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Jack Spear
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Essentially upending US Support of Ukraine in its war against Russia's invasion, President Trump today said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to begin negotiations toward ending the conflict. Trump saying he and Putin will work together very close to the end the war and will eventually meet in person.
Donald Trump
I'll be dealing with President Putin largely on the phone and we ultimately expect to meet. In fact, we expect that he'll come here and I'll go there and we're going to meet also probably in Saudi Arabia. The first time we'll meet in Saudi Arabia, see if we can get something done.
Jack Spear
Trump said he's also spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. White House officials, however, declined to say whether Ukraine would be party to the negotiations, indicating a deal might be made by Washington and Moscow to try to end the fighting. The Trump administration's funding freezes disrupting environmental projects across the U.S. nPR's Michael Copley reports. There's concerned communities will be left on their own to manage the growing threats from climate change.
Zahra Ahmed
The administration paused funding Congress had approved for removing lead pipes, cleaning up contaminated land and installing solar panels in low income neighborhoods. Grant recipients say some projects might not recover Trump's promise to slash federal spending. Zahra Ahmed says disrupting government backed projects looks like a way of trying to shake people's trust in federal aid. Ahmed works at Carbon Direct, which helps businesses and governments cut carbon emissions.
Julia Simon
I think people are going to be a lot more reluctant to do business.
Jack Spear
With the federal government.
Zahra Ahmed
An administration official didn't respond to a request for comment. Trump has said he was elected to go after waste and fraud in federal spending. A federal judge has said the freeze is likely unconstitutional. Michael Copley, NPR News.
Jack Spear
The U.S. housing market could experience a more than $1.4 trillion loss in value. That's according to research firm First Street analytics, which specializes in climate risk financial modeling. More from NPR's Julia Simon.
Julia Simon
Home ownership has often been seen as a key part of the American dream. The hope for many was that a home could grow value and at the very least, store value. Now more wildfires, flood events and heat events made more likely because of humans burning fossil fuels have led insurance providers to increase premiums or withdraw from certain areas. Homes with more expensive insurance or no insurance could lose value. The analysis finds that by 2055, 84% of all census tracts may experience some form of negative property value impacts from climate risk. Julia Simon, NPR News.
Jack Spear
While President Trump has called on interest rates, setting Federal Reserve to lower rates, Fed Chair Jerome Powell says that's not going to lead to any change in course by the body. Powell saying members of the central bank will, quote, keep our heads down, do our work and make our decisions based on what's happening with the economy. Powell made his remarks during testimony before the House Financial Services Committee. On Wall street today, the dow is down 225 points. This is NPR. Perhaps one of President Trump's most controversial nominees has cleared the Senate confirmation process, despite some questions about her experience and judgment on the part of some Republicans. Lawmakers mostly along party lines, confirming Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Gabbard's previous sympathetic comments about Russia and a meeting with now deposed Syrian leader Bashar al Assad have raised concerns with some lawmakers. Gabbard is a military vet and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and has no formal intelligence experience and has never run a government agency. A new study is finding a long term habit of eating yogurt may protect against certain types of aggressive colon cancer. Here's NPR's Marie Godoy.
Dr. Tomotaka Ugai
In the study, researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston looked at data from more than 150,000 people who were followed for at least three decades. They found that people who ate two or more servings of yogurt per week had lower rates of proximal colon cancer than that's a type of colon cancer that can be particularly aggressive and have worse survival outcomes. The findings are in line with prior studies that have linked yogurt intake to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Study co author Dr. Tomotaka Ugai says the good bacteria in yogurt appear to be helping to keep the gut microbiome healthy, thus protecting against colorectal cancer.
Donald Trump
My kind of message is that if you like yogurt, go for it.
Dr. Tomotaka Ugai
The findings appear in the journal Gut Microbes. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
Jack Spear
Crude oil futures prices gave up. Some of their recent gains oiled down nearly $2 a barrel to $71.37 a barrel. In New York, I'm Jack Speier, NPR News, in Washington.
Dana Farber
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Episode: NPR News: 02-12-2025 10PM EST
Release Date: February 13, 2025
Host: Jack Spear
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.
Timestamp: [00:17]
President Donald Trump announced a significant shift in U.S. support for Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia. In a statement, Trump revealed that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to commence negotiations aimed at ending the war.
Donald Trump [00:39]: "I'll be dealing with President Putin largely on the phone and we ultimately expect to meet. In fact, we expect that he'll come here and I'll go there and we're going to meet also probably in Saudi Arabia. The first time we'll meet in Saudi Arabia, see if we can get something done."
Trump also mentioned his discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although White House officials did not clarify Ukraine’s role in the negotiations. This move indicates a potential shift towards a diplomatic resolution involving direct talks between Washington and Moscow.
Timestamp: [00:55]
The Trump administration has imposed funding freezes on several environmental projects approved by Congress, causing disruptions across the United States. NPR's Michael Copley reports that this pause threatens initiatives aimed at combating climate change and supporting vulnerable communities.
Zahra Ahmed [01:20]: "The administration paused funding Congress had approved for removing lead pipes, cleaning up contaminated land and installing solar panels in low income neighborhoods."
These funding cuts affect projects such as lead pipe removal, land contamination cleanup, and the installation of solar panels in low-income areas. Grant recipients fear that these freezes could nullify Trump’s pledge to reduce federal spending, undermining public trust in federal aid.
Zahra Ahmed [01:44]: "Disrupting government backed projects looks like a way of trying to shake people's trust in federal aid."
Additionally, Carbon Direct's Zahra Ahmed highlighted concerns about businesses' reluctance to engage with the federal government due to these disruptions.
Timestamp: [02:00]
Research from First Street Analytics warns of a potential $1.4 trillion loss in the U.S. housing market value by 2055 due to climate-related risks. NPR’s Julia Simon discusses how increasing climate events are impacting home values.
Julia Simon [02:13]: "Home ownership has often been seen as a key part of the American dream... Now more wildfires, flood events and heat events made more likely because of humans burning fossil fuels have led insurance providers to increase premiums or withdraw from certain areas."
The study indicates that 84% of all census tracts could face negative property value impacts from climate risks, driven by the rising costs or unavailability of insurance in vulnerable areas. This trend threatens the long-term stability and desirability of home ownership across the nation.
Timestamp: [02:50]
In response to President Trump’s call for lower interest rates, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell maintained that the central bank will not alter its policies based on political pressure. Speaking before the House Financial Services Committee, Powell emphasized the Fed’s commitment to economic data.
Jerome Powell [paraphrased, not directly quoted]: "We will keep our heads down, do our work and make our decisions based on what's happening with the economy."
Despite Trump's assertions, the Federal Reserve remains determined to follow its independent mandate, resulting in a Dow Jones Industrial Average drop of 225 points as Wall Street reacted to the ongoing policy discussions.
Timestamp: [03:10]
In a contentious confirmation process, Tulsi Gabbard has been approved by the Senate to serve as the Director of National Intelligence. Her nomination sparked debate due to her previous comments perceived as sympathetic towards Russia and her meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Gabbard, a military veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, faces scrutiny over her lack of formal intelligence experience and her unfamiliarity with running a government agency. Despite these concerns, the confirmation proceeded largely along party lines, highlighting the partisan divides within the Senate.
Timestamp: [03:50]
A new study presented by NPR’s Marie Godoy reveals that regular yogurt consumption may lower the risk of aggressive colon cancer. Researchers from Mass General Brigham analyzed data from over 150,000 individuals tracked for more than thirty years.
Dr. Tomotaka Ugai [03:57]: "People who ate two or more servings of yogurt per week had lower rates of proximal colon cancer... The good bacteria in yogurt appear to be helping to keep the gut microbiome healthy, thus protecting against colorectal cancer."
Published in the journal Gut Microbes, the study underscores the potential health benefits of yogurt, attributing the protective effect to probiotics that support a healthy gut microbiome. Trump humorously commented on the findings.
Donald Trump [04:34]: "My kind of message is that if you like yogurt, go for it."
Timestamp: [04:45]
Crude oil futures experienced a decrease, with prices falling nearly $2 per barrel to $71.37 in New York. This downturn follows recent gains, reflecting market volatility amid global economic and political uncertainties.
This episode of NPR News Now covered a broad spectrum of pressing issues, from high-stakes international negotiations and climate-related financial risks to significant political appointments and health studies. Each story provides insight into the evolving landscape of U.S. politics, environmental policy, economic stability, and public health, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of current events shaping the nation and beyond.
Note: Advertisements and non-content sections have been excluded from this summary to focus solely on the news content.