NPR News: 01-17-2025 2PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 17, 2025, 2 PM EST

Hosted by NPR, "NPR News Now" delivers the latest news in five minutes, updated hourly. This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the January 17, 2025 episode.

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1. Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban in the U.S.

Reporter: Bobby Allen
Timestamp: [00:44]

The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed a federal law passed by Congress in April, which mandates a ban on TikTok in the United States effective Sunday. This decision compels major tech platforms, including Apple and Google, to remove TikTok from their app stores. Additionally, TikTok’s web services must sever all ties with the app or face severe penalties of $5,000 per user, applicable for a statute of limitations spanning five years.

Key Points:

• Ban Implementation: Within two days, TikTok will be inaccessible on major app stores.
• Penalties: Failure to comply with severing ties will result in substantial financial penalties.
• Impact: Tens of millions of U.S. users and creators on TikTok are directly affected, with many deriving income from the platform.

Notable Quote:

"All of TikTok's web support will have to sever ties with the app or face really, really stiff penalties," explained Bobby Allen. [00:44]

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2. President-Elect Donald Trump's Call with China's Xi Jinping

Reporter: Deepa Shivaram
Timestamp: [01:17]

In a significant diplomatic maneuver, President-elect Donald Trump engaged in a telephone conversation with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, three days before his second inauguration. This call coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision on TikTok and addressed a spectrum of critical issues including Taiwan, trade, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Key Points:

• Call Content: Discussions ranged from regional conflicts to trade disputes.
• Diplomatic Relations: The conversation aimed to ease tensions and foster cooperation between the U.S. and China.
• Upcoming Event: China will send Vice President Han Sheng to attend Trump’s inauguration as Xi’s special representative, following Trump’s invitation to Xi.

Notable Quote:

Trump described the conversation as "a very good one for both countries," highlighting its positive nature. [01:17]

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3. President Biden and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Reporter: Danielle Kurtzleben
Timestamp: [02:14]

President Joe Biden has declared his support for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), affirming it as part of the U.S. Constitution. While this declaration is largely symbolic, it underscores Biden's commitment to gender equality. The National Archives, however, maintains that the amendment cannot be certified without additional actions from Congress or the courts.

Key Points:

• Historical Context: The ERA was originally passed in 1972 but lacked ratification by the required 38 states by the 1982 deadline. Nonetheless, ratifications continued, culminating in Virginia becoming the 38th state in 2020.
• Current Status: Biden seeks the archivist to publish the amendment, facilitating its official recognition, though he is not mandating this action.
• Public Response: Supporters of the ERA are planning a rally in front of the National Archives to advocate for its certification.

Notable Quote:

Biden emphasized the significance of the ERA by stating it "guarantees all Americans equal rights and protections under the law, regardless of their sex." [02:14]

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4. Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza and UN’s Visit to Lebanon

Reporter: Emily Fang
Timestamp: [02:53 & 03:24]

The Israeli security cabinet has endorsed the terms of a ceasefire agreement aiming to conclude the 15-month-long Gaza conflict. The full Israeli cabinet’s approval is pending and expected later today. Concurrently, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is visiting Lebanon to meet with peacekeepers enforcing a fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Key Points:

• Ceasefire Terms: Awaiting final approval from the Israeli cabinet, which, if confirmed, will halt ongoing hostilities.
• UN Involvement: Guterres’ visit signifies international support for Lebanon, especially after the nation elected a new president following a two-year vacancy.
• Peacekeeping Efforts: The UN peacekeepers, soon to be supplemented by Lebanese military forces, are tasked with maintaining the ceasefire. Despite agreements, Israel continues sporadic strikes in Lebanon.
• Implementation Challenges: With less than two weeks remaining, Lebanese armed forces are actively dismantling Hezbollah’s weapon installations as per the agreement’s requirements.

Notable Quotes:

Antonio Guterres described his visit as an act of "solidarity to congratulate Lebanon" on its new presidency. [03:24]

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5. Ohio Governor Appoints Lieutenant Governor to U.S. Senate Seat & Stock Market Update

Reporter: Lakshmi Singh
Timestamp: [04:10]

Following the vacating of the U.S. Senate seat by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has appointed his Lieutenant Governor, John Husted, to fill the vacancy. Husted, who was elected in November as part of the freshman class of the 119th Congress, is characterized as a "workhorse" poised to prioritize Ohio's needs.

Key Points:

• Appointment Rationale: DeWine selected Husted for his proven dedication and ability to effectively represent Ohio in the Senate.
• Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks are experiencing gains with the Nasdaq rising by 1.7% (328 points), the S&P by 1% (69 points), and the Dow by nearly 1% (413 points).

Notable Quote:

Governor DeWine stated his choice by saying he wanted "a workhorse in the US Senate who will prioritize the needs of Ohio's constituents." [04:10]

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Conclusion

This episode of NPR News Now covered significant developments ranging from pivotal Supreme Court decisions impacting social media platforms, high-level diplomatic engagements between the U.S. and China, strides towards constitutional gender equality, efforts to stabilize Middle Eastern conflicts, to key political appointments and economic updates in the U.S. These updates encapsulate the dynamic and multifaceted nature of current events shaping both national and international landscapes.

Transcript

[Carvana Representative]

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The US Supreme Court has upheld a federal law Congress passed in April mandating that TikTok will be banned in the U.S. as of this Sunday unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests itself of ownership. NPR's Bobby Allen reports on what the ruling means for the tens of millions of people in the US who use and in many cases make money off of the short form video sharing app.

[Bobby Allen]

In two days, this law takes effect, which means Apple and Google will have to yank TikTok out of app stores and all of TikTok's web support will have to sever ties with the app or face really, really stiff penalties. We're talking $5,000 per user and this law applies the statute of limitations for five years.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR's Bobby Allen reporting. President elect Donald Trump spoke today by phone with China's leader Xi Jinping three days before Trump will be inaugurated for the second time. Here's NPR's Deepa Shivaram.

[Deepa Shivaram]

The Trump Xi phone call came hours before the supreme court upheld a US law that effectively bans TikTok. Starting on Sunday, China's state media said the two leaders discussed issues ranging from Taiwan to trade and exchange views on the Russia Ukraine crisis as well as the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Trump, who made repeated attacks on China on trade issues over the course of his presidential campaign, said the call was, quote, a very good one for both countries. On Thursday, China announced it will send Vice President Han Sheng to attend Trump's inauguration next week as Xi's special representative, Trump had originally invited Xi. Deepa Shivaram, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

President Biden says he considers the Equal Rights Amendment to be part of the Constitution. His declaration appears to be largely symbolic. The National Archives says the amendment cannot be certified without further action from Congress or the courts. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports.

[Danielle Kurtzleben]

In a statement, Biden declared the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law, regardless of their sex. Congress originally passed the ERA in 1972, but the required 38 states had not ratified it by a 1982 deadline. States continued ratifying it, though, and in 2020, Virginia became the 38th. Senior administration officials told reporters that Biden wants the archivist to publish the amendment, a crucial final hurdle for it. However, they said he is not directing her to do so. ERA backers plan to rally today in front of the National Archives. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The terms of a ceasefire agreement toward ending the 15 month old Gaza war now have the Israeli security cabinet's backing, but the four full cabinet still has to approve it. That could happen later today. The dow is up 411 points. You're listening to NPR News. The United nations secretary general is in Lebanon today to visit peacekeepers enforcing a tenuous ceasefire in the country with Israel. NPR's Emily Fang has the latest.

[Emily Fang]

The UN's Antonio Guterres says his visit is out of, quote, solidarity to congratulate Lebanon, which just elected a new president after more than two years without one. He's also headed to south Lebanon to meet with peacekeepers working for a UN body that will soon deploy alongside Lebanon's military. Their role is to enforce the ceasefire signed last November, halting a ruinous war between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel. Israel's military has continued to strike Lebanon, sometimes fatally, despite the ceasefire. A senior member of the implementation committee overseeing the ceasefire told NPR that with less than two weeks to go, Lebanon's armed forces have been racing to dismantle Hezbollah weaponry installations as required under the agreement. Emily Feng, NPR news, Beirut.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine selected his lieutenant governor to fill the U.S. senate seat vacated by Vice President elect J.D. vance. DeWine says he chose John Husted because he wanted a, quote, workhorse in the US Senate who will prioritize the needs of Ohio's constituents. Houston joins Bernie Moreno, who was elected in November in the freshman class of the 119th Congress. US stocks are trading higher this hour. The Nasdaq is up 1.7%, or 328 points. The S&P has also risen more than 1%, up 69 points. And the Dow is up nearly 1%, or 413 points. This is NPR News.

[Carvana Representative]

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