Overview of NPR News Now
NPR’s November 12 headlines cover a close Mississippi Senate race, a deadly building collapse in Brooklyn, stalled Ukraine peace talks, an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital, a severe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and concerns weighing on global markets.
U.S. News
- Mississippi Senate race: Democrat Scott Colom was declared the winner over Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. If confirmed, he would be the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction and the first Democrat to win a Mississippi Senate seat since 1982. Because the margin was only a few thousand votes, state Republicans have said they are considering legal options; both campaigns monitored the count.
- Brooklyn building collapse: At least two people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a building in Flatbush collapsed into a neighboring construction site. Some survivors were in critical condition, and rescuers described the search through the rubble as extremely dangerous. The site was undergoing excavation work.
International News
- Ukraine peace talks: Talks ended without a breakthrough. U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said there were openings, but Ukrainian officials remain skeptical that Russia is ready for serious diplomacy. President Vladimir Putin has maintained demands that include Ukraine surrendering territory Russia has not captured.
- Gaza hospital strike: Gaza’s health ministry said an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis killed six people and wounded at least a dozen. Israel said it targeted a senior Hamas member and other members of the group’s armed wing who were operating inside the hospital.
- Ebola in the DRC: The outbreak has surpassed 11,000 cases, with about half of those infected reported dead, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak. Attacks on treatment facilities have disrupted the response. MSF is urging the World Health Organization to approve broader use of the Ervebo vaccine while trials for this Ebola strain continue. In Kenya, the last of nine patients was discharged, beginning a 42-day countdown toward declaring the country Ebola-free.
Markets and Technology
Asian shares fell as reports said NVIDIA’s board was discussing challenges facing CEO Jensen Huang. His acknowledgment of an affair with a woman alleged to be a Chinese spy has raised national security concerns.