NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-28-2025 7PM EST

Episode Date: March 1, 2025

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This message comes from Wondery. At 24 years old, Monika Lewinsky was in a scandal that defined who she was for the entire world. And now, she's ready to draw from her own experience on what it means to redefine yourself on her new podcast, Reclaiming with Monika Lewinsky. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. After an Oval Office meeting that erupted into a vitriolic exchange between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it remains unclear where relations between the two countries now stand. The meeting ended with no deal on a measure Trump had touted as a step toward ending the

fighting between Russia and Ukraine. In a subsequent interview with Fox News, Zelensky defended his country's position of holding out for security guarantees. We are ready for peace, but we have to be in strong position. What does it mean? Just to know that our army is strong, that our partners with us, and that we have security guarantees. Zelensky said Ukraine does not want to lose its partnership with the U.S. but said he wants Trump and the U.S. to be, quote, more on our side. Trump, during the fractious Oval Office meeting,

accused Zelensky of being disrespectful. The Social Security Administration has announced plans today to cut some 7,000 jobs. NPR's Ashley Lopez reports the cuts come at a time when staffing at the agency is at a 50-year low. In an effort to comply with President Trump's executive order to shrink the federal workforce, the agency says it plans to reduce its, quote, bloated workforce down to 50,000 employees. Max Richmond with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare says these workers provide essential services to Americans, including survivor

and disability benefits as well as retirement services. They're already struggling for years now of not having sufficient staff. The program has been underfunded, understaffed for a very long time. In a statement, Richmond says staff cuts could have grave implications for the 70 million Americans who depend on the agency services. Ashley Lopez, NPR News. Negotiations to avert a looming federal government shutdown that could happen in two weeks not going well. Apparently, lawmakers failing to agree on spending numbers. Despite the fact that the current budget year began in October, Democrats

are seeking assurances the president will follow congressional direction on how money would be spent. College students across Kentucky gathered today to show their support for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Samantha Morrell of Member Station WMKY reports. Dozens of people came together on the campus of Morehead State University and other public universities for Kentucky's Day of DEI. Ciara Harris is a junior and president of the Black Student Union at MSU. She says in the past, DEI-related funding has allowed her group to host events to bring the campus community together.

Since, you know, bills came out and we can no longer get that diversity funding, we kind of have to scrap for change as students, and it's very difficult. Other students stressed the importance of DEI initiatives to low-income and first-generation students, as well as marginalized members of the community. For NPR News, I'm Samantha Morrill in Moorhead, Kentucky. On Wall Street, stocks moved higher in choppy trading the Dow up 601 points. You're listening to NPR.

The White House says the FBI has returned materials to President Trump seized during its classified documents investigation. Reporters traveling with Trump to his home in Florida saw boxes of materials being loaded from a black van into Air Force One. It's not entirely clear what the boxes contain, though the FBI seized documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation. The World Health Organization says it's carrying out more

investigations to understand the cause of an illness that's been spreading in communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more from NPR's Fatma Tannis. Since the beginning of the year, the DRC has recorded over 1,000 sick people and 60 deaths from an unnamed disease. The symptoms include fever, headache, chills, body aches and nosebleeds. The WHO says it's deployed emergency experts to step up disease surveillance and determine what's causing these symptoms. Initial lab results were negative for Ebola and Marburg, two viruses that can cause similar symptoms. Areas where the illness has spread are remote, adding transportation and communication challenges

for the emergency team. Fatma Tanis, NPR News. Months after Hurricane Helene caused damages to North Carolina, a stretch of Interstate 40 in a mountainous part of the state is reopening. Flooding from Helene damaged parts of a 20-mile section of the roadway in the Carolina Mountains forcing the closure. That stretch of highway will officially reopen on Saturday. It partially restores connection with eastern Tennessee. The road was damaged in the western part of

the state because of massive flooding due to the hurricane. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News, in Washington. This message comes from Wondery. Scam Factory, the explosive new podcast series, exposes a multi-billion dollar criminal empire where thousands are being forced to scam others under the threat of death. Follow Scam Factory wherever you get your podcasts.