NPR News: 01-27-2025 9PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 27, 2025, 9 PM EST

Released on January 28, 2025

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1. Mexico Receives Over 4,000 Migrants Amid U.S. Policy Shifts

Nina Kravinsky reports from Hermosillo, providing an update on Mexico's recent influx of migrants. Since President Donald Trump's inauguration last Monday, Mexico has received more than 4,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States.

Key Points:

• Nationality of Migrants: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the majority of these migrants are Mexican citizens, although some hail from other nations.

• Nature of Arrival: It's unclear whether these 4,000 migrants are solely deportees or include individuals turned away at the border seeking asylum.

• Diplomatic Strains: Sheinbaum previously expressed hopes of negotiating an agreement with President-elect Trump to limit repatriations to Mexican nationals only. However, historical precedents indicate that Mexico has occasionally accepted non-Mexican migrants, particularly when diplomatic relations with third countries are strained, complicating direct repatriation.

Notable Quote:

“Mexico has in the past accepted non-Mexican migrants. That can happen in cases where strained diplomatic relations between the third country and the US make it hard to repatriate those people directly back to their country of origin.”
— Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican President ([00:38])

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2. Tennessee Lawmakers’ Special Session Faces Protests Over Gun Reform

In Tennessee, a special legislative session convened to address immigration, disaster relief, and school vouchers encountered significant public opposition.

Mariana Bacallau of WPLN reports from Nashville on the unfolding situation:

Key Points:

• Protest Motivations: Hundreds gathered outside the state Capitol to protest the legislature's perceived inaction on gun reform, especially following a recent shooting at Antioch High School.

• Legislative Focus: Governor initiated the session partly to support President Trump's mass deportation initiatives, reflecting the administration's stringent immigration stance.

• Historical Context: Less than two years prior, a similar special session was called in response to a deadly shooting at a private Christian school. At that time, the Republican supermajority failed to pass meaningful gun reform, a pattern protesters fear will repeat.

• Public Sentiment: Protesters express skepticism about the legislature's willingness to prioritize gun safety over immigration issues, underscoring frustration and a sense of betrayal among constituents.

Notable Quote:

“Tennessee's governor has called the special session to focus in part on helping with President Trump's mass deportation efforts.”
— Mariana Bacallau, WPLN Reporter ([01:47])

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3. Chinese AI Startup Deepseek Surges Ahead, Raising Concerns Among Tech Investors

Maria Aspen reports from New York on the unexpected rise of Deepseek, a Chinese startup in the artificial intelligence sector.

Key Points:

• Rapid Popularity: Deepseek launched its free AI assistant last week and swiftly became the most downloaded app on the U.S. Apple Store, surpassing established models like ChatGPT.

• Performance and Cost: Experts suggest that Deepseek's AI performs comparably to existing models but at a significantly lower cost, making it an attractive alternative in the competitive AI landscape.

• Investor Concerns: The surge of Deepseek poses questions about the substantial investments made by major tech companies—Meta, Microsoft, Google, among others—in artificial intelligence. The unexpected competition suggests that such high expenditures may not have been as essential as previously thought, potentially leading to reevaluations of investment strategies within the tech industry.

Notable Quote:

“Deepseek performs almost as well as ChatGPT and other established AI models. And the company says it's much cheaper technology.”
— Maria Aspen, NPR Reporter ([02:26])

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4. Trump's Suspension of Afghan Refugee Program Leaves Many in Limbo

In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of the U.S. refugee program for Afghans, affecting thousands who collaborated with or fought alongside American forces.

Tia Hadid reports from Mumbai on the ramifications of this decision:

Key Points:

• Impact on Afghans: Approximately 50,000 Afghans are awaiting the processing of their asylum applications. These individuals, having allied with the U.S. prior to the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, risk persecution and death due to their affiliations.

• Challenges in Pakistan: Many of these asylum seekers have found refuge in neighboring Pakistan, but the Pakistani government has been increasingly deporting them, citing inability to manage the large influx.

• Personal Stories: Several Afghans expectant of resettlement in the United States have expressed feelings of abandonment and betrayal, highlighting the human cost of the policy change.

• Advocacy Response: Former U.S. service members and resettlement advocates are condemning the suspension, emphasizing the moral obligation to protect those who aided American efforts in Afghanistan.

Notable Quote:

“There are about 50,000 Afghans waiting to have their asylum applications processed.”
— Tia Hadid, NPR Reporter ([03:36])

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5. U.S. Health Officials Directed to Halt Collaboration with WHO

In a move echoing the Trump administration's previous stance, U.S. public health officials have been instructed to cease all collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Key Points:

• Official Directive: A representative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed senior leaders to end any collaborations with the WHO and await further instructions.

• Potential Implications: Experts warn that this decision could hinder efforts to investigate and control outbreaks of diseases such as MPOX in Africa and other communicable illnesses, potentially leading to global public health setbacks.

• Legislative Context: Although the Trump administration announced intentions to withdraw from the WHO, formal exit requires Congressional action. This directive may signal an accelerated departure from international health collaborations.

Economic Note:

• Oil Market Impact: Concurrently, crude oil futures experienced a decline, with prices dropping by $1.49 per barrel to settle at $73.17, reflecting potential market reactions to geopolitical and policy uncertainties.

Notable Quote:

“Experts say it could set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of MPOX in Africa and other communicable diseases.”
— Jack Spear, NPR Host ([04:15])

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Conclusion: The January 27, 2025 episode of NPR News Now covered a range of pressing issues, from international migration and refugee policies to technological advancements in AI and public health policy shifts. Key takeaways include Mexico's handling of increased migrant arrivals, the contentious debate over gun reform in Tennessee, concerns over competitive pressures in the AI industry, the humanitarian implications of U.S. refugee policy towards Afghans, and the potential repercussions of disengaging from global health collaborations. These stories collectively underscore the complex interplay between domestic policies and their international ramifications.

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For more detailed reporting and updates, visit NPR News Now.

Transcript

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[Jack Spear]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Mexico says it has received more than 4,000 migrants from the US since President Donald Trump took office last Monday. As Nina Kavinsky of member station WKJZ reports, Mexico's president says the majority are from Mexico, but some are from other countries.

[Nina Kravinsky]

It wasn't immediately clear if those 4,000 people are all deportees or if some are migrants who were turned away at the border. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had said last year that she hoped to reach an agreement with then President elect Trump to only take Mexican citizens. Shanebaum pointed out that Mexico has in the past accepted non Mexican migrants. That can happen in cases where strained diplomatic relations between the third country and the US make it hard to repatriate those people directly back to their country of origin. For NPR News, I'm Nina Kravinsky in Hermosillo, Mexico.

[Jack Spear]

Tennessee lawmakers convened today for a special session on immigration, disaster relief and school vouchers, but Mariana Bacallau of member station WPLN reports protesters on the steps of the state Capitol were demanding gun reform after Nashville's second school shooting as many years.

[Mariana Bacallau]

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the city state Capitol decrying the legislature's lack of action after a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville last week.

[Home Instead Representative]

Are they going to be doing anything about the guns? No, no, because they'd rather attack our immigrant and refugee neighbors.

[Mariana Bacallau]

Tennessee's governor has called the special session to focus in part on helping with President Trump's mass deportation efforts. Less than two years ago, a deadly shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville inspired its own special session on gun safety. The Republican supermajority didn't pass gun reform then, and protesters say they don't expect them to this time, either. For NPR News, I'm Mariana Baca Yao in Nashville.

[Jack Spear]

A new AI assistant from a Chinese startup is suddenly more popular than ChatGPT, and that's worrying tech investors. NPR's Maria Aspen reports. The tech heavy Nasdaq closed down more than 600 points today.

[Maria Aspen]

The Chinese startup Deepseek was little known before last week when it released its free AI assistant. Now its app is the most popular download on the US Apple store. AI experts say that Deepseek performs almost as well as ChatGPT and other established AI models. And the company says it's much cheaper technology. That's worrying investors who are concerned about how much the tech industry has been spending on artificial intelligence. Meta, Microsoft, Google and other big tech companies have been pouring billions into AI and promising their investors that it will pay off eventually. Deep Seek is making them wonder whether all this spending was necessary in the first place. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York.

[Jack Spear]

The s and P500 fell 88 points. This is NPR. Thousands of Afghans who worked for or fought alongside Americans and hoped to come to the US are now in limbo. That's after President Donald Trump ordered the suspension of the country's refugee program. As NPR's Day Hadid reports from Mumbai, the suspension is being condemned by former service members who been advocating for the resettlement of Afghans.

[Tia Hadid]

Resettlement advocates say Afghans who allied with the United States before the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 face the risk of death for their actions. There's about 50,000 Afghans waiting to have their asylum applications processed. Many of them have been waiting in neighbouring Pakistan, but they aren't welcome there. The Pakistani government has been deporting hundreds of thousands of Afghans, arguing it cannot shoulder the burden of hosting so many people. Five Afghans who are expecting to fly to the United States with their families told NPR they feel abandoned and betrayed. Tia Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai.

[Jack Spear]

U.S. public health officials say they're being told to stop working with the World Health Organization immediately. It follows the Trump administration's earlier announcement it plans to pull out of the group, a process that will require an act of Congress. Member to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viewed by the Associated Press, tells senior leaders to stop any collaborations with the WHO and await further guidance. Experts say it could set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of MPOX in Africa and other communicable diseases. Crude oil futures prices took a drop today. Oil down $1.49 a barrel to settle at $73.17 a barrel. In New York, I'm Jack Spear, NPR News, in Washington.

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