NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-29-2025 4PM EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

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Laxmelea Sing Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Laxmelea Sing. President Trump's pick to be Health and Human Services Secretary was on Capitol Hill today for the start of his confirmation hearings. Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee seem largely supportive of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while Democrats pose tough questions about his past disavowals of vaccines. Here's NPR's Lexi Schepittle. Throughout the three and a half hour hearing, Kennedy sought to assure Democratic senators

that he supports vaccines and would not discourage their use as HHS secretary. The Democrats repeatedly confronted Kennedy with his past statements calling vaccines unsafe and ineffective. Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse told Kennedy he needs to dig out of a pretty deep hole. We've just had a measles case in Rhode Island, the first since 2013, and frankly you frighten people. Kennedy has pushed misleading claims about vaccines for decades, including as the chair of an anti-vaccine nonprofit. Lexi Schepittle, NPR News, The Capitol. The Office of Management and Budget has rescinded its controversial order calling for a pause on federal assistance programs.

And Piers Mara-Lyson with details. The order had caused confusion in Washington and chaos around the country as federal agencies struggled to understand exactly what the White House wanted them to do and which programs were and were not covered by the memo. Now the Trump administration has abandoned the blanket temporary federal funding freeze. Democracy Forward says the administration has told the heads of all executive departments to contact their general councils if they have questions

about how to implement President Trump's other executive orders, cutting specific funding for many programs. The conflict demonstrates the tensions inherent in Trump's larger effort to expand the powers of the presidency and diminish constitutional checks and balances, including Congress's ability to control how the federal government raises and spends money. Mara Liason, NPR News, The White House.

The Federal Reserve is keeping its key interest rate as is for now, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. At today's meeting, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25 to 4.5 percent. We know that reducing policy restraint too fast or too much could hinder progress on inflation. At the same time, reducing policy restraint too slowly or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment. Fed policymakers had hinted that they'll be cautious about additional rate cuts so long

as the job market remains solid and prices continue to climb. While the decision to leave rates unchanged was widely expected, it sets up a potential clash with President Trump, who told reporters earlier this month that he believes, quote, interest rates are far too high. U.S. stocks are ending the day lower. The Dow closed down 136 points. The S&P lost 28 points. The Nasdaq was down 100 points. It's NPR News. The Kansas City Chiefs have a chance to score a three-peat at the Super Bowl next month after winning the big game the past two years in a row. It would be an NFL first, but as NPR's Joe Hernandez reports, whether you see the term

three-peat on any Chiefs merchandise is up to the man who holds the trademark. When Pat Riley was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the late 1980s, the team had a shot to win the NBA championship three years running. So Riley secured the trademark to the term three-peat, which is now widely used in sports to describe a team or athlete winning three consecutive championships. Riley's company now holds half a dozen trademarks for the term, covering items such as shirts, hats, posters, and trading cards. ESPN reported

that Riley earned royalties from the trademark when the Chicago Bulls won three straight NBA championships in 1993 and again in 1998 and when the New York Yankees and the LA Lakers notched the same achievement later. The Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on February 9th. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. It is officially the year of the snake. Asian Lunar New Year celebrations marking a period of rejuvenation being held around the world this week from China to Malaysia to Tanzania. Festivals parades and community marking the holiday as well in parts of the United States. But New York is the first U.S parts of the United States. But New York

is the first US state to declare the Lunar New Year a public school holiday, Governor Kathy Hochul said in a Facebook post that for too long, quote, our AAPI community had to celebrate after work or school. But not today. It's NPR.