NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-27-2025 2AM EST

Episode Date: February 27, 2025

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Find out more on Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shae Stevens. President Trump says Ukrainian President Volinsky will be in Washington on Friday to sign a deal that will give the U.S. access to rare earth minerals. Details from NPR's Asma Khalid. Rare earth minerals are key in developing certain new technologies and energy production. Trump described this deal as a very big agreement that would help America recoup its money after footing the bill for Ukraine's war.

It's a great deal for Ukraine too because they get us over there and we're going to be working over there, we'll be on the land and you know in that way there's sort of automatic security because nobody's going to be messing around with our people when we're there. Trump said he's not intending to make many security guarantees for Ukraine, saying, quote, we're going to have Europe do that. He also told reporters that Russia's Vladimir Putin will have to make some concessions to end the war, but he did not specify what those might be. Asma Khalid, NPR News, The White House.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore has resigned, leaving no one as head of the agency overseeing nearly 200 million acres of public land. As NPR's Kirk Sigler reports, Moore cites frustration over sweeping job cuts as his reason for leaving. Many Forest Service employees say the atmosphere is tense and chilling with likely more cuts looming. Maggie Wertheimer moved to Salmon, Idaho about a year ago to work on a program eradicating noxious weeds that pose a wildfire risk. She says she was fired this month because she's still on probation.

Now I'm here and I don't have a job and I don't have a lot of ties to this community that has really conflicting emotions about my job and my role here. She's talking about resentment toward the Forest Service in western towns like Salmon, where these cuts are popular and some still blame the federal government for timber mill closures in the 1980s and 90s. Kirk Ziegler, NPR News, Boise. Hamas has returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds more Palestinian prisoners and detainees. As NPR's Hadil Al-Shalchi reports, it's part of an expiring first phase of a fragile Gaza

peace deal. Hamas returned the bodies of Idkhak El-Gharat, Tzakhhi Edan, Ohad Yahalomi and Shlomo Mansou, all hostages taken by Hamas in the attacks of October 7th, 2023. Unlike past hostage releases, Hamas did not hold a ceremony to showcase the coffins and instead returned the bodies to Israel in Red Cross ambulances. Israel delayed the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners last week, saying that Hamas had paraded the freed Israeli hostages in a humiliating manner. Hamas called the delay a

violation of the ceasefire but an agreement for the exchange was struck earlier on Wednesday. Phase one of the ceasefire deal expires on Sunday. Talks for a second phase have not yet begun. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. US futures are flat in after hours trading on Wall Street. and after-hours trading on Wall Street. This is NPR. The Chevron Corporation has lost its permit to pump and export oil from Venezuela. President Trump made the announcement on his social media site Wednesday,

saying that Venezuela's president failed to meet certain conditions regarding democracy and repatriating citizens deported from the United States. The permit gave California-based Chevron an exemption from U.S. economic sanctions against Venezuela. For the first time since 2015, health officials have reported a fatal case of measles in the United States.

The victim was an unvaccinated child in West Texas. More than 130 cases have been reported since the measles outbreak began in Texas and New Mexico, mostly involving children under 18. Friends and fans are mourning the death of Michelle Trachtenberg. The 39-year-old actor was best known for her work on TV shows such as Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As NPR's Netta Ulubi reports, Trachtenberg was found unresponsive in her New York City home. Police told NPR in ata Ulubi reports, Trachtenberg was found unresponsive in her New York City home.

Police told NPR in a statement that there's no suspicion of criminality in the actress's death. Trachtenberg became famous as a child as the star of the 1996 movie Harriet the Spy. As a teenager, she joined the hit show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, playing the main character's sister who has a supernatural secret. What am I? Am I real? Michelle Trachtenberg was equally gripping as a devious mean girl on another popular show. I was just wondering if you had the chance to check on a gossip girl recently. Police said investigations are ongoing. Nada Oolibi, NPR News.

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