NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-20-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: January 20, 2025

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Do you make resolutions in January? We do. Specifically, we make pop culture resolutions. We also check in on what we resolved to do this last year. Did we catch up on all those classic movies or finally write that novel? Find out on the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. President-elect Trump takes the oath of office in two hours at the U.S. Capitol. Last hour, Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and their families attended a service at St. John's Episcopal Church close to the White House.

The church service is a nearly century-old tradition for incoming presidents. Later today, Trump is expected to sign several executive orders. One is going to say that it's U.S. policy to recognize two biologically distinct sexes, male and female. This order can affect documents such as passports, visas, and employee records. A second order will end all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government. An incoming White House official says Trump is going to sign an executive order

declaring a national emergency. That's intended to cut regulations for the energy industry. The order is supposed to end the, quote, electric vehicle mandate. Trump is also going to declare a national emergency at the U.S. border. He is expected to take several actions around this. These include efforts to suspend refugee resettlement in the U.S. for four months.

It also calls for restoring the death penalty for people in the U.S. illegally who kill a law enforcement officer. Trump will also seek to end a constitutional amendment known as birthright citizenship. This last action is expected to see an immediate legal challenge. also seek to end a constitutional amendment known as birthright citizenship. This last action is expected to see an immediate legal challenge. Supporters of President-elect Trump are preparing to celebrate his inauguration.

NPR's Sarah McCammon reports some traveled hundreds of miles for the event they hoped to witness, only to find that it was moved indoors because of cold weather. Michael Webb and Jonathan Mahoney were excited for the inauguration, but they're rolling with the change of plans. They got moved inside so it's kind of sad. Kind of sad. Yeah we had tickets too so we were like on the lawn and then we don't know what's going on with that now. Webb, who's from Texas and Mahoney from

Massachusetts, are in the military and stationed together a few hours from DC. Edwin Alas traveled from Colorado with his husband Gabriel. Alas says they don't have tickets, but they wanted to come celebrate the new president. You want the best for him. Because a successful presidency, no matter what party,

it's a successful country. So we hope the same for President Trump. Trump will take the oath inside the Capitol rotunda with many supporters watching from a downtown country. So we hope the same for President Trump. Trump will take the oath inside the Capitol Rotunda with many supporters watching from a downtown arena. Sarah McCammon, NPR News, Washington. Meanwhile this morning, President Biden has issued several pardons. He says these are meant to protect certain Americans from politically motivated prosecutions. The pardons are for former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General General Mark Milley, the former Pandemic Medical Advisor to the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci,

and pardons for lawmakers on the House January 6th Committee and their staff. You're listening to NPR. The National Weather Service has issued warnings of extreme cold in the Central U.S. from the Canadian border down to south Texas. At the same time, a winter storm is brewing on the Gulf Coast. Heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain are headed for Texas, Georgia, and Florida.

Forecasters say these areas don't often get this kind of winter weather. Canada's internal trade minister says if President-elect Trump follows through on his threat of tariffs, Canada could retaliate with the single largest trade blow to the U.S. Dan Karpanchuk reports Anita Anand says Canada is ready to take on Trump immediately. Anand says retaliatory measures are ready and will be unveiled on Monday when and if Trump slaps a 25 percent tariff on Canadian products. She's echoed what other cabinet ministers and nearly all provincial premiers have said,

that Canada will use all the tools it has to ensure that Canadian workers and industry are protected. Trump has praised the use of tariffs, but economic experts are warning that his threat would have devastating effects on both economies, especially if there is a trade war, the biggest between Canada and the US in decades. Anand also acknowledges that Ottawa still does not have any information about what Trump will do.

But she says Canada has planned multiple rounds of counter tariffs, which it will not hesitate to use. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpanchuk in Toronto. California firefighters are making progress against the two enormous wildfires burning around Los Angeles. But powerful Santa Ana winds that have helped fuel the flames are returning today. Forecasters have issued a red flag warning. The winds are expected to last through Thursday. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.