NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-29-2024 3PM EST

Episode Date: November 29, 2024

NPR News: 11-29-2024 3PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR News in Washington. I'm Nora Rahm. Today is the busiest shopping day for physical stores in the U.S. Black Friday is expected to launch a record-setting spree this holiday season. The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales this winter will be up to 3.5 percent higher than last year. NPR's Alina Seljuk reports. Some of the higher spending has to do with inflation. Higher prices mean we spend more to buy less, but that's not the whole story. A greater share of people also plan to splurge this holiday season, actually planning to spend more. That's according to a survey by Cercana, a market research firm that closely tracks buying trends. People planning to

spend more tend to be wealthier, but also a lot of shoppers say they expect to cash out during the season because they're counting on sales. When budgets get squeezed, days known for discounts become a big draw. Retailers are expecting a record amount of shoppers this long weekend through Monday. Alina Seluk, NPR News. Lobbyists from energy and chemical companies are among those attending UN talks in South Korea. They're trying to agree on a treaty to cut plastic pollution around the world. NPR's Julia Simon reports.

Plastic is mostly made from byproducts of oil and gas. The International Energy Agency says demand for oil is falling as people use more electric vehicles. But many in the oil and petrochemical sector see the future of their industry increasingly reliant on demand for plastics. At the United Nations talks currently underway in South Korea, one of the solutions on the table is a plastic production cap. But fossil fuel industry players are pushing back. They argue for more

recycling even though a lot of plastic cannot be recycled. A new analysis from the Center for International Environmental Law finds there are a record 220 registered fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists at the Plastic Talks. Julia Simon, MPR News. British lawmakers today approved a bill that would help terminally ill adults end their lives. The legislation must be further studied before a final vote. Kim Ledbetter was among those who argued it would provide dignity to the dying and prevent unnecessary suffering. And let's be clear we are not talking about a choice between life or death. We are talking about giving dying people a choice of how to

die. Opponents had argued that vulnerable patients could be coerced to end their lives to save money or relieve the burden on families. Others said a better alternative would be improved palliative care to ease suffering. Ireland is holding a parliamentary election today. Major issues include immigration and the cost of living. Polls suggest two centre-right parties may again form a coalition to share cabinet posts and take turns as prime minister. All the major stock indexes closed higher in a shortened session on Wall Street today. The Dow is up 188 points. This is NPR News in Washington. Thousands of workers walked off the job in Italy today in a nationwide eight-hour strike

against the government's budget plans. Unions oppose plan cuts in spending on Social Security, public services, and investments. The strike has affected schools, hospitals, and local transportation. Dozens of domestic and international flights were canceled. The French got a glimpse of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral this morning during a visit by President Emmanuel Macron. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports the renovation has transformed the cathedral since a devastating fire in 2019.

President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, along with the Archbishop and the Mayor of Paris, got a private tour of freshly renovated Notre Dame while the cameras followed. Macron marveled at the soaring lightstone ceilings, now cleansed of soot and centuries of grime. He visited the cathedral's rafters, known as the forest, where 1,500 trees were felled to build the frame holding the new cathedral roof. Surrounded by 1200 artisan workers, Macron called it a hugely emotional moment to be back inside our cathedral. You have achieved what we thought was impossible. He told workers you have

succeeded in what everyone thought was impossible. Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News Paris. This holiday weekend AAA says gasoline prices remain at three-year lows, with a national average of $3.06 a gallon. AAA estimates more than 70 million Americans are traveling by car over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.