NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-01-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: February 1, 2025

NPR News: 02-01-2025 5AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is back in Washington pursuing major policy changes on his own terms. We know from the past that means challenging precedent, busting norms, and pushing against the status quo. NPR is covering it all with Trump's Terms, a podcast where we curate stories about the 47th president with a focus on how he is upending the way Washington works. Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Tears went up in a hostage square in Tel Aviv as American hostage Keith Siegel was released

by Hamas and Gaza and transferred to Red Cross officials. Siegel was the third hostage and the first American released as part of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. Israel is now expected to release more than 180 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops in Guam and exchange fire in a part of Syria where the Israelis have been operating for the past couple of months. St. Pierre's Greg Myrie reports from Damascus the confrontation marks the first such shooting incident during that time. The Israeli military said troops came under fire

in Syria's Golan Heights and responded in kind. No casualties were reported. It wasn't immediately clear who was responsible for the shooting on the Syrian side where several armed groups are active. Israel has controlled part of the Golan Heights since capturing it from Syria in a 1967 war. Afterward, a buffer zone was established to separate the two sides. Israel moved troops into that zone after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December. Israel said it needed to guard against potential turmoil in the region. Syria's new government has objected to the Israeli move. Greg Myrie, MPR News, Damascus. Philadelphia Mayor Sherrell Parker is calling on city residents to come together following

last night's crash of a medical transport jet in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood. If there was ever a time when we needed to affirm what the one Philly philosophy means, the time is now. The plane was carrying six people and was returning to Mexico after a child on board was treated in Philadelphia for a life-threatening condition. The air ambulance company based in Mexico says it cannot confirm any survivors. It remains unclear if there are any fatalities on the ground, but several homes and cars were engulfed in flames. Federal investigators have recovered the black box from the Army

Blackhawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet in Washington, DC this week. As NPR's Frank Langford reports. At a news conference, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said the recorder from the Black Hawk 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 Blackhawk 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 Lankford, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. A contract deadline between Costco and the Teamsters union passed last night, but there's been no announcement on whether a deal has been reached. The Costco workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike nearly two weeks ago. The Teamsters represent 18,000 Costco employees in six states, including California, Washington,

Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York. President Trump says he'll make good on his promise to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Trump says 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on goods from China will go into effect today. Trump has been threatening to impose a tariff saying they are intended to ensure greater cooperation on stopping illegal immigration and the smuggling of chemicals used to make fentanyl. Canada and Mexico say they are prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs if necessary.

Winters are getting warmer around the country with climate change. A new study shows that's helping rat populations increase in several U.S. cities, as Sam Pearsmore in Summer reports. Sam Pearsmore, The Summer Report, USA Humans do a lot to help rats in cities. We leave out food and trash. We provide shelter in our buildings and sewers. We've also been making the climate warmer as we burn fossil fuels. A study in the journal Science Advances finds that's one reason rat populations are growing. When it's cold, rats spend less time foraging for food above ground. But winters are getting shorter, which could be giving them more

time to find that extra slice of pizza and make more baby rats. Experts say it's just one more reason cities need to focus on solutions to better manage trash. Lauren Summer, NPR News. And I'm Jyle Snyder. This is NPR.