NPR News: 01-23-2025 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 23, 2025, 9 AM EST

Hosted by Korva Coleman

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1. Immigration Policy Shifts: House Passes Lake and Riley Act

NPR's Ximena Bustillo reports on significant developments in U.S. immigration policy. The House of Representatives has passed the Lake and Riley Act with the support of 46 Democrats, a notable shift from the party's previous opposition. This action propels the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature.

"The measure would make it easier for federal immigration officials to detain and deport those without legal status who are charged with crimes ranging from minor burglary offenses to more serious crimes involving bodily harm, death or harm to law enforcement officers," Bustillo explains (00:33). The bipartisan support, including twelve Democrats who recently backed the bill in the Senate, underscores a changing political landscape post-election. If signed promptly, the act could be enacted as early as this week, signaling a new direction in immigration enforcement priorities.

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2. President Trump's Stance on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

NPR's Franco Ordonez delves into President Trump's latest statements regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump has issued a stern warning to Russia, threatening "high levels of tariffs and sanctions" if a peace deal is not reached.

Reflecting on his campaign promises, Trump stated, "President Zelensky would like to have peace. He's told me that very strongly he'd like to have peace, but it takes two to tango. We'll see what happens" (01:29). Emphasizing his intent, he added, "It's time to end the ridiculous war... we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and the easy way is always better." These remarks suggest Trump's readiness to leverage economic measures to influence the conflict's resolution, positioning himself as a mediator keen on minimizing further loss of life and economic disruption.

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3. Federal Pardons and Communication Freeze Post-Capitol Attack

In a segment highlighted by Korva Coleman, the podcast discusses President Trump's controversial decision to issue blanket pardons to approximately 1,500 individuals convicted or charged in connection with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Among the pardoned is Stuart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, who has since appeared on Capitol Hill advocating for the release of a remaining imprisoned rioter.

Additionally, the Trump administration has mandated that all federal health agencies cease public communications until a review by a Trump appointee is completed. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports on the ramifications of this directive:

"These are not the kinds of meetings that can easily be rescheduled. There are a lot of moving parts, different institutions, different timetables. And a delay, especially an indefinite delay like this one, could really have a negative impact on important cancer research," Simmons-Duffin explains (02:45). Scientists across various biomedical fields express concern that such disruptions could hinder crucial research advancements, highlighting the tension between administrative oversight and scientific progress.

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4. Tragic High School Shooting in Nashville

The podcast covers a heartbreaking incident in Nashville, Tennessee, where a male student fatally shot a female peer in the school cafeteria. A third student was injured, grazed by a bullet. Authorities are currently investigating the motive behind this senseless act of violence, striving to provide answers and support to the affected community in the wake of the tragedy (03:06).

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5. Surge in U.S. College Enrollment Signals Recovery

Amidst ongoing debates about higher education, NPR's Alyssa Nadworny shares encouraging news: U.S. college enrollment has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. After a significant decline in the fall of 2020, enrollment numbers have surged by 4.5% this past fall, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Notably, freshman enrollment at community colleges has increased by over 5%.

Professor Talani Britton from the University of California, Berkeley, comments on this trend:

"The fact that students are both seeing the value in college and enrolling, I think is really great news. It actually points to a recovery," Britton states (04:05). This resurgence indicates a renewed confidence among students in the importance of higher education, reflecting broader economic and social factors that encourage investment in academic pursuits.

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6. Academy Awards Nominees Announced

Adding a lighter note, Korva Coleman announces the initial batch of nominees for the year's Academy Awards, specifically highlighting the Best Supporting Actress category. The nominees include:

• Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown
• Felicity Jones for The Brutalist
• Ariana Grande for Wicked
• Isabella Rossellini for Conclave
• Zoe Saldana for Emilia Perez

This announcement marks the beginning of the awards season buzz, celebrating outstanding performances in the film industry (04:22).

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This summary was crafted using the transcript from NPR News Now's episode released on January 23, 2025. For comprehensive coverage, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full podcast.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump's border czar says immigration actions have begun in some parts of the US Tom Homan told Fox News Immigration and Customs Enforcement teams are prioritizing public safety. The House has voted to pass the Lake and Riley act. NPR's Ximena Bustill reports. This sends the measure to President President Trump for his signature.

[Ximena Bustillo]

The measure would make it easier for federal immigration officials to detain and deport those without legal status who are charged with crimes ranging from minor burglary offenses to more serious crimes involving bodily harm, death or harm to law enforcement officers. The measure passed with the support of 46 Democrats. The vote marked a major shift for many in the party. Democrats broadly rejected the measure at various times last year, but the politics of the bill shifted after the election. Twelve Democrats supported the bill when it passed the Senate earlier this week. Could sign the bill as early as this week. Gimena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump is threatening to impose high levels of tariffs and sanctions on Russia if there's no deal to end the war in Ukraine. NPR's Franco Ortonez has more.

[Franco Ordonez]

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly said he could settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he was elected president. Speaking to reporters this week, Trump said the Ukrainians want to make a deal.

[Donald Trump]

President Zelensky would like to have peace. He's told me that very strongly he'd like to have peace, but it takes two to tango. We'll see what happens.

[Franco Ordonez]

In his social media post, Trump emphasizes that he's not looking to hurt Russia and that he's actually doing Putin a very big favor considering the number of Russian lives lost and the impact on the economy. In Trump's words, it's time to end the ridiculous war, adding, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and the easy way is always better. Franco Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.

[Korva Coleman]

In an interview last night on Fox News, Trump continued to defend his blanket pardons of about 1,500 people convicted or charged in the attack on the U.S. capitol four years ago. One of those who was released, Oath Keepers founder Stuart Rhodes, went to Capitol Hill yesterday. He's urging lawmakers to release one rioter who is still imprisoned. The Trump administration has told all federal health agencies to immediately stop all public communications. That's until they can all be reviewed by a Trump appointee. The National Institutes of Health has now canceled key meetings. NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin says scientists such as cancer researchers say they've been told almost nothing about the cancellations.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

These are not the kinds of meetings that can easily be rescheduled. There are a lot of moving parts, different institutions, different timetables. And a delay, especially an indefinite delay like this one, could really have a negative impact on important cancer research. The full scope of these cancellations isn't clear at this point, but a lot of scientists are concerned that biomedical research of all kinds could be disrupted.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin reporting. You're listening to NPR. Officials in Nashville, Tennessee, are investigating yesterday's deadly high school shooting. Authorities say a male student shot and killed another female student in the school cafeteria. A third student was grazed, apparently by a bullet. Police don't yet have a motive for the shooting. College enrollment in the US has finally rebounded to pre pandemic levels. It fell drastically in the fall of 2020. NPR's Alyssa Nadworny reports on new data that show a growing number of students are willing to make the investment in college.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

During the first two years of the pandemic, colleges and universities around the country lost more than 1 million students. But finally, this past fall, college enrollment in graduate and undergraduate programs has climbed out of the hole in total up 4.5%. The new data comes from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Professor Talani Britton studies higher education at the University of California, Berkeley.

[Talani Britton]

The fact that students are both seeing the value in college and enrolling, I think is really great news. It actually points to a recovery.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Freshman enrollment grew more than 5%, mostly at community colleges. Alyssa Nadworny, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The nominees for this year's Academy Awards are starting to be released this morning. Among the initial batch of announcements are the nominees for best supporting actress. These nominees include Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown, felicity Jones for the Brutalist, ariana Grande for Wicked, isabella Rossellini for Conclave, and Zoe Saldana for Emilia Perez. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.

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