NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-06-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 6, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Congress has officially certified President-elect Donald Trump's 2024 victory. As NPR's Barbara Spunt explains, it was a smooth and orderly process, a stark contrast to four years ago when throngs of Trump supporters shorn the Capitol in a violent attempt to overthrow the election results. As President of the Senate, it was the duty of Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the election to Trump, to oversee the proceedings certifying his win and announce the final tally 312 to 226. Unlike four years ago, there were no objections to any state's election results during the

hour-long joint session of Congress, a return to what's normally a mundane, bureaucratic process of members fulfilling their constitutional duty to formally certify the final count of electoral votes. There was a standing ovation after Harris concluded the certification, the only time members on both sides of the aisle clapped together. Barbara Sprint and Peer News, The Capital. Marc Thiessen, The Capital, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New York Times, The New peer news, The Capital. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as Dan Karpanchuk reports

Trudeau has faced a tide of unpopularity over the past year, even within his own Liberal Party. Trudeau says he will stay on as Prime Minister until a new leader is chosen. He says early this morning he told the Governor General that a new session of Parliament is needed which he has granted. And the House will now be prorogued until March 24th. That will give the party time to hold a leadership convention to choose someone to lead the fight in the next election.

Trudeau said in mid-December that he would take the Christmas break to consider his future as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party. He said he talked with his family before coming to his decision, adding that he's always been a fighter but can't continue with internal party battles as well. His decision sets up the country for an election as early as this spring. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpanchuk in Toronto. The lead financial regulator with the Federal Reserve says he intends to resign next month. Fed Governor Michael Barr in a letter to President Biden saying he'll resign as vice chair of supervision effective February 28th or earlier if his successor is named. his vice chair of supervision effective February 28th or earlier if his successor is named, but are apparently looking to avoid a confrontation with the incoming Trump administration

and Senate GOP lawmakers. A massive winter storm has brought intense blizzard conditions to the East Coast today. NPR's Joe Rose reports the storms disrupting school work and transportation. Heavy snow and plunging temperatures are creating dangerous travel conditions from the Great Plains to the East Coast. Thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed, with the highest percentages at airports around Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. And Amtrak cancelled dozens of trains on the Northeast Corridor. The storm also left a trail of destruction across the Midwest and the South.

Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power from Missouri to Virginia. In Kansas, over a thousand cars were stranded on the road after snowfall trapped them on the interstate. Kansas City International Airport saw a record 11 inches of snow on Sunday. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR. One of the biggest electronics and technology gatherings of the year is about to kick off in Las Vegas.

The multi-day event, known as CES, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, begins this week. Like last year's show, AI is expected to be everywhere you look. One of the largest events of its kind in the world, CES last year drew more than 138,000 attendees and more than 4,500 exhibitors spread across roughly 2.5 million square feet. There's more focus on social opportunities that don't revolve around alcohol with the popularity of Dry January, and Pierce Allison-Aubrey reports many cities across the U.S. have sober

curious events this month. On the heels of the Surgeon General's warning on the cancer risks linked to alcohol comes a mindful drinking festival in Washington, D.C., a celebration of non-alcoholic beverages in Chicago, and a mocktail fest in Miami, to name a few. Dr. Mike Savilla is a family physician in Ohio. He says over the years, he's seen people swap drinking for all kinds of new activities. They've started like a book reading club or they've started knitting or they're painting or a sporting event like bowling.

Finding fun alternatives can increase the likelihood of cutting back, Savilla says, and a month-long break can help people take stock of their relationship with alcohol. Allison Aubrey, NPR News. The movie Mufasa, Walt Disney's prequel to The Lion King, took top honors at the weekend box office for the first week of the new year. NPR News.