NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-23-2025 8PM EST

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

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This is Eric Glass. In this American life, sometimes we just show up somewhere, turn on our tape recorders, and see what happens. If you can't get seven cars in 12 days, you gotta look yourself in the mirror and say, holy, what are you kidding me? Like this car dealership, trying to sell its monthly quota of cars, and it is not going well. I just don't want one balloon to a car. Balloon the whole freaking place so it looks like I'm circus. Real life stories every week. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Pete Hegseth's nomination to

lead the Department of Defense cleared a procedural vote today. NPR's Deidre Walsh reports there's some Republican opposition but it's not expected to derail him. Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski announced she could not support Hegseth, citing his lack of experience, and reports about excessive drinking and other inappropriate behavior that raised questions about his character. A second GOP Senator, Susan Collins of Maine, also plans to vote no. She raised doubt about him leading the large department and his previous comments about

women serving in group combat roles. Hegseth backtracked on those, but Collins says she's not convinced his position has changed. Hegseth is not expected to get any support from Democrats, but he can afford to lose as many as three GOP votes. The final Senate vote is expected sometime on Friday, and Hegseth appears likely to be confirmed as secretary of Defense, mostly along party lines. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, The Capitol.

President Trump's nominee to lead Veterans Affairs easily passed Senate committee today. Also, NPR's Quo Lawrence reports the vast majority of VA staff were exempted from federal hiring freeze. Doug Collins, an Air Force Reserve colonel and former Georgia congressman, was endorsed by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee 18-1, almost guaranteeing he'll be the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs. During his confirmation hearing this week, he was pressed on whether President Trump's federal hiring freeze would apply to VA.

He said he needed to study it. In the meantime, doctors and nurses nationwide who thought they had VA job offers got the news their offers were rescinded. After two days of mixed messages, the administration has now exempted the majority of health care positions at VA from the hiring freeze. Senate Democrats have urged Trump to protect all VA staff positions from the freeze. Quill Lawrence, NPR News. President Trump is calling on Saudi Arabia to lower oil prices, which he says could help

bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. His remarks were from the White House and delivered by video to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More from NPR's Deepa Sivaram. After listing what he sees as accomplishments in his first week of office, Trump addressed the Economic Forum in Switzerland with the focus on tariffs, saying that if products aren't made in America, there will be tariffs added to them. He also said he would call on Saudi Arabia to bring down

the cost of oil and that doing so would quote immediately end the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia, which exports a lot of oil, has been relying on the high cost of it to sustain the war. Right now the price is high enough that that war will continue. You got to bring down the oil price, you got to end that war. Trump also said China's Xi Jinping could help pressure Russia's Putin to end the conflict. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, the White House. US financial markets close mostly higher with the broad market notching another record high today in hopes of falling interest rates. The S&P 500 gained 32 points. You're listening to NPR.

Members of the powerful Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the company itself are agreeing to pay out $7.4 billion to settle lawsuits over the toll of the powerful opioid painkiller. The deal is an improvement over a previous proposal that was rejected last year by the US Supreme Court. The high court shot down the earlier proposal, largely because it protected members of the wealthy family from civil lawsuits over the drug, even though they were not in bankruptcy. Latest deal comes on top of about $50 billion

in opioid settlements announced in recent years. A new study shows adults who are diagnosed with ADHD live shorter lives than people without such a diagnosis. More from NPR's Maria Godoy. The study looked at more than 30,000 adults AdDHD live shorter lives than people without such a diagnosis. More from NPR's Maria Godoy. The study looked at more than 30,000 adults diagnosed with ADHD in the UK. The researchers used national data on mortality rates to estimate their life expectancy. They found that men diagnosed with ADHD were dying seven years younger on average compared

to their counterparts without a diagnosis. Women with ADHD lived an average of nine years less. Prior research has found that factors including smoking, sleep, exercise, nutrition, and risky driving are key factors behind the shorter lifespans in adults with ADHD. Researchers say these factors are linked to impulsivity, which can be treated. The findings are in line with other research that finds untreated ADHD raises the risk of serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Maria Godoy, NPR News.

Critical features prices moved lower today. Oiled down 82 cents a barrel to settle at $74.62 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from NYU Langone. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.