NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-28-2025 6PM EST

Episode Date: January 28, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Nearly 1.4 million immigrants in the U.S. legally could be quickly removed from the country. That's after President Trump terminated a couple of binary humanitarian parole programs that allowed migrants fleeing danger or persecution to be here temporarily. Imperial Star hero Martinez Beltran explains. One of the programs, known as CHNB parole, allowed people fleeing Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela the opportunity to be in the U.S. temporarily after being vetted and showing proof of a sponsor. The other, the CBP-1, allowed asylum seekers who used a mobile app to schedule an

appointment to be allowed in the U.S. as they await their immigration hearing. Both programs have ended under Trump. That would mean that the nearly 1.4 million people who came to the US using a legal pathway could be subjected to expedited removals. The administration says it's focusing first on individuals who have committed crimes in the US. Sergio Martinez Beltran, NPR News, Austin. freeze till Monday. Attorneys general for more than 20 states have also sued to block the action. Administration officials had sought to clarify confusion over the White House measure today, saying programs that provide individual aid like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, and student loans would not be affected by the action. The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli leader has been invited to the White House next week. It's Trump's first White House invitation to a foreign leader since returning to office.

Here's Daniel Estrin, more from Tel Aviv. Netanyahu's office says the Israeli leader is invited to meet Trump in the White House next week on Tuesday. Trump and his Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, were instrumental in pressing Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire and hostage prisoner exchange with Hamas on the eve of Trump's inauguration. The Trump administration is urging Israel to extend the ceasefire. Netanyahu is under pressure from far-right allies to return to fighting in Gaza. Netanyahu is scheduled to testify three times a week in his corruption trial, and it's unclear if the Israeli court will grant him a reprieve for a White House visit.

Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. U.S. consumers are a bit less optimistic for a second straight month. The nonprofit business research group The Conference Board says its monthly index fell just over five points in January. However even so, it only dropped slightly below what analysts had been expecting. The index remains above levels. It could sound warning bells about possible recession. Competence by consumers is closely watched, and consumer spending drives roughly two-thirds

of overall U.S. economic activity. On Wall Street today, stocks closed higher than Dow up 136 points. You're listening to NPR. In France, the director of the world's largest art museum claims the Louvre is falling apart. NPR's owner Beardsley reports President Emmanuel Macron today announced a massive renovation of the museum including a new room for the Mona Lisa. I meet art critic Didier Ricner in front of the Louvre. He says the huge popularity of one painting does create problems.

It's a problem forever because the Mona Lisa, everybody wants to sit. But Riquenard says concerns being raised about leaky ceilings are overblown. He suspects after the restoration of Notre Dame, Macron is looking for another beauty project. And I think Emmanuel Macron wants to appear as the savior of the Louvre. Because he just saved Notre Dame. Yes, he just saved Notre Dame. He's a superhero and he wants to save the Louvre. I don't think the Louvre needs he wants to save the Louvre. I don't think the Louvre needs to be saved because the Louvre has a lot of money.

Rechner says the Louvre has ample funds to fix its problems and doesn't need saving. Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News, Paris. When this year's Grammy Awards kick off in Los Angeles, things will look a little different. The 67th annual Grammys are slated for Sunday at the CryptoCom Arena there. At least a portion of this year's award shows expected focus on wildfire relief efforts and fundraising efforts to benefit victims of the fires. According Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. says his team spoke with local officials, the fire department and others before deciding to proceed with the event. Beyonce leads the Grammy nominee pack but others including Billy

Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charlie Charli XCX, are hoping to also take home awards. Critical futures prices moved higher today, oil up 60 cents a barrel to $73.77 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.