NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-24-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

NPR News: 01-24-2025 11PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025? We don't know, but we're making some fun, bold predictions for the new year. Listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. In a dramatic vote tonight in the U.S. Senate, lawmakers voted 50-50 on the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense. And with the tie, Vice President J.D. Vance, as President of the Senate, cast a yes vote to put Hegseth over the top.

Alright, are there any senators in the chamber who wish to vote or change a vote? If not, on this vote, the yeas are 50 and the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed. Three Republicans broke ranks with President Trump. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Susan Collins and Senator Lisa Murkowski. They voted no, forcing Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote. Hegseth faced allegations of spousal abuse from his second wife and charges he abused alcohol. The senators who voted against him also said

they felt he did not have enough experience to run the Pentagon. The Trump administration is giving immigration authorities broad new powers to quickly expel migrants who were temporarily admitted to the country during the Biden administration. NPR's Joel Rose reports. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman signed a memo that appears to give immigration authorities a roadmap to begin removing migrants who are temporarily admitted to the country under two Biden-era programs. They include the CBP-1 app, which allowed migrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry to begin their asylum claims, and another program for migrants

from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. More than 1.4 million migrants were admitted to the U.S. under the two programs, which depend on an authority known as humanitarian parole. Critics said those programs were themselves unlawful. Now immigrant advocates fear that people who fled from dangerous places may be forced to go back. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington. Hamas has named four female Israeli soldiers it plans to release Saturday. In the latest rounds of exchanges, they're part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

In that exchange, Israel is expected to release some 200 Palestinians, including some serving life sentences. NPR's Greg Myrie has the latest. Hamas released a statement with the names of the four soldiers, all women, aged 19 or 20. Hamas seized them in the October 2023 attack on southern Israel that ignited the war. The Israeli media reported the government was expecting a civilian woman to be on the list. But according to those reports, Israel agreed to accept the four soldiers rather than risk

delaying the exchange. Hamas still has more than 90 Israeli hostages and Israel is holding thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The first exchange was last Sunday. Several more are planned in the coming weeks. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Tel Aviv. On Wall Street, all three indexes closed down on Friday. This is NPR News.

Hurricane winds and heavy rains Friday battered parts of northern United Kingdom, Ireland, and Scotland, leaving more than one million people without power and causing extensive damage to the region's electric infrastructure. The BBC is reporting one person died in Dunnegal when a tree fell on a car. Flights were cancelled and train service was suspended in Scotland. The winds topped more than 100 miles per hour and officials issued a rare stay-at- home warning for parts of the region. The Trump administration has revoked federal protection for Dr. Anthony Fauci,

who helped lead the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NPR's Rob Stein has more. Dr. Fauci has been guarded because of threats he's been getting because of the pandemic. Fauci was considered a hero by many from his role fighting COVID-19, but the National Institutes of Health scientists was vilified by some due to conflicting advice about masks, vaccine mandates, and the origins of the virus. During a visit to North Carolina, President Trump said Fauci and other former federal officials whose protection has been cancelled can afford to pay for their own security.

A source close to the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says Fauci, who is now retired, has hired private guards. Rob Stein, NPR News. The State Department has ordered a wide-ranging 90-day freeze on all new foreign aid, making exemptions only for military aid to Egypt and Israel. has ordered a wide-ranging 90-day freeze on all new foreign aid, making exceptions only for military aid to Egypt and Israel. From Washington, you're listening to NPR News. I'm Dan Ronan.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have outlined their plans to slash the federal workforce with the help of a team of quote, small government crusaders. What's in store for federal workers and how are they planning for change? This January 1A's.gov series guides you through various government agencies and the people working for you. Listen to the 1A podcast from NPR.