NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-07-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: February 8, 2025

NPR News: 02-07-2025 7PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Valentine's Day is on the horizon and NPR's All Songs Considered has you covered with a mix of lesser-known love songs for that special someone in your life. You don't make your wife playlists? Well not anymore. I sealed the deal. Robin. Robin, Robin, Robin. She is not... We're going to discuss this later. Hear new episodes of All Songs Considered every Tuesday wherever you get podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. A federal judge is temporarily pausing plans by the Trump administration to put 2,200 employees at the United States Agency for International Development on administrative leave. It follows suits by two federal unions

to block the move. MPR's Windsor Johnston reports it comes amid continued efforts by Trump and Doge head Elon Musk to shatter the International Aid Group. In a post on social media Trump wrote, close it down when referring to USAID. He went on to accuse the agency of spending money fraudulently and said there's nothing the quote, radical left can do about it. But unions representing foreign service officers and employees at USAID have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its efforts to dissolve it and freeze foreign assistance.

The suit argues that only Congress can dismantle the organization and cause the administration's actions unconstitutional and illegal. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. People meanwhile are asking who are members of Elon Musk's cost-cutting team Doge. There is a group at the White House, but also people who've been fanned out across various federal agencies. That includes one member of Musk's team, who NPR's Shannon Bond reports stepped down at

Treasury Department after racist social media posts came to light. His name is Marco Alés. He's a 25-year-old Rutgers University graduate who previously worked at Musk's SpaceX and at X. He was a temporary appointee at Treasury who was granted access to this payment system alongside Krause. Now, on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal identified racist posts from a social media account

linked to him. Those posts have been deleted, but NPR did independently confirm them. And Eliezer has now resigned, although Musk and Vice President JD Vance are saying he should get his job back. President Trump today sided with Vice President JD Vance on rehiring the employee. A short time later on Musk's social media platform,

there are also posts saying El Alej should be rehired. Hamas is confirming three Israeli hostages will be returned tomorrow after being held in Gaza for 16 months in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. And Bureau's Kat Lonsdorf reports from Tel Aviv. Earlier in the day, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the terms of the ceasefire agreement, saying that Israel had not allowed certain humanitarian aid, like shelters, debris removal equipment and fuel, into Gaza, aid which Hamas says is necessary for reconstruction efforts. Israel's military released a statement saying that it had deployed troops at several points

within Gaza and were, quote, ready in defense. This weekend's hostage for prisoner exchange is the first after President Trump floated plans to have the US take over Gaza and relocate the nearly two million Palestinians there elsewhere. Kat Wandsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Stocks went into retreat mode at week's end. The Dow down 444 points. The NASDAQ fell 268 points today.

This is NPR. Academy Awards nominee Carlos Sofia Gascon is reeling from some resurfaced social media posts. NPR's Mandelito Barco reports the criticism could affect her film, Amelia Perez, during awards season. For her role as Mexican drug lord, Amelia Perez, Carlos Sofia Gascon had looked forward to possibly becoming the first trans actress to win an Oscar. That changed when a journalist uncovered Gascon's old social media posts in which she vilified Islam and denigrated George Floyd, who's killing by police sparked racial justice protests. At first, Gascon tried to explain herself to CNN en Espanol.

I've committed no crime, haven't hurt anyone, and I'm not racist," she said. Emilia Perez, director Jacques Audiard, called Gascon's statements self-destructive. Gascon's reps and Netflix haven't responded to NPR's request for comments, but the actress now says she's bowing out of campaigning for the Oscars. Mandelita Del Barco, NPR News. For the 149th year, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held, and for the first time since 2020, it will be at New York's Madison Square Garden. All told, around 2,500 dogs from 201 different breeds will be participating in this year's show, vying for a Best in Show trophy that will be awarded Tuesday night.

Dog lovers are already asking whether this could be the year for last year's runner-up, a German Shepherd named Mercedes, or could this be the year Monty, a giant snouser who was a finalist for the past two years, picks up the trophy. Critical futures prices higher today. Oil gained 39 cents a barrel to end the session at $71 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Home Instead. Home Instead knows that if you leave home I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.