NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-20-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Kora Kolan, Hamas has released the bodies of who it says are four Israeli hostages, including the body of a mother and two young sons. The bodies will undergo forensic testing in Israel to confirm their identities. In exchange, Israel is expected to release hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports. The bodies are said to be that of Shiri Bebbus and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, along with 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz. All were taken hostage in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Hamas says all four were killed by Israeli airstrikes while being held

in Gaza. Israel says it will perform autopsies and seek to determine the cause of death. This is the first time Hamas has released bodies, although several were recovered by Israeli forces throughout the war. The Beibus family, with their two small red-headed sons, had become a symbol in Israel of the plight of the hostages held in Gaza. Israel had previously not confirmed their deaths, leaving some hope that they were still alive. Shiri's husband, Yarden, was released alive earlier this month. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. There's been outrage from critics of the Trump administration after President Trump called was released alive earlier this month. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Tel Aviv. There's been outrage from critics of the Trump administration after President Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator. Trump also claimed Ukraine started the war

with Russia. That is not true. Three years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Some Senate Republicans are distancing themselves from Trump's comments. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy says it's Russian President Putin who is the danger. I think Vladimir Putin started the war. I also believe, through better experience, that Vladimir Putin is a gangster. He's a gangster with a black heart. Ukraine's president says Trump is trapped in a Russian disinformation bubble. Trump officials running the federal agency USAID have not fully restarted funding to programs around the world.

This violates a federal court order. NPR's Frank Langford reports the agency says it's allowed to cancel most of its contracts. Last week, a federal judge ordered USAID to reopen the flow of money to programs around the world. He said it was causing irreparable harm. Late Tuesday night, USAID responded that it has broad authority to cancel contracts and grants based on the terms of those agreements, and that it's reviewing each contract

for evidence of waste and fraud and to ensure they're aligned with President Trump's goals. In a court filing, USAID said it had already terminated nearly 500 contracts, including some because they focused on quote regime change, civic society, or democracy promotion. USAID said it has spared more than 20 contract worth more than 250 million dollars. The judge has yet to respond to USAID's filing. Frank Langford, NPR News, Washington. This week, President Trump said he is moving to impose tariffs of 25 percent or higher

on more foreign imports. Yesterday, he said he wants to put tariffs on imported lumber as well. It's NPR. A federal judge says he is reviewing the federal government's request to drop several corruption charges against New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams. Several federal prosecutors have resigned in the case, claiming the Trump administration is dropping the charge in exchange for Adams' help on immigration. The administration and the mayor have denied this.

The federal judge says the case is complex and he will soon decide whether it may be dropped. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is sending National Guard troops into the state's prisons. From member station WXXI, Jung Yoon Han reports this follows mass strikes by correctional officers. Hochul deployed 3,500 troops as correctional officers took to the picket line for the third day in a row. They're calling for better work conditions and want to repeal a law that limits the use of solitary confinement. Hokel says the strikes, which have affected more than half of New York's prisons, are illegal. I will not allow this chaos to continue.

Ken Gerarden is a research director at the Empire Center for Public Policy. He's critical of Hokel's decision to send troops. You've got National Guard coming into these facilities doing a job, frankly, that they're not trained for. You've got an increased danger that inmates are going to get hurt or killed amid that disorder. Hogle says the state will pay overtime for those who return to work. For NPR News, I'm Jeongyeon Han in Albany, New York. Dangerously cold weather persists in the central U.S. from the Canadian border down to southern

Texas. It's 22 degrees below zero in Minot, North Dakota. Windchill readings make it feel like nearly 40 below. This is NPR.