NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-14-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: February 14, 2025

NPR News: 02-14-2025 5AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Planet Money is there. From California's most expensive fires ever. That was my home home. Yeah. I grew up there. It's ashes. To the potentially largest deportation in U.S. history. They're going to come to the businesses. They're going to come to the restaurants. They're going to come here. Planet Money. We go to the places at the center of the story. The Planet Money Podcast from NPR. center of the story, the Planet Money podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly.

Vice President Vance is expected to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky today on the sidelines of a security conference in Germany. Their talks in Munich are part of President Trump's push to negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Zelensky and NATO's secretary-general said yesterday any negotiated peace deal must include Kiev being a part of the process. Trump says he may soon meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a deal, possibly

in Saudi Arabia. President Trump says he and India's prime minister Narendra Modi discussed strengthening defense and economic ties during their talks yesterday at the White House. As NPR's Azmah Khalid reports, their meeting came on the same day Trump announced reciprocal US tariffs on countries worldwide. The Trump administration says these new tariffs would not be ready until April at the earliest. But it is certainly significant for trade relations. Trump has repeatedly singled

India out for its high tariff rates on U.S. imports. At his joint press conference with his Indian counterpart, Trump put it this way. I had discussions with India in the first term about the fact that their tariffs were very high and I was unable to get a concession. So we're just going to do it the easy way and we're just going to say whatever you charge, we charge." The president also said that India's prime minister has agreed to begin negotiations over long-running trade disparities with the goal of signing an agreement. Asma Khalid, NPR News.

A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to temporarily lift a freeze on the funding of all programs from the US Agency for International Development. The ruling stems from a lawsuit brought by two health care organizations that receive funding from USAID. Thousands of federal employees have begun receiving layoff notices as the Trump administration downsizes government. NPR's Shannon Bond says many of those being let go were recently hired or on probationary status. Some probationary staff at the Department of Education received notices they were being

terminated effective immediately, according to employees who spoke with NPR on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. At the General Services Administration, many recently hired employees were called into meetings late Wednesday and told they were being let go. The cuts come days after President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to start preparing to, quote, initiate large scale reductions in force. Trump and his advisor

Elon Musk say they are slashing what they say is excessive government spending. Shannon Bond, NPR News. The Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The vote was 52 to 48. One Republican voted against him, Mitch McConnell. This is NPR News. A vote in the Senate to confirm Cash Patel to be the next FBI director could take place as early as next week. His nomination was advanced yesterday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee's top Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, has accused Patel of orchestrating

the firing of Bureau employees ahead of a Senate confirmation vote. Patel has denied that. Apple and Google say they've restored TikTok to mobile app stores. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the companies removed the service several weeks ago after a federal law banning TikTok went into effect. Apple and Google removed China-based TikTok from their app stores nearly a month ago since a law Congress passed could lead to billions of dollars in fines for hosting the video app. But Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote the tech giants a letter promising the Trump administration

will not enforce the ban law. With TikTok back on app stores, the service can get software updates to fix bugs and security issues. As long as China controls TikTok, Apple and Google are technically in violation of federal law by working with the app. Legal experts say it's a risky bet since the Trump administration could reverse its decision and use the law against the companies.

Talks are underway for TikTok's U.S. operations to be sold. Bobby Allen, NPR News. On this Valentine's Day, the city of Philadelphia will be showing its love for this year's Superbowl champions, the hometown Philadelphia Eagles. A victory parade begins later this morning in the city's downtown and ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Eagles beat the two-time defending NFL champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Superbowl

59. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.