NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-29-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

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Want to know what it's like to play behind the tiny desk if you've got the talent we've got the desk Unsigned artists enter the 2025 tiny desk contest for an opportunity to play your own tiny desk concert our nationwide Starsearch starts now and the winner will play their own tiny desk concert and a US tour to learn more visit NPR org slash tiny desk contest Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The Trump administration has dismissed all members of two scientific panels that advise the Environmental Protection Agency. As NPR's Alejandra Barunda reports, an email from the acting EPA administrator called for

a reset of the committees. The EPA relies on committees of independent scientists and experts to guide updates to the agency's rules and regulations. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, for example, helps guide the nation's air pollution limits. But the committees have become political flip-balls. Scientific experts were dismissed during the first Trump administration and replaced with representatives from industry.

Then the EPA administrator in the Biden years dismissed those members and replaced them with scientists. Barbara Turpin is an air pollution scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was on KSAC until today. She's not surprised by the news, but... Well it's certainly disappointing. I find it disappointing. The agency will solicit nominations for new committee members in the coming weeks.

Alejandra Burunda, NPR News. Retired general and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley has lost his security clearance and his personal security detail. N Paris Stryle Snyder reports. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has informed General Milley of the decision and that Hegseth has directed the Defense Department's acting inspector general to open an inquiry into Milley's conduct, which could lead to demotion in retirement. President Trump nominated Milley to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2018 during his first term. But their rapport has been rocky.

And now Milley is the latest former government official to lose his security details since Trump regained the White House. Milley was among those who received a preemptive pardon from former President Joe Biden on his last day in office. Trial Snider, NPR News. President Trump's ban on transgender service members and the armed forces as being day in office. Trial Snider, NPR News. President Trump's ban on transgender service members and the armed forces is being challenged in court. The case was filed by six active-duty troops and two former service members seeking re-enlistment who argue that the policy targets a specific group.

The plaintiffs call it a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is being criticized by a member of his own family as he prepares for a Senate confirmation hearing. Former Ambassador Caroline Kennedy has issued a public statement warning the Senate that her cousin is not fit to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. I've known Bobby my whole life.

We grew up together. It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets, because Bobby himself is a predator. I urge the Senate to reject his nomination. The daughter of slain President John F. Kennedy, says R.F.K. Jr., who vaccinated his own children while encouraging other parents to do the opposite. This is NPR News. A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas has mystified local health officials. The outbreak has claimed at least two lives in Kansas City since it broke out a year ago,

but officials say there is no threat to the general public. The Los Angeles area wildfires are nearly fully contained. And as Kelly McEvers reports, the massive air campaign used to bounce the flames is winding down. Paul Karpus is with CAL FIRE and was the Air Operations Branch Director for the Palisades Fire. That was the biggest of the LA fires.

He says about 100 aircraft from a handful of local, state, and federal agencies were available around the region to fight these fires. I've never seen that many aircraft available at our disposal. Darren Davies flew one of the more challenging nights of the Palisades fire. Friday, January 10th, he dropped 45 loads of water that shift.

He says he would rather fly at night. I don't have to see the destruction at night. I see fire at night. Davies has flown a lot of Southern California fires over the last five years. He says he will probably be back again soon. For NPR News, I'm Kelly McEvers in Los Angeles. An airbus operated by South Korean carrier Air Busan caught fire at Kimhae International Airport on Tuesday. The Transport Ministry says there were several injuries among the 176 people evacuated from

the burning plane. It is unclear what caused the fire, which destroyed the aircraft before takeoff to Hong Kong. Air Busan is a low-cost carrier that operates domestic and international flights. This is NPR News. Elan Musk and Vivek Ramasw also has a lot of information on the federal workforce. We'll be back with more on that in a moment. Thank you.

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