NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-23-2025 9PM EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. The Trump administration is putting nearly all employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid administrative leave at midnight. Hundreds of layoffs will follow. Amperes Fatma-Tanis has more. America's aid agency has around 4,700 full-time employees. In a memo distributed to agency staff on Sunday afternoon, the administration also announced that a reduction in force would follow with a termination of 1,600 positions.

Some exceptions would be made for, quote, mission-critical functions, core leadership, or special designated programs. This is the latest development in the administration's effort to significantly downsize USAID. Before President Trump's inauguration, more than 10,000 people worked there, most of them contractors who've already lost their jobs. On Friday, a federal judge allowed the Trump administration to proceed with its plan to dismantle the agency

and put the bulk of USAID staff on leave. Fatma Tanis, NPR News. In a rare move, Israel sent tanks to the occupied West Bank today and says it plans to remain in several refugee camps there for the next year. And Israel's Defense Minister says that tens of thousands of Palestinians who fled those areas recently won't be allowed to return. MPs Kat Lonsdorf has more. Defense Minister Israel Katz made the announcement

as Israeli military tanks were preparing to enter the Jenin refugee camp, a built up urban area in the northern part of the West Bank. It's the first time tanks have been deployed to the West Bank in more than two decades. Israel says this is a counter-terrorism operation. It started in Jenin more than a month ago and has since spread to other refugee camps

like Tulkarim and North Shamps. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced. Many fled without belongings and have been living in makeshift conditions for weeks. Kat says that the Israeli military will continue to quote, clear the refugee camps. Palestinian leaders fear that this might allow for Israel to begin to annex parts of the West Bank. Kat Lonsdorf, MPR News, Tel Aviv. Pope Francis remains hospitalized in critical condition as he battles double pneumonia. This is prayers for his recovery were held at the Cathedral of Rome. MPR's Ruth Sherlock

reports. The sermon tonight is being held in prayer for Pope Francis who's in critical condition in hospital. You can feel the sadness here among the congregation as people are praying, there are tears rolling down their cheeks. They are feeling this moment very deeply. And here's Ruth Sherlock. As the 88 year old Pope fights double pneumonia, the Vatican says blood tests now show initial mild kidney failure. The Vatican says Pope Francis remains conscious and participated in Holy Mass along with those taking care of him in the hospital. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says

he's willing to step down if it means peace for his country and that Ukraine would be granted NATO membership. He made the comments today, a day before the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. President Trump triggered a public breakdown in relations with Zelensky last week when he falsely blamed Ukraine for the war and restored U.S. relations with Russia. Astronomers say a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is creating a fireworks show. And Pyrrhus D'Aless Duster has more. A team of astrophysicists studying the

black hole Sagittarius A star found flares of light in its orbit using the James Webb telescope. Flares like this around a black hole are not new, but when it comes to Sagittarius A star, the flares are nonstop. Some are faint and some are very bright, lasting from hours to seconds. Farad Youssef Zadeh, an astrophysics professor at Northwestern University who led the study, says this makes the black hole unique. Every time we looked at this black hole we found something really interesting. It was really another big surprise to many of us.

Scientists hope that by studying these flares they'll gain a better understanding of black holes. Chandelis Duster, NPR News. U.S. futures contracts are trading higher at this hour. All three major indices are up around JANINE HERPST, NPR NEWS.