NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-18-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

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Donald Trump is back in the White House and making a lot of moves very quickly. Keep track of everything going on in Washington with the NPR Politics Podcast. Every day we break down the latest news and explain why it matters to you. The NPR Politics Podcast. Listen every day. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. When Trump administration officials met their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia today, they did not only discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, they also talked about the restrictions on the U.S. and Russian embassies in Moscow and Washington.

MPR's Michelle Kellman has more on that. The war in Ukraine, spy scandals and tit-for-tat steps have taken a toll on the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Russia forced the U.S. to close down consulates and does not allow the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Russia forced the U.S. to close down consulates and does not allow the U.S. to hire local Russians as staff. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's trying to change that. There's been a series of reciprocal actions taken over the last 10 years that have really diminished our ability to operate in Moscow as an example and

they would argue their ability to operate in Washington. We're going to need to have vibrant diplomatic missions that are able to function normally in order to be able to continue these conduits. He and his Russian counterpart have set up a working group to address this and Rubio says he hopes it can move quickly. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington. Trump later today claimed Ukraine started the war against Russia despite Russia's invasion of that country nearly three years ago illegal victory today for the cost-cutting initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency or Doge a federal judge is refusing to immediately Stop along must team from accessing government systems and laying off personnel

Present pure as Bobby Allen explains the judge did raise concerns about the legality of must work at the White House 14 states sued to prevent Doge from accessing government data and participating in laying off thousands of government workers. The states argued that only an official who was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate can have that much power. Judge Tanya Chutkin in Washington notes that Musk's actions appear to be precisely the executive abuses the Constitution intended to prevent, but she would not issue a temporary restraining order, saying the state's request lacked evidence. While Musk is the public face of Doge, the

White House now says in court papers that Elon Musk is not its leader. Trump officials have now publicly stated who is running Doge. Bobby Allen in PR News. At least 14 people are dead from flooding and freezing temperatures over the past four days in Kentucky. Karen Zahr with member station WKY reports an unknown number of people are still stranded without power. Crews on Blackhawk helicopters and swift water rescue boats have been working around the clock since late Saturday, evacuating Kentuckians from flood water. Governor Andy Beshear was on the ground in Eastern Kentucky Monday, where nearly 300 people were rescued from two apartment complexes.

I was there at Little Sandy at the airport with these families getting off, thankful that they were safe and really grateful for the National Guard of our state of Tennessee, of Indiana. Beshear said there are still people unaccounted for, and it could be days before there is an accurate count. For NPR News, I'm Karen Zarr in Frankfort, Kentucky. On Wall Street, The Dow closed up 10 points today.

You're listening to NPR. Hundreds of artists signed a letter to the National Endowment for the Arts today asking it to reverse changes made to the agency's grant making policies as a result of recent executive orders issued by President Trump and bearers of Chloe Veltman reports. The letter specifically calls for the NEA to roll back new rules that require applicants to abide by two of Trump's executive orders. One that eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion as a factor in grant making, the other that targets transgender and other LGBTQ plus programming.

Writer and director Annie Dawson spearheaded the effort. We all like to think of this being a country where artists have the right to self-expression, as we all do. This action by the NEA is concerning because it seems to suggest that through these weird executive orders and the applications of them to certain agencies, freedom is being taken away. In an email to NPR, an NEA spokesperson said the agency did not receive the letter and added that the NEA as a federal agency will fully comply with the law. Chloe Veltman, NPR News.

The Brazilian government says it's approved joining OPEC Plus, the group of major oil exporting countries. Movecoming as Brazil looks to become a major exporting state. Brazil was invited to join OPEC, which coordinates oil production and looks to stabilize global markets. Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, had touted himself, or has touted himself, as an environmental leader working to reduce deforestation in the Amazon,

but has also argued oil revenues could help his country transition to green energy more quickly. Critical futures prices close higher today, oil up a dollar and 10 cents a barrel to $71.84 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. This message comes from Home Instead. Home Instead knows that if you leave home to seek aging care, you say goodbye to where you built your life. So why not stay with help from Home Instead knows that if you leave home to seek aging care, you say goodbye to where you built your life.

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