NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-25-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: January 26, 2025

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JANENE HIRST. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. Kristi Noem was sworn in as Homeland Security Secretary today by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas hours after the Senate confirmed her nomination. The former South Dakota governor has been a defender of President Trump's immigration policies. NPR's Jimena Bustillo has more. JANENE HIRST.

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. Noem 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, NPR News, Washington. A deal to save TikTok is emerging in the White House. As NPR's Bobbi Allen reports, software company Oracle and Microsoft are among American investors working toward an agreement with the video app.

Sources close to talks in the White House about TikTok's future say Oracle is planning to offer tens of billions of dollars for a sizable share of TikTok's global operation. Microsoft and other U.S. investors are expected to also be part of the deal. NPR has agreed to not name the sources who aren't authorized to speak publicly about the talks. White House negotiators say China-based ByteDance will lose control of TikTok, but would remain a minority investor in the app. For years, TikTok has been a national security concern over fears that the Chinese government could use the app to spy or push disinformation. The discussions are in flux, but a senior staffer in Congress says if ByteDance doesn't have access to

TikTok's data or algorithm it could satisfy the law. Neither the White House nor any of the companies return a request for comment. Bobbi Allen, NPR News. In California there's new concern today in Altadena where residents are still recovering from the deadly Eaton fire. That fire is now 95% contained but people are now worried about the rain that's forecast through Monday. Steve Futterman has more. They could have used this weeks ago.

Instead, the rain is coming now. Here in Altadena, many are grabbing sandbags at special locations. Michael Bustamante was lucky when it came to the fires, but he's preparing for a different threat now. All of the homes around me were burned and Altadena is at an angle, and so we're very concerned about the debris flow and the runoff from the rains. It's all about location and topography. Altadena is located just below the San Gabriel Mountains. Landslides have historically been a problem here, and this will be a continuing concern in the months ahead. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Alta Dena, California.

And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. President Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general late last night, according to multiple media reports. They're the independent watchdog officials created by Congress to root out abuse and illegal actions in federal agencies. Trump's firings, which cap a week of dramatic shakeups of the federal government, appear to violate a law requiring presidents to give Congress 30 days advance notice before removing any inspector general along with the reasons for the firing.

A prosecutor with the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for leaders of the Taliban in Afghanistan. As Omar Kandekar reports, human rights groups are applauding the decision saying the Taliban should be held accountable for the pure execution of women in the country. ICC Chief Prosecutor Kareem Khan says he is seeking arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Heber Tula Akhundzada and the head of its Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Hakani. He accuses them of crimes against humanity for gender-based persecution. The Taliban has not yet responded to the allegations. Since seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has clamped down on women's freedoms.

The group has banned women from working in most professions, girls from attending schools beyond grade 6, and females from leaving their homes without a male guardian. It's unclear how an arrest might be made, considering the group's supreme leader lives largely in seclusion in Kandahar. Omkar Khandekar, NPR News, Mumbai. And I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.