NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-23-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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JANINE HURST, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR,

NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, NPR NEWS ANCHOR, N But whether that can happen isn't clear because many federal employees are under civil service protections. Republican Congressman Mike Lawler. I don't know how that's necessarily feasible. Obviously, a lot of federal employees are under union contract. But he tells ABC's This Week that with the $7 trillion budget, there's no question that the government has become bloated and he says, in some cases, inefficient. As the Department of Government Efficiency moves ahead, what they are seeking to do is

ensure that every agency and department is effectively and efficiently doing their job. President Trump hasn't yet publicly weighed in on the situation. Germany's conservative opposition leader, Friedrich Merz claimed victory in the federal elections, winning 28 percent of the vote. That's according to the latest count. Esme Nicholson reports the far-right Alternative for Germany party came in second place. Esme Nicholson, German Alternative for Germany Party Member Friedrich Merz is set to be Germany's next chancellor, but as results come in, it remains unclear who he will partner with to

form the majority needed to govern. The far-right, die Alternative für Deutschland, or AFD, has secured its best result ever, doubling its number of seats in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag. Merz says he stands by his vow to uphold the firewall against the far-right to keep it at bay from the corridors of power. AFD leader Eilis Weidel argues this ignores the will of the electorate. Appealing to other parties, Mertz stresses that a new government must form quickly as Europe comes under pressure from an increasingly hostile and unpredictable U.S. administration. For NPR News, I'm Esme Nielsen in Berlin. Tech investors are awaiting a crucial report card on AI this week.

And here's Maria Aspin reports chip company NVIDIA will report its quarterly earnings. The AI arms race has made NVIDIA into one of the most valuable companies in the world. Large tech companies are investing tens of billions into AI infrastructure, including NVIDIA's computing chips. But last month, a Chinese startup called DeepSeek rattled tech investors and made them question all this spending. After DeepSeek unveiled a lower cost AI model, tech stocks plunged. NVIDIA alone lost more than half a trillion dollars in market value, a record one day loss.

The company's shares have since mostly recovered, but investors will be watching NVIDIA's earnings for reassurance that demand for its chips remains high and that the tech industry's AI spending will eventually pay off. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York. This is NPR News. In a rare move, Israeli tanks moved into the occupied West Bank today for the first time in decades in what Palestinian authorities call a dangerous escalation. Israel's defense minister says it plans to remain in several refugee camps there for

the next year and that the tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled won't be allowed to return. Israel says it's a counter-terrorism operation that started in the Jenin refugee camp more than a month ago and has since spread to other camps. Prayers are pouring in from around the world for Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized in critical condition in Rome with double pneumonia and signs of mild kidney failure. But as Empire's Joe Hernandez reports, the Vatican said this morning that the pontiff had a peaceful night. Pope Francis entered the hospital

on February 14th after suffering a case of bronchitis. He had been in stable condition but a poly microbial infection required him to remain in the hospital. The 88 year old later developed bilateral pneumonia for which he's receiving supplemental oxygen. Francis has also gotten blood transfusions to treat a low platelet count. The Vatican announced that a new round of testing showed, quote, early mild renal insufficiency, but that it was under control. Francis was elected Pope in 2013.

Joe Hernandez, NPR News. US futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. All three major indices are up by about three-tenths of a percent. On Friday, the Dow dropped 700 points for the worst day of 2025 so far. You're listening to NPR News.