NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-30-2024 2PM EST

Episode Date: November 30, 2024

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Noor Ram live from NPR News in Washington. I'm Noor Ram. World Central Kitchen, the U.S.-based humanitarian food organization, says it's pausing operations in Gaza after a vehicle carrying its staff was hit by an Israeli airstrike. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports the Israeli military says it was targeting a worker who had taken part in the October 7th attack on Israel last year. The Gaza Health Ministry says the airstrike in Chanyunis killed at least three workers for World Central Kitchen, a group working to alleviate hunger and severe food shortages in Gaza.

The Israeli military says the man targeted worked for the aid group and took part in the deadly Hamas-led October 7th attack on the Kibbutz community of Nir Oz, where nearly a fourth of the residents was killed or taken hostage. Israel called on World Central Kitchen to investigate its local employees in Gaza. Earlier this year, an Israeli strike killed seven of the aid group's workers in Gaza. Israel called it a misidentification error. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. President Biden leaves the Oval Office on January 20th.

Until then, there's much he'd like to accomplish. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. President-elect Donald Trump has said he intends to roll back a lot of President Biden's signature legislative achievements. So the Biden team is trying to use its remaining time to make that hard to do by obligating funds, signing contracts, and pushing out grants. They're also working to draw attention to popular provisions, like the $2,000 cap on prescription drug costs for seniors that takes effect in 2025. Pardons and

commutations are a power of the presidency often exercised at the very end. Biden has used his power to send a signal about inequality in the nation's criminal code and he could do something like that again. Tamara Keith, NPR News. One of the deadliest and most costly hurricane seasons ever seen in the Atlantic officially ends today. NPR's Greg Allen reports the season brought 11 hurricanes, five of which made landfall in the U.S. Ocean temperatures in the Atlantic were 2 to 3 degrees above normal this season. In early July, Hurricane Barrel became a Category 5 storm, the earliest in the season a hurricane

had ever grown that intense. In late September, Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina. More than 200 people died, about half of them in North Carolina from the severe flooding. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm but weakened before making landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast. A recent study found that because of climate change, hurricanes are now a full category higher than they would have been in earlier decades. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a disaster emergency in parts of her state

because of the first big snowstorm of the season. The storm could bury towns along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This is NPR News in Washington. The Syrian army confirmed today rebels are now inside the city of Aleppo in the most serious challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years. Military officials say they're preparing a counteroffensive. Aleppo had been under government control since soldiers backed by Russia and Iran drove out insurgents eight years ago. Protests continued last night for a second night in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Officials say more than 100 protesters were detained.

The demonstrations began after the government said it's suspending negotiations to join the European Union. The ruling party is seen as aligned with neighboring Russia, from which Georgia gained independence in 1991. Family audiences are powering box office records this holiday weekend, and PR's Bob Mundello has more. A Disney princess and a couple of wicked witches have families lining up at cinemas and the film industry breathing a sigh of relief. As recently as last month, business was down roughly a billion dollars from 2023. By the end of this weekend, which will easily eclipse previous Thanksgiving box office records,

Hollywood will have clawed back about a third of that deficit. A Roman gladiator is helping out, but 2024's rebound is about families returning to cinemas. They made Pixar's Inside Out 2 the year's biggest blockbuster and still to come are Sonic the Hedgehog 3, an animated Lord of the Rings prequel, and a new Lion King saga. Bob Mandelo, NPR News. And I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.