NPR News: 02-17-2025 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: February 17, 2025, 9AM EST

On this episode of NPR News Now, host Korva Coleman delivers a comprehensive update on the latest national and international developments. The episode, released on February 17, 2025, covers a range of pressing issues from geopolitical tensions and U.S. immigration policies to severe weather events and significant federal workforce changes. Below is a detailed summary of the key topics discussed, enriched with notable quotes and structured for clarity.

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International Relations: Russia and Saudi Arabia Engage on Ukraine Peace

Timestamp: 00:18

Korva Coleman opens the episode with a report on the Kremlin’s recent diplomatic maneuvers. Russian authorities have dispatched top diplomats to Saudi Arabia to engage with their U.S. counterparts, aiming to negotiate peace in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Notably absent from these talks are President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s president, and representatives from European nations, indicating a complex diplomatic landscape.

European Security Reassesses U.S. Commitment

Timestamp: 00:52

Reporter Eleanor Beardsley provides insight into the shifting dynamics of the transatlantic security alliance. In the wake of President Donald Trump’s first month in office, European leaders are responding to assurances that the U.S. may no longer be a steadfast pillar of their security. In speeches delivered in Brussels and Munich, senior Trump officials emphasized that Europe must now take greater responsibility for its own defense.

A significant moment highlighted by Beardsley is the Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s evocative statement in Paris:

"There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen."
(00:52)

This quote encapsulates the rapid and profound changes undermining long-standing alliances. European leaders are now seeking increased defense spending, safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty, and ensuring any peace agreements are robust and sustainable.

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U.S. Immigration Policies Under Scrutiny

Timestamp: 01:35

Turning to domestic affairs, Coleman reports on the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to deport undocumented migrants. Despite claims that immigration agents will avoid sensitive locations, such as schools, there has been significant pushback from communities and advocacy groups.

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, clarifies the administration’s stance:

"We're not raiding schools, we're not raiding churches. We're not raiding college campuses. But if we have a significant public safety threat or national security, let's say, for instance, an MS-13 member who's a senior in the high school who's wanted for drug distribution or strong-armed crimes, we will go to that school and arrest that MS-13 member with the help of the local authorities. It's not about raiding schools. It's about restraining one bad guy where we know he is and not letting him escape back into the community."
(01:54)

Homan emphasizes that the focus is on targeting individuals who pose specific threats rather than indiscriminate raids.

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Severe Storms Devastate Kentucky, Leaving 10 Dead

Timestamp: 02:19

The podcast shifts to coverage of natural disasters, with Coleman detailing the impact of powerful storms in the southern United States. Over the weekend, severe flooding and high winds have tragically resulted in 10 fatalities, predominantly in Kentucky.

Reporter Karen Zarr captures the harrowing scenes:

"That's the sound of water rushing down Rock Ledges along a highway in eastern Kentucky."
(02:33)

Lieutenant Brandon Smith of the Hazard Fire Department recounts the urgency of the situation:

"They were having to abandon the fire department because water had rolled so quickly, and then they got it to our station."
(02:52)

Smith explains that their temporary emergency staging area was the Pizza Hut in downtown Hazard, highlighting the community’s resilience in the face of disaster.

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Federal Workforce Layoffs: FAA and National Park Service Hit

Timestamp: 03:09

Coleman reports on significant personnel changes within federal agencies under the Trump administration. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing layoffs, with several hundred probationary employees receiving termination notices. The FAA union chief warns that these cuts will exacerbate the already heavy workloads faced by the remaining staff.

In parallel, the National Park Service has laid off approximately 1,000 employees. Emma Bowman of NPR shares a poignant account from Brian Gibbs, a former environmental educator:

"This is home. It's the first place I told my spouse that I loved her. It's the first park that I took my son to."
(04:06)

Gibbs laments the broader implications:

"You're losing people who are teaching youth such as myself, you know, the value of protecting and preserving these places for current and future generations. I mean, that's what the Park Service is founded on. That's their mission."
(04:15)

Gibbs expresses a sense of loss for both his personal aspirations and the public's educational opportunities, underscoring the human impact of these federal cuts.

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Vatican Update: Pope Francis Remains Hospitalized

Timestamp: 04:35

In religious news, Coleman updates listeners on the health status of Pope Francis. The Vatican announces that the pontiff will need to remain hospitalized following his admission to a Rome hospital last Friday for bronchitis. The condition has deteriorated, presenting a complex clinical picture for his doctors. The Vatican noted that the pope "rested quietly overnight," suggesting ongoing concerns but no immediate public health crisis.

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Market Closure and Observations

Timestamp: 03:09

Additionally, Coleman briefly notes that U.S. stock markets are closed in observance of President's Day, a standard annual observance affecting financial activities.

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This episode of NPR News Now provides listeners with a succinct yet thorough overview of significant events shaping both the national and international landscapes. From high-stakes diplomatic negotiations and shifts in defense alliances to domestic policy changes and environmental crises, the program ensures that audiences are well-informed about the crucial developments of the day.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The Kremlin says it's sending top Russian diplomats to meet their US Counterparts today in Saudi Arabia. Russia says they'll discuss establishing peace in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Saudi Arabia Arabia, but his schedule has not been publicly disclosed. The president of Ukraine is not there, nor are any European officials. The leaders of eight European nations are holding an emergency meeting in Paris today. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports. The transatlantic security alliance that's been in place since the end of World War II is being upended.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

In speeches in Brussels and Munich over the last week, top Trump officials made it clear to European leaders that they can no longer fully depend on the US and must ensure their own security. Europeans were also blindsided by President Trump's hour and a half friendly call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Finnish President Alexander Stubb quoted Soviet leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin to sum up the changes. There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen, he said in Paris. European leaders will look for ways to increase defense spending, defend Ukraine and Europe's interests in negotiations, and ensure the stability of any peace deal. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

[Korva Coleman]

It's been about a month since President Trump took office. He's working to deport migrants illegally in the US there's been pushback since the administration said immigration agents don't have to avoid sensitive places such as schools. Trump's border czar Tom Homan says immigration agents are only doing that in certain circumstances.

[Tom Homan]

We're not raiding schools, we're not raiding churches. We're not raiding college campuses. But if we have a significant public safety threat or national security, let's say, for instance, an Ms. 13 member who's a senior in the high school who's wanted for drug distribution or strong armadaries, we will go to that school and arrest that MS.13 member with the help of the local authorities. It's not about raiding school. It's about resting one bad guy where we know he is and not let him escape back into the community.

[Korva Coleman]

He spoke to CNN. Powerful storms in the south left 10 people dead over the weekend, mostly in Kentucky. From member station wuky, Karen Zarr reports Kentucky has been hit by flooding.

[Karen Zarr]

That's the sound of water rushing down Rock Ledges along a highway in eastern Kentucky. Lieutenant Brandon Smith with the Hazard Fire Department was out with his swift water rescue team on Saturday when they got a call on the radio from the department's second rescue crew.

[Brandon Smith]

They were having to abandon the fire department because water had rolled so quickly, and then they got it to our.

[Karen Zarr]

Station, Lt. Smith said. Said their temporary emergency staging area became the Pizza Hut in downtown Hazard. For NPR News, I'm Karen Zarr in Hazard, Kentucky.

[Korva Coleman]

US Stock markets are closed today in observance of the President's Day holiday. This is npr. The union that represents some workers at the Federal Aviation Administration says that the Trump administration has started firing workers at the faa. The union chief says several hundred probationary employees started getting termination letters late Friday night and more could be fired this week. He says this is going to make workloads that much harder on FAA workers who are already overstretched. Meanwhile, about 1,000 employees have been laid off at the National Park Service. NPR's Emma Bowman reports that she spoke with one park ranger who says he lost his dream job.

[Brian Gibbs]

Brian Gibbs got the news on Valentine's Day. He was an environmental educator at the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Northeast Iowa, an ancient Native American burial site. The park holds a lot of meaning for him.

This is home. It's the first place I told my spouse that I loved her. It's the first park that I took my son to.

But he says the public stands to lose a lot more.

You're losing people who are teaching youth such as myself, you know, the value of protecting and preserving these place for current and future generations. I mean, that's what the Park Service is founded on. That's their mission.

Gibbs says he has other skill sets, but that this job was his passion. Emma Bowman, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The Vatican says Pope Francis will need to remain hospitalized. He was admitted to a Rome hospital last Friday for the treatment of bronchitis. It has been getting worse. The Vatican now says the pontus respiratory tract infection is presenting a complex clinical picture for doctors. They say he rested quietly overnight. This is npr.

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