NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-12-2025 2PM EST

Episode Date: February 12, 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, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump says he has spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a range of issues, including the Kremlin's war against Ukraine and has also now talked to Ukraine's president about it. In a social media post, Trump said his call with Putin was, quote, lengthy and highly productive. NPR's Danielle

Kurtzleben has details. Trump said he and Putin agreed to visit each other's countries and that they agreed to, quote, start negotiations immediately on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump did not provide details on what negotiations might look like. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says it's, quote, unrealistic to expect

that Ukraine could return to its pre-2014 borders before Russia annexed Crimea. He added that if Ukraine wants a return to its pre-2014 borders before Russia annexed Crimea. He added that if Ukraine wants a return to those borders, it would prolong the war. Danielle Kertzleib in NPR News, the White House. Danielle Kertzleib, NPR News, The White House. A Trump administration official tells NPR a Russian citizen charged with money laundering has been released in exchange for American Mark Fogel. Moments ago, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt described the president's meeting with Fogel. Moments ago, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt described the president's meeting with Fogel.

Caroline Levitt, White House Press Secretary, Fogel, USA, March 21, 2012 Mark Fogel, an American teacher detained by Russia, was returned to American soil and met with the president here at the White House last night. The White House also confirms that Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has released three detainees, including an American. Levitt also addressed what she calls extremely dishonest narrative that the administration was causing a crisis with its actions,

referring to sweeping funding freezes and labor cuts across federal government. She accused judges blocking the administration of causing a constitutional crisis. The US Senate today has confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the director of national intelligence. The vote included a note, though, from one prominent Republican, Senator Mitch McConnell. President Trump has named his secretary of veterans affairs, Doug Collins, to lead the

office of special counsel and office of government ethics. Here's NPR's Quill Lawrence. The VA is the second largest department in the U.S. government after the Pentagon, caring for about nine million veterans. Secretary Collins has led the VA for less than two weeks. He still hasn't gotten key positions filled to oversee veterans' benefits or veterans' health. Now, President Trump has named him acting head of two government watchdog agencies,

which would include overseeing whistleblowers inside his own department. Senate Democrats on the Veterans Affairs Committee condemned the move as a conflict of interest and a distraction from veterans' issues. A VA spokesman said Secretary Collins has already made significant progress at VA and can also run the other two agencies until they have permanent leadership. Quill Lawrence, NPR News. US stocks are trading lower this hour. The Dow is down 225 points or roughly half a percent at 44,367. The S&P is off 20 points and the Nasdaq is down slightly.

You're listening to NPR News. US inflation has risen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds a consumer price index rose to 3 percent in January from the year before, and prices rose by half a percent from December to last month, higher than what was widely projected. The Federal Communications Commission has opened an investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Comcast, parent company of NBCUniversal. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr saying the agency will ensure that every company regulates ends what he calls illegal DEI programs that promote quote, invidious forms of discrimination. This week's Billboard charts are out. NPR's Stephen Thompson reports what's called the Grammy bump is happening. The new number one album in the country is Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd.

The Weeknd is one of many artists who rose on this week's Billboard charts following their performances at the Grammy Awards earlier this month. While The Weeknd's album is brand new, older albums by Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, and Dochi also rose dramatically on this week's charts. But maybe the biggest boost of all went to the Grammy's Album of the Year winner. Beyonce's Cowboy Carter had dropped all the way off the Billboard 200. This week it re-enters the chart at number 19. Stephen Thompson, NPR News.

Dow trading lower, it's down 241 points or half a percent. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.