NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-28-2025 9PM 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. European leaders have come to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's defense after his clash today in the Oval Office with President Trump and Vice President Vance. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports Europe is pushing back against Washington's increasing alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin. There's an aggressor which is Russia and a people attacked which is Ukraine, said French

President Emmanuel Macron speaking shortly after Zelensky left the White House. In a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his nation retains unwavering support for Ukraine and a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine and Europe. Both Stammer and McCroll met with Trump this week to try to hammer home that point and to keep the U.S. aligned with Europe. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbach called Ukraine's defense of democracy our fight.

EU foreign policy chief and former Estonian President Kaya Callis went further, saying, "...it became clear today that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us Europeans to take this challenge. Eleanor Beardsley in Peer News, Paris. Congressional bipartisan talks to keep the government open passed a March deadline are facing new emerging complications. More from NPR's Claudio Grisales. Congressional Republicans complain that Democrats

are putting up new quote, outrageous demands to keep the government open past the March 14th deadline. The stalemate has Senate appropriators asking for a short-term funding bill to buy more time for the talks, while President Trump and some Republicans say that stopgap plans should last a year instead. Democrats want the permanent year-long spending deal to limit Trump's ongoing efforts to dismantle certain federal programs and protect funding to entitlement programs such as Medicaid. House Leader Hakeem Jeffries has stopped short of saying if Democrats will force a government

shutdown to get there, even as some members of his party say it's their only leverage. Claudia Desalas, NPR News. As the measles outbreak continues in West Texas, the state's capital city of Austin has announced its first confirmed case of the disease since 2019. Libby Aldridge of Member Station KUT reports. Austin Public Health announced an unvaccinated infant had contracted measles after traveling overseas with family. The case did not appear to be connected to the larger Texas outbreak, which has sickened

dozens of people, most of them unvaccinated children. One child has died, the first U.S. measles death since 2015. Austin officials said the infant's case does not have any known exposures outside family, but they urged travelers to ensure they are vaccinated against measles before visiting the city for the annual South by Southwest conference which begins next weekend. I'm Olivia Aldridge in Austin. On Wall Street, the Dow closed up more than 600 points today.

You're listening to NPR. Are sky-high egg prices solely the result of a bird flu outbreak, which has led to the slaughter of millions of chickens, or might some producers be taking advantage? That question is being posed by at least some advocacy groups, Democratic lawmakers, and a member of the Federal Trade Commission who wants a government investigation. Egg prices last month spiked to a record $4.95 a dozen, much more in some areas of the country. Officials in New York state say they've reached a tentative deal with shrunk corrections officers that will end a crisis in the state's prisons.

It comes after Governor Kathy Hochul was forced to send National Guard troops to guard inmates. MPR's Brian Mann reports. Corrections officers angered by safety and working conditions walked off the job in a wildcat strike not sanctioned by their union that's lasted nearly two weeks. Governor Hockels says a mediator has now reached a deal that should bring guards back, but there are sticking points. In a statement, the mediator said this deal will only go into effect after guards end their strike, as a state judge has ordered them to do.

Also the deal appears to give state prison officials broader authority to hold inmates in solitary confinement. One inmate advocacy group, the Halt Solitary Campaign, issued a statement describing that part of the deal is a violation of a state reform law passed in 2022 that limits use of isolation cells as a form of punishment. Brian Mann, NPR News. Microsoft says it's shutting down its Skype video conferencing operation in order to focus on its Teams platform.

Skype, which has also lost ground to more innovative platforms like Zoom, saying its users will be able to use their existing accounts to log on to Teams. Microsoft says it will shut down Skype in May. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington. Technologist Paul Garcia is using AI to create photos of people's most precious memories. technology.