NPR News Now: January 22, 2025, 5 PM EST

Hosted by NPR, this episode of "NPR News Now" delivers the latest updates in five minutes. Below is a detailed summary capturing the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode released on January 22, 2025.

1. President Trump's Pardons of January 6th Defendants

Jeanine Herbst opens the episode with significant news regarding former President Donald Trump’s recent actions. On Monday, Trump issued full, complete, and unconditional pardons to all individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Tom Dreisbach provides an in-depth report on one of the pardon recipients, Daniel Ball. Ball was allegedly involved in violent actions during the Capitol attack, including throwing an explosive device that injured multiple officers and a piece of wood at police officers. Despite his pending case, Trump’s blanket clemency led to Ball’s release. However, Ball was subsequently rearrested on unrelated gun charges. Federal prosecutors in Florida highlighted his illegal possession of a firearm, citing his criminal history, which includes multiple felonies such as domestic violence and resisting law enforcement with violence.

"President Trump gave full, complete and unconditional pardons to all of the people charged in connection with the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol." — Jeanine Herbst [00:13]

"Federal prosecutors in Florida say he illegally possessed a gun even though he had a criminal record for multiple felonies..." — Tom Dreisbach [00:34]

2. Criticism from Police Organizations and House Democrats’ Response

Following the pardons, Jeanine Herbst reports that major police organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police, have criticized Trump’s decision. They argue that such pardons set a dangerous precedent. In response, House Democrats are scheduled to hold a meeting with former Capitol Police officers to address the implications of the pardons.

3. White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Targets DEI Initiatives

In a separate development, Jeanine Herbst highlights actions by the White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The OPM has placed all federal employees involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on administrative leave. This directive mandates the shutdown of all DEI offices within federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Pennsylvania Congressman Chris D'Aluzio criticizes House Republicans, stating they are more focused on canceling DEI programs and boosting corporate profits rather than addressing the needs of Americans.

"The OPM directed all DEI offices to be shut down." — Jeanine Herbst [01:14]

"House Republicans for focusing more on canceling DEI programs and increasing corporate profits or over the needs of Americans." — Chris D'Aluzio [02:03]

4. Trump Administration Halts Federal Health Agencies’ Communications

The episode continues with the Trump administration's directive to halt all communications from federal health agencies until February 1st. This suspension affects all agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services and extends to all forms of communication, including social media, which now require approval from a presidential appointee. This move mirrors similar actions taken during Trump's first administration.

"The Trump administration is telling the heads of the federal health agencies... to halt all communications with the public." — Jeanine Herbst [02:10]

5. Nashville School Shooting Tragedy

A tragic event is reported in Nashville, where a 17-year-old male student opened fire at the Antioch High School cafeteria, resulting in the deaths of two students, including the gunman. The shooter, armed with a pistol, killed one girl and grazed another before taking his own life. Authorities have yet to determine a motive. Notably, although the school had two resource officers, they were not present in the cafeteria during the incident.

"A 17 year old male student armed with a pistol opened fire... shooting two girls and then himself." — Jeanine Herbst [02:10]

6. New Government Takes Office in Ireland

Lauren Frayer reports on the formation of a new government in Ireland following recent elections. Mihail Martin, a veteran politician from the Vienna Fall Party, has been appointed as the new Taoiseach (Prime Minister). His party secured the most votes in November’s elections. As part of a coalition agreement, Martin will swap roles with Simon Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach, after three years, moving Harris to the position of Foreign Minister.

The new Irish government faces potential challenges, including maintaining Europe’s largest trade surplus with the United States. Any tariffs imposed by President Trump could adversely affect Ireland’s economy. Additionally, Ireland is working on a cross-party supported bill to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move that may provoke backlash from the U.S. and Israel.

"His center right Vienna Fall Party won the most votes in November's election." — Lauren Frayer [03:21]

7. Prince Harry’s Settlement with UK Tabloids

In a legal development, Prince Harry has reached a settlement with Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloid, The Sun. The agreement includes a full apology for unlawful information gathering and phone hacking. This resolution averts a potentially prolonged trial and holds the newspapers accountable for invasions of privacy. The financial terms of the settlement remain undisclosed.

"Prince Harry has agreed to a settlement with Rupert Murdoch's UK Tabloids that includes a, quote, full apology from the sun for unlawful information gathering and also phone hacking." — Jeanine Herbst [04:08]

8. Wall Street Briefing

Concluding the episode, Jeanine Herbst provides a quick update on the stock markets:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Up 130 points
• NASDAQ: Up 252 points
• S&P 500: Up 37 points

"The Dow up 130 points. The NASDAQ up 252. The S&P 500 up 37 points." — Jeanine Herbst [04:08]

Conclusion

This episode of "NPR News Now" covered a range of pressing issues from federal pardons related to the January 6 Capitol attack, significant policy changes affecting DEI initiatives, a heartbreaking school shooting, political shifts in Ireland, and high-profile legal settlements involving Prince Harry. Each segment provided listeners with concise yet comprehensive insights into the current events shaping the national and international landscape.