NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-07-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

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Extreme weather disasters like wildfires and floods can devastate communities. On the Sunday story from Up First, we ask, are there places that just aren't safe to live anymore? People are going to die. They will be me and my neighbors and I don't want that to happen. How we respond to disasters in an era of climate insecurity. Listen now on the Up First podcast from NPR. insecurity. Listen now on the Up First podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. A federal judge is temporarily blocking the Trump administration from offering deferred resignations to federal

employees. The decision from US District Judge George O'Toole Jr. came hours before a deadline for federal workers to decide whether to accept the offer. It's been pushed back to at least Monday afternoon. Ahead of the ruling, more than 60,000 federal employees had accepted it's been part of President Trump's effort to slash spending by the federal government. Later today in Massachusetts, a federal judge will be examining President Trump's executive order

blocking birthright citizenship for children of those who are in the U.S. without legal status. Eighteen states are challenging the president's order in federal court in Boston. This week, judges in Maryland and Washington state blocked the order in separate legal challenges. The Senate has confirmed President Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget. As NPR's Ozmahalid reports, Russell Vogt was confirmed on a party-line vote of 53 to 47.

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, Vogt 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.

Officials in Hong Kong say packages bound for the U.S. are not being processed. The announcement comes days after the U.S. Postal Service blocked incoming parcels from China and Hong Kong before reversing that policy a day later. NPR's John Rewich has more from Beijing. After the Trump administration imposed 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods and eliminated a widely used exemption for small items, the U.S. Postal Service said it was not accepting any packages from China or Hong Kong. A day later, though, it reversed the decision. But Hong Kong's Postal Service says there are still matters that need further clarification,

including, quote, the request of the United States for the imposition of additional duty. It says it's been communicating with the U.S. Postal Service. A Hong Kong government spokesman says the territory strongly disapproves of the tariffs and urges the United States to take action to rectify its wrongdoing to avoid confusion and inconvenience to the public. John Rewich, NPR News, Beijing. The latest numbers on employment in the U.S. are due out this morning from the Labor Department. Economists are forecasting a slower pace of hiring in January than what was seen in December.

This is NPR News from Washington. A search is underway in western Alaska for a plane reported missing with 10 people aboard. As Ben Townsend with member station KNOM reports from Nome, poor weather and limited visibility have been slowing the search. A Bering Air flight from Uniclique to Nome stopped transmitting around 3 in the afternoon local time, officials say. The aircraft is a Cessna Caravan, a mainstay in Bering Air's fleet. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department says ground crews were dispatched along Nome's icy coastline to search for the aircraft. The department's chief, Jim West, says a C-130 from the U.S. Coast Guard has arrived in the area to aid in the effort.

Next goal is how do we get out there to get to them. That's going to be the challenge. Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska Regional Office, says he has been briefed. This is an act of rescue, and we're just monitoring ourselves. Norton Sound Regional Hospital has set up a space for family members of those on board the flight to gather as the search continues. For NPR News, I'm Ben Townsend in Nome. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles are making final

preparations for Sunday's Super Bowl. The Chiefs are seeking their third consecutive NFL championship, something that's never been done. The Eagles will be playing for their second Super Bowl trophy. Super Bowl 59 is being played in New Orleans. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is this year's winner of the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award. He edged out Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for his first MVP trophy. Wall Street is coming off a mixed day for stocks.

The Dow lost 125 points yesterday. I'm Dave Mattingly, NPR News in Washington. If you love NPR News in Washington.