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Episode Date: February 16, 2025

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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. Live from NPR.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel, his first visit to the Middle East as the nation's top diplomat. As an American visiting and then as a member of the United States Senate, but now for the first time as the Secretary of State of the United States. And it's an honor to be here. And it's an honor to serve in this role on behalf of President Donald Trump. Rubio speaking moments ago alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has

praised President Trump's proposal to move Palestinians out of Gaza and redevelop it. Arab leaders have universally rejected that plan. Earlier this weekend, Rubio held initial talks by phone with his Russian counterpart, the latest in an ongoing push by the Trump administration to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, as MPR's Charles Maines reports. In a call that Moscow said was initiated by the US, Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to maintain contacts on a host of issues, including Ukraine. Engagement between the top diplomats comes as both sides prepare for a meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with high-level delegations expected to gather in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. Following a call between the two leaders in the past week, Trump appeared to accede to Putin's demands Ukraine to end its ambitions to join NATO and relinquish territory to Moscow, raising fears

the U.S. was cutting Ukraine out of the peace process altogether. In turn, the Kremlin now says its priority with the U.S. is discussing peace, not war. Charles Maynes, NPR News. At the Munich Security Conference this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that Ukraine and Europe must be at the negotiating table, but Zelensky says Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia. European leaders are planning an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine. The Board of OpenAI says it has turned down Elon Musk's more than $97 billion offer to buy the company.

NPR's Bobby Allen reports a bid comes amid Musk's ongoing challenge against the maker of ChatGPT. The board of OpenAI says it has unanimously rejected Musk's unsolicited proposal to take over the company. In a statement, chairman Brett Taylor says OpenAI is not for sale, calling Musk's offer an attempt to undercut one of his competitors. At the same time, Musk's lawyers are advancing a lawsuit against OpenAI seeking to stop the chat GPT maker from converting from a non-profit into a for-profit operation. OpenAI received some of its first funding from Musk and the billionaire White House official says OpenAI is violating its founding principles as a research lab. But

OpenAI has published emails from Musk when the company started showing him supporting the idea of converting to a for-profit business. Bobby Allen, NPR News. In Austria, authorities believe a stabbing attack carried out by a 23-year-old Syrian man was an Islamist attack. A 14-year-old boy was killed and five others were wounded. And you're listening to NPR News. The woman who accused Sean Combs and Jay Z of raping her when she was 13 years old has dropped her lawsuit against the two.

The women had alleged the assault took place at an MTV Video Music Awards after party in the year 2000. NPR's Juliana Kim reports. Juliana Kim reports. Court records show that a notice of voluntary dismissal was submitted on Friday. It's unclear why the anonymous woman withdrew her complaint. Her attorneys declined to comment. The suit was initially filed four months ago.

It claimed that Sean Diddy Combs and Jay-Z took turns raping the woman during an after party in 2000. Both Jay-Z and Combs have vehemently denied the claims. In a statement to NPR, Jay Z called the dismissal a victory and said the suit had inflicted trauma on him, his wife, and children. Combs is currently facing several lawsuits alleging physical assaults, rape, and other misconduct. He's also facing federal sex trafficking charges. His trial is scheduled to begin in May. Juliana Kim, NPR News. And West Palm Beach, Florida grocery shopper Michelle Kinley says she can't believe the

price of eggs. I actually went yesterday to the store and was literally shocked to see the dozen of eggs at $9.26 and Costco had them about $24, $25 a floor flat, and I mean, it's literally shocking. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of eggs more than doubled over the past year. Amid an ongoing outbreak of bird flu, lawmakers in Nevada have suspended a cage-free law to meet demand, and stores including Costco and Trader Joe's are limiting customer purchases. This is NPR News.