NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-16-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: January 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington on Korva Coleman, Israel's prime minister says his cabinet will not meet today to approve the proposed ceasefire with Hamas for Gaza. The Israeli leader says Hamas has created a last-minute crisis. He did not elaborate. There has been some cautious celebration in neighboring Lebanon over a potential ceasefire, and bears Emily Fang has more. Celebratory gunfire erupted across Beirut from the city's historic Palestinian refugee camps when the ceasefire was

made official. Najib Mekati, Lebanon's acting prime minister, said the ceasefire ended a quote bloody chapter in Palestinian history. Lebanon is deeply tied to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. At least a quarter of a million Palestinian refugees and their descendants currently live in Lebanon after fleeing or being expelled when the state of Israel was created in 1948. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed fighting group opposed to Israel, is also based in Lebanon. And in October 2023, Hezbollah started attacking Israel in solidarity with Hamas and Gaza. The nearly 14-month war that resulted destroyed much of southern Lebanon until a temporary ceasefire last November. Amalie Fang and PR News Beirut. President Biden delivered his formal farewell to

the nation from the Oval Office last night. Biden wished the incoming Trump administration success. But NPR's Deepa Shivaram reports he warned about the rise of unchecked power in the hands of the few and the wealthy. With just five days left in office, Biden gave real remarks from behind the resolute desk, a location typically reserved for the most important presidential speeches. He talked about the progress the country has made since the middle of the COVID pandemic when he took office four years ago, but he also shared concerns about the direction the country is moving in. An oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally

threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. Biden also suggested safeguards for artificial intelligence, reforms on the tax code for billionaires, and term limits for Supreme Court justices. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, Washington. The winds are lessening in the Los Angeles area. That's helping firefighters who are battling wildfires there. Two major blazes close to Los Angeles

remain only partially contained. People in the region who have been evacuated want to know when they can get back into their homes. Mike Liam is with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He says authorities have more than the fires to look out for. We have open gas lines. We have exposed water lines. And so they're evaluating each property

to determine if it's safe to enter, even for the companies that are going to be coming to repair those. More than 12,000 structures have been damaged or lost in the fires. The blazes have killed at least 25 people. This is NPR. Several of President-elect Trump's cabinet nominees will appear in Senate confirmation hearings today.

His choice for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is returning for a second day of hearings. Bondi claims the Justice Department has targeted Trump for years. She insists that if confirmed, she will not politicize her agency. The Labor Department has reached a settlement with agriculture and food company Purdue Farms to address child labor violations. And Pierce Andrea Shue reports it's the second such settlement announced this week. Labor investigators found as far back as 2020, Purdue Farms and a temporary staffing agency known as SMX jointly employed children at a chicken processing plant in Virginia.

Tasks included deboning and processing chicken using electric knives and a heat-sealing press. The children sometimes worked after 7 p.m. Purdue Farms agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to the children and to organizations advocating for child labor victims. The company and SMX also agreed to smaller civil penalties. The settlement comes just days after the meatpacking company JBS reached a similar agreement. The Labor Department said both companies willingness to take responsibility is vital to combating child labor. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. The space company Blue Origin has successfully launched its first rocket into orbit. The new Glenn rocket launched overnight from Cape Canaveral. Blue Origin mission managers had hoped to recover the new Glenn rockets first

booster stage. However, they say the first stage was lost in the launch. I'm Korva Kuhlman, NPR News from Washington.