NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-28-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: January 28, 2025

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Matt Wilson spent years doing rounds at children's hospitals in New York City. I had a clip-on tie. I wore Heelys, size 11. Matt was a medical clown. The whole of a medical clown is to reintroduce the sense of play and joy and hope and light into a space that doesn't normally inhabit. Ideas about navigating uncertainty. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Laxmelea Sing. The White House has held its first press briefing of President Trump's second term. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt faced a flurry of reporters' questions today about President

Trump's decision to halt all federal grants and assistance. Caroline Levitt I have now been asked and answered this question four times. To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government, you will not be impacted by this federal freeze. In fact, OMB just sent out a memo to Capitol Hill with Q&A to clarify some of the questions and the answers that all of you are asking me right now. Again, direct assistance will not be impacted. I've been asked and answered about this OMB memo.

At the start of the briefing, Levitt announced the Trump White House would increase new media's presence in the press corps, saying more people get their news from social media influencers and other content creators. Levitt also had an update on the mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey late last year. President Trump says they were either FAA authorized for research or flown by hobbyists and other private individuals. Now returning to the debate over the pause in federal grants, loans, and financial assistance NPRs, Barbara Sprout reports congressional Democrats say states are now scrambling to figure out which programs will be affected.

Democrats say the pause could affect funding for disaster relief efforts, rural hospitals, food assistance, Age the Elderly, infrastructure programs, and cancer research, among other things. Here's Washington Senator Patty Murray. The scope of this illegal action is unprecedented and could have devastating consequences across the country for real people. She's calling on the Senate Budget Committee chair to postpone a committee vote on Ross' vote,

Trump's nominee, to head the Office of Management and Budget. The White House says the pause would not impact Social Security, Medicare payments, or assistance provided directly to individuals. A senior official tells NPR the pause for some programs could be brief if it's determined they're in compliance with administration policy. Barbara Sprint, NPR News, Washington.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, also enabling people to look for the missing and the dead. NPR's Ayah Betravi reports. Across Gaza, people are returning to cities in ruins, with most buildings damaged or destroyed overwhelmingly by Israeli airstrikes. Now that the bombs have stopped, people are searching for their loved ones.

Zaki Shakber says he identified his nephew's body recently from his clothes and shoes. Local officials say there's no capacity to run DNA tests now in Gaza. Another man, Ali Ashour, says he's searching all morgues for his mentally disabled 18-year-old son who's been missing for nine months. I want my son. I hope he's detained with the Israelis. I want him home, he says. That's Aya Batraoui.

It's NPR. Private and public leaders in Southern California have launched a new fundraising initiative to help rebuild the Los Angeles area following this month's catastrophic wildfires. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the effort dubbed LA Rises. Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and basketball legend Magic Johnson are two of the major figures selected to spearhead the philanthropic initiative. Starbucks hopes nicer mugs and free refills get more people in the door. This week's new changes are part of the new CEO's effort to bring the world's biggest coffee chain closer to the image of a local coffee house.

Here's NPR's Alina Seljuk. Starbucks is trying to change its vibe. Starting this week, people who want to hang out at Starbucks can now get their drinks and ceramic mugs and get free refills of tea and coffee. The chain is also bringing back self-serve sugar and cream, which had gone away in the pandemic. And earlier, Starbucks also went back to its old policy on bathrooms, saying they are only for paying customers.

All this is part of an overhaul by CEO Brian Nicol, who was brought on to fix declining sales. Nicol has argued Starbucks has strayed too far from its roots, with drinks and menus so complicated they overwhelm the baristas and the customers. On Tuesday, he'll address investors as Starbucks releases its latest financial report. Alina Seluk, NPR News. US stocks are trading higher this hour. The NASDAQ up now 325 points or more than one and a half percent.

The S&P's risen 45 points and the Dow is up more than 100 points. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh air? Up Singh, NPR News.