NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-21-2025 6PM EST

Episode Date: January 21, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The nation's artificial intelligence infrastructure is apparently getting a massive multi-billion dollar boost. President Donald Trump today announcing investments in a new entity that will be dubbed Stargate, which he says will lead to a burst of job creation. A new American company that will invest $500 billion at least in AI infrastructure in the United States and very quickly moving very rapidly, creating over 100,000 American jobs almost immediately.

Top executives from Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank joining Trump to make the announcement saying they'll start building out projects for the fast-evolving AI industry. The CEOs say the massive investment in AI infrastructure could help jumpstart creation of new drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. The Trump administration has begun going after migrants in the country without legal status. It's part of a promise to deport millions.

Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, says immigration and customs enforcement agents are focusing on those with criminal records. MPR Sarrió Martínez Beltrán reports. Holman told CNN the administration is not conducting mass raids but targeted enforcement operations. The priority is migrants who do not have legal status and have committed crimes. But Holman warned there will be collateral arrests.

We will find him. But when we find him, he may be with others. Others that don't have a criminal conviction in the country legally. They will be arrested too. Homan declined to provide specific information on the locations of the operations, citing concerns over the safety of immigration officials. Sergio Martinez Beltran, NPR News, Washington. President Trump's Department of Homeland Security is dismissing all members of advisory committees

who served under President Biden. NPR's Janet McLaughlin reports it could have implications for cybersecurity. On day one, Acting Homeland Security Chief Benjamin Huffman sent a memo to all members of the agency's advisory committees terminating their roles. NPR acquired a copy of the memo, which says the decision is part of an effort to eliminate quote misuse of resources. The memo also says that while advisory members can reapply, future committee work will be focused on DHS's mission of protecting the homeland.

Trump's pick to lead homeland security, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, has said that the agency has gotten distracted by work like election security. She has vowed to shrink DHS components, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News. Even as dangerous high winds have returned to Southern California, increasing the risk that wildfires there will spread further or that rain may be coming this weekend is feeling another concern, the possibility of deadly mudslides. L.A. Mayor Karen Bastidy ordered crews to begin preparations to shore up hillsides and

install barriers to protect vulnerable neighborhoods. Stocks gained ground on Wall Street today. The Dow is up more than 500 points. You're listening to NPR. Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper arm has offered Prince Harry and a veteran lawmaker sizable settlements to resolve a lawsuit involving a long-running phone hacking scandal. As NPR's David Folkinkvick reports, the trial would have cast a harsh light on top Murdoch execs, including one who's now the publisher of the Washington Post.

The case involves allegations that for years the Murdoch tabloids hacked into voicemail messages and otherwise illegally got access to confidential information. Washington Post publisher Will Lewis was a top Murdoch executive 14 years ago when the scandal was at its peak. Harry and politician Tom Watson say Lewis helped to orchestrate the destruction of millions of emails and lied to police. News UK and Lewis deny that, and Lewis is not a defendant in the case. Harry had said he would not settle because he wants to make sure the Murdoch papers are publicly held to account. Yet he'd be on the hook for Murdoch's huge legal fees if he does not win a judgment greater than the settlement Murdoch offered. David Folkenflick, NPR News, London.

Businessman and former presidential candidate, the vague Ramoswami is no longer the co-lead of the Government Efficiency Commission, championed by President Trump. Officials confirmed hours after Trump took office that Rameswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, would not be part of the group known as DOGE after indicating he plans to run for Governor of Ohio next year. That means the non-governmental group tasked with finding ways to make government run more efficiently will be run solely by billionaire Elon Musk. Critical futures prices moved lower today oiled down a dollar and 99 cents a barrel to settle at $75.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.