's happy one war has ended, but she feels betrayed. What does this mean for us, she says. Hezbollah had originally said they wouldn't agree

to a ceasefire until there was one for Gaza, too. Now she worries one will never come. 30-year-old Tha'ar Hamad says of course he is rejoicing that a war has ended. But he thought the people of Lebanon were standing in solidarity with Gaza. He worries now that Israel has one less war to fight, there might be more strikes in Gaza. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. On this Thanksgiving holiday, when many Americans gather with family and friends for a meal, food banks around the country say demand that their facilities keep rising.

But as NPR's Jennifer Ledin reports, many of those programs are bracing for possible cuts. Nationally, more than 13 percent of Americans face hunger, according to the Agriculture Department. That's up significantly from before the pandemic. A food bank in the Washington, D.C. area says those it serves are increasingly educated and middle class, but many have struggled with the high cost of food and housing, the loss of a job, or reduced hours.

The first Trump administration proposed deep cuts to federal food aid and tried to tighten work requirements for those getting it. There was bipartisan pushback, but Trump allies have again called for such limits, saying they could nudge people toward self-sufficiency. This is NPR. Mexico's President Claudia Scheinbaum tells reporters today that she had a productive phone conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and concluded that there will not be a potential tariff war.

Trump days earlier threatened a 25 percent tariff against Mexico if it failed to stop the flow of undocumented migrants as well as the drug fentanyl. On his Truth social media platform, Trump said Scheinbaum agreed to stop migration through Mexico and into the United States, but she contradicted the statement, saying Mexico's stance is not to close borders, but to build bridges. Theatre owners are giving thanks this weekend for what's shaping up to be the biggest Thanksgiving holiday ever. And Pérez BobDello has details. Sailing past last year's lackluster holiday box office numbers was always

going to be easy, but it looks as if Disney's Moana 2 is riding a wave that is lifting all boats. The Disney Princess has already taken in 57 million dollars at North American box offices on its way to an estimated $175 million for the full holiday weekend. That is easily the highest Thanksgiving total ever. Can I get a chi-hoo? Wicked Part 1 and Gladiator 2 also remain strong in their second weeks. Together they'll add another $140 million or so, meaning the total for all films over the holidays will pretty easily eclipse

2018's all-time record of 314 million. Bob Mandelo, NPR News. And you are listening to NPR News from New York City. I'm Dwahle Saikoutal.