NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-24-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

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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. the third act of life. Listen now on the Up First podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. President Trump says he plans to sign an executive order to overhaul or possibly get rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. His comments came as he visited a disaster zone in North Carolina today, as NPR's Azalhalid reports. Trump has described FEMA as too slow and bureaucratic.

I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think frankly FEMA's not good. Trump did not offer immediate details on this vision and he sidestepped questions about a timeline for his plan. But he has suggested that states know how to handle disaster recoveries in their own regions better than outsiders coming in. Trump is also visiting Southern California, still reeling from fires. The president has indicated he sees more

aid for that state as leverage for getting support from Democrats in Congress for some of his legislative priorities. Asma Khalid, NPR News. The annual March for Life is underway in Washington, D.C. and after decades of focusing on getting Roe v. Wade overturned, the priority for abortion rights opponents is now to put legislative restrictions in place. NPR's Windsor Johnston has more from the rally in March. Thousands of people representing groups and organizations that oppose abortion are packing the streets

in front of the White House. There's also a lot of young people here. Many of them have come with signs that read, protect babies at every stage of development, and every life is worth saving. Cheers went up from the crowd when one of the demonstrators called on the Trump administration to ban abortion at the federal level.

President Trump has stopped short of that, saying it's a matter that should be left up to the states. And that falls in line with the 2022 Supreme Court decision that ended federal protection of the right to choose. And here's Windsor-Johnston reporting. New data shows 2024 was the slowest year for existing home sales in nearly 30 years. NPR's Laura Wamsley reports high mortgage rates, high prices, and low inventory led to the market to sputter.

Existing home sales last year totaled just over 4 million, the lowest since 1995. That's especially notable because the U.S. population has grown by more than 70 million in that time. Key factors in the slowdown have been elevated mortgage rates and a lack of affordability. There's also been a lack of inventory, but that's starting to change. The number of existing homes for sale in December was 16 percent higher than a year earlier, says Nadia Evangelou with the National Association of Realtors. However, we're still below the pre-pandemic level, so we need even more inventory to help the market to come back.

Still, prices continued to climb. The median price reached a record high of $407,500 last year. They were nudged higher by strong sales at the upper end of the market. Laurel Wamsley, NPR News. This is NPR News. After a 15-month absence, giant pandas are back on public display at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Justin O'Neill from Member Station WAMU has more. On Thursday morning, crews were preparing to welcome thousands of visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the zoo's newest stars, Bao Li and Ching Bao. Panda curator Michael Brown-Palsgrove says that if either panda shows any interest in the throngs who show up, it will more likely be the male, Bao Li. Bao Li is very gregarious and outgoing. Ching Bao is a little bit more reserved and independent. The Pandas arrived in Washington in October, and Brown Palsgrove says that a lot of work has gone into making sure that the Pandas feel safe and confident in their new enclosures. He says that the public unveiling of the Pandas, which happened this morning at 8 a.m., was months in the making. For NPR News, I'm Justin O'Neill in Washington.

A city in India has made begging and those giving alms a crime. It's part of a pilot project to make 10 cities in that country beggar-free. Police in the city of Indore registered a criminal complaint against somebody asking for money and against the person giving her help. This project will be rolled out across the country. Begging is common across South Asia and giving aid to the poor and spiritual seekers is a long-held practice. This comes as critics complain about begging in one of the world's most economically unequal countries.

Wall Street is trading lower at this hour. The Dow is down 143 points, the NASDAQ down 134, the S&P 500 down 24. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.