NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-23-2025 1AM EST

Episode Date: January 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. In his first television interview since returning to the White House, President Trump discussed his executive orders, TikTok and former President Joe Biden. NPR's Franco Erdogan reports Trump defended pardoning nearly all the defendants charged in connection with the January 6th attack. In a wide-ranging interview with Fox's Sean Hannity, President Trump explained his thinking behind those pardons. He also cited his own legal battles and complained about the unfairness

of President Biden's preemptive pardons of his family and allies. I went through four years of hell. I spent millions of dollars in legal fees, and I won. But I did it the hard way. I spent millions of dollars in legal fees and I won, but I did it the hard way. It's really hard to say that they shouldn't have to go through it all.

So it is very hard to say that. Trump also criticized the Biden administration's response to hurricanes and repeated several misleading or false claims about foreign governments emptying their prisons into the US. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News. Some law enforcement groups and individual members of the US Capitol Police and other departments are reacting angrily to the news that people connected to the January 6th attack have been granted pardons and commutations. Along with some members of Congress,

they held a news conference Wednesday. Metropolitan Police Officer Dan Hodges. The people who attacked us on January 6 are free now. They can try it again. And they'll know if they try it again the next four years, they'll know they'll get pardoned again. But that doesn't matter. Myself, I'll be there if I'm needed.

I'll do it all again. Members of the Capitol Police, NPD, we'll be there." Crews continue to make progress on two destructive wildfires that continue to burn in Southern California. In Los Angeles County, this comes as another wind-whipped fire broke out earlier, threatening homes north of Los Angeles. From member station The LAist, McKenna Sievertson reports. The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning in the northern LA County community of Castaic. It jumped from a couple dozen acres to a few thousand in a matter of hours, prompting evacuations and road closures.

The region is still dealing with severely dry conditions and strong winds, with red flag conditions extending into Friday. But relief may be in sight, with widespread rain and cooler temperatures in the weekend forecast. Most places are expected to get under half an inch of rain, but there is a small chance of thunderstorms, which could trigger debris flows if it downpours on any of the recent burn areas. For NPR News, I'm McKenna Sievertsen in Los Angeles. Markets on Wednesday closed the day in positive territory. All three of the indexes were up. The Dow gained nearly 131 points. The Nasdaq added 252. You're listening to NPR.

The House of Representatives has passed and sent to President Donald Trump for his signature, the Lakin-Reilly Act. It's named after the Georgia nursing student who was murdered in February of last year by a Venezuelan man who was in the United States without legal status. He was later found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. The measure will allow federal immigration officials to obtain and deport people without legal status even if they're being held on a minor charge such as theft or shoplifting. The legislation passed boasts the House and Senate by wide margins with bipartisan support.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its 2025 Inductees Wednesday, spanning a number of genres of music of country, funk, rock, and bubblegum pop. Here's NPR Music's Sydney Madden. George Clinton, Ashley Gormley, Rodney Darkchild-Jerkens, Mike Love, Tony Macaulay, and three members of the Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston, and Patrick Simmons, have officially been added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. This is the first class since 2017 to include no women on the list.

Songwriters like Janet Jackson and Sheryl Crow were nominated but didn't make the cut this year. The new honorees will be inducted on June 12th at a ceremony in New York City. Sydney Madden, NPR News. Police in San Antonio say four police officers were wounded Wednesday night in a shooting. You're listening to NPR News. Support for NPR News.