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

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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Hey, it's Amartines. I work on a news show and yeah, the news can feel like a lot on any given day, but you just can't ignore las noticias when important world-changing events are happening. So that is where the Up First podcast comes in. Every single morning in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down to three essential stories so you can keep up without feeling stressed out. Listen to the up first podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The US and France are holding bilateral talks on the war raging in Eastern Europe on this third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ahead of the White House meeting, President Trump told

reporters he believes Russia and Ukraine are on the cusp of ending their war. It looks like we're getting very close. The deal is being worked on. I think we're getting very close to getting an agreement where we get our money back over a period of time. But it also gives us something where I think it's very beneficial to their economy, to them as a country. French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to convince Trump that Russia poses an existential threat to Europe.

Today, Macron sought to remind Trump of the long-standing alliance between the U.S. and France. The U.S. and France always stand on the same side, the right side, I would say, of history. And this is exactly what's at stake today. And this is a very important moment for Europe as well. And I'm here as well after discussions with all my colleagues to say that Europe is willing to step up, to be a stronger partner, to do more in defense and security for its continent. Meanwhile, about a dozen European leaders are gathered in the Ukrainian capital to mark

the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. The conflict has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Europe's largest land war since World War II. Here's NPR's Charles Mains. When Russia launched its special military operation in 2022, it expected a quick victory. Instead, Ukrainian forces, first alone and later with Western arm support, drove the Russian armies back. Today, the conflict has settled into a war of attrition, with Russia currently holding an advantage

in troops and arms. Yet it is Donald Trump's return to the White House that may play the more immediate role in determining the outcome of the war. Trump and top administration officials have publicly insisted Kyiv end its NATO ambitions and cede territory to Moscow. To key Russian demands that have raised concerns

in Ukraine and Europe, the US intends to impose a peace with terms favorable to the Kremlin. Charles Maines, NPR News. As firing sweep across the U.S. federal workforce, many of those terminated say their mental health is suffering. NPR's Katie Riddle has details. Thousands of contractors and federal employees have been fired. Nadia Chandravon is one of those. She lives in Senegal with her husband and their two kids. She was working as a contractor for USAID when she was terminated.

Most of my colleagues have families, they have mortgages, they have bills to pay, and I think most people just feel utter despair and anger. Experts and organizational psychology say that when terminations are carried out haphazardly, workplace efficiency suffers. Katie Aridal, NPR News. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 247 points or more than half a percent at 43,675.

This is NPR. The Vatican says Pope Francis's condition has slightly improved. Today officials announced that the 88-year-old pontiff exhibited no new episodes of asthma-like symptoms. However, the pope's doctors are still concerned with what they describe as mild kidney insufficiency. A new study finds limiting time spent on smartphones can help improve moods and reduce symptoms of depression. And Piers Allison Aubrey reports on how long it takes to measure a difference. At a time when more than 90 percent of Americans have a smartphone, we forget that having a supercomputer at our fingertips is a new phenomenon.

Adrian Ward, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, and his collaborators recruited 467 participants who agreed to block the internet from their smartphones for two weeks. What we found was that people had better mental health, better subjective well-being, and better sustained attention. It's not feasible for most people to disconnect for two weeks. So researchers advise starting with small steps, such as taking 30-minute breaks or powering down phones after dinner or setting aside a day a week for digital detox.

Alison Aubry, NPR News. Apple says it plans to invest more than half a trillion dollars in the U.S. over the next four years. The tech giant says its plans include hiring 20,000 people and building a new server facility in Texas. The Dow Jones Industrial Average now up 262 points, roughly half a percent. The Nasdaq is down 37 points. The S&P 500 up 14.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.