NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-24-2025 8AM EST

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, Ankurva Coleman, President Trump's senior envoy, Steve Witkoff, says he is confident the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will continue. The current phase of the ceasefire deal expires next week. But NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv, there remains uncertainty about the deal's future. Israel is delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners, demanding Hamas stop releasing Israeli hostages in ceremonies Israel calls humiliating.

The Trump administration says it supports Israel's move. President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN he's headed to the region Wednesday to try to extend the current phase of the ceasefire. Some in the Israeli government want to resume war in Gaza. Witkoff told CBS's Face the Nation that he wants to see the next phase of the ceasefire. We will get to stage two, or phase two, and I'm very focused on that and I think it's going to happen. He says Israel's main demand going forward will be for Hamas to leave Gaza. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Today marks the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Delegates at the UN General Assembly are expected to vote today on non-binding draft resolutions about the war. Linda Fasulo reports the U.S. has also put forward its draft resolution about the war to the UN Security Council, and that would be binding. The U.S. draft resolution is short. It mourns the loss of life resulting from the war and implores the swift end to the conflict. If adopted by the Security Council, the binding measure would be the first resolution on the Ukrainian war not vetoed by Russia. Meanwhile, the non-binding Ukrainian-European draft General Assembly resolution, which is likely to be adopted, calls for the war to end this year and supports

Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Linda Fasulo reporting. French President Emmanuel Macron is in Washington today to discuss the war in Ukraine with President Trump. Federal government employees got an email over the weekend telling them to describe their work over the past week. NPR's Joe Hernandez reports some other Trump administration officials are telling federal employees not to reply.

The email Saturday came from the Office of Personnel Management and arrived hours after Trump adviser Elon Musk said on social media that workers who didn't respond would lose their jobs. The email itself didn't say that. Musk has been tasked with cutting the federal government and so far the administration has fired some 20,000 federal workers. But the email caused confusion in many parts of the government after other Trump administration officials told workers they didn't have to reply. New FBI director Kash Patel told the agency's

workforce that it would review its own processes and to hold off on replying to the email. The Defense Department also told employees not to respond, and the State Department said it would reply on workers' behalf. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. A measles outbreak continues to spread in West Texas and New Mexico. Texas has identified at least 90 measles cases and nearly all are in unvaccinated people. New Mexico is reporting at least nine measles cases. All were reported in a county located next to Texas.

President Trump has issued a memo that limits China's investment in strategic sectors in the United States. Some of these sectors include technology, critical infrastructure, and energy. NPR's John Rewich reports China says the U.S. move is discriminatory. Trump signed the America First investment policy on Friday following a tense call between Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Vice Premier He Li-feng, who's Beijing's point man for China-U.S. economic ties. While the memo aims to promote investment in the U.S., it also accuses China of exploiting opportunities in U.S. capital to enhance its military and security agencies.

China's Ministry of Commerce says the memo will seriously affect normal economic and trade cooperation and undermine the confidence of Chinese companies investing in the U.S. It calls instead for a fair, transparent, and predictable business environment for investors, and says China will take necessary means to defend its rights and interests. John Ruech, NPR News. American skier Michaela Schifrin won her 100th World Cup race yesterday. She has also tied an all-time World Cup record for women and men. Schifrin is now finished in one of the top three places in 155 races.

Yesterday's win comes after Schifrin suffered a major injury in a ski racing crash last November. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.