NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-28-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 28, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The White House insists people getting direct assistance from the federal government will not see their payments stop under a federal funding freeze taking effect at this hour. But as NPR's Tamara Keith explains, there is still widespread confusion over the White House memo ordering a pause on federal government grants. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says this is only a temporary pause. And the reason for this is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken.

Among those policies, ending diversity, equity and inclusion and attempting to reverse Biden era environmental programs. Many legal experts say this violates both federal law and the Constitution, which puts the power of the purse in the hands of Congress. But Levitt says the White House Counsel's Office is of the opinion that the president has this power and can use it. Tamara Keith, NPR News, The White House. It's not clear how long the pause might last. The White House has clarified Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Pell Grants, and federal education

loans are not being affected. President Trump has fired two Biden appointees on the National Labor Relations Board. While the removal of one was expected, the other is unprecedented and challenges Supreme Court precedents. Morf Bambi, Alexandria Hsu. Many people expected Trump to fire the Labor Agency's general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, as soon as he took office. As the agency's prosecutor, she had spent the last four years holding employers accountable

and expanding workers' rights. But the additional ouster of Democratic board member Gwen Wilcox came as a surprise. Under federal law, NLRB board members can only be fired for neglect of duty or malfeasance. The firing hobbles the agency, leaving the board with only two members, short of the quorum needed to adjudicate even routine cases. In a statement, Wilcox called her removal illegal and vowed to pursue all legal avenues to challenge it. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. Denmark's prime minister is visiting key leaders around Europe today and had been to show up support against President Trump's campaign to seize Greenland. More from NPR's Rob Schmidt.

President Trump has become increasingly fixated on claiming Greenland and has not ruled out using military force or economic coercion to take it from Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels in a whirlwind day of international diplomacy. This came after meetings with other Nordic leaders on Sunday evening. The Danish government announced Monday a new $2 billion defense package for three new Arctic ships, additional long-range drones and strengthening of satellite capacity.

Rob Schmitz, NPR News, Berlin. On Wall Street stocks close higher today, the Dow up 136 points, the NASDAQ rose 391 points. This is NPR. While many countries have been talking about the importance of renewable energy, it seems China continues to leave other countries in the dust in terms of actual implementation. China last year erecting 357 gigawatts of wind and solar, 45 percent and 18 percent increases respectively.

Latest installations mean China has already surpassed a goal announced five years ago of having 1200 gigawatts of renewables by the year 2030. It's noteworthy since China remains the country that contributes most to climate change by its heavy reliance on the burning of coal. A team of Chinese scientists have used gene editing techniques to produce mice with two genetic fathers and no mother. MPR's Rob Stein has more about the advance reported today in the journal StemCell. The Chinese scientists say they created the two dad mice

by modifying 20 key variations in mouse embryonic stem cells. They then injected the modified cells and mouse sperm into a mouse egg that had all of its original DNA removed. That enabled them to produce mice with only male genetic material. The researchers say the work could lead to important new insights into reproduction. Other scientists have been researching how stem cells could help same-sex couples and people who are infertile to have genetically related children. Rob

Stein in PR News. Critical futures prices rebounded somewhat from multi-week lows as investors worry about possible tariffs against Canada and Mexico and protests blocking oil at Libyan ports oil up 60 cents a barrel to 73.77 a barrel. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh air? Up first. NPR News Now.

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