NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-16-2025 7AM EST

Episode Date: January 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. A vote by Israel's cabinet to implement a ceasefire agreement in Gaza has been delayed. As NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports, that's come after the deal's mediators, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, announced that a deal had been struck. Israel says that Hamas has gone back on several parts of the agreement at the last minute, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. It said that the prime minister has indefinitely postponed convening the cabinet to vote until all details are agreed upon.

The deal has to be approved by Israel's government before a ceasefire can go into effect. In a statement on the group's Telegram channel, Hamas denied it had created obstacles, saying it was, quote, committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators. Two far-right members of Netanyahu's cabinet have been very vocal about opposing the deal, threatening to leave the government if Israel agrees to it, a move that could topple Netanyahu's coalition. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Several of President-elect Trump's picks for his cabinet will appear for confirmation hearings in the Senate today.

They include former Texas State Representative Scott Turner to head housing and urban development, former Congressman Lee Zeldin for the EPA, and billionaire money manager Scott Besant for Treasury Secretary. Another Senate committee will question Trump's choice to be Interior Secretary. NPR's Jonathan Lambert tells us that Trump's former political rival, Doug Burgum. Burgum was governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2023 when he decided to run in the Republican presidential primary. He was also a businessman and sold his software company to Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion.

NPR's Jonathan Lambert reporting. Trump's choice for attorney general, Pam Bondi, will return for a second day of questioning today. She's been asked about her personal advocacy for Trump. She testified yesterday that the Justice Department has targeted Trump for years. But Bondi says if she has confirmed, she would not politicize the agency.

The powerful winds in Los Angeles are subsiding today. That has allowed fire crews to gain the upper hand on catastrophic blazes that tore through the region. At least 25 people have died and more than 12,000 structures have been damaged or lost. Elise Hube reports from Los Angeles the largest recovery effort in California's history is now getting underway. Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to expedite the work of cleanup as soon as it's safe. AccuWeather, a company that provides data on weather impacts, says the economic loss from the firestorms will reach at least $250 billion. Part of that enormous price tag accounts for the destruction

in Malibu and Pacific Palisades. They are home to some of the most expensive real estate in the country. The vast majority of fire evacuees are still not allowed to return to their neighborhoods and the search for victims continues. For NPR News, I'm Ilyce Hu in Los Angeles. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, Dow futures are lower. You're listening to NPR. A new study suggests that eating red meat in large quantities can increase your risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Researchers published a study in the journal Neurology. They found that among the people they studied, those who ate three-quarters of an ounce of

processed red meat at least once daily had a 13 percent higher risk of developing dementia. That's compared to people who ate a minimal amount. Replacing one serving of red meat daily with nuts and legumes was associated with a 19% lower risk of dementia. Commercial space company Blue Origin launched its massive rocket New Glenn this morning from Florida. Marianne Somerall of Central Florida Public Media reports

the rocket has successfully reached orbit. With seven reusable engines and the ability to carry 45 tons of payloads into low Earth orbit, it is Blue Origin's largest rocket. New Glenn launched from Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral. Blue Origin attempted to land its first stage booster at sea. The booster separated from the rocket but missed the landing. Back in 2015, Blue Origin's founder and billionaire, Jeff Bezos, announced plans for future launches in Florida and developed a facility right outside of the Kennedy Space Center.

Now nearly a decade later, New Glenn is the company's first uncrewed orbital launch vehicle. For NPR News, I'm Marianne Summerl in Orlando. Craft store chain Joanne is back in bankruptcy. It's the second time this has happened in a year. It did well when it sold supplies for masks during the pandemic, but it has since lost money.

No Joanne officials are seeking to sell the company. This is NPR.