NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-28-2025 1AM EST

Episode Date: January 28, 2025

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What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025? We don't know, but we're making some fun, bold predictions for the new year. Listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. President Trump says he plans to meet with the leaders of India and Israel in the near future. NPR's Asma Khalid has more on Trump's remarks to reporters Monday aboard Air Force One. Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to the United States to meet very soon.

This trip could come at a critical moment amidst the fragile ceasefire hostage deal. Trump also doubled down on his prior comments that Palestinians ought to move out of Gaza. You know, when you look at the Gaza Strip, it's been hell for so many years. He said he'd like to get people living in areas that are, quote, safer and maybe more comfortable. Trump also said he'll be meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon, likely in February. The two men have had a close relationship, though Trump is pushing India on trade and immigration.

Asma Khalid, NPR News. Former Canadian finance minister Krista Freeland says that her nation needs to release a retaliation list of U.S. goods to possibly target. Freeland says the list could be used if President Trump follows through on his threat to slap 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods. She's calling for a dollar-for-dollar counterpunch. Freeland is seeking to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister. Japan's benchmark Nikkei average is down over one percent after a Chinese startup unveiled what it calls a less expensive artificial intelligence program.

The release of AI chatbot DeepSeek sent U.S. shares tumbling. But as NPR's Giles Snyder reports, President Trump says that could be a good thing. The release of DeepSeek by a Chinese startup threatens to upend American AI dominance, marking worry among investors about the billions that have been poured into AI by big American tech companies. President Trump says DeepSeek's release should be a wake-up call for the US AI industry, but he says getting a similar result for less money could turn out to be a positive. NPR's Giles Snyder. The first unionized whole food store in the nation could be in Philadelphia

after a majority of workers voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. From member station WHYY, Kristin Mosbrouck of Garza has more. With 130 in favor and 100 against, workers at one of the city's Whole Foods markets just voted to unionize. UFCW local 1776 president Wendell Young says it was an uphill battle. What I am impressed with and surprised about is how well these workers have stuck together to stand up to the company, a company this powerful and an individual like Jeff Bezos and say, you know, we're not going to take this. The National Labor Relations Board, led by a Trump appointee, must certify the results.

Amazon could challenge the votes. For NPR News, I'm Kristen Mosbrook-Garza in Philadelphia. This is NPR. Denmark's government has announced plans to spend roughly $2 billion to beef up its military presence in the Arctic. The move comes weeks after President Trump called Greenland vital to U.S. security. Although Denmark oversees Greenland security and defense, it has limited military capabilities on the island.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are returning to northern Gaza amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Many of the displaced civilians have not been home in over a year. Meanwhile, Israel says that eight of the remaining 26 have not been home in over a year. Meanwhile, Israel says that eight of the remaining 26 hostages that were to be freed under the first phase of the deal are believed to be dead. The most prestigious awards in children's books were announced on Monday. And the big winner goes to Aaron and Trotta Kelly's The First State of Being, which won the Newbery

Medal. As NPR's Andrew Limbong reports, it's about a time traveler at the turn of the century. The book takes place in 1999 and centers Michael Rosario, a 12-year-old boy fretting about the coming Y2K crisis, who then meets a time traveler from the future, obsessed with 1999 culture. Announced at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards, the Newbery honors the best in children's literature. This is Erin Entrada Kelly's second Newbery Medal, Kelly won in 2018 for her book Hello, Universe. The Caldecott Medal goes to the illustrator of the most distinguished picture book. This year, it went to Chooch Helped Illustrated by Rebecca

Lee-Koonz. That book is about a young girl who gets frustrated when her two-year-old baby brother makes a mess of things as he insists on helping all the time. Andrew Limbong, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington. Usher, Yo-Yo Ma, Boy Genius, Shaka Khan, Billie Eilish, Weird Al, one thing all these big stars have in common, they've all played behind NPR's Tiny Desk.

And if you enter NPR's Tiny Desk Contest between now and February 10th, you could be next. Unsigned musicians can find out more and see the official rules at npr.org slash tiny desk contest.