NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-29-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: November 29, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. Today is the busiest shopping day for physical stores in the U.S. as 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 at around $989 billion. And here's Alina Seljuk has more. 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 Serkana, 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. Cyber researchers uncovered a Russian plot to break into a DC office building through the Wi-Fi network. NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports the hackers managed to pull it off from thousands of miles away. Russian hackers are known for finding creative ways to break into networks and steal secrets. Now they've taken it one step further. Stephen Adair, the head of digital forensics company Villexity, spoke at a cybersecurity conference in the DC area about a 2022 investigation into a Russian hacking group that infiltrated

one of his clients' networks. In the past, Russian hackers have traveled in person to try and hack into Wi-Fi networks, including in the Netherlands at the Organization for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons in 2018. But this time, they managed to steal credentials and break into a laptop without ever visiting Washington. The hackers used the laptop to access the Wi-Fi network at the building next door, where they stole sensitive documents about Ukraine. Jen McLaughlin, NPR News.

Voters in Ireland are heading to the polls today in a parliamentary election that will decide the next government. The country's 3.8 million voters will select 174 lawmakers to sit in the lower house of parliament and decide whether Ireland follows the international trend of ousting incumbents after years of pandemic, rising costs and immigration questions. But the economy is the biggest issue. And here's Fatima Al-Kassab has more from Dublin. Ireland is a very rich country.

It's generated a huge income from corporation taxes. It's actually one of the wealthiest in Europe, but people don't really feel it. It's got one of the worst housing crises in the EU and everyone I've talked to here, whatever their age or economic background says that housing and the cost of living is key for them. It's got one of the worst housing crises in the EU and everyone I've talked to here, whatever their age or economic background says that housing and the cost of living is key for them. Danielle Pletka MPs, Fatima Al-Kassab reporting. Ireland doesn't have a significant far-right party, but the two parties vying for control,

Finnegan and Fianna Fowl, are center-right. This is NPR. Amazon workers around the world are on strike this holiday shopping weekend, the biggest of the year, over better pay, working conditions, and union rights. In India, around 200 warehouse workers and delivery drivers rallied in New Delhi. Some wore masks of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Similar protests are planned in other countries including the US, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. in other countries including the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Brazil. You may be seeing more hot honey and fermented foods on the table when you go out to eat

next year. That prediction comes from the National Restaurant Association. As Infir's Netta Ulubi reports, it's among the group's forecasting dining trends for 2025. Smashburgers are out. Sorry, smash burgers. Those piles of skinny, crispy patties have been deemed very 2024. They will be replaced by thicker burgers, at least according to the infatuation. The Restaurant Review website also predicts more use

of the ground corn staple known as masa, and bagels that are ripped and dipped rather than sliced and schmeared. Also out, torturing taste buds with the hottest possible peppers. Instead, according to the grocery store chain Kroger, brine-ier flavors are in. Both Kroger and Whole Foods anticipate more demand for protein-based products such as organ meats and collagen in 2025. Nato Ulupi, NPR News.

U.S. futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. All three major indices are up about three-tenths of a percent. Today is a shortened trading session though. Markets close at 1 p.m. Eastern. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.