NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-16-2025 9AM EST

Episode Date: February 16, 2025

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On the ThruLine 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 ThruLine from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Gile Snyder.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel today, his first trip to the Middle East as the nation's top diplomat. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio praised what he called President Trump's a bold vision for Gaza. Marco Rubio Not the same tired ideas of the past but something that's new bold and something that frankly took courage and vision in order to outline and it may have shocked and surprised many but what cannot continue is the same cycle where we repeat over and over again and wind up

in the exact same place. President Trump's proposal involves displacing Palestinians and redeveloping Gaza under U.S. ownership. Arab leaders have universally rejected that plan. Secretary Rubio expected to visit Saudi Arabia as part of his overseas trip amid reports that the U.S. and Russia are planning to hold talks there on the war in Ukraine, leading European leaders to schedule an emergency meeting in Paris tomorrow to deal with a transatlantic chasm that has emerged. In Paris, Eleanor Beardsley reports on Europe's first common

organized reaction to President Trump's decision to negotiate an end to the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin without Europe. European leaders are reeling after the Munich Security Summit exposed a transatlantic rupture on several issues. They took offense at Vice President JD Vance's address, which was perceived as a lecture on free speech and democracy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz bristled, saying the commitment to never again means

hate speech cannot be tolerated. He said Germany would not allow outsiders interfering in its political process. Also speaking in Munich, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for Europe to adapt to America's withdrawal from the continent's security. Zelensky called on Europe to join with Ukraine to build its own military force. Europe says it must be part of negotiations on the future of Ukraine. Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News, Paris. Back in

the U.S., forecasters are warning of heavy rain and the potential for severe thunderstorms along the East Coast today. The stormy weather is moving in after dumping heavy rain in Kentucky, leading to major flooding in the region. Kentucky officials have confirmed at least one death. Stan Engolt is with Member Station WEKU. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency prior to the rain hitting the Commonwealth.

President Trump granted the governor's request for a federal disaster declaration. Beshear said that this would make federal funding available to the affected areas. He also said that he has been in contact with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the acting director of FEMA. Some of the hard hit areas in the flooding are still recovering from the deadly floods of 2022. Rushing waters and mudslides are closing roads, and the rain is forecasted to transition to

snow throughout the day. For NPR News, I'm Stan Engold in Richmond, Kentucky. From Washington, you're listening to NPR News. A 14 year old boy has been killed and five people wounded in a knife attack in Southern Austria. NPR's Rob Schmitz reports from Munich. Police in Vila, a town near Austria's border with Slovenia and Italy say the suspect is a 23 year old Syrian asylum seeker who was detained at the scene. Austria's interior minister said the perpetrator was linked to the Islamic state group. The attack took place on Saturday afternoon near the town's main square.

A delivery worker, also a Syrian man, who had witnessed the attack as he was driving by, deliberately rammed his truck into the suspect. Police say this prevented more injuries. Police say the suspect had a temporary residence permit and was waiting a decision on his asylum application. Rob Schmitz, then Peer News, Munich. Rocky mountains are drier than normal for this time of year. And as Alex Hager of Member Station KUNC reports, that's raising concern about water levels in the reservoirs at supply farms and cities across the West. The vast majority of the Colorado River starts as mountain snow. Two-thirds of that falls in Colorado, where totals have been lagging behind average for

this time of year. Colorado climate center director Russ Schumacher says recent storms have helped only slightly. The odds are tilted towards the not great outcomes in terms of water supply and drought as we look out into the spring. There's still plenty of winter left. Snowpack typically doesn't peak until April. States that use Colorado River water are caught in a standoff about how to share it and dry conditions are likely to make their talks even harder. For NPR News, I'm Alex Hager in Fort Collins, Colorado. And I'm Giles Snyder.

This is NPR News from Washington.