NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-08-2025 4AM EST

Episode Date: February 8, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. President Donald Trump suggested Friday that the Japanese company Nippon Steel no longer wants to buy U.S. Steel. The purchase was rejected by President Biden last month on national security grounds. They'll be looking at an investment rather than a purchase. We didn't like the idea U.S. Steel is a very important company to us. It was the greatest company in the world for 15 years, many years ago, 80 years ago, and we didn't want to see that leave.

The details of any such investment are still unclear. Trump, who during the news conference three times called the company Nissan, said he will meet next week with Nippon's president to mediate and arbitrate the deal. In Boston, a federal judge heard arguments Friday over President Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. The case brought by more than a dozen state attorneys general comes after federal judges in Seattle and Maryland also blocked the president's order. From member station WBR, Andrea Perdomo Hernandez reports. The Trump administration is arguing that the 14th amendment, which guarantees citizenship for people born on US soil, has been misinterpreted. The administration is arguing that the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship for people born on U.S. soil, has been misinterpreted.

The administration is looking to narrow the scope to exclude children born to non-citizens. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell says it's important to get a national ruling on the matter. In this particular case, this one is substantial. It involves 19 AGs coming together on this birthright issue to make sure that we not only get relief in one state, but we get relief across the country. Federal judges in other cases have called the order unconstitutional. For NPR News, I'm Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez in Boston.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday to make $50 million available to sue the Trump administration. His cap radio is Megan Miskowski in Sacramento reports, the bills are part of a special session Newsom called days after the election. The funding will support the state and nonprofits in lawsuits over federal policies that conflict with California's more progressive stances, including on issues related to the environment, access to abortion, and LGBTQ plus rights. One bill designates $25 million to support legal services for immigrants, including in deportation cases.

Newsom says funding set aside for litigation related to immigration is not intended to support non-citizens who have been convicted of serious or violent felonies. Republicans in the California Assembly say the measures take away from dealing with wildfires and California's high cost of living. Newsom signed the bills after meeting with President Trump in Washington, D.C., where they discussed aid for recent wildfires in California. For NPR News, I'm Megan Myckowski in Sacramento. Authorities say the wreckage of a small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska while

it was on its way to the community of Nome has been found on sea ice. All 10 people on board are dead. The wreckage was discovered by a Coast Guard helicopter. It lowered two rescue swimmers who confirmed the deaths. The plane was operated by Bering Air which provides services to 32 communities in the western part of the state. You're listening to NPR News. President Trump signed an executive order Friday that cuts USA to South Africa. The White House cited its disapproval over the country's land policies as well as its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Without offering any evidence, Trump has said that South Africa is confiscating land

and that certain classes of people were being treated very badly. New York State is shutting down live bird markets in and around New York City over concerns over avian flu. Jimmy Veilkinda, member station WNYC reports. Officials say they found seven cases of H5N1 or avian flu in birds at markets in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. So the state's pausing live bird deliveries at 80 markets in the city as well as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. No cases have been detected in humans in the area. Elizabeth Walters of the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets says the state is stepping up testing.

I want New Yorkers to know that we are on top of this and doing everything we can to keep New York animals and people safe. The bird markets can reopen after they have been disinfected and shut down for five days. For NPR News, I'm Jimmy Veilkind in Albany. Emiliano Grillo of Argentina received a beer shower at the Phoenix Open on Friday after hitting a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole. Thomas Detrie meanwhile shot a 7-under 64 in the tournament's second round. He took a two-shot lead over Michael Kim and Alex Smalley.

Kim shot a bogey-free 63 on Friday to reach 10-under. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.