NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-01-2025 12AM EST

Episode Date: February 1, 2025

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Matt Wilson spent years doing rounds at children's hospitals in New York City. I had a clip-on tie. I wore Heelys, size 11. Matt was a medical clown. The whole of a medical clown is to reintroduce the sense of play and joy and hope and light into a space that doesn't normally inhabit. Ideas about navigating uncertainty. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. A medical transport plane crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood Friday evening.

The plane was carrying a child patient, her mother and four crew members. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says it's not yet clear whether there were any survivors. We know that there will be loss in this region and we want to offer our thoughts and our serious prayers for those who are grieving at this moment. The plane crashed about 30 seconds after takeoff. It burst into flames when it hit the ground and the fireball set several homes on fire. Federal investigators have recovered the black box from the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet in Washington, D.C. this week. As NPR's Frank Langford reports, the voice and data recorders for both aircraft should help in the investigation.

At a news conference, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said the recorder from the Blackhawk helicopter looked to be in good shape. I can tell you from a visual inspection, we saw no exterior damage that would indicate that it was compromised at this time. So we have a high level of confidence that we will be able to have a full extraction from that as well. The contents of the recorder could help investigators understand what the Black Hawk crew was thinking

and seeing moments before impact, and perhaps why they were flying above the 200-foot altitude limit which led the helicopter into the jet's flight path. Frank Langford, NPR News. At least 24 federal prosecutors who worked on January 6th riot cases have been fired by officials at the Justice Department. As MPR's Kerry Johnson reports, the news comes as FBI agents who investigated President Trump brace for a possible purge. The federal prosecutors in D.C. who lost their jobs were on probationary status, so they don't have the same kind of civil service protection.

The interim U.S. attorney in Washington who carried out the firings has embraced election fraud theories and supported January 6th defendants. The firings are the latest in a series of upheavals for federal law enforcement under Trump. FBI agents have been notified the administration is preparing a list of all FBI personnel who worked on those capital siege cases for a review of whether other personnel actions are necessary. Congressional Democrats say the move an assault on the rule of law and the FBI

agents Association says the purge will make the country less safe. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington. An arrest warrant has been issued for a doctor in New York who allegedly prescribed an abortion pill online to a pregnant minor. The warrant was issued by authorities in Louisiana where the teen lives. Louisiana is one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. Dr. Margaret Carpenter, her company, and the girl's mother were all charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion inducing drugs. That is a felony in Louisiana. You're listening to NPR News. An inflation gauge watched by the Federal Reserve rose slightly last month. You're listening to NPR News.

An inflation gauge watched by the Federal Reserve rose slightly last month. The Commerce Department Friday said it's the latest sign that some consumer prices remain stubbornly elevated. Venezuela has released six American prisoners after a U.S. envoy met with President Nicolas Maduro on Friday. As John Otis reports, the release was a surprise given the rocky relations between the two countries. President Donald Trump has described Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as a dictator who stole

Venezuela's most recent election. Still, Trump is trying to convince Maduro to accept deportation flights of Venezuelan gang members arrested in the U.S. That's why Trump's special envoy, Richard Grinnell, traveled to Caracas, where he shook hands with Maduro. Details of their meeting remain unclear, but during his flight back to the U.S., Grinnell announced that six American prisoners had been freed. In a post on X, he said, quote, we are wheels up and heading home with these six American citizens. He added that they spoke to President Trump and that quote, they couldn't stop thanking him. For NPR News, I'm John Otis. The National Hockey League says the salary cap for teams is taking a big jump over

the next three seasons. The cap sits at $88 million this season, but starting next winter it jumps to $95.5 million. In the 26-27 season, the cap rises to $104 million, then hits $113.5 million in season three. Revenue for the league has been reaching record highs due in large part to meteorites deals and jersey sales. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. If you love NPR News.