NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-14-2025 1AM EST

Episode Date: February 14, 2025

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Bella DiPaolo is glad if you're happily married, but she is perfectly happy being single. I would love to have someone who took care of my car or someone who cleaned up the dishes after dinner. But then I'd want them to leave. From yourself to your dog to your spouse are significant others. That's on the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump has announced reciprocal tariffs against countries around the world. Details from NPR's Danielle Kirtzleben. Trump described what he means by reciprocal tariffs.

On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them no more, no less. The administration said they will determine what each country's tariff level should be. Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick said the first tariffs could come as early as April. Tariffs are taxes paid by American companies that import goods. Trump acknowledged that the tariffs could lead to higher prices, but said he hopes they will

create jobs. Earlier this week, Trump signed a separate order for 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum. Danielle Kirtsley, NPR News. Danielle Kirtsley, NPR News. The State Department says it is abandoning plans to buy four hundred million dollars' worth of armed vehicles from Tesla. The potential deal drew scrutiny since Tesla is owned by billionaire White House advisor Elon Musk. More from NPR's Bobby Allen. The State Department says it is pausing a four hundred million dollar request for armored Teslas. The Trump administration says it has no plans of completing the contract. This comes after the State Department published a document detailing a plan to buy Tesla vehicles

by September. The document didn't specify which Tesla model, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk has compared the company's Cybertruck to a futuristic battle tank. Soon after the document received attention, NPR noticed the word Tesla was removed to say the bid was for $400 million worth of armored electric vehicles. Then a statement the Trump administration says the contract was started in the Biden White House and is now indefinitely on hold. Bobbi Allen in PR News.

Linda McMahon says she plans to dismantle the Department of Education if she becomes head of that agency. NPR's Lauren McGoughie has more of McMahon's remarks during her Senate confirmation hearing. Linda McMahon told senators that the country's public schools are a, quote, system in decline, and if confirmed, she'd work to eliminate bureaucracy. McMahon previously served as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and headed up the Small Business Administration. She told senators that the funding for students with disabilities and for schools serving

low-income areas could be moved to another government agency. It's not the president's goal to defund the programs. It's only to have it operate more efficiently. At this confirmation hearing, McMahon was also pressed on her intentions to expand school choice, including the possibility of using federal dollars to help students to attend private schools. Lauren McGuckie, NPR News, Washington. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been sworn in as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic who now oversees $1.7 trillion in federal spending on food safety and health insurance programs. You're listening to NPR. More than a thousand federal workers received layoff notices Thursday, mostly in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Up to 100 employees at the embattled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were also notified that their jobs were being cut. Most of the CFPB employees appear to be recent hires.

In Washington, a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development. U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali also ruled that the administration cannot enforce stop-work orders that were sent to companies and organizations working on programs overseas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit brought by the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Council and the Global Health Council. Pitchers and catchers from all 30 major league baseball teams have reported to spring training. As NPR's Becky Sullivan reports, the league is running an experiment at this year's camp.

Becky Sullivan Spring training games will officially begin next week with a Thursday game between the Chicago Cubs and the defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. For the first time, major league teams will test out what's known as the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System, or ABS, that's a set of cameras placed around the field to see the exact location of a pitch and whether it was in the strike zone. Players will be able to challenge the umpire's call of ball or strike. More than 60% of spring training games will have the system in place, though it won't be in effect during the regular season this year. Becky Sullivan, NPR News.

US futures are flat in after hours training. Following gains on Wall Street Thursday, Onasia Pacific market shares are mixed up 1% in Hong Kong. This is NPR News.