NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-01-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: February 2, 2025

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Usher, Yo-Yo Ma, Boy Genius, Shaka Khan, Billie Eilish, Weird Al, one thing all these big stars have in common, they've all played behind NPR's Tiny Desk. And if you enter NPR's Tiny Desk Contest between now and February 10th, you could be next. Unsigned musicians can find out more and see the official rules at npr.org slash tiny desk contest. Janine Herbst Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. at npr.org slash tiny desk contest. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. President Trump followed through with his threat to impose steep new tariffs on imports

from Canada, Mexico, and China. NPR's Scott Horsley reports that the move could substantially raise the cost of goods purchased from some of the U. biggest trading partners. President Trump issued executive orders Saturday slapping a 25% tax on most imports from Canada and Mexico along with an additional 10% tax on imports from China. The tariffs have the potential to raise the cost of a wide variety of imported goods including fruits and vegetables, flat-screen televisions and auto parts. Trump did order a lower 10% tariff on Canadian crude oil, which could mitigate the effect on U.S. gasoline prices.

Midwestern oil refineries are heavily dependent on Canadian crude. In a social media post, Trump said he's taking the action to address the flow of illegal drugs and immigration. Scott Horsley, Impair News, Washington. Both Canada and Mexico have vowed to retaliate. An American man was among three hostages that Hamas released in Gaza today in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners

and detainees released from Israeli jails. It's the fourth exchange since the ceasefire took effect. Impieres Jerome Sokolowsky has more from Tel Aviv. A crowd in Tel Aviv watched the release on a jumbotron as 65 year old Keith Siegel was taken to Israel. Daniel Lifshitz is the grandson of a hostage who was released earlier in the war and says he got to know Siegel's wife Aviva. I think America should be so happy that the woman, Jacka Viva, got a kid's seagull, which is an American citizen. And we are so, so thankful to President Trump. Many Israelis believe Trump pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting a ceasefire with Hamas.

Lifshitz has one other grandparent still being held hostage. He's 84 years old. Jerome Sokolowski, NPR News, Tel Aviv. The search continues today in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. For victims of the midair crash between an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter this week, 67 people died. Investigators say the remains of more than 40 people have been found. 38 of them have been identified. National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman says he met with victims of families today and that it

was emotional. Todd Inman, National Transportation Safety Board Member I spent several hours with them today. There's more, some new, there's some that have been there for three days, some that want to give us hugs, some that are just mad and angry. They're just all hurt, and they still want answers, and we want to give them answers. He says the NTSB is processing the flight and data recorders. Recovered from the site this week, the search for the cause of the crash continues. This is NPR Ken Martin has been elected as the new chair of the Democratic National Committee

He's a longtime head of the Minnesota Democratic Party in his acceptance speech at the DNC winter meeting He reiterated that the Democrats won't be divided under his tenure The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country. Martin replaces the outgoing DNC chair, Jamie Harrison, who didn't run for reelection. The Department of Defense has expelled NPR and three other news outlets from spaces reserved for press at the Pentagon, saying it wants to give access to newcomers. As NPR's David Falkenfleck reports, the news outlets say the move will interrupt independent reporting.

Beyond NPR, Pentagon officials are kicking the New York Times, NBC News, and Politico out of workspaces. Defense Department officials are replacing them with conservative and right-wing outlets, Rupert Murdoch's New York Post, One America News Network, and Breitbart Radio, as well as the left-of-center HuffPost. An official NPR statement says this decision interferes with the ability of millions of Americans to hear directly from Pentagon leadership and with NPR's public service mission. The New York Times calls the move concerning, designed to impede access. It comes as President Trump and his administration have exerted pressure on news media from multiple

directions, including the courts and regulatory agencies. David Falkenfleck, NPR News. Costco and the Teamsters Union have reached a tentative deal that avoided a strike by 18,000 union members. This is NPR News. Are you the greatest musician the world has never heard? Striked by 18,000 union members, this is NPR News.