NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-24-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is defending his decision to fire several key military leaders this weekend, including the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There were six three- and four-star generals that were moved into different positions or retired on Friday night of 160 three- and four-star generals. This is a reflection of the president wanting the right people around him to execute the national security approach we want to take. Hickseth was speaking on Fox News on Sunday. President Trump said this weekend he wants

Elon Musk to be more aggressive with his Department of Government Efficiency Unit, but a Republican senator is now giving Musk the opposite advice. MPR's Luke Garrett reports. GOP Senator John Curtis of Utah supports cuts to federal spending, but he tells CBS News that Musk and Doge have been too hard on federal workers. If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it's like, please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives. Doge and Musk have worked to shut down entire agencies and fire probationary employees in

the federal government. And recently, Musk threatened to fire any government employee that doesn't email a list of what they've accomplished in the last week. Senator John Curtis defended this request in principle. I don't think this is a request. It is that difficult. I would ask my employees to let me know what they're doing. But I will double down on the fact of we don't need to be so cold and hard.

Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington. Flags in New York, Pennsylvania are at half staff tonight following Saturday's shooting in a hospital that killed police officer Andrew Duarte. Borough manager Sean Mock says Duarte was loved by the community. He moved here from out west. He believed in this department and we were very grateful to have him here. The time was too short. Officials say the shooter who was also killed may have been upset over the care relative who died at the hospital had received.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are meeting separately with President Trump this week in Washington. And Pierre Zellener Beardsley reports that the two European leaders are attempting to make the case for Ukraine in its war with Russia. America's brutal reversal of alliances has stunned Europeans, says Elie Tenenbaum, security expert with the French Institute for International Relations. The U.S., 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 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 PR news Paris and You're listening to NPR news President Trump has appointed Dan Bongino to serve as a deputy director of the FBI. Bongino is a former Secret Service agent and best-selling author. Pope Francis remains in critical condition in the hospital as he battles

double pneumonia. Prayers for Pope Francis' recovery have been held at the Lateran Basilica of the Catholic Cathedral of Rome and Piers-Ruth Sherlock has this 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, tears rolling down their cheeks. They are feeling this moment very deeply. The Vatican meanwhile says that blood tests show the pope is

suffering from initial mild kidney failure. Israeli tanks have moved into the occupied West Bank for the first time in decades. Palestinian authorities are calling the troop movement a dangerous escalation. Israel's defense minister says troops will remain in parts of the territory for a year and the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have fled the region cannot return. Israel launched an offensive in the West Bank on January 21st, just two days after the current Gaza ceasefire took hold. After a massive debut weekend last week, Captain America Brave New World remains in first place at the box office, but its take dropped 68 percent to 28.2 million dollars in ticket sales.

The Stephen King adapted movie The Monkey was in second bringing in 14.2 million dollars and Paddington in Peru landed in third with six and a half million dollars from North American theaters. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.