NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-20-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: January 20, 2025

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On NPR's Wild Card podcast, comedian Michelle Butoh says she's glad she ignored the people who told her to lose weight. I'm just going to show you what it looks like to love my body, my double chin, my extra rolls, okay? My buckets of thighs. Sauce on the side, you can't afford it. I'm Rachel Martin. Michelle Butoh is on the Wild Card podcast, the show where cards control the conversation.

Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, President-elect Trump has moved today's inauguration indoors. Dangerous Arctic temperatures are descending on Washington, D.C. NPR's Amy Held reports, President Biden, members of Congress, and other select guests will attend the inaugural event inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

The Rotunda can hold 600 people. For almost everyone else, some 250,000 people. Plans to see proceedings in person are not panning out. Even though Luke Griffin says he came to D.C. equipped for the weather. We would show up. We're prepared. We've got gloves and hats and scarves and coats. We're ready to go.

Capitol police say they can't go to the west front of the U.S. Capitol where the inauguration is usually held. The House Sergeant at Arms says tickets can now be considered commemorative. Trump announced D.C.'s Capitol One arena, with a 20,000-person capacity, is open to those wanting to view the inauguration and said he would swing by after being sworn in. Amy Held, NPR News. Video-sharing app TikTok is back in service after going dark over the weekend for about

14 hours. That was to comply with U.S. federal law demanding that TikTok's Chinese parent company sell it or face the ban. President-elect Trump said that he wants the U.S. to take a 50% ownership in TikTok. NPR's John Rewich reports China's foreign ministry says companies should be left alone to make their own decisions. TikTok was taken offline in the U.S. on Saturday night to comply with a law that effectively bans it unless it splits from its Chinese parent bite dance. It

went back online though after Trump said he would pause the law to come up with a solution. On Sunday, he said a joint venture could do the trick. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China hopes the U.S. can listen to reason and provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment. She said TikTok has abided by U.S. law and never violated U.S. national security. And she said China has never and will never ask companies to collect or provide overseas data in violation of local laws. John Ruehich, NPR News, Beijing. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to hold. Both sides have exchanged people. Israel released about 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees yesterday.

They were taken to the occupied West Bank. They were greeted there by hundreds of people. Hours earlier, Hamas released three Israeli women, abducted on October 7, 2023. The three former hostages were eventually transferred to a hospital near Tel Aviv and reunited with family members. This is the first of several hostage deaths. to a hospital near Tel Aviv and reunited with family members. This is the first of several hostage and detainee exchanges that are supposed to happen during the planned six-week ceasefire in Gaza.

The ceasefire is aimed at ending the 15-month-long war. You're listening to NPR. Dangerously cold weather is descending on much of the U.S. There are extreme cold warnings from North Dakota to Texas. Some areas in the Dakotas could get wind chills of 50 degrees below zero. There's a rare and significant winter storm spreading across southern Gulf Coast states. The National Weather Service says these are areas that are not used to this kind of winter weather. Forecasters are warning of travel problems and power outages. Tonight is college football's national championship. It's the first time the game has been held with a new 12-team

playoff and Piers-Becky Sullivan reports Notre Dame will face Ohio State. Between them the Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes have won 19 national championships over the years. Ohio State most recently, back in 2014, Notre Dame last won in the 80s. This year, both teams took their lumps in the regular season, but they've looked strong in the playoffs. Ohio State's offense is top tier. They're the favorites by more than a touchdown.

But Notre Dame has a stout defense and they lead the nation in points off of turnovers. If Notre Dame wins, history could be made. No black head coach has ever won a national championship in the top level of college football, which lags far behind the NFL and college basketball in that way. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, who is both black and Asian-American, could be the first. Becky Sullivan in PR News. The NFL's conference championship games are now set for next weekend. In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Washington Commanders. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills.

The winners will advance to the Super Bowl. That's on Sunday, February 9th. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington. Americans are living longer than ever before. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.