NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-21-2025 3AM EST

Episode Date: January 21, 2025

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Donald Trump is starting his second term as president. What will his administration do and what policies will it promote? On the NPR Politics Podcast, we'll break down what the new administration does and explain why it matters. Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast every day. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. In his first hours as president, Donald Trump Monday signed a number of executive orders dealing with immigration and tariffs.

He told reporters in the Oval Office that on February 1st, 25 percent tariffs will be imposed against Canada and Mexico because he claimed those countries have done little to stop the flow of fentanyl across their respective borders. We're thinking in terms of 25 percent on Mexico and Canada because they're allowing vast numbers of people, Canada's a very bad abuser also, vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in. When do you think we would enact those? I think February 1st.

Trump also signed an order pausing a law that would ban the mega popular social media app TikTok, unless its China based parent company spun off its US base operations. President Trump has issued pardons to more than 1500 people charged in connection with the violent January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. NPR's Tom Drisbach reports. On January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol, some using weapons like pepper spray, a stun gun, a hockey stick, and stolen riot batons that they used to attack and beat police officers.

More than 100 officers were injured. Following the insurrection, the Justice Department brought charges against more than 1,500 people. Now, Trump has given nearly all of those defendants an unconditional pardon, except for just 14 who are getting commutations. That smaller group will be released from prison but still have a felony on their records. Trump said the January 6th defendants had been treated horribly, though most of them pleaded guilty. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.

In one of his first acts in office, the president signed an order to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. NPR's Julia Simon has more. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the climate treaty in his last term. This time he did it on his first day. Almost a decade ago, 196 countries came together to sign the historic treaty. The goal remains to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius over levels in the 1800s. Scientists agree that with ever increasing levels of climate pollution the world will see more devastating heat waves, floods, and fires. Trump's decision comes on the heels of deadly fires in Los Angeles that scientists already say were made worse because

climate change made vegetation more dry. Climate experts say as the U.S. retreats from climate leadership, other countries are stepping up including China, the U.K., and the European Union. Julia Simon, MPR News. The Taliban government in Afghanistan Tuesday announced it's releasing two Americans in a prisoner exchange with the U.S. The outgoing Biden administration secured the release of the two men after the President

Biden issued a commutation to an Afghan man. This is NPR News. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio is the first member of President Trump's Cabinet to be confirmed on Monday. The Senate voted unanimously to approve Rubio as Secretary of State just hours after the president was sworn in for a second term. Rubio is a staunch supporter of Israel

and a longtime critic of China, the son of Cuban immigrants, he becomes the first Hispanic American to serve as the nation's top diplomat. The former leader of Planned Parenthood, Cecilia Richards, has died following a battle with brain cancer. She was 67. NPR's Sarah McKimmon reports. Cecilia Richards was the daughter of the late Texas governor Anne Richards. Both were known for their unflappable advocacy for

progressive causes. Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers in the St. Louis area, knew Richards for more than a decade through their advocacy for abortion rights. I think she really changed the way that the movement engaged publicly. She was a very visible and bold presence. She wasn't afraid to take question, to say the word abortion. Joe Biden awarded Cecile Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2024.

In a statement, Biden praised her legacy of fighting for, quote, equality, justice, and freedom. Sarah McCammon, NPR News. Ohio State is the national champs of college football. They beat Notre Dame 34-23 in Atlanta. The win gives Ohio State its ninth national championship and its first one in the last 10 years. I'm Dan Ronan, NPR News in Washington. Hey, it's Robin Hilton from NPR Music.

Many years ago, I helped start the Tiny Desk Concert Series. And right now, NPR is looking for the next great undiscovered musician to perform behind the famous desk. Think you've got what it takes? Submit a video of you playing an original song to the Tiny Desk Contest by February 10th. Find out more and see the official rules at npr.org slash tiny desk contest.