NPR News: 01-14-2025 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 14, 2025, 9AM EST

Hosted by Korva Coleman

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Justice Department Publishes Report on Election Interference Charges Against Donald Trump

Korva Coleman opens the episode by announcing the release of a comprehensive report by the Justice Department (JD) concerning election interference charges against President-elect Donald Trump. Special Counsel Jack Smith has decided to withdraw these charges. Despite this withdrawal, Smith asserts his commitment to prosecuting Trump, even though the case is unlikely to proceed to trial.

Carrie Johnson provides an in-depth analysis of the 150-page report, highlighting Trump’s alleged attempts to cling to power. Smith explains, “[...] I stand behind my decision to prosecute Trump even though the case will never go to trial” (00:33). The report indicates that the JD refrained from indicting Trump while he remains a sitting president, based on the belief that a sitting president cannot be tried. Nevertheless, Smith believes the evidence is sufficient for a potential jury conviction and emphasizes the importance of upholding the rule of law despite facing relentless personal attacks.

In response, Trump has taken to social media declaring, “the voters have spoken and returned him to power” (00:33). Additionally, his allies have vowed to investigate those who pursued the charges against him, signaling ongoing political tensions.

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Release of Additional Report Sections

Korva Coleman reports that a federal judge has temporarily blocked the release of another segment of the Justice Department’s report, which details Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified information. This development adds another layer to the legal challenges surrounding the former president.

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Santa Ana Winds Threaten Los Angeles as Wildfires Persist

Korva Coleman transitions to environmental news, informing listeners about the forecast of dangerous Santa Ana winds across the Los Angeles area. These powerful winds, with gusts potentially reaching 70 miles per hour, are reminiscent of those that fueled last week’s devastating wildfires.

Steve Futterman provides on-the-ground reporting from Los Angeles, stating, “Fire officials say they pretty much have done all they can do to be prepared for these increased winds” (01:41). He details the proactive measures taken by the LA County and LA City fire chiefs, including pre-positioning fire crews in high-risk areas that were previously affected by wildfires. Despite these preparations, Futterman warns, “These winds can be surprising. They can go in much different directions than anticipated. Right now, everyone is on guard” (01:41). The community remains vigilant as authorities brace for the impact of the impending winds.

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Progress Nears in Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations

Korva Coleman updates listeners on the near resolution of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, aimed at halting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The potential agreement includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees.

Kat Lonsdorf reports from Tel Aviv, highlighting the intensive negotiations that have spanned weeks in Doha. These talks have seen involvement from mediators representing both the incoming and outgoing U.S. administrations. She conveys insights from an anonymous Israeli official: “They have, quote, never been in such detailed negotiations” (02:28). Additionally, a spokesperson for the Qatari Prime Minister noted that both parties have recently overcome significant obstacles, bringing the talks closer to fruition.

However, Lonsdorf cautions that even if an agreement is reached, it will require approval from the Israeli cabinet and may be subject to review by the Israeli Supreme Court before implementation.

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South Korea’s Impeachment Hearing Suspended Amid President Yoon’s Absence

Korva Coleman turns to international politics, reporting that South Korea’s Constitutional Court has commenced impeachment hearings against the suspended President Yoon Sang Yol. The proceedings were abruptly halted after Yoon failed to appear.

This suspension follows Yoon's unsuccessful attempt last month to declare martial law, which has led to increased legal pressures. Currently, South Korean police are endeavoring to arrest Yoon, though previous attempts have been unsuccessful. Authorities are expected to make further efforts to apprehend him in the coming days.

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New York Publishers Brace for Landmark Lawsuit Against OpenAI

In a significant development for the tech and publishing industries, Korva Coleman announces that major publishers, including The New York Times and the New York Daily News, are set to appear in federal court in New York for a high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI.

Bobby Allen elaborates on the case, stating that the plaintiffs accuse OpenAI of “allegedly copying millions of articles without payment or permission” (03:49). The newspapers are seeking potentially billions of dollars in damages and are also demanding the destruction of ChatGPT’s entire data set. OpenAI’s legal team has countered these claims by asserting that the training of their AI models falls under the fair use doctrine, which permits the use of copyrighted material for purposes such as education, research, and commentary.

The upcoming Manhattan court hearing will determine whether the publishers can proceed to trial or if the case will be dismissed.

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Stowaway Incident Involving Russian National Indicted

Korva Coleman covers a notable legal incident involving a Russian national, Svetlana Dali, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in New York for attempting to stow away on a flight from New York to Paris. Dali was discovered aboard a Delta flight in November and subsequently returned and arrested. Additionally, another stowaway was found in December on a Delta flight scheduled to depart from Seattle to Honolulu, highlighting ongoing concerns about airline security and passenger vetting.

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This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the key news topics discussed in the NPR News Now episode from January 14, 2025. For full details and further updates, listeners are encouraged to tune into the NPR News Now broadcast.

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Timestamps:

• 00:13 Korva Coleman introduces DOJ report on Trump.
• 00:33 Carrie Johnson discusses the DOJ report details.
• 01:17 Federal judge blocks part of the DOJ report.
• 01:41 Steve Futterman reports on Santa Ana winds and wildfires.
• 02:28 Kat Lonsdorf covers Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks.
• 03:49 Bobby Allen explains the lawsuit against OpenAI.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The Justice Department has published a long awaited report from special counsel Jack Smith. This report is over charges of election interference against President elect Trump. The charges were withdrawn. Smith says he stands behind his decision to prosecute Trump even though the case will never go to trial. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports.

[Carrie Johnson]

After days of legal wrangling, the Justice Department issued a nearly 150 page report detailing its case against Trump and his efforts to cling to power. Jack Smith walked away from the indictment after Trump won re election last year because the DOJ believes a sitting president cannot face trial. But Smith says he's convinced there was enough evidence for a jury to convict Trump. He says standing up for the rule of law matters and so does fighting for justice in the face of relentless personal attacks. In a social media post, Trump says the voters have spoken and returned him to power. His allies have pledged to investigate the people who investigated Trump. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the release of another part of the report. It's about Trump's alleged mishandling of classified Weather forecasters say dangerous, powerful winds will blow across the Los Angeles area again today. These Santa Ana winds triggered the huge deadly wildfires in the region last week. Steve Futterman reports from Los Angeles. Some gusts today could hit 70 miles per hour.

[Steve Futterman]

Fire officials say they pretty much have done all they can do to be prepared for these increased winds. The L A County fire chief, the LA City fire chief, both say they have pre positioned fire crews in areas that they believe are most vulnerable. These are areas that are prone to have fires and also areas that have been ravaged in the last week. But these winds can be surprising. They can go in much different directions than anticipated. Right now, everyone is on guard.

[Korva Coleman]

Steve Fetterman reporting. Israel and Hamas are very close to reaching a ceasefire agreement that would stop the fighting in Gaza. That's according to several officials involved in the talks. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports from Tel Aviv. The agreement would allow for the release of some Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees.

[Kat Lonsdorf]

It's been weeks of talks in Doha negotiated through mediators, including both the incoming and outgoing US Administrations. Similar talks have fallen apart several times over the past year. But one Israeli official with knowledge of the talks told NPR that they have, quote, never been in such detailed negotiations. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. A spokesperson for the Qatari prime minister echoed that same sentiment, saying the two parties have overcome major obstacles in recent days. Even if a deal is reached, it won't be implemented immediately. It will still need approval from the Israeli cabinet and could head to the Israeli Supreme Court. Kat Lansdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. South Korea's Constitutional Court opened impeachment hearings today against suspended President Yoon Sang Yol, but the hearing closed after only a few minutes because Yoon did not show up. This comes after he botched an attempt last month to declare martial law. South Korean police are trying to arrest Yoon, but have failed so far. They may try again tomorrow. The New York Times and other publishers will be in federal court today in New York in a case against ChatGPT maker OpenAI. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, this will be the first court hearing in the high profile copyright infringement lawsuit.

[Bobby Allen]

The Times, the New York Daily News and the center for Investigative reporting have sued OpenAI for allegedly copying millions of articles without payment or permission. The publishers say the ChatGPT maker owes news organizations potentially billions of dollars in damages. The Times is additionally calling for ChatGPT's entire data set to be destroyed. In response, OpenAI's legal says it trained its artificial intelligence bot on material under what's known as fair use. That's a legal doctrine that allows the use of copyrighted material for things like education, research and commentary. The hearing in Manhattan is over whether the publishers can proceed to trial or if the case will be tossed. Bobby Allen, NPR News, New York.

[Korva Coleman]

A Russian woman who was a stowaway on a flight from New York to Paris has been indicted by a federal grand jury in New York. Svetlana Dali sneaked onto a Delta flight last November, but she was returned and arrested. A different stowaway was discovered in December on another Delta flight about to take off from Seattle to Honolulu. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.

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