NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-20-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. The U.S. Senate has voted to confirm Cash Patel as the new director of the FBI. Patel's controversial nomination was pushed over the line despite fierce opposition from Democrats. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas. The Republican-led Senate confirmed Patel by a vote of 51 to 49 to lead the FBI, the nation's most powerful law enforcement agency. Two Republican senators, Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, joined all Senate Democrats in opposition. Patel is a former prosecutor and was a national security official in Trump's

first term. He's also a Trump loyalist and fierce critic of the FBI. His Republican supporters say he will fix what they argue is the politicization of the FBI against conservatives. Patel's critics, meanwhile, say he lacks the necessary experience and temperament to lead the Bureau and worry that he will use the FBI's vast powers to make good on his repeated threats to go after his and Trump's perceived enemies. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Several labor unions representing federal workers have filed a new lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's mass firings of probationary employees.

Unions are asking another court to declare the move unlawful. NPR's Andrea Shue reports. The unions argue that through the mass firings, the Office of Personnel Management has perpetrated quote one of the most massive employment frauds in the history of this country. They point to the boilerplate letters probationary employees across agencies received, citing problems with their performance.

Many had no performance issues at all. The unions also argue that OPM has no authority to order other federal agencies to fire employees. They want a federal judge in San Francisco to order the government to stop firing probationary employees and rescind the terminations that have already occurred. Meanwhile, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., who was considering a similar case, declined to block the government's actions, saying the court lacked jurisdiction. Andrea Hsu, NPR News.

Major U.S. stock indices fell today as Walmart sounded a warning about the economy. As NPR's Maria Aspin reports, the Dow fell around 1%. As the country's largest retailer, Walmart is a bellwether for consumer spending and the overall health of the U.S. economy. And now the company is feeling cautious. Walmart is bracing for slower sales growth in the coming year. According to the new financial guidance, it's just unveiled. That disappointed investors and shares plunged. Executives told investors that Walmart wants to be cautious in what they called an uncertain time. Some of that uncertainty is coming from the tariffs that President Trump has imposed on China and threatens to impose elsewhere. Walmart is also the world's largest company and imports many of its products

from around the world. Maria Aspin, NPR News, New York. The Dow fell 450 points today. You're listening to NPR. Apparently angered over continued delays on the part of airplane builder Boeing in delivering two specially modified Air Force One planes, President Donald Trump says he is considering purchasing a used plane, perhaps from overseas. Speaking to reporters aboard one of two nearly 35-year-old Boeing 747-200s that are designated as Air Force One when the president is on board, Trump said it's taking Boeing too long to deliver replacements.

Boeing holds the contract to produce more modern versions of the presidential planes. The popular James Bond franchise will now be controlled by Amazon MGM studios. Until now, the brand had been under the control of one family for more than 60 years. San Piers Andrew Limbong reports the last Bond film was 2021's No Time to Die.

Sibling movie producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson Senpires Andrew Limbong reports the last Bond film was 2021's No Time to Die. Sibling movie producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson were behind casting Daniel Craig as James Bond, redefining the character for the 21st century, starting with 2006's Casino Royale. The name's Bond. James Bond. Now they're handing creative control over to Amazon. In a statement, Amazon MGM Studios chief Mike Hopkins wrote that they, quote, look forward

to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world. No time to die was Craig's last go as Bond. No word yet on who will take up the mantle, but Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has already taken to social media to ask for suggestions. Andrew Limbong, NPR News. The condition of Pope Francis is improving slightly. That's according to the Vatican, a Vatican spokesperson saying the 88-year-old Pontiff has no fever and continues to be stable.

He was hospitalized last week with double pneumonia. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.