NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-09-2025 12PM EST

Episode Date: February 9, 2025

NPR News: 02-09-2025 12PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Matt Wilson spent years doing rounds at children's hospitals in New York City. I had a clip-on tie. I wore Heelys, size 11. Matt was a medical clown. The whole of a medical clown is to reintroduce the sense of play and joy and hope and light into a space that doesn't normally inhabit. Ideas about navigating uncertainty. That's on the TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR. I'm Nora Romer with East Head with this news. President Trump is defending Elon Musk and his efforts to cut the federal workforces. NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports that Trump praised

the billionaire's actions during a pregame Super Bowl interview. In a pre-taped interview, President Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier that Elon Musk is carrying out promises he made on the campaign trail to root out waste and abuse. I don't know if it's kickbacks or what's going on, but the people, look, I ran on this, and the people want me to find it. And I've had a great help with Elon Musk, who's been terrific. Bottom line, you say you trust him. Trust Elon?

Oh, he's not gaining anything. Musk has drawn increasing scrutiny and criticism for his moves to dismantle federal agencies, such as USAID. Trump said he'll direct Musk and his team to next look at the Department of Education and the Pentagon, promising they'll find billions of dollars

in fraud and abuse. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, West Palm Beach. French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are co-hosting a worldwide summit on artificial intelligence in Paris starting tomorrow. NPR's Elna Beardsley reports. There is global anxiety as the race to develop artificial intelligence intensifies. The two-day Paris summit involving world leaders and tech CEOs will try to address how to harness AI's potential

so that it benefits everyone while containing the technology's risks. It's about establishing the rules of the game, said President Macron. AI cannot be the Wild West. Chinese startup DeepSeek stunned the world last month with its ability to rival Western players like ChatGPT with a fraction of the resources and budget. The revelation is escalating the geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington for tech supremacy. Eleanor Beardsley in PR News, Paris.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's sending a delegation to Qatar to continue Gaza's ceasefire negotiations. But Netanyahu is also expressing anger at the treatment of the three Israeli hostages released by Hamas this weekend in the emaciated state. He's heard here through a BBC interpreter. We have once again seen what monsters Hamas are. These are the same monsters who slaughtered our civilians and mistreated our hostages. And I say to them once again, they will pay for their actions. We will do everything to bring back all our hostages. We will ensure their safety. That's the instruction I gave to the

delegation. But Hamas will not be there. We will eliminate Hamas and return our hostages. Hamas has said it's ready for further talks, but accuses Israel of not delivering more humanitarian relief as provided in the ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, Egypt has called for a summit of Arab leaders after President Trump's remarks about taking over Gaza and displacing the Palestinians. This is NPR News in Washington. Rescuers in southwestern China are searching for 28 people missing after a landslide. It happened yesterday in Sichuan Province after heavy rain and buried 10 houses.

One person is confirmed dead. Hundreds of people were forced from their homes. Millions of Americans will be tuning in to watch the Philadelphia Eagles face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in tonight's Super Bowl. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports the game is not just about touchdowns and TV ads. It's also tied to a rise in sports gambling. The National Council on Problem Gambling says the risk of addiction has grown by about 30 percent in the U.S. within the last three years. 44-year-old Jordan Holt says he hit rock bottom with his gambling compulsion after losing more than $100,000 within 15 months. It was an obsession at that point. That's all I could do was think

about how I lost. So I couldn't think about anything else in my life. I couldn't focus on anything. That's all I could focus on was winning back the money that I lost. The American Gaming Association estimates that nearly $1.5 billion in legal bets will be riding on this year's Super Bowl, breaking last year's record of $1.2 billion. Windsor-Johnston NPR News. The Super Bowl is tonight in New Orleans. Another sort of competition is already underway at Madison Square Garden in New York. It's the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. With about 2,500 dogs from about 200 different breeds and varieties, the title of Best in Show is to be announced Tuesday. I'm Nora Romm, NPR News in Washington.