NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-29-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

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Okay, so does this sound like you? You love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite shows, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR Plus bundle. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. This morning on Capitol Hill, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will tell senators what he would do as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin has a preview. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent decades as an anti-vaccine activist, as the head of Children's Health Defense.

If confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, he would oversee federal vaccine policy, along with many other things like scientific research, Medicare, public health, food and drug regulation, and more. There are efforts to derail his confirmation on both the political left based on his anti-vaccine advocacy work and on the right based on his past support for abortion access. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington. The Trump administration's plan to pause trillions of dollars in federal payments for grants, loans, and a wide range of other programs is on hold. A federal judge temporarily blocked the move yesterday in a lawsuit filed by nonprofit organizations that say they won't be able to provide vital services. The order

also disrupted Medicaid services websites in many states. The Office of Management and Budget says it's conducting a review of spending. Democratic State Attorneys General also sued Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who unsuccessfully ran for vice president says President Trump's victory in November doesn't justify his actions. That is not a mandate to squash the Constitution. It's not a mandate to break the law. It's not a mandate to throw out all of the things that we know make this country works well. I will work with this administration where we work with them and where they're lawful and it's in the interest, but this is not one of those.

The spending freeze is paused at least until Monday when a court hearing is scheduled. The Office of Personnel Management is offering what's being called deferred resignations to nearly all federal employees. If workers accept the offer by February 6, they can keep full pay and benefits through the end of September. The latest edition of what's known as the nation's report card has been released. NPR's Corey Turner reports it's an important snapshot of how fourth and fifth graders, fourth and eighth graders are doing, nearly five years after the pandemic forced school closings. The previous results from 2022 reflected some steep declines in student learning

and the hope this time was that 2024 would show a turnaround. In fourth grade math it did with scores improving for most students though they're still not back to pre-pandemic levels. Reading on the other hand was rough. Scores continued to fall for both fourth and eighth graders and the lowest performing students are really struggling scoring even eighth graders. And the lowest performing students are really struggling, scoring even lower in 2024 than the lowest performing readers did 30 years ago. Other research has shown COVID relief dollars did help students make up some ground.

These new data just underscore how much work is left to do. Kori Turner reporting, it's NPR. Several people are feared dead after a stampede at a Hindu gathering to do. Kori Turner reporting, it's NPR. Several people are feared dead after a stampede at a Hindu gathering in northern India. The event attracts millions of devotees. Amkar Khandakar reports. The stampede occurred at the Mahagam gathering in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Photos and videos shared on social media showed worshippers or officials carrying away the

wounded. Other images showed people sitting on the ground crying and stepping over discarded clothes and shoes. It happened as millions gathered to take an early morning dip at the confluence of two rivers worshipped as sacred by many Hindus, the Ganges and the Yamuna river. An official told local media that the stampede was triggered after devotees tried to jump special barricades. Omkar Khandekar, NPR News, Mumbai.

The U.S. Mideast envoy is in Israel today meeting senior leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The envoy is also expected to visit Gaza today. His arrival comes just days before Netanyahu is set to meet President Trump on Tuesday, making him the first world leader to do so since Trump returned to the White House. The ceasefire in Gaza is holding. Three more Israeli hostages are expected to be released tomorrow. Monday, Israeli forces reopened a corridor allowing tens of thousands of Palestinians to return home to a devastated

Gaza. WNBA star Brittany Greiner is planning to sign with the Atlanta Dream. Greiner announced the move in an Instagram video alongside some of her new teammates. She spent her 11-year career with the Phoenix Mercury. I'm Kristin Wright and this is NPR News from Washington.