NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-25-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kristi Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. The now former South Dakota governor has been a defender of President Trump's immigration policies and she'll play a key role in that field and also in disaster relief policies. Amparo Jimeno-Bastillo has more. Kristi Noem will oversee more than 260,000 federal employees. In addition to overseeing agencies that deal with immigration, Homeland Security works

with the nation's intelligence agencies to prevent terrorist threats. During her confirmation hearing, Nome repeatedly sought to link questions about national security to the U.S. border with Mexico. As we all agree that the number one threat to our homeland security is the southern border. NOAM is set to work closely with White House officials to carry out Trump's plans, many of which have already been laid out through executive actions. These include increasing resources for deportations, changes to asylum laws, and more. Ximena Bustillo and PR News, Washington.

President Trump held a rally in Las Vegas today celebrating what he's done in his first week in office. On day one I directed every member of my cabinet to marshal all powers at their disposal to defeat inflation and bring down the cost of daily life. We want to bring prices down, too high. Way up, they didn't come down. I imposed a federal hiring freeze, a federal regulation freeze, a foreign aid freeze. And he again told the crowd that he would make sure there will be no taxes on tips for restaurant workers, servers or bellhops.

For any other worker who relies on tipped income, your tips will be 100 percent yours. Yesterday Trump took his first domestic trip since he took office, surveying the damage from the floods from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the wildfires in California. Israel and Hamas are each accusing each other of delaying steps in their weak old ceasefire agreement. And here's Jerome Sokolowski reports that despite an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners today. Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers in a ceremony in Gaza City. They were surrounded by rows of armed fighters in a display of force showing that Hamas still

rules Gaza after 15 months of war. A few hours later, Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners. They include many serving life sentences for assisting in deadly shootings and suicide bombings, including one that killed five Americans at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The next step in the ceasefire agreement calls for Israel to let displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza. The Israeli government says it will only do that after Hamas releases a civilian woman it still holds hostage.

Hamas accuses Israel of stalling. Jerome Sokolowski, NPR News, Tel Aviv. This is NPR News. The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Oklahoma can fund a Catholic charter school. The closely watched case tests how far the court will go in what's been a recent expansion of tax dollars to support religious education. If approved, it would be the country's first religious charter school. The court has already allowed government funding of vouchers for religious private schools. Backers say allowing funding for religious charter schools, which parents also opt into, is

the next logical step. Just as Amy Coney Barrett, a member of the conservative block, is recusing herself from the case without explaining why. Independent filmmakers, film buyers, and cinephiles are at this Sundance Film Festival for two weeks of movies, parties, and conversations. And Piers Mandoli-Debarco reports it could be the gathering before the festival leaves town. 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 Colman, 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. JANENE HERPST, NPR NEWS.