NPR News: 11-23-2024 1PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: November 23, 2024, 1 PM EST

Host: Nora Rahm, NPR

---

1. Presidential Appointments and Government Changes

Timestamp: [00:19]

President-elect Donald Trump has announced key appointments to his incoming administration. Billionaire investor Scott Besant has been selected as the Treasury Secretary, while Russell Vogt will take the helm as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vogt is notably involved in drafting Project 2025, a strategic blueprint aimed at significant governmental transformations.

Additionally, Trump has nominated Scott Turner, a former Texas State Representative, to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Turner, who dedicated nine years to the NFL before venturing into politics, was appointed in 2019 by Trump to oversee economic development initiatives. His efforts included directing billions in private investments to designated opportunity zones—areas plagued by high unemployment and dilapidated housing. While this initiative garnered bipartisan support, critics argue that the primary beneficiaries are affluent investors who receive tax incentives, rather than the local communities.

Quote:
Jennifer Ludden, NPR: “The conservative agenda, Project 2025, again calls for limiting housing aid and shrinking HUD's role.”
Timestamp: [00:54]

---

2. Disparities in U.S. Life Expectancy

Timestamp: [01:36]

The average life expectancy in the United States stands at approximately 77 years, but this figure masks significant disparities across different demographic groups. A comprehensive study published in The Lancet, co-authored by Tom Boike of the Council on Foreign Relations, reveals that life expectancy varies dramatically among ten distinct American groups, segmented by geography, race, ethnicity, and income levels.

The Asian American community enjoys the highest life expectancy at 84 years, whereas the American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the western regions face the lowest averages at 64 years. Boike expressed surprise at the depth of these disparities, likening the U.S. to "10 different countries, health-wise."

Quote:
Tom Boike: “It’s as if people in the US are living in 10 different countries, health-wise.”
Timestamp: [02:12]

Ping Huang, NPR: Echoed the severity, stating, “It has now grown to over 20 years and that's a gap that you really see in different countries.”
Timestamp: [02:20]

---

3. Climate Talks in Azerbaijan Face Challenges

Timestamp: [02:28]

International delegates convened in Azerbaijan for crucial climate talks aimed at boosting financial commitments from affluent nations to aid developing countries in combating climate change. The proceedings, overseen by Lisa Marjora—appointed by the United Nations—were expected to conclude the previous day but have been extended beyond the scheduled time.

Marjora highlighted significant issues plaguing the negotiations, citing a "deterioration of the quality of the process over the years" and the absence of essential voices. She emphasized the underrepresentation of scientists and those directly affected by climate change, pointing out an overabundance of corporate lobbyists in discussions.

Quote:
Lisa Marjora: “We don’t have the right voices in the room. We don’t have the voices of scientists, the voices of people who have been negatively impacted by climate change. And on the other hand, we have an overrepresentation of corporate lobbyists.”
Timestamp: [02:50]

---

4. Israeli Airstrikes in Beirut and Regional Tensions

Timestamp: [03:11]

Rescue operations are underway in Beirut, Lebanon, following an Israeli airstrike earlier this morning that resulted in at least 15 confirmed fatalities, according to Lebanese health officials. This incident marks the fourth airstrike in Beirut within the past week, escalating tensions in the already volatile region.

---

5. Ukraine Commemorates Holodomor Amid Ongoing Conflict

Timestamp: [03:11]

Today marks the commemoration of the Holodomor in Ukraine—a term that translates to "hunger" and "extermination," remembering the catastrophic famine of the 1930s orchestrated by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The famine led to the deaths of at least 3 million Ukrainians due to the seizure of food supplies amidst efforts to suppress regional rebellions and centralize agricultural control.

Ukrainians are drawing parallels between historical Soviet repression and the current struggles under Russian occupation. Memorial activities include placing lighted candles on windowsills and observing a minute of silence to honor the victims.

Quote:
Hanna Palamarenko, NPR, Kyiv: “Ukrainians are drawing parallels between the Soviet repression then and the current suffering of Ukrainians in the Russian-occupied territories and along the front lines.”
Timestamp: [03:49]

It's noteworthy that 31 countries, including the United States, officially recognize the Holodomor as a genocide.

---

6. Fire Restrictions Lifted in Northeastern U.S.

Timestamp: [04:39]

Due to heavy rainfall and snowfall in the northeastern United States, officials in New Jersey have lifted statewide fire restrictions. The inclement weather has aided firefighting efforts, culminating in the containment of a major fire that scorched over 5,300 acres of forest land across New Jersey and New York.

---

Note: The podcast also included sponsored messages, which have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the news content.

---

This summary was prepared to provide an overview of the key discussions and insights presented in the NPR News Now episode released on November 23, 2024. For the full details and live updates, please listen to the original podcast.

Transcript

[Lisa]

This message is brought to you by Lisa in collaboration with West Elm. Discover the new natural hybrid mattress, expertly crafted from natural latex and certified safe foams, designed with your health and the planet in mind. Visit leesa.com to learn more.

[Nora Rahm]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. President elect Donald Trump has selected billionaire investor Scott Besant to serve as his treasury secretary. Trump has chosen Russell Vogt to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vogt was involved with drafting Project 2025, a blueprint for government changes. Trump has tapped former Texas State Representative Scott Turner as his choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner worked on economic development in Trump's first term. As NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports, Turner spent.

[Jennifer Ludden]

Nine years in the NFL before entering politics. In 2019, Trump appointed him to lead a council tasked with turn turning around distressed communities. That included steering billions in private investment to so called opportunity zones, places struggling with high unemployment and rundown housing. The effort won bipartisan praise, though critics suggested the wealthy investors getting tax breaks saw more benefit than local residents. In his first term, Trump targeted the housing agency HUD for deep budget cuts. Congress pushed back, but the conservative agenda, Project 2025, again calls for limiting housing aid and shrinking HUD's role. Jennifer Luttin, NPR News.

[Nora Rahm]

The U.S. life expectancy is around 77 years, but when researchers dug into the data, they found huge disparities within 10 different groups in the country. NPR's Ping Huang has more in the story.

[Tom Boike]

The 10Americas are divided by geography, race and ethnicity and income level. The America with the highest life expectancy is Asian America at 84 years. The American Indian and Alaska native population living in the west has the lowest life expectancy at 64 years. Tom Boyke with the Council on Foreign Relations co authored the study in the Lancet. He says the huge difference surprised him.

[Ping Huang]

It is stark. It has now grown to over 20 years and that's a gap that you really see in different countries.

[Tom Boike]

Boike says it's as if people in the US are living in 10 different countries, health wise. Ping Huang, NPR News.

[Nora Rahm]

Countries attending the climate talks in Azerbaijan are still trying to reach agreement on increasing financing pledges by wealthy countries to help developing nations tackle climate change. Lisa Marjora was appointed by the UN to monitor the proceedings, which were supposed to end yesterday. She says these talks regularly overrun, but this year has been out of the ordinary.

[Lisa Marjora]

I think there's been an ongoing deterioration of the quality of the process over the years, and this might quite be the culmination of it. We don't have the right voices in the room. We don't have the voices of scientists, the voices of people who have been negatively impacted by climate change. And on the other hand, we have an overrepresentation of corporate lobbyists.

[Nora Rahm]

She was interviewed by the BBC. This is NPR News in Washington. Rescue crews are searching through rubble in central Beirut after an Israeli airstrike early this morning. Lebanese health officials say at least 15 people were confirmed dead. This was the fourth strike in the Lebanese capital in less than a week. Today, Ukrainians are marking holodomor, a term derived from the Ukrainian words for hunger and extermination, to describe when millions died of starvation on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. NPR's Hanna Palmerenko reports from Kyiv.

[Hanna Polomarenko]

Holodomor commemorates the period in the 1930s when Russian authorities confiscated Ukrainian food supplies as part of a crackdown on rebellions over Soviet attempts to control the region and centralize their agricultural output. This triggered a widespread famine that resulted in the deaths of at least 3 million Ukrainians. Ukrainians are drawing parallels between the Soviet repression then and the current suffering of Ukrainians in the Russian occupied territories and along the front lines. They are placing lighted candles on the windowsills of their homes to commemorate those who died and will stop for a minute of silence at the end of the day. 31 countries, including the United States, recognize holodomor as genocide. Hanna Polomarenko, NPR News, Kyiv.

[Nora Rahm]

Heavy rain and snowfall in the northeastern US have allowed officials in New Jersey to lift statewide fire restrictions. A major fire is now contained after burning more than 5,300 acres of forest land in New Jersey and New York. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News, in Washington.

[Lisa]

This message comes from Anthropic. Meet Claude, Anthropic's AI Assistant that elevates your entire organization securely. Connect your company knowledge and empower every employee with expert level support. Learn [e-mail] Enterprise.