NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-24-2025 12PM EST

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

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On NPR's Wild Card podcast, comedian Michelle Butoh says she's glad she ignored the people who told her to lose weight. I'm just going to show you what it looks like to love my body, my double chin, my extra rolls, okay? My buckets of thighs. Sauce on the side, you can't afford it. I'm Rachel Martin. Michelle Butoh is on the Wild Card podcast, the show where cards control the conversation. Liveine Herbst Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine

Herbst. Vice President Vance is scheduled to address the annual March for Life today in Washington. As NPR's Sarah McCammon reports, this year's gathering of anti-abortion activists comes at a time when conservatives control the White House Congress and they hold a majority on the Supreme Court. President Trump has bragged about his role in choosing Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, but since then he's offered mixed messages about whether he'd support new federal restrictions, as some activists are calling for. Trump's vice president, J.D. Vance, is set to address the march in person, his first

public appearance since the inauguration. Here's Vance at the Ohio March for Life in 2023. For the millions of babies as yet unborn in this country, we are going to fight for you every step of the way. There are many steps to take. I'll be right there walking with you. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are also scheduled to speak. Sarah McKammon, NPR News, Washington.

President Trump is capping off his first week in office with visits to areas devastated by natural disasters. He's in Asheville, North Carolina now to view damage from the remnants of Hurricane Helene that wiped out scores of homes and left at least 266 people dead. He says he will sign an executive order to reform, overhaul, or get rid of FEMA without providing details. Later, he heads to California to survey damage from the ongoing wildfires. While in North Carolina, he said he would support aid for California if they backed a voter ID law and reformed their environmental laws.

And the Trump administration has nixed DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government, including the military. And Pierce Tom Bowman has more. These programs have been seen as pretty effective in bringing more women and minorities into the ranks at all levels. President Biden chose the first woman, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, to run the Navy, as well as the first black defense secretary, Lloyd Austin. But Donald Trump and his defense secretary nominee, Pete Hagseth, have dismissed these programs as woke and divisive. Another thing they question is extremist activity. And here's Tom Bowman.

Israel's Supreme Court has again postponed a decision on whether or not to allow journalists access to Gaza. And here's Kat Lonsdorf has more. Israel's Foreign Press Association, of which NPR is a member, filed the latest petition to lift the ban on outside media last September. The court gave the state of Israel a deadline to respond to that petition.

The state has requested that deadline to be moved back five times. It's now set for early February. Early in the war, the Supreme Court rejected another petition from the FPA citing security concerns. Outside journalists have only been allowed access to Gaza during the war on highly controlled embeds with the Israeli military. Throughout the war, reporting from Gaza has largely come from Palestinian journalists who were already inside when the

war began. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. This is NPR News. US tennis star Ben Shelton is out of the Australian Open, going down to defending champion Yannick Sinner of Italy in the semifinals. As Christina Kogolia reports, Shelton was the first American to reach the men's final four in more than a decade. Ben Shelton got off to a quick start with an early break in the opening game against men's world number one Yannick Sinner, only for the Italian to take the first set in a tie break, eventually defeating the 22

year old American 766262. This was Shelton's best result at the Australian Open, having reached the quarterfinals two years ago. Andy Roddick was the last American to get this far in the men's singles in 2009. Janek Sinner will now face Germany's Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final. The world number two advanced after Serbia's Novak Djokovic retired from their semifinal match due to injury. For NPR News, I'm Krist Kukalla in Melbourne. Sales of existing homes in the U.S. fell to the lowest level in 30 years in 2024, with just over 4 million homes sold. This is high mortgage rates and low inventory continue.

The National Association of Realtors says sales in December rose just over 2 percent, with the median selling price at just over $400,000. Meanwhile mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate loan is now just under 7% and that's slightly lower than it was a week ago. Meanwhile President Trump told business leaders in Davos yesterday he'll demand interest rates come down. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington. Americans are living longer than ever before. On the Sunday story from Up First, we look at a growing number of people using these extra years to find new meaning. You get to the point where you start asking, what did you do in your life that was significant?

A look at the transformative power of human passion and finding your purpose in the third act of life. Listen now on the Up First podcast from NPR.