NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-15-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: February 16, 2025

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On the Thru Line podcast, the myth linking autism and vaccines was decades in the making and was a major moment for vaccine hesitancy in America, tapping into fears involving the pharmaceutical industry and the federal government. No matter how many studies you do showing that this is not a problem, it's very hard to unring the bell. Listen to Thru Line from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on the European Union to establish a European army to defend the continent against

Russia. He told the annual Munich Security Conference that the continent can no longer be sure of U.S. protection, that a European army is necessary because the continent's future depends only on Europeans. He also says Ukraine won't accept any deal to end the war with Russia that's reached behind its back. And Pierce Joanna Kikissis has more. This is important because the U.S., Ukraine's strongest single ally, is now speaking directly to Russia, the country that invaded Ukraine and continues to attack it. President

Trump says he plans to visit Russia. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has poured cold water on two of Ukraine's most important goals, joining NATO and getting back all of its territory occupied by Russia. And these developments have really unsettled Ukrainians. I've spoken to many who say they feel like the U.S., the country they most admire for its democratic values, is betraying them. And here's Joanna Kekesis. A union representing U.S. Forest Service employees say the agency has fired about 3,400 workers just after the so-called fork in the road deadline for federal workers.

Wyoming Public Radio's Caitlin Tan has more. Many U.S. Forest Service workers showed up to work only to be fired shortly thereafter, said Dennis Lapsowich with the Forest Service Council, a national union. He says probationary employees were let go, including those in trail and road maintenance, logging, and even fire suppression. We are losing wildland firefighters right and left and they're not going to be here come this fire season. The Department of Agriculture, which runs the Forest Service, has not confirmed the

number of job cuts or whether they include firefighters. A written response from the department says it supports President Trump's directive to quote, optimize government operations. For NPR News, I'm Caitlin Tan in Laramie, Wyoming. Stocks gained ground this week despite stubborn inflation and a lackluster report on retail spending. Imperial Scott Horsley reports all of the major indices rose by more than a half percent.

Stocks aren't the only things getting more expensive. The Labor Department said Wednesday that consumer prices were up 3% in January, a bigger annual increase than the month before. With sticky inflation and a solid job market, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told lawmakers this week the central bank does not have to be in a hurry to cut interest rates.

Shoppers dialed back their spending last month. Retail sales fell by nine-tenths of a percent. While the Trump administration threatened higher tariffs in the not-too-distant future, investors seemed relieved that most of the import taxes have not kicked in yet. For the week that Dow gained more than half a percent, the S&P 500 index rose one and a half percent, and the Nasdaq jumped more than two and a half percent. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. Rebels, backed by Rwanda, have captured the second largest city in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo's army has retreated.

Emmett Livingstone has more. Rebels from the Rwanda-backed M23 have captured Bukavu, a city of about one million people in eastern Congo. It's the second major city that the group has captured in recent weeks, having seized Goma, the region's main trading hub, in late January. There was little to no fighting for Bukavu, according to the UN and other sources. Congo's army, which hasn't yet commented, appears to have retreated. It's unclear how far this conflict will go. The M23 has vowed to march on the capital

Kinshasa. Congo's President Felix Chisikedi this week restated his long-standing opposition to negotiating with the M23, which he considers a Rwandan proxy. For NPR News, I'm Emmett Livingstone in Kinshasa. Federal transportation investigators say the crew of the Army Blackhawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines passenger jet near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C. last month may have had inaccurate altitude readings. The National Transportation Safety Board also says they may not have heard instructions from air traffic controllers.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Hammondy says there's also evidence to suggest the American Airlines crew saw the helicopter right before impact. All 67 people on board both aircraft were killed. The NTSB says it could take more than a year to finish the investigation. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies, sending And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.