NPR News: 11-28-2024 2PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: November 28, 2024, 2PM EST – Comprehensive Summary

NPR News Now delivered a concise yet comprehensive update on the latest national and international developments. This summary encapsulates the key stories covered in the episode, providing insights and notable quotes to inform listeners who may have missed the podcast.

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President Biden Urges Reconsideration of Tariffs

Host Windsor Johnston kicked off the episode with a report on President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden spending Thanksgiving in New England. During a visit to a local fire department in Nantucket, President Biden addressed pressing economic concerns, notably trade policies affecting North America.

President Biden took a firm stance, encouraging President Elect Donald Trump to "reconsider his plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada" (00:18). This call comes amidst ongoing discussions about strengthening economic ties and mitigating trade tensions within the region.

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Trump’s Tariff Plans and Trade Tensions

In response, Donald Trump articulated his rationale behind the proposed tariffs, emphasizing national security and economic stability.

Donald Trump stated at 00:44, “We have an unusual situation in America. We're surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and two allies, Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin the square relationships.”

Despite these remarks, Trump has announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico until these countries take definitive action against the influx of migrants and illegal drugs crossing the borders (00:56). Additionally, he revealed intentions to implement further tariffs on Chinese imports, signaling a broader strategy to address trade imbalances and protect American industries.

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Anger as a Driver for Misinformation

Transitioning to the digital landscape, NPR's Jeff Brumfield reported on a recent study exploring the relationship between anger and the spread of misinformation online.

Molly Crockett, a psychologist at Princeton University, explained the phenomenon using data from Facebook and Twitter: “Using data from Facebook and Twitter, researchers showed a consistent pattern. The more outrage a post provoked, the more likely it was to be spread online” (01:32).

Crockett further elaborated, “When we communicate outrage, whatever it is we're expressing outrage about doesn't actually need to be true” (01:56). This insight highlights how emotional triggers, particularly anger, can facilitate the viral spread of false or misleading information, undermining the integrity of digital discourse.

The study, published in the journal Science, also noted that low-quality news outlets exploit outrage to drive traffic, exacerbating the issue of misinformation (02:03).

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Black Friday Shopping Trends Surge

As the holiday season approaches, Alina Selyuk provided an analysis of consumer behavior ahead of Black Friday.

She reported that online shoppers have already spent more than 9.5% compared to the previous year, citing Adobe Analytics as the source (02:34). Despite consumers feeling financial pressure from rising expenses like health and car insurance, the allure of discounts continues to drive higher spending volumes.

Alina noted, “During the long Black Friday weekend, retailers are predicting huge turnout, a record number of people shopping” and observed a growing trend of shoppers planning to spend more than last year in search of deals and bargains.

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International Criminal Court and France’s Stance on Netanyahu

Shifting to international affairs, Eleanor Beardsley reported on the controversy surrounding the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

France’s Foreign Ministry has indicated that Netanyahu might benefit from certain immunities as France is a non-signatory to the ICC charter. French human rights lawyer Clemence Bectart criticized this position, stating, “France has actively contributed to the setting up of the International Criminal Court, and so it is not acceptable that France would support an ICC arrest warrant against Putin and not support it against Netanyahu” (03:54).

Bectart emphasized the importance of consistent support for the ICC, especially in light of the recent warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children (04:07). She warned that the ICC faces significant opposition and stressed that the signatory nations must uphold their commitments to preserve the court’s integrity (04:24).

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Australia Enacts Social Media Ban for Youth

Concluding the episode, Windsor Johnston reported on Australia’s legislative move to protect young people from online harms. The Australian Parliament has passed a sweeping ban on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X for individuals under the age of 16 (04:24).

The bipartisan-supported legislation aims to safeguard children from the potential dangers of social media exposure. However, specific details regarding the enforcement mechanisms of this ban remain unclear (04:24).

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This episode of NPR News Now provided listeners with a breadth of information ranging from U.S. political dynamics and international legal matters to emerging trends in consumer behavior and digital misinformation. By highlighting key quotes and expert insights, the summary offers a thorough overview of the most pertinent news stories on November 28, 2024.

Transcript

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[Windsor Johnston]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. President Biden and the first lady are spending Thanksgiving in New England. Biden made a stop at a local fire department in Nantucket today. Speaking to reporters, Biden encouraged President Elect Donald Trump to reconsider his plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

[Donald Trump]

We have an unusual situation in America. We're surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and two allies, Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin the square relationships.

[Windsor Johnston]

Trump is spending the Thanksgiving holiday at Mar a Lago. Earlier this week, he said he plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico until the two countries cracked down on the influx of migrants and illegal drugs crossing the borders. Trump also announced additional tariffs on Chinese imports. A new study suggests that false or misleading information frequently spreads online using outrage. NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports on how anger powers misinformation.

[Molly Crockett]

Using data from Facebook and Twitter, researchers showed a consistent pattern. The more outrage a post provoked, the more likely it was to be spread online. That was true even when the facts in the post were demonstrably false. Molly Crockett is a psychologist at Princeton University. She says one reason may be that people share posts which spark outrage in order to express their own moral views.

When we communicate outrage, whatever it is we're expressing outrage about doesn't actually need to be true.

Many websites purveying bad information seem to have caught onto this fact. Researchers found that low quality news outlets use outrage to try and drive traffic. The work appears in the journal Science. Jeff Brumfiel, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

Tomorrow officially kicks off the busiest shopping period of the year, but many retailers have stretched their Black Friday sales to begin earlier in the week. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports. Customers are already spending more than last.

[Alina Selyuk]

Year'S record so far in November. Online shoppers alone have spent more than 9.5% more this year compared to last year. That's according to Adobe analytics, which tracks online transactions. Shoppers say they're feeling their budgets squeezed by higher expenses, including on health and car insurance. But many are drawn by the lure of discounts. During the long Black Friday weekend, retailers are predicting huge turnout, a record number of people shopping. And of those people, surveys find a growing group of shoppers saying they plan to spend more this year than they did last year, hunting for deals and bargains. Alina Selu, NPR News.

[Windsor Johnston]

This is NPR News. Human rights organizations are outraged by the French government's lack of clarity on whether it would comply with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports from Paris.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Netanyahu could benefit from certain immunities coming from a non signatory country to the ICC charter. But French human rights lawyer Clemence Bectart says that stance undermines the icc.

[Clemence Bectart]

France has actively contributed to the setting up of the International Criminal Court, and so it is not acceptable that France would support an ICC arrest warrant against Putin and not support it against Netanyahu.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

The ICC issued a warrant for the Russian president last year for kidnapping Ukrainian children. Bechtart says the International Criminal Court has plenty of enemies, and the 124 nations who are signatories must stand up for it at this crucial moment. Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News, Paris.

[Windsor Johnston]

Australia has imposed a sweeping ban on social media for young people. The law applies to kids under the age of 16 who use platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. The legislation aimed at safeguarding children from online harms passed Parliament with bipartisan support on Thursday. A number of details remain unclear, including how the ban will be enforced. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

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