NPR News: 02-02-2025 11PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: February 2, 2025, 11 PM EST Summary

Released February 3, 2025

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1. U.S. Imposes Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China

Host: Dale Willman

In a significant move affecting global trade, President Donald Trump announced the implementation of tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China. The tariffs are set to take effect on Tuesday, leading to immediate repercussions in financial markets.

Market Reaction:

• Stock Futures Decline: Following the announcement, stock futures experienced a downturn. Japan's Nikkei index notably dropped by nearly 2.5%, reflecting international investor concerns.

President Trump's Statement ([00:42]):

"We may have short term some little pain, and people understand that, but long term, the United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world. We have deficits with almost every country, not every country, but almost."

International Responses:

• Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by announcing a 25% tariff on over $150 billion worth of U.S. imports. He urged the U.S. to reconsider its tariff plans but indicated that Canada would proceed if the U.S. did not back down.

  Justin Trudeau ([01:15]):

  "Canada says it will place a 25% tariff of its own on more than $150 billion worth of U.S. imports."

• Mexico: President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed reluctance for confrontation but committed to responding with tariffs and other measures.

• China: Officials from China's Foreign Ministry and Commerce Ministry condemned the U.S. tariffs, pledging "corresponding countermeasures" without specifying details.

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2. National Science Foundation Resumes Funding Amid Legal Orders

Host: Dale Willman

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the resumption of payments to researchers after a brief freeze imposed by the Trump administration. The freeze, initiated on Tuesday, halted disbursements as the NSF reviewed grant compliance with new executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Court Intervention ([02:25]): A temporary restraining order mandated the NSF and other federal agencies to resume funding. In compliance, the NSF has restarted payments while continuing its review process.

Jonathan Lambert, NPR News:

"The NSF clarified that it cannot stop payments because of this review."

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3. NASA and JPL to Launch Spherex Telescope

Host: Dale Willman

NASA, in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is preparing to launch a new space telescope named Spherex. The mission aims to delve into the origins and structure of the universe and to search for life's building blocks within the Milky Way.

Mission Details ([03:32]):

• Design: The telescope resembles a giant funnel and weighs less than a grand piano.

• Capabilities: Equipped with an infrared mapping instrument, Spherex will survey the entire celestial sky over six months.

  Ari Daniel, NPR News:

  "SphereX will answer a set of fundamental questions about the cosmos. Why does our universe look the way it does? How did galaxies form and evolve? And it'll peer inside dust clouds between stars in search of essential molecules of life."

• Launch Plans: Scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

Project Outlook: James Fanson, the project manager, anticipates groundbreaking discoveries, stating, "Expect the unexpected to come out of the data for this mission as well."

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4. New Orleans Prepares for Upcoming Super Bowl Security

Host: Dale Willman

With the Super Bowl scheduled for next week in New Orleans, city officials are taking extensive measures to ensure the event's security. This comes in the wake of a security breach during a New Year's Day attack, heightening vigilance.

Security Measures:

• Personnel: Thousands of armed law enforcement agents will be present at the Superdome.
• Additional Precautions: Deployment of bomb-sniffing dogs and other security technologies to safeguard attendees and infrastructure.

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5. Rory McIlroy Wins Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament

Host: Dale Willman

In sports news, Rory McIlroy triumphed at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament held in California. Demonstrating exceptional skill, McIlroy secured victory with a final score of 66, achieving two birdies and an eagle on the back nine.

Tournament Highlights:

• Performance: McIlroy finished two strokes ahead of runner-up Shane Lowry.
• Career Milestone: This win marks McIlroy's 27th victory on the PGA Tour, further cementing his status as one of golf's elite players.

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Transcript

[Home Instead]

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[Dale Willman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Stock futures are lower tonight after President Donald Trump announced this weekend that he'll place tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Those tariffs are set to take effect on Tuesday. Japan's Nikkei averages is also down almost 2.5% on that news. Speaking with reporters as he returned to Washington tonight, Trump acknowledged that the tariffs will hurt Americans.

[Donald Trump]

We may have short term some little pain, and people understand that, but long term, the United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world. We have deficits with almost every country, not every country, but almost.

[Dale Willman]

Top officials in China, Canada and Mexico, meanwhile, say that they planned to respond following the Trump administration announcement on tariffs. Most Canadian and Mexican imports will see a 25% tax, while goods from China will be charged at a 10% rate. NPR's Joe Hernandez has more.

[Justin Trudeau]

Canada says it will place a 25% tariff of its own on more than $150 billion worth of U.S. imports. On Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged the U.S. to abandon its plan to impose tariffs on its northern neighbor. But he said that if US Plan took effect, Canada would move forward with its tariffs and leave other options on the table, too. Mexican President Claudia Shanebaum said on Saturday that she didn't want a confrontation with the U S, but vowed to respond to the Trump administration plan with tariffs and other measures. Statements from China's Foreign Ministry and Commerce ministry denounced the U.S. tariffs and said the country would take unspecified, quote, corresponding countermeasures in response. Joe Hernandez, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

In Japan, meanwhile, the Topics index has dropped by two and a quarter percent. The National Science foundation says it's going to start paying researchers again after a Trump administration imposed freeze of about a week. As NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports, the move comes after a court order requiring NSF and other federal agencies to resume those payments.

[Jonathan Lambert]

On Sunday at noon Eastern, the NSF said that the agency will resume distributing funds to scientists who had received grants. They have been unable to access their funds since Tuesday, when the agency froze payments as they reviewed how their grants complied with new executive orders, especially those targeting diversity, equity and inclusion. The freeze left hundreds of people unable to access money allocated for their salary and their research. On Friday, a court issued a temporary restraining order that required the NSF and other agencies that froze funds to resume payment. On Sunday, the NSF complied with that order while it is still reviewing existing grants for compliance with Trump's executive orders. NSF clarified that it cannot stop payments because of this review. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[Dale Willman]

And you're listening to NPR News. NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory say they're set to launch a new telescope into space called Spherex. As Ari Daniel reports, the mission will examine the origin and structure of the universe and search for components of life in the Milky Way.

[Ari Daniel]

The telescope looks like a giant funnel and weighs less than a grand piano. Housed inside is an instrument that'll map the entire celestial sky in infrared. In just six months, SphereX will answer a set of fundamental questions about the cosmos. Why does our universe look the way it does? How did galaxies form and evolve? And it'll peer inside dust clouds between stars in search of essential molecules of life. James Fanson is project manager.

[Dale Willman]

Expect the unexpected to come out of the data for this mission as well.

[Ari Daniel]

Sphere X is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a Falcon 9 rocket. For NPR News, I'm Ari Daniel.

[Dale Willman]

New Orleans officials say that city is ready to host next week's super bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. An attack there on New Year's Day has led to concerns about security lapses in the city. Officials say there will be thousands of armed law enforcement agents at the Superdome where the game will take place, along with bomb sniffing dogs. Rory McIlroy finished with two birdies and an Eagle on the back nine today to win the Pebble Beach Pro Am golf tournament that was underway in California. He finished the day with a 66 1, two strokes ahead of Shane Lowry, who finished second. It was McIlroy's 27th win on the PGA Tour. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.

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