NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-01-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: March 1, 2025

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There's been a lot of attention on loneliness lately. 16% of Americans report feeling lonely all or most of the time. The former Surgeon General even declared a loneliness epidemic. On It's Been A Minute, we're launching a new series called All the Lonely People, diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives and how our culture shapes it. That's on the It's Been A Minute podcast on NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Gile Snyder. Following yesterday's Oval Office blow up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Trump spoke to reporters as he left the White House on the way to spend the weekend at

Mar-a-Lago. President Trump I would say it didn't work out exactly great from his standpoint. I think he very much overplayed his hand. We're looking for peace. We're not looking for somebody that's going to sign up a strong power and then not make peace because they feel emboldened. And that's what I saw happening. President Zinlinski later told Fox News that the meeting was not good for both sides, but that he thinks the relationship can move forward. Yes, of course, because it's relations more than to president. It's the historical relations, strong relations between our people. And that's why I always began with to thank your people from our people. Zelensky is to be in London tomorrow for a summit meeting with European leaders

who are rallying around him. White House said on Friday, the FBI has returned materials to President Trump that had been seized during its classified documents investigation. And here's Danielle Kurtzleben reports on the documents seized in the 2022 FBI raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.

A White House spokesperson said that around 20 boxes were returned. Reporters traveling with the president on Friday saw the boxes in the back of a van pulled up to Air Force One as it was loading. The White House did not say, however, what exactly was in the boxes. The FBI investigation resulted in 37 felony counts against Trump related to allegedly mishandling documents. Special Prosecutor Jack Smith requested the case be dismissed after November's election,

saying the Justice Department cannot prosecute a sitting president. In a social media post, Trump said the box is, quote, will someday be part of the Trump presidential library. Danielle Kirtsley of NPR News, West Palm Beach, Florida. Federal employees have received a second email from the Office of Personnel Management asking them to detail what they did in the previous week. The demand is currently facing legal scrutiny, as NPR's Jenna McLaughlin reports. Late Friday night, federal employees received another email asking them to share five bullet

points on their accomplishments in the previous week. It's the latest in an effort led by Trump advisor Elon Musk, who has said his goal is to monitor productivity while searching for fake government employees, a claim in which he has presented no evidence. Employees were also told that going forward, they were expected to submit similar lists before midnight every Monday. Multiple government sources, including from the Department of the Interior, shared a copy of the email with NPR on the condition of anonymity.

The OPM's demands, which are being challenged in court, are inspiring fear across agencies that responses might be mined with artificial intelligence or used as justification for firings. Jen McLaughlin, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has declared a ceasefire with Turkey after the militant group's imprisoned leader called on the group to lay down its weapons. Dori Baskarin reports from Istanbul. A news outlet close to the PKK first published the group's announcement,

declaring a ceasefire effective today. None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked, the PKK said in a statement. The 40-year insurgency was one of the longest running conflicts in the world, spanning Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. Tens of thousands have been killed since the conflict began. Previously, the head of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes militias affiliated with the PKK, said the ceasefire did not apply to them, but welcomed the call for peace.

For NPR News, I'm Dari Buskaran. Authorities investigating the deaths of Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife have ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning. And they say data from Hackman's pacemaker suggests he died more than a week before his body was discovered. The Santa Fe County Sheriff says Hackman's pacemaker last showed activity on February 17. Authorities say they do not suspect foul play, but that the deaths are suspicious enough

to require thorough investigation. The Vatican says Pope Francis had a peaceful night and is resting following yesterday's setback that required non-invasive mechanical ventilation. The pope has been in a hospital for more than two weeks battling double pneumonia. He had a coughing fit yesterday in which he inhaled a vomit that needed to be extracted. Francis is prone to lung infections. He had part of a lung removed as a young man. I'm Giles Snyder, NPR News.