NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-24-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. Today marks three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the UN, members of the General Assembly are expected to vote on a pair of non-binding draft resolutions about the war. As Linda Fasulo reports, one was proposed by the US and the other was put together by Ukraine and its European allies. The U.S. draft resolution is short. It mourns the loss of life resulting from the war and implores a swift end to the conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said it reflects President Donald Trump's view that the U.N. needs to return to its founding purpose of maintaining peace and settling disputes. Only Security Council resolutions, which are subject to vetoes by the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China, are legally binding. If adopted, it would be the Security Council's first resolution on the Ukraine War. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian-European non-binding draft General Assembly resolution, which is likely to be approved, reiterates that Russia must withdraw all its forces and supports Ukraine's

sovereignty and territorial integrity. For Empire News, Linda Fasulo in New York. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are among more than a dozen dignitaries visiting Kyiv today to show support to Ukraine on this third anniversary. They're expected to attend numerous events and meet with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The Trump administration is putting almost all employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid administrative

leave. The agency says hundreds of layoffs will follow, as NPR's Fatima Tanis reports. 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. The district attorney in York, Pennsylvania says the gunman who took staff workers hostage at a hospital-intensive care unit over the weekend had targeted those workers.

A doctor, nurse, custodian and two police officers were wounded by the gunman. The 49-year-old gunman was eventually shot and killed by police and another officer was killed by the gunman. The DA says the gunman had been in contact with the hospital's ICU earlier in the week. This is NPR News. California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress for nearly 40 billion dollars to help areas in and around Los Angeles recover from last month's wildfires. In a letter to lawmakers, the governor says the money would be used to rebuild homes, businesses, schools and other structures. More than 16,000 buildings were destroyed by the flames. Jury selection begins today in a $300 million lawsuit that could force the environmental group Greenpeace USA to shut down.

As NPR's Jeff Brady reports, the suit was filed by the company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline. A pipeline construction site near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation attracted thousands of protesters who camped out for months. Energy Transfer claims Greenpeace and other activists conspired to raise money and cite protests, hurt the company's reputation and delay construction of its pipeline. Pace University law professor Josh Galperin says the case is unusual because most companies want to avoid such litigation. Normally, we see firms behind closed doors

grousing about this, but publicly saying, you know, well, it's protest. We respect the free speech and so on and so forth. Greenpeace says it spent millions defending itself and argues the case is designed to silence future protests. Jeff Brady in PR News. The Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition at a hospital in Rome.

Doctors say blood tests show the 88-year-old Pontiff Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition at a hospital in Rome. Doctors say blood tests show the 88-year-old pontiff is suffering from early kidney failure. He was hospitalized more than a week ago after a bout with bronchitis that later became double pneumonia. I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington.