Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is defending U.S. military strikes on alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean. He said President Trump has the right to take military action as he sees fit. He spoke yesterday at a national security forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Some members of Congress are concerned the military action may violate international law. One of them is Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
I'm not making ā drawing any conclusions here because when you make the accusation about war crimes, that is an accusation once made cannot be retracted. But we are in those waters or in that area because, again, I think this constant, careless, sloppy approach from Pete Hexaff.
Werner has called on Hegseth to resign. He was interviewed on NPR. Three days of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators wrapped up in Florida with no major breakthrough. U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner say the process is moving forward. The main issues are territory and security guarantees for Ukraine. Hong Kong ramped up legislative elections today.
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Chapter 2: What military actions is the U.S. taking against drug cartels?
The region is still reeling from a deadly fire last month that killed at least 159 people. NPR's Emily Fang reports.
Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades has sparked anger over government oversight, making Sunday's elections more of a litmus test than usual on the Hong Kong government's public standing. This is the second so-called patriots-only election in Hong Kong.
Ever since Beijing overhauled voting rules to allow only candidates vetted by Beijing as patriots to run, many former legislators declined to run for re-election this year. Also, only less than a third of the Legislative Council seats will be directly elected. Voter turnout was low at just over 31% of Hong Kong's voting population.
That's in line with the record low of the first patriots-only election Hong Kong held in 2021. Emily Fang, NPR News.
Policymakers at the Federal Reserve will meet this week to discuss interest rates. They're expected to lower the benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point, NPR's Scott Horsley reports.
The Fed lowered interest rates at each of its last two meetings, but policymakers were divided on whether a third straight cut would be warranted this coming week. Inflation's still well above the Fed's 2 percent target, which would ordinarily suggest keeping rates higher. But the central bank's also concerned about a softening job market, which could be cushioned with lower interest rates.
Investors think those job market worries will take priority at this week's meeting, and the rate-setting committee will opt for another quarter-point cut. But the decision is not likely to be unanimous. The six-week government shutdown added to the uncertainty by delaying some key economic reports until after this week's meeting.
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Chapter 3: What are the concerns regarding U.S. military actions and international law?
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
This is NPR News. Democrats are hoping to win Tuesday's election for mayor of Miami after decades out of power. Although it's a local race, an upset could give them momentum before next year's midterm elections. Waymo, the autonomous ride-sharing service, plans to file a software recall after some of its cars illegally passed stopped school buses. NPR's Jeff Brady reports.
An Atlanta TV station aired video in September showing a Waymo driverless taxi maneuvering around a stopped school bus. The bus's red lights were flashing and its stop sign extended. In Austin, Texas, the school district documented 19 similar incidents, one just moments after a student crossed in front of the Waymo vehicle.
Waymo says in an email statement that a software issue contributed to the problem and that it has been fixed. No one was injured. Waymo plans to file a voluntary recall of the software with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which launched an investigation. Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, which is a financial supporter of NPR.
Jeff Brady, NPR News.
Today is December 7th, a day President Franklin Roosevelt said which would live in infamy. It was on this day in 1941 that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, killing more than 2,300 troops and launching the U.S. into World War II. A remembrance ceremony is held every year at the waterfront. The Associated Press reports there were no survivors present this year.
There are now 12 survivors, all over the age of 100, and unable to make the trip. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.
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