NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-10-2025 12PM EST

Episode Date: February 10, 2025

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Matt Wilson spent years doing rounds at children's hospitals in New York City. I had a clip-on tie. I wore heelies, size 11. Matt was a medical clown. The whole of a medical clown is to reintroduce the sense of play and joy and hope and light into a space that doesn't normally inhabit. Ideas about navigating uncertainty. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. A spokesperson for the militant group Hamas says it's delaying the release of the next group of Israeli hostages scheduled for this Saturday. The military spokesman for Hamas' Al Qasem Brigades accuses Israel of violating the terms of a six-week

ceasefire by delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to the northern Gaza Strip. But Israel accuses Hamas of breaching the agreement. Hostage for prisoner exchanges are part of the ceasefire that is now in its fourth week. The New Mexico District Court has preemptively blocked the Trump administration from sending three Venezuelan men to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. NPR's Ximena Bustillo reports the decision comes as Trump is looking to send thousands of migrants to the U.S. detention facility. Three Venezuelan men in the Custodian of Federal Immigration officials got a temporary restraining

order to prevent them from being potentially moved to Guantanamo Bay. Their lawyer argued that because the three have similar characteristics to those the administration has flown to Guantanamo, meaning that they're also Venezuelan, they are requesting a block while they continue legal proceedings in New Mexico. Immigrant rights lawyers are raising the alarm over the administration's unprecedented use of the naval base in Cuba to house migrants that were on US soil. They say moving people off the US mainland can limit legal access and due process. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the goal is to only hold people on the base for a short time before they're sent to another country.

Jimena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington. President Trump is threatening new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. NPR's Scott Horsley reports rising metal prices are also putting pressure on the humble penny. President Trump says he plans to announce a 25% tax on all imported steel and aluminum, extending a trade battle he launched during his first term in the White House. The move has the potential to boost domestic steel and aluminum makers, while also raising costs for businesses and consumers that buy steel and aluminum, ranging from automakers to soda pop and beer drinkers. President Trump says he's directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new

pennies. The government's been losing money on the coins, which each cost more than a penny to make. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. Eagles fans celebrating a stunning victory at Super Bowl 59. Last night, Philadelphia overcame Kansas City 40 to 22 and denied the two-time winning chiefs what could have been a historic three-peat. The Philadelphia Eagles win at the Superdome in New Orleans is the franchise's second Super Bowl title. U.S. stocks are trading higher this hour.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 67 points at 44,370. The S&P is up 34 points, or roughly half a percent. And the Nasdaq has risen 212 points, now up more than 1 percent. You're listening to NPR. A third judge has blocked President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship for children whose parents are in the U.S. without legal status. Today in New Hampshire, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante said he was not persuaded by the administration's arguments that children of non-citizens are not entitled to citizenship. The American

Civil Liberties Union argues birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Constitution and in federal statute. Judges in Washington State and Maryland issued similar rulings last week. Epidemiologists have spotted two surprising trends driving all the coughing, the sneezing, and fevers making people miserable during this winter's respiratory virus season. NPR's Rob Stein has details. The first surprising trend is good news.

So far, this year's winter COVID surge is the mildest since the pandemic began. That's probably because this summer's COVID surge was unusually intense and started late. So lots of people probably still have immunity from this summer. The second surprising trend is not so good news. The U.S. appears to be experiencing a second surge of flu this winter. The reason for that remains unclear but suggests the intensity of this year's flu season could have a long tail. Rob Stein, NPR News.

Opening statements are scheduled today at the trial of the man charged with severely injuring Salman Rushdie. The renowned author is expected to testify against Hadi Attar, the defendant. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington. Hey, it's Rachel Martin from Wildcard. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.