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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst.
Negotiators at COP29, the UN climate change conference that took place in Azerbaijan, have reached a deal calling on developed countries to give at least $300 billion per year by the year 2035 to help poorer nations that are most vulnerable to climate disasters.
Discussions at COP29 have been testy with disagreements over who should provide the money and how much they should give. This deal is nowhere near the $1.3 trillion developing countries wanted, but it is three times the yearly amount from the deal negotiated in 2009 that expires this year. The money will be used by developing countries to wean off oil, gas and coal, adapt to future warming and also pay for the damage caused by climate change's extreme weather.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Italy this weekend to attend a meeting of the group of seven major democracies. And Peer's Michelle Kellerman reports, this comes as tensions rise in Russia's war against Ukraine and diplomats struggle to find a way to end conflicts in the Middle East.
The State Department says Blinken will be discussing a range of issues with U.S. partners from the Middle East to Russia and the Indo-Pacific, as well as the ongoing crises in Haiti and Sudan. The Secretary of State also plans to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican. Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G7 and has invited Arab foreign ministers to take part in meetings on Gaza and Lebanon.
The G7 is also talking about ways to support Ukraine going forward. Europeans are bracing for cutbacks in U.S. aid as President Trump prepares to re-enter the White House in January. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
Venezuelan authorities say they're investigating the government's leading opponent for treason, the latest attempt to blame the popular dissent for economic sanctions levied by the U.S. and others. And Pierce, Carrie Khan has more. In a statement, Venezuela's attorney general says the latest investigation will probe whether Maria Corina Machado has been plotting with other foreign countries to conspire against the nation. Officials say Machado has committed treason after
posting on social media supportive of Bell Pass in the U.S. House of Representatives. It bans federal contracts with companies doing business with Venezuela's government. The U.S. slapped back sanctions on Venezuela after last July's election. President Nicolás Maduro declared victory but has yet to provide proof. The opposition, however, collected results from 80 percent of voting machines showing its candidate Edmundo González overwhelmingly won. This week, the U.S. recognized González as Venezuela's president-elect.
Carrie Kahn, NPR News. In Texas, the State Board of Education voted this week to allow the teaching of the Bible in public elementary schools. The curriculum is optional, but schools that teach it will get extra money from the state. This is NPR News.
AAA is predicting almost 80 million people will travel this Thanksgiving, and airports across the country are expecting to see record numbers of passengers over the holiday period. NPR's Regina Barber says that means a lot of people passing through multiple time zones, resulting in jet lag.
When people feel jet lag, it's partly due to a lack of sleep, says behavioral sleep psychologist Jade Wu. She says the feeling of jet lag also comes from the exhaustion due to the body's internal clocks being misaligned with the outside environment, specifically sunlight. When there isn't a lot of light coming into your eyes, the body starts to produce melatonin. This is the hormone that builds up in the evening and makes you sleepy, and when it ramps down in the morning, you start to feel more alert.
Wu suggests shifting your sleep schedule to the new time zone beforehand and going outside into the sun first thing in the morning at the new destination. She says to be wary of melatonin supplements because they are not regulated and the doses could be inaccurate. Regina Barber, NPR News. In a bid to get more tourists to visit the country, China has extended visa-free entry for up to a month to tourists from nine countries, including Japan.
China doesn't have the warmest feelings toward Japan, which invaded China before World War II, but it needs its tourism dollars. This amid China's struggling economy, and the country is eager to open borders up to visitors again after nearly three years of COVID lockdowns. China has now granted visa-free access to tourists from 38 countries, but not to American citizens. I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.
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