NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-02-2025 11AM EST

Episode Date: February 2, 2025

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Noor Rahm Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. Business groups are pushing back against President Trump's plan to impose stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China. NPR's Scott Horsley reports those import taxes are set to take effect on Tuesday. Scott Horsley President Trump says he's ordering the tariffs in an effort to curb the flow of illegal drugs and immigration. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says while Trump is right to focus on those problems,

tariffs are not the answer. The chamber says taxing imports will only upend supply chains and raise prices for American families. Trump has ordered a 25 percent tax on most goods coming from Mexico and Canada, but he called for a smaller 10 percent tax on Canadian crude oil, in an apparent effort to limit any spike in gasoline prices. The tariff on Chinese imports is also set at 10 percent tax on Canadian crude oil in an apparent effort to limit any spike in gasoline prices. The tariff on Chinese imports is also set at 10 percent.

All the taxes are set to take effect on Tuesday, leaving a short window for a possible reprieve. Canada and Mexico have promised to respond to tariffs with taxes of their own on U.S. exports. Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington. President Trump wants to redirect the country away from efforts to address climate change and towards fossil fuels. NPR's Jeff Brady reports despite a blast of executive orders, that won't happen quickly. Trump is withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. He revoked some Biden climate orders and issued his own to boost fossil fuels. With all that,

it's tempting to think a lot has changed, but it hasn't yet. Amy Myers Jaffe directs the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University. Energy and climate policy, which is complex, is not a speedboat. You don't turn the wheel and the boat immediately turns around. It's more like an aircraft carrier.

Trump faces obstacles, including oil companies that aren't interested in drilling for more crude right now, plus state and local governments and private companies with their own climate programs that extend out for decades, long after Trump's four-year term. Jeff Brady and PR News. The National Transportation Safety Board expects to complete by tomorrow the interviews of air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport. A passenger jet and a military helicopter collided over the Potomac River Wednesday night,

killing all 67 people on the two aircraft. NTSB member Todd Inman says the investigation is not affected by another plane crash last week. We will find out what happened and we will do everything we can to prevent it. I don't want anyone to think because we were working two accidents this is not what this is what we do. Week in and week out just today a lot more people are paying attention to it. A medical transport plane had crashed in Philadelphia Friday night killing all six people on board and one person on the ground. Marco Rubio is in Panama, his first stop on his first foreign trip. As Secretary of State,

he's to visit the Panama Canal today. President Trump wants the U.S. to reclaim control over the canal. This is NPR News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington this week and is to meet with President Trump at the White House Tuesday. It's Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader since he returned to office. Before leaving Israel, Netanyahu said he'll discuss Israel's victory over Hamas, a six-week ceasefire in Gaza appears to be holding. Syria's interim president is visiting Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip since

becoming the country's new leader. He's seeking help to rebuild a country ravaged by more than a decade of war. NPR's Greg Myrie reports from Damascus. Interim president Ahmed al-Sharif flew to Saudi Arabia, a country that could provide the financial assistance that Syria desperately needs. The new Syrian leader has hosted several foreign delegations here in Damascus, but he has not previously traveled abroad since leading the rebel group that toppled the country's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad back in December. Shiraz is trying to win support from Arab and Western governments. Many isolated Syria while Assad was in power.

The new Syrian government says the sanctions imposed on the Assad regime should now be lifted. The war and those sanctions have impoverished the vast majority of Syrians. Greg Myre, NPR News, Damascus. The music industry honors its own tonight at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Beyoncé has 11 nominations for her latest album, Cowboy Carter, in several categories, including pop and country. She's won 32 Grammys and has 99 nominations, more than any other artist. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.