NPR News: 01-23-2025 10PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 23, 2025 | 10 PM EST

Host: Jack Spear
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Duration: 5 minutes

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1. Confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary

Timestamp: [00:17]

Jack Spear opens the episode with the news that President Trump’s controversial nominee for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has successfully navigated a procedural vote in the Senate. This advancement makes it likely that Hegseth will secure the necessary 51 votes for confirmation.

Tom Bowman elaborates on the potential implications of Hegseth's confirmation:

“Clearly, he's going to get rid of the diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the Pentagon. And there's concern among the senior ranks at the Pentagon that he may make personnel changes.”
— Tom Bowman [00:41]

Bowman highlights allegations against Hegseth, including claims of excessive drinking and aggressive behavior towards women. There are concerns regarding Hegseth’s inexperience in managing a large, complex organization and the possible removal of influential figures like Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to run the Navy.

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2. Mexico’s Response to U.S. Deportations

Timestamp: [01:09]

Jack Spear transitions to immigration issues, reporting that Mexico is preparing for mass deportations under President Trump’s administration. The federal program, Mexico Embraces You, is set to establish centers along the U.S. border to accommodate deported Mexican nationals.

Nina Kravinsky provides detailed insights:

“Mexico is setting up nine centers along the border with the U.S. to provide medical attention, food and shelter to Mexican citizens who are deported.”
— Nina Kravinsky [01:29]

These centers will be strategically located in key border states, including Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, and Nogales, with transportation arrangements to facilitate the movement of deportees to their home states. President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasizes Mexico’s commitment to welcoming deportees warmly. According to Pew Research Center data cited by Kravinsky, approximately 4 million of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. in 2022 were from Mexico.

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3. Marco Rubio’s Inaugural Foreign Trip as Secretary of State

Timestamp: [02:12]

Jack Spear reports on Senator Marco Rubio’s upcoming foreign visit, marking his first trip as Secretary of State. Scheduled for the following week, Rubio’s itinerary includes several Central American countries.

Michelle Kellerman provides further details:

“If we're going to be safe and prosperous and in good shape, we have to have an interest in our neighbors in South and Central America.”
— Tammy Bruce, State Department Spokesperson [02:22]

Rubio is set to prioritize cooperation with Western Hemisphere nations, addressing issues such as migration and supply chains. Destinations include Panama—where his visit may strain relations due to recent comments about reclaiming the Panama Canal—as well as Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.

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4. U.S. Financial Markets and John Ratcliffe’s CIA Appointment

Timestamp: [03:03]

Jack Spear provides a brief financial update, noting that U.S. markets closed mostly higher with the S&P 500 reaching a new record of 6,118.18 points, the Nasdaq up by 44 points, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing by 408 points.

Additionally, Spear announces that the Senate has confirmed Donald Trump’s nominee, John Ratcliffe, to head the CIA. Ratcliffe, who previously served as Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term, emphasized the CIA’s need to enhance its use of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to counter threats from adversaries such as Russia and China.

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5. Labor Disputes at Vail Ski Resorts

Timestamp: [03:03]

NPR’s Kirk Sigler reports on escalating labor tensions at Vail Ski Resorts:

“Lift maintenance workers… say they’ve experienced a 50% turnover and Vail isn’t paying enough for employees to afford to live in Colorado's pricey Gunnison Valley.”
— Kirk Sigler [03:44]

The union representing lift operators in Crested Butte has authorized a strike, marking the second employee revolt within a month for Vail. Despite Vail’s assertion that wages are fair and negotiations are ongoing, workers demand cost-of-living raises to cope with the high living expenses in the region. This dispute follows a recent strike by the ski patrol union at Vail’s Park City resort, which lasted nearly two weeks and was exacerbated by customer dissatisfaction during a period of slim snowfall.

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6. Mystery of the Giant Sunfish in Japan

Timestamp: [04:27]

In a lighter and more unusual story, Jack Spear shares an intriguing incident from southwestern Japan where aquarium keepers faced a peculiar challenge: a solitary giant sunfish had lost its appetite. After conventional methods failed, the keepers resorted to hanging cardboard cutouts of humans in aquarium uniforms, which successfully rekindled the fish's interest in food.

“Officials at the aquarium say the ocean sunfish appears to have been affected by the sudden absence of an audience.”
— Jack Spear [04:27]

The facility had been closed for renovations, and the innovative approach suggests the sunfish thrived on perceived social interaction.

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This summary captures the key discussions and insights from the NPR News Now episode released on January 24, 2025, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners and non-listeners alike.

Transcript

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[Jack Spear]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Trump's controversial defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth has squeaked through a procedural vote in the Senate, making it likely he'll get the 51 votes needed for confirmation. Egseth has faced allegations of excessive drinking and aggressive behavior towards women. NPR's Tom Bowman reports on what actions Egseth might take.

[Tom Bowman]

Clearly, he's going to get rid of the diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the Pentagon. And there's concern among the senior ranks at the Pentagon that he may make personnel changes. He's been critical of the first woman to run the Navy, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. She could be out of a job. He's also basically said they want to bring their own people in. So that could mean, again, some military, senior military officers losing their jobs. We just don't know at this point.

[Jack Spear]

NPR's Tom Bowman. Critics have also cited Hegseth's lack of experience in running such a large, complex organization. Mexico is preparing to be on the receiving end of mass deportations under President Trump. Federal program called Mexico Embraces you is creating a system to take back Mexican nationals who are deported from the U.S. nita Korvinsky has more.

[Nina Kravinsky]

Mexico is setting up nine centers along the border with the U.S. to provide medical attention, food and shelter to Mexican citizens who are deported. There will be at least one shelter in each of Mexico's six border states. That includes one in Tijuana, south of California, one in Ciudad Juarez, south of Texas, and one in Nogales, south of Arizona. Buses will be available to transport people from the border to those centers and from the centers to their home states. President Claudia Sheinbaum says the country will welcome Mexicans required to leave the US with open arms. According to the Pew research center, about 4 million of the 11 million immigrants in the US illegally in 2022 were from Mexico. For NPR News, I'm Nina Kravinsky in Hermosillo, Mexico.

[Jack Spear]

Marco Rubio is preparing to set off on his first foreign trip as secretary of state next week. NPR's Michelle Callaman reports. Rubio's slated to travel to Central America.

[Michelle Kellerman]

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says the secretary is making it a priority to work with countries in the Western Hemisphere. If we're going to be safe and prosperous and in good shape. Bruce tells reporters we have to have an interest in our neighbors in south and Central America. She says Secretary of State Rubio recognizes that. The trip is expected to include a stop in Panama, where officials have protested President Trump's talk about the US Taking back the Panama Canal. Secretary Rubio is also expected to visit Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to talk about migration and supply chains. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.

[Jack Spear]

U.S. financial markets closed mostly higher today. The S and P set a new record, up 32 points to 61 and 18. The Nasdaq rose 44 points. The Dow is up 408 points. This is NPR. The Senate has confirmed Donald Trump's pick to head up the CIA. John Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe was director of national Intelligence during Trump's first term. His hearing last week, Ratcliffe told lawmakers the CIA needs to do better when it comes to using new technologies like AI to confront adversaries in Russia and China. Vail Ski Resorts is now facing its second employee revolt in a month. NPR's Kirk Sigler reports. A union of lift operators at Crested Butte in Colorado have voted to authorize a strike.

[Kirk Sigler]

Lift maintenance workers at Crested Butte, which Vail resorts bought in 2018, unionized two years ago and say for the past year they've been asking for a cost of living raise. The union says it's experienced a 50% turnover and says Vail isn't paying enough for employees to afford to live in Colorado's pricey Gunnison. Val. In a statement, Vail says its wages are fair for all employees and the negotiations with the 12 member union are making progress. But this is the latest salvo in a winter marked by slim snowfall and significant labor disputes. At Vail's Park City resort, the ski patrol union went on strike for nearly two weeks, causing stock prices to slump after a blizzard of customer complaints. Kirk Sigler, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Aquarium keepers in southwestern Japan were perplexed after their solitary giant sunfish lost its apple. The facility was closed for renovations and efforts to change the fish's diet proved futile. So in a last ditch effort, keepers hung up cardboard cutouts of humans wearing aquarium uniforms, and the lone fish's appetite returned. Officials at the aquarium say the ocean sunfish appears to have been affected by the sudden absence of an audience. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News, in Washington.

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