NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-19-2025 3AM EST

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

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On the Thru Line 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 Thru Line from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump says Ukraine should not be allowed to join NATO. Trump is also blaming Ukraine for the war that began there after a 2022 Russian invasion. And I think I have the power to end this war. And I think it's going very well.

But today I heard, oh, well, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal. I could have made a deal for Ukraine. Trump made the remarks as U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to discuss ending the conflict.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal that's negotiated without its participation. More than 10,000 federal workers have been fired under the Trump administration. NPR's Andrea Shue reports on efforts to file class action lawsuits to challenge those dismissals. Federal employees typically have to get through one or two years of probation before they have full civil service job protections. Still attorneys say even without those protections, they may still have a case. Many of the workers fired were told that their performance failed to demonstrate that their

employment was in the public interest. David Branch is a longtime employment attorney in Washington, D.C. If you can prove that this statement is false, you probably have a claim for infringement upon your good name and reputation under the Fifth Amendment. The Trump administration says the terminations are about cutting waste and making government more efficient.

Andrea Hsu, NPR News. The head of the Justice Department's criminal division in Washington D.C. is the latest top prosecutor to step down. Denise Chung, in a letter obtained by the Washington Post, says she was asked to resign after refusing in order to freeze funding for a contract that was awarded during the Biden administration. The U.S. Senate has confirmed Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary, and PR Scott Horsley has more. Pete Slauson Lutnick is a former Wall Street executive who also led President Trump's transition team

as Commerce Secretary. He'll oversee a sprawling department that includes the National Weather Service and the Census Bureau. He'll also have wide-ranging powers on trade policy, and he's publicly endorsed Trump's plans to impose higher taxes on imports from trading partners around the world.

Lutnick is a billionaire who led the Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Bank. The bank lost nearly 700 employees, including Lutnick's brother, in the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center. His nomination was narrowly confirmed by a vote of 51-45. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. The White House says Social Security Administration staffer Leyland Doddick has been chosen to lead the agency temporarily. Doddick replaces Michelle King, who resigned last week in protest of Doge requests for

access to personal data on Social Security recipients. President Trump's nominee to lead SSA is Frank Bisignano, who awaits Senate confirmation. This is NPR. Corrections officers are on strike at more than a dozen prisons across New York State. Governor Kathy Hochul is preparing to mobilize the National Guard if the job action continues. Zach Jaworski has the story. Corrections officers in New York

started illegally striking on Monday, citing working conditions they're calling unfair and an increase in violence inside prisons. They're hoping to cap mandatory overtime at 16 hours and secure a new employee sign-on bonus. Additionally, the officers are pushing for new security scans for both visitors and male entering prisons. Public employees in New York state are prohibited from striking by state law. Representatives from the Corrections Officers Union say these strikes were not officially sanctioned. The union's leadership recently issued a vote

of no confidence in New York's Corrections Commissioner. Their current contract was signed in 2023 and extends into next year. For NPR News, I'm Zach Jaworski. Brazil's Attorney General has brought charges extends into next year. For NPR News, I'm Zach Jaworski. The country's highest court will decide whether he'll be arrested and tried. Bolsonaro could face prison if convicted. The Vatican says Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia in both lungs. The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized since Friday and was reportedly in fair condition. U.S. futures are flat and after hours trading on Wall Street.

This is NPR News.