NPR News Now Summary: January 24, 2025, 10 PM EST
NPR News Now delivers the latest news in five minutes. Here’s a comprehensive summary of the January 24, 2025, episode.
1. Senate Approves Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth
Host: Jack Spear
Reporter: Tom Bowman
The U.S. Senate has approved Donald Trump's contentious nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Breaking a 50-50 Senate tie, Vice President JD Volek cast the deciding vote, allowing Hegseth to secure the position despite significant opposition.
Tom Bowman reports that Pete Hegseth, an Army National Guard combat veteran and former Fox News host, diverges from traditional Defense Secretary backgrounds, which typically include high-ranking politicians, industry leaders, or military officials. Hegseth positions himself as a "change agent at the Pentagon," criticizing its alleged focus on "woke politics and diversity at the expense of war fighting" (00:45).
Hegseth has recently softened his stance on women in ground combat roles, asserting that women can serve in these positions if they meet standards. However, he controversially stated that the fitness requirements for women are lower and has promised a review of these standards (00:45).
2. Donald Trump's Response to Natural Disasters in North Carolina and California
Host: Jack Spear
Quote: Donald Trump (01:42)
Mayor: Karen Bass
President Donald Trump traveled to North Carolina and California to address the aftermath of recent natural disasters. In North Carolina, he met with residents affected by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. In California, Trump visited areas devastated by the LA wildfires, vowing to collaborate with Governor Gavin Newsom on recovery efforts.
During his tour, Trump emphasized the severity of the damage, stating, “I don't think you can realize how rough it is, how devastating it is until you see it. I didn't realize. I mean, I saw a lot of bad things on television, but the extent of it, the size of it, we flew over it in a helicopter, we flew to a few of the areas, and it is devastation” (01:42).
Later, Trump proposed waiving federal permits to expedite rebuilding and criticized California's wildfire response. He also suggested eliminating FEMA, advocating for state-led disaster responses (02:03).
3. Ceasefire Extension in Lebanon Amid Israeli Withdrawal
Host: Jack Spear
Reporter: Michelle Kelman
The Trump administration is urging an extension of the ceasefire in Lebanon to provide Israel additional time to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the withdrawal depends on the Lebanese armed forces assuming control and pushing Hezbollah further north.
Michelle Kelman reports that President Trump’s national security spokesman, Brian Hughes, stated, “a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed” to prevent Hezbollah from threatening Lebanese civilians and neighboring regions in Israel (02:25). Hughes further noted that the administration aims to ensure the safe return of Israeli citizens to their homes in the north while supporting Lebanon’s new government (02:25).
4. Wall Street Update
Host: Jack Spear
Wall Street experienced a relatively quiet trading day, with stock indices slightly retracting from their record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 140 points, reflecting cautious investor sentiment (03:09).
5. Hamas to Release Additional Hostages
Host: Jack Spear
Hamas has confirmed the forthcoming release of four hostages over the weekend as part of a ceasefire agreement. These hostages are female soldiers captured under the longstanding conflict in Gaza. The ceasefire, which pauses the 15-month war, includes Israel’s release of 200 Palestinian prisoners. Among these prisoners are 120 militants serving life sentences for orchestrating deadly attacks. The four Israelis set for release have been held since the war commenced in October 2023 (03:09).
6. Minnesota Supreme Court Rules on House Control Dispute
Host: Jack Spear
Reporter: Clay Masters
The Minnesota Supreme Court has deferred the decision on who holds control of the Minnesota House, sending the matter back to the state’s legislative branch. This ruling comes amidst a standoff where Democrats have been boycotting the House session to contest power dynamics (04:00).
Clay Masters explains that the court sided partially with Democrats, agreeing with the Democratic Secretary of State and House leaders on what constitutes a quorum—68 out of 134 seats, just over 50%. However, the justices did not mandate a specific resolution to resolve the impasse, leaving the House in a legislative limbo for the past two weeks (04:00).
In November, Minnesota voters elected a split House with 67 Democrats and 67 Republicans. Complications arose when a judge disqualified one Democrat for residency issues. Consequently, Republicans have been conducting floor sessions and committee meetings without Democratic participation, exacerbating the deadlock (04:00).
7. Crude Oil Prices Slightly Up
Host: Jack Spear
Crude oil futures saw a minor increase, with prices rising by 4 cents to $74.66 per barrel in New York (04:47).
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