NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-24-2025 10AM EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. French President Emmanuel Macron is in Washington today to meet President Trump. This comes on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations is also marking the day. There are votes this morning in the General Assembly and later this afternoon in the UN Security Council. Ukraine had hoped to show that the world remains united against Russia, but the Trump administration has put a wrench in that.

And Piers Michelle Kellerman explains. Instead of backing a European text that calls on Russia to pull out of Ukraine and return civilians including children who have been deported from Ukraine to Russia, the Trump administration put forward an alternate text. It simply calls for a path to peace. The draft resolution mourns the tragic loss of life throughout the conflict, but does not pin the blame on Russia for starting it. Russia's ambassador praised the U.S., calling it a good move.

China is currently the rotating president of the Security Council and called for a meeting this afternoon. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. Last week, President Trump dismissed several top military officials. They included the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Brown is, quote, not the right man for the moment.

Trump also fired the Navy's top officer, Admiral Lisa Frankeady. She is the former commander of the U. Trump also fired the Navy's top officer, Admiral Lisa Frankeady. She is the former commander of the US 6th Fleet and the first female officer to hold the top job. Rhode Island Senator Jack Reid is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. These people were selected based on merit. They are seasoned professionals with many commands and a range of experiences and they were dismissed I think for political reasons. He spoke to NPR's morning edition. Stocks opened lower this morning as Apple detailed plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. manufacturing.

NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones industrial average was about flat in early trading. Apple says it plans to spend more than $500 billion on domestic manufacturing over the next four years while adding some 20,000 jobs. The investment includes a new AI server factory in Houston, which is set to open next year. CEO Tim Cook said in a statement the iPhone maker is bullish on the future of American innovation. Starbucks, as it plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees worldwide in an effort to operate more efficiently.

The coffee chain is also eliminating several hundred unfilled jobs. Starbucks says front-line baristas will not be affected. And stock in Domino's Pizza was sliced after the company reported disappointing U.S. sales. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. On Wall Street, stocks have now turned mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about 8 points this morning. The Nasdaq is lower by about 160 points. This is NPR. President Trump has named conservative radio host Dan Bongino as the deputy director of the FBI. Bongino has worked as a Secret Service agent and as a police officer. His new position does not require Senate confirmation. Former

Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is expected to declare his candidacy today for Ohio governor. Ramaswamy is from Cincinnati. He'll seek the state's GOP gubernatorial nomination. He was, until recently, the co-leader of the Doge government cost-cutting effort. A new report by an internet watchdog group says Myanmar, India, and Pakistan accounted for nearly two-thirds of the global internet shutdowns

imposed by authorities last year. And Piers Amkar Khandekar reports the group access two-thirds of the global internet shutdowns imposed by authorities last year. And Piers Amkar Khandekar reports, the group Access Now documented close to 300 instances. The Watch Talk says there have been more internet shutdowns last year than ever before. Three Asian countries stopped the list. Myanmar shut down the internet 85 times, India 84 times, and Pakistan 21 times. Researchers at the non-profit group Access Now said that the authority cited ongoing conflict as the reason for imposing a blackout, followed by protests, elections and during screening exams for government jobs.

Access Now described India as one of the worst offenders. It says India has shut down the internet 855 times since 2016, more times than any other country in the world. Also, Pakistan has now banned eggs for more than a year. Omkar Khandekar, NPR News, Mumbai.