NPR News Now - NPR News: 03-02-2025 5PM EST

Episode Date: March 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Europe is at the crossroads of history. He made the comment after a summit he hosted in London today with European and Canadian leaders along with Ukrainian President Zelensky on ways to help Ukraine. Vicki Barker has more from London. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that in the coming days, the UK, France and other nations in what he called a coalition of the willing will put together a peace deal for and with Ukraine to present to the United States, a deal that would come with billions in new European pledges of military aid.

Europe must do the heavy listing but to support peace in our continent and to succeed this effort must have strong US backing. Starmer making it clear that the UK at least is prepared to put boots on the ground to ensure peace in Ukraine is achieved and maintained. For NPR News I'm Vicki Barker in London. And after the summit, Zelensky met with King Charles in Sandringham, the two heads of state first met in 2023 at Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio today defended President Trump's behavior towards Zelensky in a contentious meeting at the White

House last week. And he says Trump is still committed to peace in Ukraine and that Russia needs to be involved in the process. If there are no negotiations, what is the alternative? Another four years of war, another three years of war in which the United States and Europe continues to pour billions of dollars into a war in Ukraine. Is that the alternative? Danielle Pletka Rubio speaking there on ABC's This Week. Rubio claims Trump's only goal is to get Russia to the table to find a way to end the war. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ruled that President Trump can't fire without cause

ahead of a federal watchdog agency. The Trump administration says it will appeal likely sending the case to the Supreme Court. And Piers Amy Held reports it's one of many cases pushing back against Trump's efforts to dismantle the government. Judge Amy Berman Jackson blocked Trump from firing Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency charged with protecting the rights of federal workers. On February 7th, Dellinger was fired without explanation. Allowing that, Jackson ruled, would give the president, quote, a constitutional license to bully officials

in the executive branch into doing his will. The Trump administration has argued reinstating Dellinger would interfere with the president's power to determine who runs executive agencies. Trump has been steadily expanding his control over entities designed to be independent of the White House. NPR's Amy Held reporting. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Tonight, Hollywood's biggest prize will be handed out.

It's the 97th annual Academy Awards, and this year, well, there's no clear favorite for the top prize. Best picture. Steve Futterman has more. Last year, Oppenheimer was the clear favorite, and it won. But this year, two very different films appear to be battling for the top award. Anura, the story of an adult dancer who falls in love and marries the son of a Russian oligarch. The other top contender is Conclave.

It depicts the election of a pope. Let us pray that God will grant us a pope who doubts. Among those in contention for acting awards, Adrian Brody, Timothy Chalamet, Demi Moore, and Zoe Saldana. There will be a special tribute to those who fought the Southern California fires, and two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman will also be remembered. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles. And at the weekend box office, Captain America, Brave New World, took the top spot once

again with an estimated 15 million dollars in ticket sales. The Anthony Mackie-led film has made 163 million dollars since its release, but it has been slammed by many critics and audiences for failing to bring the Marvel reset that some had hoped for. In second place, The Last Breath, with just $7 million. The film, based on a true story adventure, is about a routine deep-side diving mission that goes terribly wrong. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.