NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-25-2025 3PM EST

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Pete Hegseth is now Secretary of Defense. He was sworn into office this morning by Vice President J.D. Vance, who also cast the tie-breaking confirmation vote last night in a sharply divided Senate. The former Fox News host is an Army National Guard combat veteran. I want to thank the men and women wearing the uniform. And I've said this before when I speak and I mean it. Every time I stand at a podium and there's bright lights and cameras, the first thing that goes through my head are the guys that I served with on the battlefield.

The men and the women who I locked shields with and put my life on the line with, who never get the spotlight. Kristi Noem, the next Homeland Security Secretary, has officially resigned as Governor of South Dakota. Her letter to her Lieutenant Governor was submitted earlier today. After the Senate voted 59 to 34 to confirm her, she is succeeded by her former Lieutenant Governor Larry Rodin. It's been nearly three weeks since the deadly fires raced through parts of Los Angeles and

other areas. As Steve Futterman reports, it's unclear what the future looks like. It was one of the more spirited discussions as President Trump came here to Pacific Palisades. Everyone's standing in front of the house. They want to go to work and they're not allowed to do it. Trump and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass talked about how quickly people can go back to their destroyed homes. One of the biggest issues is disposing of any hazardous materials. Bass talked about that. A week is a long time.

They're safe. They're safe. Trump and the mayor both talked about bypassing red tape to speed things up. I'm exercising my emergency powers. You have to exercise them also. I did exercise them also. I did exercise them. The mayor said she expects people to be allowed back in the next week.

The president said he would like them allowed back now. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Pacific Palisades, California. Two hundred Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been released from Israeli jails. This after four Israeli soldiers who'd been held hostage returned to Israel. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf has more. The detainees are being sent to different places, depending on where they're from and the severity

of their crimes, according to Israel. Around half were released to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Association. But anyone serving a life sentence for murder or other serious crimes is being exiled to Arab countries. Among those deported was 70-year-old Mohammed al-Tus, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, sentenced to life in 1985 for carrying out attacks against Israel. NPR spoke to his son Thayer by phone.

I could not describe my happiness that he is free, he said. But there is also sadness that he can't be with us. Thayer said it was unclear to which country his father would be sent. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. This is NPR. Yannick's sinner of Italy faces Alexander Zverev of Germany tomorrow in the Australian Open Finals. American Madison Keys today took home her first title in the women's tennis grand slam.

A pair of giant pandas from China, Bao Li and Qing Bao, have made their long-awaited public debut at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo. NPR's Rachel Triesman reports. For nearly a century, China has sent bears to zoos around the world in a practice known as panda diplomacy. The U.S. welcomed its first pandas to the National Zoo in 1972 and has housed several others on long-term loans in the decades since. D.C. was without pandas for almost a year, until Bao Li and Cheng Bao arrived in October 2024. After months of preparation, their exhibit and the popular online panda cam are now on

full display. Rachel Triesman, NPR News. Today is the biggest travel day of the year in China when many journey to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families. The BBC's Celia Hatton reports this year will usher in the Year of the Snake, beginning on Wednesday. Millions of people across China are hurrying to the places they'd like to be for the start of the Lunar New Year.

An estimated 9 billion journeys will be logged across China in the 40-day period around the New Year festival. That's up from 8.4 billion last year. The BBC's Celia Hatten, the government anticipates lots of car travel while train trips will exceed half a billion and 90 million people are expected to travel by air. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.