NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-01-2025 3AM EST

Episode Date: February 1, 2025

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Public media counts on your support to ensure that the reporting and programs you depend on thrive. Make a recurring donation today to get special access to more than 20 NPR podcasts. Perks like sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, early access, and more. So start supporting what you love today at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman, a medical transport plane carrying six Mexican nationals crashed in Philadelphia on Friday unleashing an explosion and starting a fire from member station WHYY Kenny Cooper reports on the fiery aftermath. Videos posted to social media showed the small jet plummeting from the sky and exploding in a heavily populated area in Northeast Philadelphia emergency

personnel rushed to the scene to battle the ensuing fire Varim Asipov is originally from Ukraine but currently lives in the Philly area he saw the mushroom explosion himself I thought, I thought it was the end of the world. Like the sky light up so, so big. Philadelphia Mayor Sherrell Parker says the plane crashed into a neighborhood impacting several homes and vehicles. For NPR News, I'm Kenny Cooper in Philadelphia. The NTSB says it's recovered the black box

from the Army helicopter that collided with the passenger jet this week in Washington, D.C. The box contains flight information critical to the crash investigation. NTSB member Todd Inman says they also have the boxes from the plane. It was soaked in alcohol overnight. It was then open today and we have a high level of confidence that we will be able to get a full download in the very near future. All 67 people on the two aircraft were killed. As a candidate, Donald Trump disavowed Project 2025, which was a controversial policy agenda,

but as NPR's Franco Ordonies reports, many of the directives he issued so far as president came from the 900 page playbook. The proposed freeze on federal grants was just the latest directive by President Trump that was outlined in Project 2025. So it was a proposal to end birthright citizenship and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Project 2025 also offered detailed plans to reshape and shrink the federal workforce, including instituting a hiring freeze and reclassifying workers. Critics see Project 2025 as a roadmap of how Trump is trying to expand his presidential

powers and Democratic senators are pointing to the playbook as justification for trying to block Trump's pick for White House Budget Director. Russ, vote. But the White House and allies discount any overlap, charging that Trump is simply carrying out promises that he made on the campaign trail. Franco Ordonez, NPR News. The two major wildfires that have been burning around Los Angeles for more than three weeks have both been 100% contained. Fire officials say both the Eaton fire on the city's east side and the Palisades fire on the west side are now fully controlled.

AccuWeather estimates economic losses from the fires at more than $250 billion. Hamas has handed over two more hostages to the Red Cross and the southern Gaza Strip. The militants released a 35-year-old and Ofer Kalduron, American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, is also expected to be released today. This is NPR News. Syrian authorities have arrested a former senior security officer affiliated with the ousted regime led by Bashar al-Assad. The officer was allegedly behind the arrest and torture of children

which was an atrocity that kicked off an anti-regime revolution in Syria in 2011. NPR's Emily Fang has more on that story. Authorities said they found Attaf Najib in the Syrian city of Latakia. He's believed to have ordered the arrest of a group of Syrian boys back in 2011. They had been caught painting anti-regime slogans in the city of Dara.

Moawiyah Sayasna was one of the adolescents arrested. He says justice has not yet been completely served. He says he wants Bashar al-Assad to be hanged in Syria and for every criminal to be held accountable. He says thank God that we are now arresting them like they arrested us. Atif Najib is one of the most senior regime officials found and arrested so far since the Assad regime was toppled last December. Emily Fang and Peer News, Hama, Syria. Revenues for the National Hockey League are hitting new highs in part because of U.S.

media rights deals and jersey sales. So the league is sharing the wealth by increasing the salary cap over the next three seasons. Next fall, the cap rises from $88 million to $95.5 million. The following season hits $104 million, then climbs to $113.5 million for the 20-27-28 season. Wall Street closed in a downed note on Friday that the Dow was down 337 points, the S&P down slightly by 30 points. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.