NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-26-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 26, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. President Trump's hardline migration policies have provoked a diplomatic spat with Colombia, one of Washington's closest allies. Colombia's government is refusing to accept deportation flights, prompting Trump to threaten the country with sanctions. Reporter John Otis has more. During its first week in office, the Trump administration has carried out deportation flights to several Latin American countries. But when it tried to send two plane loads of deportees to Colombia, President Gustavo Petro refused to accept them.

He cited the poor treatment of Brazilians who were recently deported from the U.S. and arrived home in handcuffs. A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with dignity, Petro said on X. In a post to social media, Trump responded by threatening steep tariffs on Colombian exports, financial sanctions, and visa restrictions on government officials and relatives of President Petro. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Columbia. Federal law enforcement agencies began ramped up immigration enforcement in Chicago today as top Trump administration officials visited the city. In a post on X, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, says agents from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and agents from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and

the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are there. The DEA's Chicago office posted pictures on X showing Acting Deputy AG Emil Bovi and Border Czar Tom Holman with agents from the DEA and ICE. The number of federal agencies involved shows President Trump's willingness to use federal law enforcement beyond the Department of Homeland Security to carry out his long-promised mass deportations. Much-needed rain is falling across parts of Southern California, helping firefighters as they make progress in containing wildfires in the region, but officials are warning of mudslides and toxic ash. And Pierre Chandelis Duster has more.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Sunday evening through Monday evening for parts of Los Angeles County scorched by the fires. And officials are cautioning those who return to their homes to be careful of toxic material. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Furrier. Heavy metals such as lead and arsenic

can come from burned electronics and building materials and even a brief exposure can potentially cause skin irritations and lead to more serious illness. Residents are also advised to wear an N95 mask to not inhale smoke and ash. Chantalise Duster, NPR News. The NFL Conference Championship games are kicking off today. The NFC contenders, the Washington Commanders, are playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Philadelphia. The score at last check, 27 to 15, Eagles in the third quarter. This is NPR News.

Student organizers in Tennessee are planning to march again at the State House to demand gun reform following Wednesday's school shooting in Nashville that left two students dead, including the shooter. Mariana Bacca-Yau from member station WPLN has more. 2023, after the deadly Covenant school shooting, did not sway Tennessee's Republican supermajority, which refused a call from its Republican governor to pass a red flag law. College student Jermaine Cole Jr. says he doesn't expect the recent shooting at Antioch High School to change any minds, but he's still going to march at the Capitol. I'm tired of doing this. Year after year, I show up hoping that they'll do something about gunfights and it never changes. The Tennessee House has already restricted the public's access to the chamber by reserving half of the gallery for guests of lawmakers.

For NPR News, I'm Mariana Bacallao in Nashville. It's a quiet weekend at the box office. Flight Risk debuted in the top spot with a modest 12 million dollars in ticket sales. The Lionsgate thriller, directed by Mel Gibson, stars Mark Wahlberg as a pilot flying an air marshal and a fugitive across Alaska. In second place, Walt Disney's Mufasa, The Lion King, in its sixth weekend with $8.7 million. That film has taken in $626 million globally. In third place, One of Them Days, with $8 million in its second weekend. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.