NPR News: 11-20-2024 8AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: November 20, 2024 – Detailed Summary

Release Date: November 20, 2024 | Host: Korva Coleman

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1. Donald Trump's Nomination of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education

[00:19 - 00:33]

President Elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Linda McMahon as the Secretary of Education. McMahon, a prominent figure in the professional wrestling industry, is widely recognized for her role in building World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) into a global powerhouse.

Janaki Mehta reports: Linda McMahon's background is primarily in the business realm of professional wrestling. Under her leadership, WWE saw significant growth, making her a notable candidate for a governmental position despite having limited experience in public education. McMahon previously led the Small Business Administration for two years before resigning to spearhead the pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action.

Notable Quote: "In a post on Truth Social, President Elect Trump said as secretary of education, McMahon would empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families." — Janaki Mehta [00:45]

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2. Appointment of Dr. Mehmet Oz to Oversee Medicare and Medicaid

[01:15]

Trump has selected Dr. Mehmet Oz, known for his television show "The Dr. Oz Show," to lead the agency responsible for Medicare and Medicaid. This move signifies Trump's strategy to place trusted allies in key healthcare positions.

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3. U.S. Military Assistance to Ukraine: Provision of Anti-Personnel Mines

[01:15 - 01:36]

The United States has announced that it will provide Ukraine with anti-personnel mines to aid in its defense against Russian forces. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that this assistance is part of a broader military support strategy aimed at halting Russian advances.

Notable Quote: "We provided them anti-tank mines from the very beginning and because of the way that the fight has evolved, this is just another stage here. But again our focus is to help them, to meet their needs and they've asked for these and so I think it's a good idea to provide them." — Lloyd Austin [01:36]

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4. Escalation of Conflict: Ukraine Fires U.S.-Made Missiles into Russia

[01:54]

Following President Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-manufactured long-range missiles, Ukraine conducted its first missile strikes into Russian territory. In retaliation, Russia has adjusted its nuclear protocols, lowering the threshold for potential nuclear weapon use. Additionally, heightened tensions have led to the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine's capital due to fears of a Russian air attack.

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5. Bluesky Social Media Platform Experiences Rapid Growth Amid Exodus from X (formerly Twitter)

[02:33 - 03:02]

Bluesky, a social media platform, is witnessing a surge of over 1 million new users daily as many migrate from X, Elon Musk's social network. This growth is attributed to Bluesky's innovative features, particularly its algorithmic choice system that allows users to customize their content feeds extensively.

Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky, states: "Bluesky also says it will never display advertisements or use people's data for AI." — Jay Graber [03:02]

Unnamed Expert adds: "There's a lot less negativity if they don't want to get engaged in that kind of negativity, because they can just filter it out and tune it down and get away from it." — Unnamed Expert [02:54]

Despite its popularity, critics question Bluesky's business model and its ability to sustain rapid growth with a current workforce of just 20 employees.

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6. Record-Breaking Viewership for Netflix's Live Boxing Events with Technical Glitches

[03:17 - 03:39]

Netflix reported unprecedented viewership numbers for its live-streamed boxing matches. Last Friday's event featuring YouTube star Jake Paul against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson drew over 100 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched sporting event on the platform. Additionally, a women's fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano attracted 74 million viewers, setting a new record for professional women's sports in the U.S.

Eric Deggans reports: However, the event was not without issues. Viewers experienced blurry images and unexpected disconnections, raising concerns about the platform's ability to handle future high-stakes live broadcasts. Upcoming events, including NFL games and a halftime performance by Beyoncé on Christmas Day, will test Netflix's streaming capabilities further.

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7. Environmental and Weather Alerts: Severe Smog in India and Powerful Storms in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

[04:19 - 04:59]

Smog in Northern India: New Delhi continues to grapple with severe smog, with air quality indices reaching near-record levels. Authorities have imposed restrictions on vehicular movement and mandated online classes to mitigate public exposure to the polluted air.

Powerful Storm in the Pacific Northwest: A significant winter storm is affecting the Pacific Northwest, particularly Washington state, where blizzard conditions prevail. The storm has resulted in fallen trees and at least one fatality north of Seattle. Winter storm warnings extend from Idaho to Northern California, with some regions in California expected to receive nearly a foot of rain by the weekend's end.

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Conclusion: The November 20, 2024 episode of NPR News Now covered a wide array of topics, from high-profile political nominations and international conflicts to technological shifts in social media and record-setting media events. Additionally, pressing environmental and weather-related issues received attention, highlighting the podcast's commitment to delivering comprehensive news coverage.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President elect Donald Trump says he's nominating Linda McMahon to be Secretary of Education. As NPR's Janaki Mehta reports, McMahon is known to many from the business side of professional wrestling.

[Janaki Mehta]

Linda McMahon is a professional wrestling business magnate who helped build World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, into a powerhouse in his first presidency. Trump selected McMahon to lead the Small Business Administration. After two years in that role, she stepped down to run the pro Trump super PAC, America First Action. McMahon's experience working with public schools is limited. Between 2009 and 2010, she served on the Connecticut State Board of Education, but resigned when she ran for U.S. senate. In a post on Truth Social, President Elect Trump said as secretary of education, McMahon would empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families. Janaki Mehta, NPR News Trump also says.

[Korva Coleman]

He'S tapping doctor and former TV show Smemet Oz to lead the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. The U.S. is going to provide Ukraine with anti personnel mines or land mines. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says it's another part of the military assistance US Is offering Ukraine to stop Russian troops from advancing.

[Lloyd Austin]

You know, we provided them anti tank mines from the very beginning and because of the way that the fight has evolved, this is just another stage here. But again our focus is to help them, is to meet their needs and they've asked for these and so I think it's a good idea to provide them.

[Korva Coleman]

This comes after President Biden allowed Ukraine to start firing U S made long range missiles into Russia. Ukraine then fired the missiles yesterday for the first time. Russia responded to Biden's decision by changing its nuclear protocol, lowering the standards it would have to meet in order to use a nuclear weapon. Today, the US Embassy in Ukraine's capital is closed out of concern of a Russian air attack. The social media site Bluesky is adding more than 1 million users a day. NPR's Bobby Allen reports. The app is surging as part of the so called exodus with droves of X users fleeing the social network owned by Elon Musk.

[Jay Graber]

There are many services happy to welcome those fed up with Elon Musk's X, but momentum is building behind Bluesky. One of its key features is algorithmic choice or being able to choose your own algorithm. An algorithm filters what posts you see from other users. BlueSky CEO Jay Graber says if users don't like their default feed, they can pick from one of 50,000 others or even create their own.

[Unnamed Expert]

There's a lot less negativity if they don't want to get engaged in that kind of negativity, because they can just filter it out and tune it down and get away from it.

[Jay Graber]

Bluesky also says it will never display advertisements or use people's data for AI. But skeptics point out the company has not revealed a business model and questioned whether a company with just 20 employees can handle all the growth it's experiencing.

[Korva Coleman]

This is NPR. Netflix reports that well over 100 million viewers watched Netflix's livestream of the boxing match last Friday between YouTube star Jake Paul and former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson. In streaming terms, that's a knockout. But NPR's Eric Deggan's reports technical glitches may cast a shadow over future live events on Netflix.

[Eric Deggans]

With 65 million concurrent streams, it was the most streamed sporting event ever, drawing more than half of all U.S. tV viewing between midnight and 1am Saturday morning, according to Netflix. Another fight that night between Katie Taylor and and Amanda Serrano drew 74 million viewers. Netflix says that was the most watched professional women's sports event in US History. But fans complained of blurry images and unexpected disconnections on Friday, which raises questions about how Netflix will handle its next big sporting event. Two NFL games on Christmas Day, including a halftime performance by superstar singer Beyonce. Eric Deggans, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The levels of smog in northern India still remain very high. There have been warnings in the capital, New Delhi, Reuters news agency reports. Indian officials say the air quality index is almost at the top of its ratings chart. Officials have limited where cars can go and told schools to hold classes online. In the US A powerful storm is hitting the Pacific Northwest. Parts of Washington state are under blizzard conditions. The strong winds blew down trees, killing one person north of Seattle. Winter storm warnings stretch from Idaho down to Northern California. Parts of California could get nearly a foot of rain by the end of the weekend. This is npr.

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