NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-15-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: February 15, 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 New York City, I'm Dale Wilman. At least seven federal prosecutors have now resigned in Washington, D.C. and New York City. One of the latest resignations took place on Friday and included a scathing

resignation letters. NPR's Carrie Johnson explains. Prosecutor Hagen Scotton, who earned two bronze stars for his military service and who clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts, he's not a liberal, he wrote he does not have negative views about the Trump administration. But he wrote that any prosecutor knows that laws and traditions say you cannot use your enormous power to lean on elected officials. You'll eventually find someone who's enough of a fool or a coward to file your motion, Hagan-Skotten wrote, but it was never going to be me.

NPR's Carrie Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, resigned on Thursday. Employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development are bracing for what could be major layoffs, as NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. The Trump administration wants to cut the agency's staff in half. HUD's union president said three officials confirmed the overall target for layoffs was 50 percent and some areas could lose up to 75 percent of staff. One employee who learned of the plan in a meeting said colleagues were visibly upset. The union leader said he worries about the economic ripple effect, both on those who

may be let go and the people they serve. HUD declined comment, but Housing Secretary Scott Turner has announced his own task force to review spending and target waste and fraud. On Friday, Elon Musk said on X that his Doge team had recovered nearly $2 billion of HUD money he said had been misplaced. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington. Mexico's president says if the U.S. designates Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, her country will expand legal action against U.S. gun makers.

A foreign terrorist designation would put the cartels in the same category as armed foreign groups like Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. Nina Krasvinsky, a member station KGZZ, has more. President Trump directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in an executive order shortly after taking office. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in her regular morning press conference

that if the U.S. goes through with that designation, she plans to expand an existing lawsuit in US courts against gun manufacturers. Well, we would have to expand the demand in the US. Shane Baum says more than 70% of the guns used by cartels come from the US. The US Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments about whether the lawsuit against gun makers

should go forward early next month. For NPR News, I'm Nina Kruwinski in Hermosillo, Mexico. Abortions are set to resume soon in Missouri. Voters had voted enshrining abortion rights into the state constitution last fall, but state lawmakers offered regulations that had restricted providers. A judge on Friday blocked those regulations from taking effect. You're listening to NPR News. A second federal judge has paused President Trump's executive order halting federal support

for gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19 years old. That ruling from a federal judge in Seattle came one day after a similar order by a judge in Baltimore. Democratic Attorneys General from several states have argued that the order discriminates against transgender people. An 86-year-old white man from Kansas City charged with shooting a black teenager who mistakenly rang his doorbell pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree assault. As Peggy Lowe of Member Station KCUR reports, the plea bargain means Andrew Lester will

avoid a trial. Lester appeared in Clay County Court in a wheelchair, the teen he shot, Ralph Yarrow, was in the front row surrounded by family. When sentenced next month, Lester could get between one and seven years in prison. District Attorney Zach Thompson said he will ask for five years. This outcome ensures accountability for the defendant, provides closure to Mr. Yarrow, and satisfies the need to achieve a just result in the case. Yarrow's mother, Cleo Nagby, issued a statement saying the family hopes that Lester's sentencing will uphold the seriousness of the crime and not merely be a slap on the wrist. For NPR News, I'm Peggy Low in Kansas City. Philadelphia celebrated their Super Bowl Champion Eagles on Friday with a homecoming parade

through the city of brotherly love. Some fans camped along the parade route to be sure of a good viewing spot. Saquon Barkley and several other players hopped off the team bus at one point and passed through the crowd giving high fives to fans. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News in New York City. On the Throughline podcast, the myth linking autism and vaccines I'm Dale Willman, NPR News in New York City.