NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-12-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

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Public media counts on your support to ensure that the reporting and programs you depend on thrive. Make a recurring donation today to get special access to more than 20 NPR podcasts. Perks like sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, early access, and more. So start supporting what you love today at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News, I'm Corva Coleman. Congressional Republicans are working on legislation to implement President Trump's top agenda items. These include boosting security along the U.S. southern border and extending tax cuts. NPR's Barbara Sprunch reports Republicans in the House and the Senate have different ideas on how to get this done.

The Senate Budget Committee is marking up a plan that would provide $175 billion to the southern border and $150 billion in new military spending. The Senate wants to use a budget process called reconciliation that requires only a simple majority to pass, so no chance of a Democratic filibuster. The Senate wants to deliver on this part of President Trump's agenda and deal with extending tax cuts later this year. GOP senators think one big bill won't move through quickly enough. But House Republican leaders favor a one-bill approach.

They argue delaying the tax component could jeopardize it altogether. Barbara Sprint and Peer News, The Capital. A top Democratic senator is accusing President Trump's nominee to lead the FBI of personally directing a purge of senior bureau officials before he's been confirmed as FBI director. The allegations against Cash Patel come after the Trump Justice Department fired at least eight senior FBI officials and bears Ryan Lucas reports. Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin leveled his allegations against Patel, who is still awaiting confirmation, in a speech on the Senate floor. Multiple whistleblowers have disclosed to my staff highly credible information indicating that Mr.

Cash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI. Durbin noted that Patel was asked during his confirmation hearing whether he was aware of any plans to fire FBI agents, to which Patel answered under oath that he was not. If the allegations are true, Durbin says, then Patel may have committed perjury. The senator says he has asked the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate.

Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. President Trump's effort to slash spending at the National Institutes of Health is on hold that was temporarily blocked by a federal judge. The Trump administration policy would cap how much NIH pays for certain costs of medical research. This means research institutions would lose billions of dollars. Holden Thorpe is the editor-in-chief of the journal Science. He says that universities would be hard hit. A lot of the larger ones would have to find 150 even 200 million dollars every year to replace the money

that they're getting from the federal government and so the choices that they have are all pretty bleak. They'd have to cut other programs in order to fill that hole in which could affect any discipline or any function of the university Or they would have to cut corners in the way they administer the research. He spoke to NPR's morning edition You're listening to NPR News. The government says consumer prices rose by 3 percent in January over what they were a year ago. This report is a little worse than what economists were expecting. The data show inflation is stubborn.

That may influence Federal Reserve policy makers to hold interest rates where they are, rather than cut them. The Fed leaders meet next month to decide. The National Weather Service has issued flood watches across much of southern California. Forecasters warn heavy rain from a series of storms could trigger flooding, especially in areas hit by recent wildfires in and around Los Angeles. Steve Futterman has more. The National Weather Service forecasts some of the heaviest downpours will come on Thursday and Friday.

Our city departments are on high alert. LA Mayor Karen Bass. Because of the fires, this means that the area has an increase for debris flows. In locations with a history of mudslides and debris flows, residents are taking action ahead of time, placing sandbags in potentially dangerous spots The foothills and Alta Dena that were left barren by the fires are especially vulnerable Including a number of canyon roads the rains could drop up to six inches in mountain areas Forecasters say there's a 50 to 70 percent chance that some debris flows will occur for NPR news

I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. The Senate is expected to hold a confirmation vote today for President Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence. Tulsi Gabbard has won significant Republican support. Democrats say she lacks the expertise to lead U.S. intelligence work. This is NPR. At the Super Bowl halftime show, Kendrick Lamar indeed performed his smash diss track diligence work. This is NPR.