NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-19-2025 11PM EST

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

NPR News: 02-19-2025 11PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This message comes from Wondery. At 24 years old, Monica Lewinsky was in a scandal that defined who she was for the entire world. And now she's ready to draw from her own experience on what it means to redefine yourself on her new podcast, Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an emergency request to allow the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship for some children of immigrants. The decision upholds a ruling by a federal judge in Seattle.

The matter could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Trump administration executive order aims to expand the president's authority over what is known as independent regulatory agencies. NPR's Danielle Kirchleben reports. Danielle Kirchleben, NPR News Anchor Independent agencies include well-known entities like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. They were set up by Congress with some insulation from presidential power. This order, signed Tuesday afternoon, would remove much of that insulation, requiring those agencies

to run new regulations by the White House. In addition, the Trump administration would have power over their spending. This comes after Trump has fired top officials from some of these agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board. Those firings have led to lawsuits, and this order could similarly spur more legal action. Danielle Kurzlaib in NPR News. Danielle Pletka As bird flu spreads among chickens and dairy cattle in the U.S., the Trump administration says it is scrambling to rehire federal workers who had been trying to contain the outbreak. More from NPR's Windsor Johnston. The Department of Agriculture says it's in the process of rehiring the employees who

were sent termination letters over the weekend, adding that its response to bird flu continues to be a priority. A number of Democrats were quick to criticize the Trump administration, blaming tech billionaire Elon Musk and his cost-cutting unit Doge for the firings. The USDA is one of many federal agencies that are facing major cutbacks. The bird flu virus has led to outbreaks and poultry flocks and dairy cows in the U.S.

It's also sent the price of eggs even higher over the last several months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed nearly 70 cases of bird flu in humans. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. In Gaza, Hamas says that it will return the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday. But as NPR's Hadil Helshalchi reports, the news is little comfort for some hostage families. Hamas said that among the four bodies returned on Thursday would be the Bebas family, a mother

and two young boys who were nine months old and four years old when they were kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Hamas said that they had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023, but Israeli officials have yet to confirm their deaths. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Bebas family described the last few hours as quote turmoil, saying that their journey to healing would not begin until they receive definitive confirmation. Hamas also said that six living hostages would be released on Saturday. That's double the number originally agreed upon.

Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News. Ramallah. This is NPR. Two small planes collided in midair over Marana Regional Airport in southern Arizona today, killing two people and injuring two others. The incident follows four major plane crashes in North America in the past month. A Delta plane crash in Toronto on Monday was the only one of those disasters that did not result in death.

Spring training for Major League Baseball begins tomorrow, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are early favorites to win the World Series for a second year in a row after a free agent spending spree. NPR's Becky Sullivan reports from Phoenix. The Dodgers' deluge of spending has pushed L.A.'s total payroll close to $400 million. That's more than doubled out of 16 other MLB teams and way over the league's luxury tax line, which was created to discourage teams from outsized spending. But the Dodgers, with their big international fan base and lucrative TV deal, can afford

it. Payroll disparity has always been part of baseball. Teams like the New York Yankees have long spent more. But Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledges fans and owners alike are raising concerns about it now. The Dodgers are probably more profitable on a percentage basis than the old Yankees were, meaning it could be more sustainable so it is more of a problem. One solution could be a salary cap, though players haven't liked that idea in the past. Becky Sullivan in PR News, Phoenix. Retired ocean liner SS United States has begun its final voyage. The 1,000-foot vessel is being towed from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama, where it

will be prepped to become the world's largest artificial reef. It will eventually be sunk off Florida's Gulf Coast. This is NPR News. This message comes from NYU Langone. The NYU Langone Health app gives you access to your electronic health record. Keep track of your visits, lab results, and images all in one place. Better health starts with a better health system.