NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-23-2025 12PM EST

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

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Noura Rahm Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noura Rahm. Federal workers received email yesterday instructing them to come up with a list of what they accomplished last week. The deadline is tomorrow at 11.59 p.m. This is part of billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to slash the federal workforce. He posted on social media before the email was sent that failure to respond will be taken as resignation.

Today, he posted this requirement is important because there are a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work they're not checking their email at all. Israel said today it's delaying the latest release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. That was supposed to happen yesterday until it gets assurances that Hamas will stop what it called humiliating handovers of Israeli hostages. There's a week left in the first phase of the ceasefire. Israel and Hamas do not appear to have begun negotiations

on the second phase. The U.S. Special Envoy for the Mideast, Steve Witkoff, says he's hopeful negotiations will proceed. We do expect it, Jake, to go forward. We have to get an extension of phase one, and so I'll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that. And we're hopeful that we have the proper time to finish off, to begin phase two and finish it off and get more hostages released and move the discussion forward.

Witkoff spoke on CNN's State of the Union. Pope Francis remains in critical condition as he battles double pneumonia. The Vatican says he had a tranquil night. NPR's Ruth Sherlock has more. After more than a week in hospital, Pope Francis's condition has now worsened. Doctors described his situation as critical. The 88-year-old pontiff needed supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions after a prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis.

Nonetheless, the Vatican says, in a short statement, that Pope Francis passed a tranquil night and that he was able to rest. At Mass in St Peter's Basilica, Archbishop Reno Fisichella, a senior Vatican official, told the congregation they should make their prayers for Francis stronger and more intense. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Rome. In Germany, voters are heading to the polls today

in a snap election that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany party achieve its best-ever result. But as Esme Nicholson reports, there is little chance of the party actually coming to power. Pouling in second place, the Alternative for Deutschland Party, or AFD, could give a large governing majority to the predicted frontrunners, the conservative Christian Democrats and their leader Friedrich Merz. But as Merz refuses to enter into coalition with the far right,

he faces potentially lengthy negotiations to secure any chancellorship. Esme Nicholson reporting. And you're listening to NPR News in Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron is coming to Washington, where he's to meet tomorrow with President Trump. On Thursday, Trump is to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Macron and Starmer are expected to try to persuade Trump not to rush into an agreement with Russia on ending the war with Ukraine, and to keep Europe involved in the process. Jury selection begins tomorrow in a $300 million lawsuit that could force the environmental group Greenpeace USA to shut down. NPR's Jeff Brady reports the company that built the controversial Dakota Access Oil Pipeline filed the case after protests that started in 2016.

A pipeline construction site near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation attracted thousands of protesters who camped out for months. Energy Transfer claims Greenpeace and other activists conspired to raise money in site protests, hurt the company's reputation, and delay construction of its pipeline. Pace University law professor Josh Galperin says the case is unusual because most companies want to avoid such litigation. Normally, we see firms behind closed doors grousing about this, but publicly saying, you know, well, it's protest,

we respect the free speech and so on and so forth. Greenpeace says it spent millions defending itself and argues the case is designed to silence future protests. Jeff Brady in PR News. California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress to approve nearly $40 billion to help the Los Angeles area recover from last month's wildfires. More than 16,000 structures were destroyed.

Newsom said the fires could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.