NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-19-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. A federal judge in Manhattan says he needs more time to decide whether a criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams should be placed on hold. Adams' attorneys and attorneys for the Justice Department argued today a trial would distract Adams from his duties. Here's NPR's Brian Mann. Mayor Adams was indicted on corruption and bribery charges last year, but the DOJ now wants federal Judge Dale Ho to shelve the case, in part so Adams can focus on helping

round up migrants living in the city without legal status. Critics say the DOJ agreed to halt its prosecution in exchange for Adams' assistance, cracking down on illegal immigration. Speaking in court under oath, Adams denied any such quid pro quo deal. Judge Ho said he'll issue a ruling soon. Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is weighing whether to remove Adams from office. After four of his deputy mayors quit this week, Hochul said the controversy may be making it impossible for Adams to run the city. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.

President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Labor faced questions from a Senate committee today. As NPR's Joe Hernandez reports, lawmakers asked Lori Chavez-Duriemer what she thought of labor unions, the minimum wage and more. Chavez-Duriemer is a former Republican Congresswoman from Oregon. While in Congress, she co-sponsored legislation called the PRO Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize. Under questioning from Republicans, Lori Chavez-Duriemer called the legislation imperfect and said she supported the ability of states to pass right-to-work laws, which limit union efforts.

Asked by Democrats whether she thought the federal minimum wage should be increased, Chavez-Duriemer said she recognized it hadn't been raised in over 15 years, but that some jurisdictions might need to have a different minimum wage than others. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. Arab leaders gather in Saudi Arabia Friday to exchange ideas for an alternative vision for the future of Gaza than the one President Trump has laid out,

more from NPR's Ayatollah Batraoui. The Gaza Strip lies in ruins after nearly 16 months of war and intense Israeli airstrikes. Trump says to break this cycle of violence, the U.S. should take ownership of Gaza The Gaza Strip lies in ruins after nearly 16 months of war and intense Israeli airstrikes. Trump says to break this cycle of violence, the U.S. should take ownership of Gaza and turn it into a real estate project after all Palestinians living there are permanently relocated to countries like Egypt and Jordan. When Arab leaders meet in Riyadh on Friday, they'll review alternative plans for Gaza's

future being drawn up by Egypt. Hamas has called Trump's plan ethnic cleansing. Israel's prime minister calls it a remarkable idea. Israel's military has been instructed to prepare to implement the plan. But any post-war reconstruction of Gaza will need not just Israeli backing, but also Arab support to fund the tens of billions of dollars the U.N. says is needed to rebuild and the possible deployment of troops for security. Ayyab Al-Tawih, I'm Pear News, Dubai.

The turmoil at federal agencies in Washington is beginning to hit home. Even Republican lawmakers are finding themselves begging the administration to release funds they appropriated. That includes money for things like biomedical research and programs supporting Native American tribes. You're listening to NPR. Two people are dead after a mid-air collision involving two small planes in the skies over southern Arizona. National Transportation Safety Board says it's investigating the collision of the planes near an airport on the outskirts of Tucson.

It is the second fatal aircraft incident in the state in roughly a week. Last week a pilot on a private jet owned by Motley Cruisinger Vince Neil was killed when the plane veered off a runway. The hydrogen-powered truck company, Nikola, has filed for bankruptcy. The company's Chapter 11 proceedings could result in the company's assets being sold off and the business being wound down. As NPR's Kamila Domenosky reports, it's an enormous end to a once-buzzy company. Once upon a time, there were two zero-emission vehicle startups named after Nikola Tesla. But where Tesla raced into history, Nikola just rolled downhill. Literally.

An expose revealed that Nikola pushed a truck down a hill and claimed it was proof it could drive, among other untruths. That led to the ouster of the CEO, a settlement with the SEC over fraud, and Nikola never really recovered. Bankruptcy records show there were no offers to acquire the hydrogen truckmaker in one piece, based in part on the, quote, long and uncertain path toward profitability. So now it might be sold for parts. Camila Dominovski, NPR News.

Residents of the English village of Godstone won't be going home anytime soon, apparently. That's after a large sinkhole that was definitely not a godsend for the town swallowed up parts of the main street and left about 30 buildings there in danger of collapse. Officials were they could lead to ruptured pipes and possible explosions. Engineers blame the sinkhole on a burst water main. This is NPR.