NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-21-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: February 21, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is praising his meeting this week with the Trump administration's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. He says this restores hope. NPR's Joanna Kokissis reports from Kyiv, President Trump has been attacking Zelensky. In a video address, Zelensky praised the Trump envoy, Kyiv Kellogg, and said Ukraine needs strong agreements with the U.S. We discussed the need for a reliable system of security guarantees so the war does not

return and the Russians do not destroy more lives, Zelensky said. We all need peace, Ukraine, Europe, America, the whole world. Zelensky said he and Kellogg also talked about a deal that would give the U.S. control over some of Ukraine's mineral rights in exchange for continued military aid. Earlier this week, Trump repeated Kremlin talking points attacking Ukraine and Zelensky, and Zelensky lamented that Trump was living in, quote, a space of disinformation. Joanna Kekesis, NPR News, Kiev. The Senate has passed a budget resolution that would advance President Trump's political

goals. The Senate was in session all night before adopting the measure, mostly on party lines. It calls for billions of dollars in new military spending as well as for border security. What's not clear is how Republicans intend to pay for these efforts. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says middle-class Americans might be forced to cover the costs. This debate is going to go on for weeks and maybe months. Democrats will be ready to come back and do this over and over again because Americans deserve to know the truth. And what is the truth? Under Donald Trump's Republican Party, billionaires win and American families lose.

The Senate is expected to put Trump's agenda items in more than one bill, but Trump does not like what the Senate is doing. He prefers the House version. House lawmakers are trying to shoehorn Trump's priorities into a single bill. Stocks opened lower this morning as the National Association of Realtors reported a slowdown in home sales last month. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled about 380 points in early trading.

Sales of existing homes fell nearly 5 percent in January compared to the previous month. The average sales price was just under $397,000. High prices and high mortgage rates have been a drag on the housing market. Freddie Maxx says the average rate on a 30-year fixed home loan is now 6.85 percent. Mortgage rates have barely budged in the last month. Meanwhile, the number of homes on the market has increased. Stock in United Health Group is down this morning after a report that federal investigators are scrutinizing the company's billing practices, the Wall Street Journal says the Justice Department is investigating the way UnitedHealth bills the federal government for people on its Medicare Advantage plans.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, the Dow is now down 380 points. This is NPR. Authorities in Israel say one of the bodies handed over by Hamas yesterday as part of the ceasefire agreement is not the body of a hostage. The body of Shiri Bebas was supposed to be handed over yesterday. The bodies of her two young sons were positively identified as was that of a fourth hostage. Israel's military says this development is a violation of the utmost severity by Hamas. Tomorrow, Hamas is supposed to free six living hostages.

President Trump's adviser overseeing firings of thousands of federal workers through the Doge entity has been celebrated. Billionaire Elon Musk appeared at an annual gathering of political conservatives outside Washington. It's known as CPAC. NPR's Stephen Fowler reports. After Musk took the CPAC stage, Argentina's Stephen Fowler reports. After Musk took

the CPAC stage, Argentina's president Javier Malé brought him a chainsaw to symbolize his work to slash the size, scope, and spending of the U.S. government. Musk hyped the idea of taking some of that savings identified by Doge and giving it back to taxpayers. It's money that's taken away from from things that are destructive to the country and from organizations that hate you. But that idea is a long way from coming to fruition. An NPR review finds the Doge effort has overstated its savings claims so far by billions of dollars.

Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Washington. The NBA star Victor Wimbenyama is out for the rest of the season. The San Antonio Spurs disclosed yesterday he has a blood clot deep in his shoulder. Experts warn in some cases such clots can lead to hardened lung problems. The Spurs say they're optimistic he'll make a full recovery. This is NPR.