NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-27-2025 7AM EST

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

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It's a new year, and according to Pew, 79% of resolutions are about one thing, health. But there are so many fads around how to keep ourselves healthy. On It's Been A Minute, I'm helping you understand why some of today's biggest wellness trends are, well, trending. Like why is there protein in everything? Join me as we uncover what's healthy and what's not on the It's Been A Minute podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright.

The president of Colombia has agreed to accept Colombian migrants deported from the U.S. after a series of threats from President Trump. Those threats included steep tariffs, as John Otis reports from Bogota. The Trump administration tried to send two military aircraft with 160 deportees back to Colombia, but Colombian President Gustavo Petro revoked their landing rights, claiming the migrants were being mistreated. In response, Trump threatened to impose steep tariffs on all Colombian imports and other sanctions.

Petro then announced reciprocal tariffs on U.S. imports and said in a message to Trump, quote, Your blockade doesn't scare me. But apparently Petro had second thoughts. Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Morillo ended the impasse by saying his country would, in fact fact continue to receive deportation flights. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is calling state lawmakers to a special legislative session in Tallahassee today.

NPR's Greg Allen reports DeSantis is expecting lawmakers to support President Trump's immigration agenda. Among the proposals that DeSantis wants is one that would require counties and cities to participate in the federal deportation program, and it would give him the authority to suspend any officials who don't comply, including those who are elected. He wants to make it a state crime to enter the U.S. illegally. He also wants to make it, he wants to require people to show ID and their immigration status before sending money back home, which would essentially prohibit anyone who's here without legal status from sending any money in remittances back to their home country.

NPR's Greg Allen reporting. In the Middle East, the Israeli military has unblocked the roads leading north in Gaza, allowing many Palestinians to return for the first time since the beginning of the war. The return was supposed to begin yesterday as part of the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf has more now. Israel said Hamas was supposed to release one of the only female civilian hostages left last weekend and refused to allow passage to North Gaza until her release was arranged.

After negotiations late into the night, it was announced that the woman is expected to be released later this week, along with two other hostages. Just after sunrise, Israel opened a corridor for Palestinians traveling on foot back to the north. Soon a route for cars buses and even donkey carts was opened as well Thousands of people had gathered on the routes over the last few days Eager to see what might be left of their homes in the north after more than a year of war and displacement Kat Lansdorf NPR News Tel Aviv. You're listening to NPR News from Washington In the former Soviet Republic of Belarus listening to NPR News from Washington. In the former Soviet Republic of Belarus,

strongman Alexander Lukashenko has been declared the official winner of presidential elections held Sunday. The vote, which extends the Kremlin ally's 31-year hold on power, was condemned by the West as a sham. From Moscow, NPR's Charles Maines reports. According to Belarus's Central Election Commission, Lukashenko won by a landslide, garnering nearly 87 percent of the vote. Lukashenko ran against four hand-picked opponents, all of whom said they wanted the 70-year-old autocrat to remain in a post he's occupied since 1994. More serious political rivals were either in jail or exile. Lukashenko had

vowed the election would not be a repeat of 2020. That's when he was nearly swept from power after hundreds of thousands took to the streets for months to protest what they insist was a vote stolen from a pro-democratic candidate. Lukashenko's regime ultimately survived thanks to a brutal crackdown by security forces and backing from the Kremlin. Charles Maines, NPR News, Moscow. The tax filing season opens today. The IRS has expanded its direct file-free tax filing system.

The agency says the pilot program went well and so now it opens up to taxpayers in 25 states. The Super Bowl matchup is set. The Kansas City Chiefs will play for a three-peat against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the AFC Championship game last night, the Chiefs beat Buffalo 32 to 29. The Eagles beat the Commanders in the NFC. It was not a close game. Philly won 55 to 23. This is NPR News from Washington. Support for NPR. Hey, it's Robin Hilton from NPR Music. Many years ago, I helped start the Tiny Desk Concert Series.

And right now, NPR is looking for the next great, undiscovered musician to perform behind the famous desk. Think you've got what it takes? Submit a video of you playing an original song to the Tiny Desk Contest by February 10th. Find out more and see the official rules at npr.org slash tiny desk contest.