NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-06-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: January 6, 2025

NPR News: 01-06-2025 2PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Unlike the dramatic events of four years ago today, the process of Congress certifying the results of the presidential election was peaceful. As Vice President Kamala Harris oversaw certification of the election she lost to President-elect Donald Trump. Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida has received 312 votes. Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes. And with that certification was complete. Trump takes office January 20th. The former leader of the far-right extremist

group Proud Boys is asking President-elect Trump to pardon him over the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol four years ago today. Enrique Tarrio and others were convicted of seditious conspiracy. His is among more than 1,500 federal cases tied to the deadly riot during Congress's certification of the 2020 election Trump lost to then-President-elect Joe Biden. NPR has learned that Hamas has named a group of Israeli hostages in Gaza it is willing to release as part of a ceasefire deal under negotiation. NPR's Danielle Lestrin reports from Tel Aviv the group includes two U.S. citizens.

The deal being negotiated in Qatar would have Hamas release 34 Israeli hostages, according to a Hamas official, and Israel would release some Palestinian prisoners and partially withdraw troops from Gaza. Israel wants to know which of the 34 hostages are still alive. A Hamas official tells NPR that the group will reveal that in exchange for unspecified concessions. The hostages under discussion include female soldiers, other women, and about two dozen men, including two American hostages.

Another official close to the talks, also speaking on condition of anonymity, says Hamas will not release all hostages in Gaza because Israel will only agree to a temporary ceasefire. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. U.S. Steel has gone to court to salvage its $15 billion sale to a Japanese steel company. NPR's Scott Horsley reports President Biden called a halt to the sale on Friday. U.S. Steel and its Japanese suitor Nippon Steel wasted no time in pursuing legal remedies after President Biden moved to block the sale on national security grounds. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, the companies accused the president of violating their due process rights and interfering with a good-faith regulatory

review. They say the president was trying to curry favor with the Steel Workers Union, which opposed the deal. U.S. Steel is headquartered in the politically important swing state of Pennsylvania. Scott Horsley in Pierre News, Washington. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up eight swing state of Pennsylvania. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 8 points at 42,740. The S&Ps were in 32 points and the Nasdaq is up 202 points or more than 1%. It's NPR News. It is the first full week that the big tech company Amazon expects its corporate workforce

back in the office every day. The five-day return to office policy ends the work from home era at Amazon. For Member Station KUOW in Seattle, Monica Nicholsburg reports. Amazon Seattle campus was still lit up with Christmas lights the day the new policy took effect. On his way into work, Marc Labrie said he sees returning to the office as his civic duty. We're a thriving economy that requires exchange of economic goods

and transactions between all of us in order to, like, keep the fire going. Many hope the policy will be a shot in the arm for businesses surrounding Amazon's headquarters. Downtowns are still struggling to recover from the loss of commuters who started working from home during the pandemic. But many Amazon employees say a five-day return to office policy is unfair now that they've shown they can be productive at home.

For NPR News, I'm Monica Nicholsburg in Seattle. For the first time, a woman will oversee a major Vatican office. Pope Francis named Sister Simona Brambilla to serve as prefect of the department responsible for all of the church's religious orders. It is part of the Pontiff's broader goal to appoint women to more governing leadership roles in the Roman Catholic Church, which is one of the world's most powerful institutions. U.S. stocks are trading slightly higher this hour. The Dow is now up nine points. The S&P has risen 33 points. And the Nasdaq is up 213 points or more than 1 percent.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.