NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-07-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

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Are you the greatest musician the world has never heard? Unsigned artists, now's your opportunity to play the Tiny Desk. Enter the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest, our nationwide search for the next undiscovered star. The winner will play a Tiny Desk concert and a U.S. tour. To learn more, visit npr.org.tinydeskcontest. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump and billionaire aide Elon Musk continue to use executive actions to dismantle federal programs that have been approved by Congress.

Although the Constitution gives Congress spending authority, NPR's Dider Walsh reports that most Republicans in the House and Senate seem okay with the administration's moves for now. There are some places where you could see some cracks in what's really been a really unified Republican Party in Washington deferring to Trump. Federal agencies are going to run out of money on March 14th. Republicans want to put their own stamp on a spending bill so they can protect programs they've helped get for their constituents,

things like transportation money or water projects. It's unclear what Trump or Musk are gonna demand in that spending bill, but Musk has already shown when he inserts himself, he can really influence the process. Danielle Pletka NPR's Deidre Walsh, meanwhile, 13 Democratic attorneys general are threatening legal action to prevent Elon Musk's Doge office from accessing federal payment systems. The U.S. Senate has confirmed Russ Vogt to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Vogt was one of President Trump's more controversial nominees, as NPR's Osmucullig reports.

Vogt was a chief architect of the conservative agenda known as Project 2025, which outlined ways to expand presidential power. During Trump's first term, Vote tried to reshape the civil service by creating a new class of federal workers who would be loyal to the president rather than the agency they work for. He's also a supporter of what's known as impoundment. That's when a president essentially holds back money that Congress has already approved for a specific purpose. Democrats were powerless to stop his confirmation, but they took to the Senate floor delivering speech after speech to voice their opposition.

Asma Khalid, NPR News. A recently pardoned January 6th rioter has been re-arrested in Texas. As NPR's Tom Driesbach reports, he's accused of online solicitation of a minor. Andrew Taka pleaded guilty to repeatedly assaulting police officers with bear spray on January 6th, and he was serving a six-year prison sentence when Trump's pardon freed him. Now authorities in Texas have re-arrested Taka to face charges from 2016. According to prosecutors' legal filings, Taka sent sexually explicit messages online

to someone he thought was a 15-year-old, but was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Taka is among the dozens of January 6th defendants NPR has identified who have prior criminal records or ongoing criminal cases. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News. Iran is condemning the Treasury Department's new sanctions on individuals and tankers aiding crude oil shipments

from Iran to China. President Trump is vowed to halt Tehran's crude oil exports as part of an effort to curb that nation's nuclear capabilities. This is NPR. A search crew is combing parts of rural Alaska for a missing Cessna plane that's carrying 10 people. Authorities say a bearing air caravan went missing Thursday afternoon while traveling

from the western community of Nuna Lakini to Nome. According to Alaska's news source, an FAA weather camera appeared to show near white out conditions from several hours near Rome. Alaska's news source, an FAA weather camera appeared to show near white-out conditions from several hours near Rome. The Library of Congress is named Kids Book author Mac Barnett, its new national ambassador for young people's literature. The job is to promote books and reading among kids across the nation. As NPR's Andrew Limbong reports, Barnett plans to focus on picture books during his two years in the post.

While he said he'd promote all types of literature for kids, it really is the picture books that Mac Barnett favors. It's just such an incredible, vibrant, exciting, forward-looking, experimental art form, and I think it's really undervalued, too. Barnett is the writer of more than 60 books, including chapter books, graphic novels, and of course, picture books. And his philosophy on getting kids to read is to not think of them as future adults. We're never going to win the argument that you should read a book because it's good for you.

This isn't why kids read. It's our job to make books the kids want to read. And he says it's our job as grownups to let them read whatever they want to read. Andrew Limbong, NPR News. U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street following Thursday's mixed close on Asia-Pacific markets. Shares are also mixed. Down a fraction in Tokyo.

This is NPR News. It's a new year. And according to Pew, 79% of resolutions are about one thing, health. This is NPR News.