NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-23-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Federal workers have 48 hours to explain to the Trump administration what they accomplished over the last week or risk losing their jobs. NPR's Windsor Johnston has more. Federal workers were sent an email on Saturday asking them to provide bullet points summarizing what they accomplished in their jobs last week. President Trump's cost-cutting chief, Elon Musk, posted on social media that failure to respond will be taken as a resignation. Musk has been leading a massive effort to cut back on what the Trump administration calls wasteful

spending. In a statement, the American Federation of Government employees said Musk and the Trump administration have once again shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide. Windsor-Johnston NPR News, Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron is slated to meet with President Trump tomorrow in Washington. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet with Trump Thursday as the two European leaders attempt to make the case for Ukraine. America's brutal reversal of alliances has stunned Europeans, says Ellie Tenenbaum, security expert with the French Institute for International Relations. The US, which had been the prime guarantor for the security deterrent from Russia, is

now working with Russia to pressure Ukraine. He says President Trump is prioritizing a big business deal with Russia over Ukraine's survival and European security. Trump is hammering on Zelensky and the Ukrainians. France and Britain are preparing a European military force to guarantee any Ukraine peace deal. With Russia against such a force, Tenenbaum says Macron and Stammer will try to convince Trump not to oppose it.

Eleanor Beardsley in Pierre News, Paris. In Brazil, a Supreme Court justice and one of President Trump's staunchest social media allies are locked in a bitter fight. NPR's Kary Kahn explains. The social media platform Rumble continues to be blocked in Brazil. On Friday, Brazil's high court justice Alexandre Moraes suspended the platform, popular among conservatives and a home to Trump's truth social site.

Morais says Rumble has allowed, quote, extremist groups to publish speech that he says is Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful, and anti-democratic. Rumble and Trump's truth social have sued Morais of violating the U.S. First Amendment in a Florida federal court. This is the latest fight between Justice Morais and American MAGA supporters. He previously suspended Elon Musk's acts over similar charges. Carrie Cahn, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. This is NPR News in Washington. California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress for roughly $40 billion in aid to

help Los Angeles recover from January's historically devastating wildfires. In a letter to lawmakers, Newsom said the funds would go to rebuilding infrastructure as well as homes, schools, churches, businesses, and health care facilities. Current estimates of total economic loss stand at roughly a quarter of a billion dollars. After 30 years in dock, Philadelphia is saying goodbye to the SS United States. Now the historic ocean liner is starting its final voyage. For Member Station WHYY Matt Gillum reports. The nearly thousand foot long SS United States is finally on its way to begin its transformation

into the biggest artificial reef in the world. The now-rusting but stately ocean liner set the transatlantic speed record in both directions on its 1952 maiden voyage, a record it still holds. The rise of the jet age proved the ship's downfall and it left active service in 1969. Dubbed America's flagship, the SS United States is bound for Alabama, where it will be cleaned and prepared for its final resting place on the seafloor in the warm waters off the Florida Panhandle. For NPR News, I'm Matt Gillum in Philadelphia.

Among the jobs cut by Elon Musk's austerity team are jobs at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. The agency investigates the safety of vehicles like Tesla's and has investigated multiple cases of deadly crashes involving Musk's vehicles. NHTSA says a modest amount of positions have been eliminated and they will continue to enforce the law on all automobile makers. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.