NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-10-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: February 10, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Today, a federal judge in Boston will consider whether to keep the pause on the Trump administration's deferred resignation offer to federal employees. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports labor unions have sued to block it, calling the deal unlawful. The Trump administration has presented federal workers a choice. Remain in your jobs but risk getting laid off or agree to resign now and keep your pay and benefits through the end of September. Unions have argued that the deal violates a law

that prohibits agencies from obligating funds that Congress hasn't approved. They also accused the Trump administration of failing to consider potential adverse consequences should large swaths of the federal workforce resign. Attorneys General from 20 states and D.C. filed a brief ins of the federal workforce resign. Attorneys general from 20 states and DC filed a brief in support of the unions, warning that the resignation offer, quote, would have a devastating impact on states' abilities to respond to natural disasters, support veterans,

and deliver crucial services to millions of Americans. Andrea Hsu and PR News. This morning, a third federal judge has now blocked President Trump's executive action ending birthright citizenship for people born in the U.S. to parents who are here illegally. The ruling came from a judge in New Hampshire in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU. The group alleges Trump's action tries to overturn one of the most fundamental American constitutional values.

Stocks opened higher this morning as President Trump threatens new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped about 150 points in early trading. Scott Horsley, NPR News Anchor President Trump says he plans to announce a 25 percent tax on all imported steel and aluminum, extending a trade battle he launched during his first term in the White House.

The move has the potential to boost domestic steel and aluminum makers, while also raising costs for businesses and consumers that buy steel and aluminum, ranging from automakers to soda pop and beer drinkers. The Golden Arches lost some of their shine in the most recent quarter. McDonald's saw its U.S. sales fall, partly, as a result of an E. coli outbreak, which briefly took quarter pounders off the menu in some states. President Trump says he's directed the Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies. The government's been losing money on the coins, which each cost more than a penny to make.

Scott Horsley, MPR News, Washington. President Trump is doubling down on his claim the US is going to seize the wrecked enclave of Gaza, home to Palestinians displaced by the war between Israel and Hamas. Think of it as a big real estate site, and the United States is going to own it and will slowly, very slowly, we're in no rush, develop it. We're going to bring stability to the Middle East. But there are few supporters of Trump's views in other countries. Egypt announced over the weekend it will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27th.

Egypt says this is to discuss, quote, new and dangerous developments. You're listening to NPR. President Trump says he will dismiss what's known as the boards of visitors to US military academies. Writing online this morning, Trump claims they are infiltrated by quote, woke leftist ideologues. He offered no evidence. The boards are outside advisory groups that offer advice to the Naval Academy, for example. But some members of these visitors boards are appointed by Congress, not by the president. Scientists at universities across the country are warning new federal funding cuts to current

and future research could endanger human health. From member station KQED, Sarah Hossani reports the funding cuts announced by the National Institutes of Health take effect today. The NIH says it's capping money for facilities and administrative costs at 15 percent to align with the amount some private funders permit. Stanford University Professor Benjamin Good says the future of his research on the gut microbiome is now in jeopardy, without money for secure data storage, janitorial services, and chemical safety training, among many other functions. The science we do, I think it's extremely important. It's very basic science and it's not something that companies support right now.

In a statement, Stanford says cuts to research on its campus will amount to 160 million dollars per year. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Hosseini. Writer Tom Robbins has died at his home in Washington state according to a friend. He was 92 years old. Robbins dazzled millions of readers with novels such as Jitterbug Perfume and even Cowgirls Get the Blues. No funeral details for Robbins have been announced. This is NPR.