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

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The Office of Management and Budget is rescinding its controversial order, calling for a pause on federal assistance programs. More from NPR's Moral Elyson. 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. 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. Marc Thiessen, NPR News, The White House. Marc Thiessen, NPR News, The White House. Marc Thiessen, NPR News, The White House. President Trump has signed the Lackin-Riley Act, a measure that may expand who can be deported. As NPR's Amanda Bastille explains, the law comes as Trump is promising stricter immigration enforcement. The first law of Trump's new term in office directs federal immigration enforcement to

detain and deport those without legal status charged with certain crimes, including minor theft or shoplifting, assault of a law enforcement officer, or crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury of another person. It's a landmark law that we're doing today. It's going to save countless innocent American lives. The measure has been criticized by immigration advocates who say it limits due process, and they say research shows immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens. Himana Bustillo, NPR News.

President Trump's choice to lead the Commerce Department billionaire financier Howard Lutnick says if confirmed, he'll sell all his business holdings within 90 days. Lutnick making his remarks during a hearing before members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Separately, the GOP-led Senateist confirmed Lee Zeldin to head the EPA. During a Senate confirmation hearing today to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said antidepressant drugs may be as addictive as heroin, claimed contradicted by research.

More from NPR's Brian Mann. Kennedy was himself a heroin user for more than a decade and lacks medical training, but he's long been a critic of antidepressant medications, often referred to as SSRIs. During testimony, Kennedy said this. I know people, including members of my family, who've had a much worse time getting off of SSRIs than they did getting off of heroin. That claim doesn't match the science. Heroin is highly addictive in almost all users. But a study published in the medical journal The Lancet last summer found significant withdrawal symptoms only affect about 1 in

35 people who use antidepressants. Brian Mann, NPR News. On Wall Street, the Dow is down 136 points today. This is NPR. President Trump keeps repeating his desire to buy the strategic Arctic territory of Greenland, which is part of Denmark and not for sale. But even if it were, Trump could face a competing claim from one of America's closest allies. Here's Lauren Fraher, more from London. In 1917, when the U.S. signed a treaty recognizing Denmark's claim to Greenland, Britain was involved too.

Because Canada, Greenland's closest neighbor, was British back then. Tom Hoyam is a former Danish official and Greenland expert who says Britain made its own claim during those treaty talks. That if Denmark ever sold Greenland... Then United Kingdom had the first right to buy it or to be consulted. Any British right of first refusal is not in the 1917 treaty, and the UK government tells NPR it has no plans to exercise it. But technically, if Trump wants to buy Greenland, he might have to ask Britain first.

Lauren Freyer, NPR News, London. New York City's so-called congestion pricing policy went into effect last month. It basically charges motorists coming into the city below 60th Street a $9 toll during peak periods. Trucks and buses pay more than $21. Perhaps not surprisingly, transit officials say there are about a million fewer vehicles entering the busiest part of Manhattan since the program got underway. They say it's also resulted in a sizable uptick in subway ridership both during the week and

on weekends. Crude oil futures prices after briefly moving higher moved the other direction today oiled down $1.15 a barrel to settle at $72.62 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.