NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-16-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: February 16, 2025

NPR News: 02-16-2025 2AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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, I'm Dale Willman. Leaders in Europe are pushing back against comments made on Friday by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance speaking at a security conference in Munich. Vance lectured his colleagues about giving more political space to far-right political parties. MPR's Rob Schmitz says a German leader

quickly challenged Vance. This morning, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began his address to the conference by calling out Vance. He said the day before Vance delivered his speech, Vance had visited the Dachau concentration camp where tens of thousands of people were killed in World War II. And Vance used the phrase never again when he spoke about the atrocities of the Holocaust. Scholz used that phrase to sort of lecture back at JD Vance Delivering a history lesson to the vice president pointing out that Germany has learned to say never again To political parties like Germany's far-right alternative for Germany party known as the AFD That's NPR's Rob Schmitz, New York City Mayor

Eric Adams has given the go-ahead for the city to sue the Trump administration, as Bruce Convisa reports. The city wants back millions of dollars disbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. City officials say legal papers are being drawn up to sue the Trump administration for $80 million in federal aid. The funding was approved by Congress and transferred to New York by FEMA to help cover temporary housing costs for migrants. But without warning, those funds suddenly disappeared from the city's coffers last week.

The city's pending lawsuit against the administration comes during a tumultuous time for the scandal-plagued mayor. This past week, the Justice Department ordered federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against Mayor Adams. At least six prosecutors in New York and Washington resigned rather than comply with an order they say appeared to be politically motivated. For NPR News, I'm Bruce Convyser in New York and Washington resigned rather than comply with an order they say appeared to be politically motivated. For NPR News, I'm Bruce Convyser in New York. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his distress over the deaths of at least 15

people in a crush at the main railway station in the capital of Delhi. The crush took place on Saturday evening as pilgrims surged to get on trains to Priyagraj and Uttar Pradesh where the Kumbh Mela Hindu festival is taking place. The BBC's Ambarasan Ithirajan says overcrowding is an issue. Crowd control had always been a problem. Crash like this is not very uncommon in India. In fact, late last month the same similar situation happened in Priyagraj where millions of people were trying to take a holy dip very early morning around 2 a.m. and there was a huge rush because there's millions of people there

and according to the government, 30 people were killed whereas the Indian media reports put the figure much higher and dozens were injured and there was a lot of criticism about crowd management, crowd control and you were expecting millions to turn up there so you should have been prepared. A 14-year-old is dead and five others were left injured after a man stabbed six passersby in southern Austria on Saturday. Police say a 23 year old man is in custody for the attack but they don't know why it occurred. The suspect is from Syria and has legal residence in Austria. Two people received serious injuries. This is NPR News.

receive serious injuries. This is NPR News. Israel and Hamas completed their sixth exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. Israeli officials say the three hostages released by Hamas seem to be in much better condition than those released one week ago. Armed militants made the hostages speak to a crowd before they were handed over to the Red Cross. There's just two weeks left in the initial phase of that ceasefire. The 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe opened this weekend to respectable box office

numbers and PR's Bob Mondello says a new star seems to have offered a fresh start for Captain America Brave New World. That vibranium shield Captain America carries apparently protects him not just from bullets but also from lackluster reviews. You want me? Come and get me! On his opening day, including previews as the new Captain America, Anthony Mackie's fourth quell took in a snappy 40 million dollars in North America.

Wait for it. That's a better start than Chris Evans had in either of his first two Captain America movies, though it's off considerably from his most recent one. Captain America, Brave New World appears off considerably from his most recent one. Captain America, Brave New World appears to be headed for close to $100 million over the four-day combination Valentine's Day and President's Day weekend. Also pulling crowds, the family film Paddington in Peru. Bob Mandello, NPR News.

Number one Auburn beat number two Alabama Saturday night in the college basketball matchup of the two in-state rivals. Johnny Broom had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Tigers and five other players also scored in the double digits. Mark Sears scored 18 points while Grant Nelson had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Crimson Tide. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.