NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-16-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: January 16, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Korova Coleman, Israel's prime minister has indefinitely delayed a cabinet meeting to approve the proposed ceasefire with Hamas for Gaza. The Israeli leader says Hamas has created a last-minute crisis. Hamas has put a statement online saying it backs the agreement announced by mediators. Palestinians and Israelis are awaiting the deal's final approval. And Piers Hadil Al-Shalchi reports some Palestinians in Gaza feel it may be too little, too late. Palestinians are cautiously hopeful that the fighting will end in Gaza, but some say they're too afraid to let themselves be happy because previous deals have fallen through repeatedly.

Gaza producer Enes Baba spoke to 49-year-old Mohammed Abou Al-Kas in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Abou Al-Kas said there wasn't a mood to celebrate yet. I'm not very optimistic, Aboukass said, not until I go back to my home and to my neighborhood. On the same night that Hamas and Israel agreed to pause their fighting, Israeli airstrikes killed 73 Palestinians, according to health officials there. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. The National Weather Service has lifted red flag wind warnings for most of the Los Angeles area.

This is great news for fire crews. Two major fires around L.A. are still burning. They ignited under windy, dry conditions. NPR's Janaki Mehta reports that weather forecasters say there's a little more good news ahead as well. Forecasters also expect some moisture in the air Friday and into the weekend, which could really help firefighters make more headway. Now, the downside is another round of fast moving winds could be back Sunday night and

last into next week. So the next couple of days are crucial, but full containment could take weeks. And here's Janaki Mehta reporting. Several of President-elect Trump's cabinet nominees will appear in Senate confirmation hearings today. Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget faced tough questioning at his hearing yesterday. Russell Vought is not saying if he would release the remaining $3.8 billion in U.S. aid for

Ukraine. And Piers Franco-Ortonez reports,, vote has been questioned about efforts to expand Trump's presidential powers. In his confirmation hearing, Russ Vogt said he would follow the laws of the Constitution. But when pressed by senators about honoring bipartisan spending agreements such as aid for Ukraine, Vogt countered that he believes a law mandating the spending of congressionally approved funds is unconstitutional. For 200 years, presidents had the ability to spend less than an appropriation if they

could do it for less. And we have seen the extent to which this law has contributed to waste, fraud and abuse. Vought has advocated for the White House to take more control over congressional appropriations. His confirmation is a test for this Congress to see how much it will fight to protect its power of the purse. Franco Ordonez, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. Vehicle safety advocates are concerned automaker Tesla could face less scrutiny under the Trump administration.

And as Joel Rhodes reports, Tesla CEO Elon Musk helped Trump return to the White House. Federal regulators have opened several investigations into Tesla's full self-driving mode and other advanced driver assistance systems. Now, safety advocates fear those investigations may be in jeopardy under the Trump administration, along with a requirement that Tesla and other automakers must report all crashes involving those systems to regulators. Tesla officials don't like the crash reporting requirement. They argue it's unfair, even misleading, saying it makes the company's safety record seem worse than it is. Tesla tells drivers that they must always pay attention to the road even when automated

systems are engaged. But safety advocates say some drivers are still overestimating what that technology can do. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. The Food and Drug Administration has banned red dye number three in foods. Research has linked this dye to cancer in lab rats. There's also been evidence it may exacerbate behavioral issues in children, such as hyperactivity. These dyes are found in thousands of food products, such as soda, cereal, and candy.

The FDA is also seeking to limit the nicotine levels in tobacco products, including cigarettes. The agency says this could cut the addictiveness of tobacco products, but any decision to implement the proposal will fall to the incoming Trump administration. Commercial space company Blue Origin successfully launched its massive rocket into space overnight. The new Glenn is now in orbit. I'm Korva Kuhlman, NPR News.