NPR News: 02-16-2025 6PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – Episode Summary
February 16, 2025, 6 PM EST

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Peace Negotiations Between Russia and Ukraine

The episode opens with Jeanine Herbst reporting from Washington, highlighting imminent discussions aimed at ending the long-standing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. These talks are scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia this week. President Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be a participant in the negotiations, though he did not provide additional details (00:16).

Trump emphasized the collective desire for peace, stating, “All parties want peace in Ukraine, including Russian President Vladimir Putin” (00:35). Deepa Shivaram elaborated on this sentiment, noting, “I think he wants to end it and they want to end it fast, both of them. And Zelensky wants to end it, too” (00:35). This underscores the mutual interest among the involved leaders to seek a swift resolution to the conflict.

US Political Developments and Government Workforce Restructuring

Continuing the report, Jeanine Herbst mentioned that President Trump has been in discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is embarking on his first Middle East trip as the nation’s top diplomat. Rubio is set to head to Saudi Arabia this week to further the peace talks (00:44).

In parallel political developments, governors from across the United States are convening in Washington amidst a wave of lawsuits. These lawsuits challenge the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government and its workforce, signaling significant tensions between state and federal authorities (00:44).

Government Workforce Layoffs and Legal Challenges

A commercial segment transitions into a detailed report on substantial layoffs within the federal workforce. According to the announcer, “Thousands of government employees, including probationary workers or recent hires, are getting laid off as billionaire Elon Musk tries to cut government spending with his unit, the Department of Government Efficiency” (01:08).

President Trump has publicly supported Musk’s initiatives, claiming that “Doge has found billions of dollars in waste and fraud” (01:08). However, Musk has not yet provided evidence to substantiate these claims. The website for Doge anticipates releasing receipts for the purported savings over the weekend, though they have not been made available as of the report (01:08).

This move has provoked legal backlash, with fourteen states filing lawsuits against both Trump and Musk. The states accuse Musk of exercising “unchecked power over the government and its workforce” (01:08). In response, the White House maintains that Musk is “complying with federal laws” (01:08), defending the administration’s restructuring efforts.

IRS Layoffs Amid Critical Tax Season

Jeanine Herbst further reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is implementing significant layoffs, including thousands of probationary workers, during the peak of the tax season (01:48). The Associated Press has indicated that IRS employees slated for layoffs in the 2025 tax season have been instructed not to accept retirement offers until after the taxpayer filing deadline, potentially exacerbating staffing shortages during a crucial period (01:48).

Severe Weather Events and Their Impact

The episode shifts focus to severe weather conditions affecting various regions in the United States. Heavy rainfall in the Southeast has led to widespread flooding, necessitating high-water rescues and resulting in at least nine fatalities across two states (01:48). Southern California is concurrently dealing with the aftermath of heavy rains from the previous week, which have caused mudslides and extensive property damage. Pierce Amy Held reports, “Over burn scars led to mudslides trapping cars in the Los Angeles area. The fire department responded and a member had his vehicle swept off the road and into the ocean by debris flow” (02:22). Homes have also been affected, with mud infiltrating residences in areas like Pasadena (02:22).

Deepa Shivaram expressed the gravity of the situation, exclaiming, “Oh my God, this is so much” (02:38). Forecaster Bob Orvac noted that the weather system responsible for these conditions moved eastward, leading to historic floods in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Kentucky’s governor described the floods as “historic,” with hundreds of roads closed due to high water levels (02:45).

Additionally, the Northern Plains are experiencing a surge of Arctic air, bringing life-threatening cold temperatures reaching negative 30s Fahrenheit (02:51). The combination of severe storms and extreme cold poses significant challenges across multiple regions.

Economic Briefing: Wall Street Closure

In economic news, Wall Street will be closed the following day in observance of President’s Day, providing a brief respite in the typically bustling financial markets (03:09).

Argentina’s President Faces Impeachment Threat Over Cryptocurrency Endorsement

Internationally, Argentina is embroiled in political turmoil as opposition lawmakers threaten to impeach President Javier Milei. The catalyst for this threat is Milei’s endorsement of a new cryptocurrency called Libra, which appears to have been a significant misstep (03:09).

Deepa Shivaram details the incident, explaining that on Friday night, President Milei posted an endorsement of Libra on social media platform X. The cryptocurrency was launched just hours before his endorsement and was touted as a means to strengthen Argentina’s economy. Initially, the coin surged to nearly $5 in value within an hour of Milei’s promotion but subsequently plummeted to under $1 by Saturday (03:36). In response to the backlash, Milei deleted his tweet, denied any direct association with Libra, and attributed the negative reaction to his critics (03:36).

Observers have categorized this event as a “rug pull,” where developers attract investors before abruptly abandoning the project, leading to a sharp decline in the currency’s value. This incident mirrors former President Trump’s similar venture into cryptocurrency, where a namesake coin launched days before his inauguration also experienced a significant loss in value (03:36).

Cultural Highlight: Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary

Concluding the episode, Jeanine Herbst celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic television show "Saturday Night Live" (04:22). The milestone event will feature a variety of sketches, musical performances, and appearances by special guests. Herbst notes that "Saturday Night Live" has been a cultural juggernaut, instrumental in launching the careers of numerous comedians, including Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and Kate McKinnon. While specifics about the sketches and performers remain under wraps, anticipation is high for the celebratory program (04:22).

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the February 16, 2025, episode of NPR News Now, providing listeners with a detailed overview of the latest national and international developments.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

This message comes from the UPS Store open this holiday. Come into your local store today. Most locations are independently owned. Products, services, pricing and hours of operation may vary. See center for details. The UPS Store be unstoppable.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine are set to get underway this week in Saudi Arabia. President Trump says Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will be involved without elaborating. And he says all parties want peace in Ukraine, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

[Deepa Shivaram]

I think he wants to end it and they want to end it fast, both of them. And Zelensky wants to end it, too.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Trump, speaking to reporters at an airport in Palm beach today, says he's talked to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who's on his first trip to the Middle east as the nation's top diplomat and will head to Saudi Arabia this week. The nation's governors are gathering in Washington this week. This amid lawsuits launched by several states over the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the federal government and its workforce. NPR's Deepa Shivaram has more.

[Commercial Announcer]

Thousands of government employees, including probationary workers or recent hires, are getting laid off as billionaire Elon Musk tries to cut government spending with his unit, the Department of Government Efficiency. Speaking alongside Musk, President Trump says Doge has found billions of dollars in waste and fraud, but didn't provide evidence for where those numbers are coming from. The website for Doge says receipts for, quote, savings are coming over the weekend but haven't been posted. Fourteen states sued Trump and Musk for Musk's, quote, unchecked power over the government and its workforce. The White House, for its part, says that Musk is complying with federal laws. Deepa Shivaram, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

And those layoffs include the irs, which says it will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season. That that's according to the Associated Press. Earlier, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a retirement offer until after the taxpayer filing deadline. Heavy rain in the Southeast overnight led to flooding and high water rescues, and at least nine deaths in two states are blamed on the storm. Meanwhile, Southern California is cleaning up after its own heavy rain last week. And Pierce Amy Held has more rain.

[Amy Held]

Over burn scars led to mudslides trapping cars in the Los Angeles area. The fire department responded and a member had his vehicle swept off the road and into the ocean by debris flow, according to a spokesman. Mud has even seeped into homes including Jill Forders near Pasadena.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Oh my God, this is so much.

[Commercial Announcer]

Worse than I ever could have imagined.

[Amy Held]

That same system moved eastward, says forecaster Bob Orvac.

[Jeanine Herbst]

It redeveloped and was responsible for all the heavy rain that occurred across parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky.

[Amy Held]

Kentucky's governor says historic floods, flooding closed hundreds of roads. By Sunday, winds were picking up all along the east coast, bringing the risk of outages. And in the Northern Plains, Arctic air is bringing life threatening cold into the negative 30s. Amy Held, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Wall street will be closed tomorrow in observance of the President's Day holiday. You're listening to NPR News. Opposition lawmakers in Argentina are threatening to impeach the country's president over his endorsements of what appears to have been a cryptocurrency. SC the far right libertarian leader promoted, then pulled his endorsement of a crypto coin which took a stunning crash just hours after being launched. NPR's Carrie Khan has more.

[Deepa Shivaram]

Friday night, President Javier Milei posted on X an endorsement of a new crypto coin called Libra. The currency, launched just hours before the president's post, promised to strengthen the Argentine economy. Under an hour of Milei's promotion, the coin rose to nearly $5 in value. However, soon it plunged to under a DOL. Saturday. Milei deleted the tweet, denied relation to the coin and blamed critics for attacking him. Observers say the coin launch is a so called rug pull where developers attract investors, then bolt. Milei's crypto move echoes similar steps by President Trump, a close ally. Days before his inauguration, Trump released a namesake coin which has since plummeted in value. Carrie Khan, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary celebration takes place tonight with sketches, songs and special guests as the show celebrates its landmark anniversary. The pop culture juggernaut has launched the careers of generations of comedians, from Steve Martin to Eddie Murphy and Tina fey to Kate McKinnon. There's no word on what sketches will be performed or which of the musical stars in attendance will end up performing. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Spectrum Business, who provides fast, reliable Internet, phone, TV and mobile services to help unlock the unlimited potential of your small business. Learn [e-mail] business.