Loading summary
Transcript13 lines
- [00:00]
NPR Sponsor
This message comes from Noom. Using psychology and biology to build personal meal plans to fit your lifestyle, taking into account dietary restrictions, medical issues and other personal needs. Sign up for your trial today@noom.com live from NPR News.
- [00:18]
Dale Willman
I'm Dale Willman. Syria's interim government says there are no more excuses for Israeli soldiers to be patrolling a buffer zone between the two countries. The new head of state is calling for international pressure to get Israel's military to leave. NPR's Kerry Khan reports from Damascus.
- [00:34]
Kerry Khan
Syria's interim leader Ahmad Al Shara says Israel's past reasons to remain in Syria no longer hold. At first, the reason given, he says, was to stop Iranian militias. But he says since the liberation of Damascus, this excuse no longer holds. Qatari officials visiting Syria called for Israel's immediate withdrawal. The UN has patrolled a thin buffer zone between Israel and Syria for decades. After the fall of the Assad regime, Israel moved into the buffer zone, saying the move was to safeguard Israel's security. It has remained there despite criticism and protests from local residents in Arab countries. Last Wednesday, Israel struck a target inside Syria, killing three people, according to a human Rights War monitor group. Carrie Khan, NPR News, Damascus.
- [01:19]
Dale Willman
TikTok says it will close its operations in the US On Sunday unless the White House says it won't enforce a shutdown of the popular video app. The Supreme Court ruled today that a federal law requiring the company to be sold to a non Chinese company or to shut down is constitutional. NPR's Bobby Allen says the big question now is whether incoming President Donald Trump will step in after his inauguration on Monday.
- [01:43]
Bobby Allen
Trump can delay the start date of the law and try to work out a deal for TikTok to be sold away from ByteDance. Or the Trump administration can just do, you know, nothing, say, hey, we're not enforcing this thing. In that scenario, can the tech companies just ignore it? It's a real question. Constitutional scholars I've been talking to said we're just entering some really uncharted legal territory here, right? The social media app TikTok will be technically banned, and maybe TikTok will still be sticking around. I mean, what a world to be in.
- [02:10]
Dale Willman
That's NPR's Bobby Allen with our reports. Generations of activists are welcoming President Biden's declaration that he considers the Equal Rights Amendment to be the law of the land. But the move is, in fact, entirely symbolic. NPR's Bill Chappell has our reports.
- [02:26]
Bill Chappell
Advocates for the rights of women and others rallied outside the National Archives, celebrating what they say is a victory in more than 100 years of trying to add the ERA to the constit. Sophia Arman is with the Feminist Front, a youth organization that promotes gender justice.
- [02:41]
Sophia Arman
I want to say today to everybody out there, especially young girls, young queer kids, you are welcome here. You are loved. This country is yours, too.
- [02:53]
Bill Chappell
Celebrations aside, national archivist Colleen Shogun says that because the ERA amendment missed its deadline, it cannot be added to the Constitution unless Congress or the courts act. Activists at the rally say they plan to keep pushing for the ERA to become the 28th amendment. Bill Chappell, NPR News.
- [03:12]
Dale Willman
And you're listening to NPR News. Israel's cabinet has approved a deal for the ceasefire in Gaza. Under the plan, dozens of hostages will also be released. The ceasefire will go into effect on Sunday and will pause the fighting. In the 15 month old war, 33 hostages will be released during the first phase, which will last for six weeks. More than 700 Palestinian prisoners will also be released. Humanitarian aid is also expected to quickly flow in to Gaza. Health officials are looking into a case of bird flu. In San Francisco, NPR's Will Stone reports that a child was confirmed to have the infection and has since recovered.
- [03:50]
Will Stone
The case was picked up last week and later confirmed by follow up testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How the child caught the virus is unknown. Their symptoms were fever and conjunctivitis. No other members of the household had symptoms, but public health officials are testing their blood for evidence of a past infection. This is one of just a few cases where the source of the infection cannot be identified. Most of the human infections in the US have been traced back to infected poultry or cattle. CDC health officials say there is no evidence others caught the virus from the child or spread it to others. Will Stone, NPR News.
- [04:26]
Dale Willman
A fire at the world's largest battery storage plant continues to send up some toxic smoke at this hour. In Northern California, the fire at the Vistra Energy lithium battery plant in Moss Landing began on Thursday. Fire officials say the smoke is now red and crews are waiting for the fire to burn itself out. About 1,500 people were evacuated when the fire began. Lithium battery fires burn very hot and are difficult to put out. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.
- [04:56]
NPR Sponsor
This message comes from Warby Parker. What makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your pair@warbyparker.com or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country.