NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-25-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. The U.S. Senate today voted 59-34 to confirm the nomination of Christine Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. The South Dakota governor has been a defender of President Trump's immigration policies. She'll play a key role in that field and in disaster relief. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth was sworn in this morning after a razor-thin Senate confirmation vote last night. The vote was 51-50 with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote for the

former Fox News host. In a sweeping late-night action, President Trump dismissed independent watchdogs or inspectors general at several federal agencies, including the departments of state, defense and transportation. This according to multiple media reports, including the Washington Post, which first reported the action. And IG's role is to hold a federal agency accountable for its actions. And PR's Ron Elving has more.

Trump sent firing notices to a dozen of these last night, some of whom are people he himself appointed in his first term. And it's unclear what the illegal effect of this will be. As the law says, Congress has to get 30 days notice in advance, and obviously that didn't happen. NPR's Ron Elving, the State Department has issued an expansion on President Trump's executive action to freeze foreign assistance for 90 days. We get more from NPR's Fatima Tunis. A memo obtained by NPR and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a pause on foreign aid spending and a stop work order for any existing humanitarian and development projects. That would mean U.S.-funded programs would

have to lay off or furlough workers and put operations on hold. The memo said a review of all foreign assistance would be completed within 85 days to ensure that all foreign assistance is aligned with President Trump's foreign policy agenda. Aid to Israel and Egypt and emergency food aid are exempt from this order, according to the memo. A senior USAID official called the order, quote, reckless and disruptive to aid programs and beneficiaries. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the agency. Vaughn Matanis, NPR News. 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 and PR's Osama Khaled 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 is 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. Asma Khalid, NPR News. This is NPR. Four Israeli female soldiers taken hostage in a Hamas incursion into southern Israel fifteen months ago are now back in Israel. They were handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza this morning. They were freed as part of a Gaza war ceasefire deal mediated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt. Israel in turn has released 200 Palestinians from prison as part of a swap

negotiated in the deal that took effect last Sunday. Independent filmmakers, film buyers, and cinephiles are at the Sundance Film Festival for two weeks of movies, parties, and conversations. NPR's Mondelit Del Barco has more. On pedestrian-only Main Street in Park City, Utah, people are talking about what may happen to the festival and the town when Sundance moves in 2027. The next stop will be either Salt Lake City, Boulder, or Cincinnati. Some shop owners say they'll be glad to get rid of the traffic, but some locals are handing out stickers urging Sundance to stay in Utah. This year's festival kicked off with premieres of documentaries about Marley Matlin,

Pee-wee Herman and Sly Stone. Audiences were also treated to movies starring John Lithgow, Olivia Coleman, Rose Byrne and Conan O'Brien. There were also films about teens in Macedonia, about smuggling cabbages, and one film made from Florida police body cam footage. Mandelit Del Barco, NPR News, Park City, Utah. Madison Keys of the United States has won her first Grand Slam tennis title,

defeating two-time defending champion, Irina Sablenka of Belarus, in three sets at the Australian Open. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.