LGBT Migrants In Tijuana; Brexit Showdown; Leonid Meteor Shower

Plus, it’s decision time for Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls. [NPR] by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [Possible Democratic presidential candidates for the 2020 race include Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (left), New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and California Sen. Kamala Harris.]( Jeff J. Mitchell, Angela Weiss/AFP, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Happy Wednesday, news friends. Here’s what we’re following today. Yes, it’s almost decision time for folks considering whether to enter one of the most crowded presidential primary contests in history. Many consider Thanksgiving as the start of the countdown for making the political and personal calculation to go forward with or take a pass on a run for the White House in 2020. Here's a glimpse at [the potential Democratic presidential candidates](. The United Kingdom and the European Union have reached a Brexit breakthrough: a draft agreement on how the U.K. will leave the EU at the end of March. U.K. Prime Minister [Theresa May is busy trying to sell the agreement]( to Cabinet members, but critics say the draft Brexit deal would make the U.K. subject to the rules of the European Union's customs area until a new trade deal could be struck on both sides. A large LGBT migrant group is the first to arrive in Tijuana, Mexico — well ahead of more than 3,600 Central American migrants from the caravan traveling north. But their arrival has been [met with anger from local residents](. President Trump has nominated retired Gen. John Abizaid to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia. [The president's pick]( highlights the importance he has placed on the military partnership between the U.S. and the Saudi royal court, which signed an arms deal with the U.S. [worth billions of dollars]( last year. Cases of the mysterious paralyzing illness afflicting children are continuing to increase. [At least 252 cases]( of acute flaccid myelitis have been reported so far this year from 27 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness usually starts as a fever and seemingly routine respiratory symptoms, but in some cases, children suddenly suffer paralysis. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show The toy monkey that escaped Nazi Germany and reunited a family. [Gert Berliner packed this toy monkey in a suitcase when he fled for his life nearly 80 years ago. It's now part of the collection at the Jewish Museum Berlin.]( Jacobia Dahm for NPR Nearly 80 years ago, Gert Berliner packed his favorite stuffed monkey in a suitcase when he fled the Nazis as a child. He kept the toy for more than half a century, and it became a beloved talisman that traveled with Berliner wherever he went: from Berlin to Sweden, with long periods in New York and stints in Italy and New Mexico. [NPR’s Uri Berliner takes us to the Jewish Museum Berlin]( where his father’s monkey turned out to be the missing link in a remarkable discovery. --------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper Latinos traditionally have been optimistic about life in the United States. But that's changed. A majority of Hispanics surveyed say they are [dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country]( with nearly 4 in 10 Latinos reporting they had experienced some kind of harassment related to their ethnicity in the past year, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Other findings of the survey: Many Latinos are more worried about deportation and family separation this year, and they are more concerned about their personal finances than in past years, even though the country's economy is doing well and Latino unemployment is at historic lows. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen Say au revoir to the metal thing in France that has defined the kilogram. [The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland has its own copy of Le Grand K — a platinum-iridium kilogram known as K92. In the background are stainless-steel kilogram masses.]( J.L. Lee/NIST Le Grand K, a cylinder of platinum and iridium that was forged in 1879 and is held in a locked vault outside Paris, is kept under lock and key. The cylinder’s mass, a little over 2 pounds, is the official definition of the kilogram, but this will soon change. Going forward, the world's system of mass measurement will not be based on some special hunk of metal, but rather on unalterable features of the universe — such as the speed of light, time and Planck's constant. (Listening time, 7:03) [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Aretha Franklin, pictured during a television appearance in January 1972, the same month in which the project Amazing Grace was recorded.]( ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images - Music fans, rejoice! The long-delayed documentary that many thought might never see the light of day, [Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace]( is being released. - We’re glad this is finally settled: It seems [you can’t copyright taste](. The European Union's highest court made their ruling after a legal battle between two Dutch makers of herbed cheese spread. - Wanna watch [the Leonid meteor shower]( this weekend? The annual shooting-stars show is expected to peak late Saturday night and into Sunday morning. - [CNN is suing the White House]( to get back Jim Acosta's press credentials. - You may be shocked by [what — and how many — organisms]( living in your home. Besides the humans and pets, that is. --------------------------------------------------------------- ✏️ What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) 📬 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. 📧 Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to our Daily News emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]