5 things to know for Nov. 13: White House meeting, Congress, China hit-and-run, Ten Commandments law, Lunchables

Published November 13, 2024 4:51 AM

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Pollution from fossil fuels has hit an all-time high despite the urgent need to tackle the human-caused climate crisis. A new report found global emissions from coal, oil and gas are all projected to increase, dashing hopes that 2024 would be the year they plateau or fall.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. White House meeting

President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden will meet for an extraordinary sit-down today at the White House. It’s tradition for the outgoing president to host the incoming commander in chief after the election as part of a peaceful transfer of power. Trump did not host Biden in 2020, however, as he fought the election results. Trump also didn’t attend Biden’s inauguration in 2021 — the first time a sitting president skipped his successor’s swearing-in since 1869. The meeting today comes hours after Trump announced a flurry of appointments, including Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, GOP lawyer Bill McGinley as White House counsel and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run Homeland Security. Trump also said Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency.”

2. Congress

House Republicans will hold leadership elections today where Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to be reelected as leader. Some House conservatives are privately discussing whether to float a challenger to Johnson in the speaker’s race, but it would be a symbolic gesture of protest. It will be a secret ballot and Johnson needs a simple majority to win. Over in the Senate, Republicans will vote by secret ballot to choose a new leader. President-elect Trump’s most vocal supporters are organizing behind Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a controversial figure who is still viewed as a long shot. The more establishment options are Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.

3. China hit-and-run

Thirty-five people were killed in southern China after a man plowed his car into crowds exercising at an outdoor sports center on Monday. It is the country’s deadliest known attack on the public in a decade. Another 43 people were injured and hospitalized in the rampage in the city of Zhuhai, local police said Tuesday. A 62-year-old male driver was apprehended while trying to flee the scene, police said. An initial investigation suggested he was unhappy with the outcome of a divorce settlement, they added. Chinese leader Xi Jinping described the mass hit-and-run in Zhuhai as “extremely vicious,” calling for the perpetrator to be severely punished in accordance with the law, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

4. Ten Commandments law

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom by 2025. The judge said the challengers have shown that the law is likely unconstitutional, citing the plaintiff’s claims that it violates the First Amendment and pressures students into religious observance. The law, signed in June by the state’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, requires all public K-12 and state-funded university classrooms to display a poster-sized version of the Ten Commandments in a “large, easily readable font.” While the temporary injunction is a win for opponents of the law, civil rights groups in the state anticipate an appeal and a continued legal battle that could potentially reach the US Supreme Court.

5. Lunchables

Lunchables have been removed from the National School Lunch Program, months after Consumer Reports said sodium levels in the meal kits were too high. Kraft Heinz, the company that produces Lunchables, said it pulled the product because demand did not reach its targets. “The USDA should maintain stricter eligibility standards for the school lunch programs so that the millions of kids that depend on it get the healthier options they deserve,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. The National School Lunch Program –– a federally assisted program that provides low-cost and free nutritionally balanced lunches to students –– serves nearly 30 million kids, according to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.

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Princess of Wales to host Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey
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The ballpark figure to repair Tropicana Field
Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55 million to be ready in time for the Tampa Bay Rays’ 2026 season, according to a report.

TODAY’S NUMBER

3
That’s how many airplanes were recently struck by bullets while flying over Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, prompting the FAA to ground all US flights to the country on Tuesday.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“I know he’s going to pardon me.”

— A jailed January 6 rioter following Donald Trump’s presidential victory. Hundreds of Trump’s most loyal supporters expect him to follow up on his promises to pardon them or commute their sentences after they stormed the nation’s capital in 2021. But that could upset a majority of voters and even some GOP allies who previously urged Trump not to pardon anyone who assaulted police that day.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

See contestant’s viral ‘Wheel of Fortune’ flub
A contestant’s incorrect guess to this “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle caused an unexpectedly funny moment on the iconic game show. Watch the video here.

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