NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-29-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced more than three hours of questioning today in his first confirmation hearing to become President Trump's health secretary, Democratic senators zeroing in on Kennedy's views on vaccine, morphed NPR's Will Stone. Kennedy was frequently on the defense as senators brought up his past statements. They quoted Kennedy's claim that no vaccine is safe and effective, noted he petitioned the government to have the COVID vaccines revoked, and founded a prominent anti-vaccine group. Kennedy repeatedly denied he was anti-vaccine, saying vaccines play a critical role in health care, but Democratic

Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire wasn't convinced. There is no reason that any of us should believe that you have reversed the anti-vaccine views that you have promoted. Republicans largely brushed off these concerns, saying Kennedy's position was clear, and praised him for bringing more attention to chronic diseases.

Will Stone, NPR News. The White House has rescinded its efforts to pause trillions of dollars of federal funding. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports the move comes a day after a federal court in Washington, D.C. put the Trump administration plan on hold. President Trump's order fueled a long-running legal debate over Congress's authority to determine how taxpayer dollars are spent. Jed Sugarman, a law professor at Boston University, says the president's memo amounted to an

unconstitutional power grab. Congress has already spoken to this in a statute called the Impoundment Control Act specifically address whether the president tries to block or pause. The president can't do either. The Impoundment Control Act limits a president's authority to refuse to spend or commit to spending funds appropriated by Congress. The White House had argued that the order did not constitute a funding freeze and was not subject to the law. Windsor-Johnston and PR News, Washington. Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez

has been handed an 11-year prison sentence for his conviction in a scheme that brought him cash, gold, bars and even a luxury car. Once one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, Menendez was convicted as acting as an agent of the Egyptian government. The Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates where they are for now. Here's NPR's Scott Horsley. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold their benchmark interest rates steady between 4.25% and 4.5%. That benchmark is often a guide for other short-term borrowing rates on things like car loans and credit card debt. The Fed had lowered interest rates at its last three policy meetings by a total of a full percentage point, but with inflation still running slightly above the central bank's

target and with the job market holding up fairly well, the Fed feels little pressure to cut rates further right now. President Trump has said he wants to see lower interest rates, but the president's call for steep tariffs on imports and widespread deportations could work against that by putting more upward pressure on prices. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR. Nearly sworn in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wasted little time in taking aim at federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and pickups along with the way it regulates

air pollution. Duffy calling on the federal agency to in charge of fuel economy standards that requirements put in place since the 70s be reversed as soon as possible. The administration says current fuel and emission standards hinder consumer choice. The Vatican has published guidelines on the ethics of using artificial intelligence. NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports on the wide-ranging text directive. The guidance issued by the Vatican expands on comments made by Pope Francis about artificial intelligence. In matters of war, it warns against using AI automated weapons, saying no machine should ever be

allowed to decide to take a human life. On healthcare the Vatican says AI can be a tool to enhance diagnosis and treatment but it shouldn't be allowed to replace the relationship between doctor and patient. The Vatican calls for AI to be used to complement human intelligence and not try to replace it and warns of the danger of over-relying on AI for communication. And, the Vatican says, humans must be wary of quote, the presumption of substituting God for an artifact of human making. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome. NASA says one of its spacecraft has returned asteroid samples to Earth that hold some of

the key building blocks of life and also salty remains of what may have been an ancient water world. Scientists say a pair of studies provide some of the strongest evidence yet asteroids may have brought the seeds of life to Earth. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned the samples from near-Earth asteroid in 2023. This is NPR.