NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-12-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

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At the Super Bowl halftime show, Kendrick Lamar indeed performed his smash diss track Not Like Us and brought out Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, and SZA. We're recapping the Super Bowl, including why we saw so many celebrities in commercials this year. Listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. President Trump says he and Russian leader Putin have agreed to hold negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump says they discussed the matter in a phone call earlier today.

We talked about the possibility, I mentioned it, of a ceasefire so we can stop the killing and I think we'll probably end up at some point getting a ceasefire in the not too distant future. Trump says Ukraine should hold elections after any ceasefire. He also expressed opposition to NATO membership for Ukraine. A federal judge in Boston is refusing to block the Trump administration's deferred resignations program. As NPR's Andrea Shue reports, it means that the offer can move forward for now. The Trump administration had given workers a choice.

They could offer their resignations now in exchange for pay and benefits through the end of September. The expectation was they'd be on leave most of that time. Or they could remain in their positions and risk being laid off as Trump downsizes the federal workforce. Labor unions representing civil servants asked the court to block the offer calling it unlawful. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole declined that request finding that the unions didn't have standing to bring the case because they are not directly affected. He did not rule on the legality of the

deferred resignation program. The unions called the ruling a setback but not the end of the fight. Andrea Hsu, NPR News. The Senate has confirmed former Hawaii congresswoman and Army veteran Tulsi Gabbard as head of 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. The vote was 52 to 48. Opponents of her nomination expressed concerns about Gabbard's meeting with the now former Syrian dictator

and her public support for a former intelligence contractor accused of leaking classified U.S. data. Democrats say they'll hold the Senate floor into the night to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to become health secretary. They hope to convince Republicans to join their effort to block Kennedy's confirmation. The Trump administration is taking credit for a jump in army recruitments. But NPR's Quill Lawrence reports that the increase began a year ago. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagseth has claimed that high numbers of Americans joined the

Army in December and January because of President Trump's leadership and a new emphasis away from diversity initiatives. That may be true, but Army data show that after a slump in 2022 and 2023, recruiting goals have been met over the past year, with a surplus from 2024 to start off this year. One reason is an Army program for future soldiers that helps Americans get physically fit or academically caught up so they can qualify to serve. Another factor is a growing number of women enlisting over the past three years. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.

Food, gasoline and housing costs rose last month, helping to push inflation up 3 percent from the same period a year ago. The report comes after the Federal Reserve Board indicated that it intends to go slow when it comes to interest rate cuts. This is NPR News. Chevron says it plans to lay off up to 20 percent of its global workforce beginning in April as part of a plan to slash three billion dollars in costs. The announcement comes amid a battle with rival oil company ExxonMobil over Chevron's bid to acquire oil producer Hesse. Joanne Fabrics has announced plans to close 500 stores across the U.S. as it seeks a buyer.

The move follows the Ohio-based Fabrics and Crafts chain's second bankruptcy filing within a year. Joanne says the closings will affect underperforming locations across the U.S. The World Health Organization says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped sharing almost all data on influenza. As NPR's Gabriella Emanuel reports, this comes at a time when bird flu is circulating in the US and seasonal flu levels are high. For decades, the US has shared influenza data through the WHO flu reporting system.

Then, in late January, the WHO says the U.S. stopped uploading their data. That's right around the same time that President Trump ordered CDC officials to stop communicating with WHO officials. Maria Vankurkov is with the WHO. We have not had direct communication with CDC related to influenza. We are communicating with them, but we haven't heard anything back. Among other things, the WHO relies on flu data about which strains are circulating. That helps them tailor the flu vaccine to the current situation. Gabriella Emanuel, NPR News. U.S. futures are higher in after-hours trading. This is NPR.

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