NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-17-2025 11AM EST

Episode Date: February 17, 2025

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Public media counts on your support to ensure that the reporting and programs you depend on thrive. Make a recurring donation today to get special access to more than 20 NPR podcasts. Perks like sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, early access, and more. So start supporting what you love today at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on its bid to fire the head of the federal government's office for whistleblowers. And Piers Carey Johnson reports the case sets up a test of the president's executive power.

President Trump moved to fire the head of the Office of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger earlier this month, but a federal judge blocked the move at least for now. In the court filing, the Trump administration calls the case an unprecedented assault on the separation of powers. The Trump administration claims the president has the power to remove government officers and the delay hurts his ability to manage the executive branch. Federal law says the special counsel may be removed by the president only for inefficiency,

neglect of duty, or malfeasance. None of those concerns were cited in an email dismissing Dellinger. Kari Johnson, NPR News, Washington. The union representing some workers at the Federal Aviation Administration says hundreds of FAA workers are getting fired. The union chief says the Trump Administration started sending termination letters to probationary

employees Friday night. There are strong concerns the FAA is already short on workers who handle safety, especially air traffic controllers. This comes after last month's deadly air crash in Washington that killed 67 people. High-level U.S. and Russian delegations will gather in Saudi Arabia this week. Their talks are expected to focus on restoring U.S.-Russian relations and finding an end to the war in Ukraine. NPR's Charles Maynes reports. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation, with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz also joining. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov heads the Russian

mission with the Kremlin saying talks will focus on making peace not war. Yet speaking in Moscow, Lavrov rejected in advance the notion of returning any land annexed by Russia to Ukraine. His comments may be the latest sign that US negotiators are boxed in before the talks even begin. Following a phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, Trump appeared to argue a lasting peace required Ukraine ending its NATO ambitions and relinquishing territory to Moscow to key Russian demands. Charles Mainz, NPR News. Potent storms slammed the South over the weekend, killing at least a dozen people.

One person died in Georgia. At least 11 more have been killed in Kentucky following flash flooding, damaging winds and intense thunderstorms. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says some areas got up to six inches of rain. All of Kentucky still has standing water in different areas. Over 300 roads still impacted and closed. The governor says five counties in Kentucky have set records for daily rainfall. The National Weather Service has issued extreme cold warnings for the Central Plains this morning.

Temperatures feel well below zero from the Canadian border to parts of Oklahoma. You're listening to NPR. Officials in India say at least 18 people have died after a stampede at a railway station in New Delhi. NPR's Diya Hadid reports from Mumbai this happened as thousands of people were waiting to board a train. The New Delhi caretaker chief minister said on X that many victims were Hindu pilgrims who were heading to the Mahak Kum festival in India's north.

The festival lasts for six weeks and gathers tens of millions of worshippers. This stampede comes after more than 30 people died at the Kummela last month in another stampede. Critics of the Hindu nationalist BJP, which rules both the federal government and the state where the festival takes place, say not enough has been done to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he was distressed by the stampede. Dhiya Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai. Rebels in Eastern Democratic of the Congo have captured the second largest city in DRC. The city is Bukavu, and it's home to about a million people. The rebels are backed by neighboring Rwanda. They've captured the city of Goma. And the Rwandan-backed rebels say they plan to march

on the Congolese capital. The Vatican says Pope Francis will need to remain hospitalized. He was admitted to a Rome hospital last Friday for the treatment of bronchitis. The situation was growing worse. He was admitted to a Rome hospital last Friday for the treatment of bronchitis. The situation was growing worse. The Vatican now says the pontiff's respiratory tract infection is presenting a complex clinical picture for doctors.

They say that the pope, however, has rested quietly overnight. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.