NPR News: 02-18-2025 7PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – February 19, 2025, 7 PM EST

NPR provides the latest news in five minutes, updated hourly. This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the February 18, 2025, episode.

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Governor Hochul Considers Removing Mayor Eric Adams Amid Corruption Scandal

Anchor: Jack Spear introduces the pressing issue surrounding New York City's leadership.

[00:19] Jack Spear: "New York Governor Kathy Hochul held meetings with top political and civic leaders in Manhattan today to weigh the future of Mayor Eric Adams."

Reporter: Brian Mann delves deeper into the situation.

[00:39] Brian Mann: "Mayor Adams was charged last year with federal bribery and corruption charges. Last week, the Trump administration's DOJ agreed to suspend that criminal case. It was a move so controversial, seven DOJ attorneys resigned rather than go along with it."

Governor Hochul is contemplating using her authority to remove Mayor Adams from office due to allegations that he leveraged favor from the Trump administration in exchange for collaboration on policies like the White House’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The decision remains pending, especially after the resignation of four of Adams' top aides this week.

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Unions Challenge Elon Musk’s Access to IRS Taxpayer Data

Anchor: Jack Spear shifts focus to a legal battle involving tech mogul Elon Musk.

[01:13] Jack Spear: "A coalition of unions is going to court seeking to block Elon Musk and his DOGE team from gaining access to sensitive taxpayer information at the Internal Revenue Service."

Reporter: Scott Horsley provides context on the implications.

[01:35] Scott Horsley: "Rare, fraud does happen. But the agency's own inspector general combed through seven years of records and found less than 1% of payments were made in error. But as with tax records, Social Security has a lot of people's sensitive personal information on file. And privacy advocates recoil at the idea of Elon Musk's deputies digging through that data without a lot of guardrails."

The lawsuit contends that granting access to IRS data could lead to misuse of sensitive information, despite the administration's assertion that the task force aims to eliminate waste and fraud within the agency.

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Pope Francis Battles Pneumonia, Vatican Provides Health Updates

Anchor: Jack Spear reports on the Vatican's announcement regarding the Pope’s health.

[01:55] Jack Spear: "Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs. That's according to the Vatican."

Reporter: Sarah Ventri elaborates on the Pope's condition.

[02:16] Sarah Ventri: "The Vatican says laboratory tests, chest X-ray and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture. A CT scan showing pneumonia has caused them to adjust his treatment, which now includes antibiotic and drug therapy. Francis had part of one lung removed after a pulmonary infection as a young man and is prone to bouts of bronchitis in the winter. Now he's reported to be in fair condition and is said to be eating breakfast every day, reading the newspapers and even doing some work from the hospital."

Due to his health, several Vatican events have been canceled, including the weekly general audience and potentially the Sunday noon blessing for the second consecutive week.

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Stock Markets Climb to New Highs Amid Mixed Economic Signals

Anchor: Jack Spear provides an update on the financial markets.

[03:02] Jack Spear: "Stocks, after wobbling around a bit today, ended up closing higher. The broader market again moving past its previous record high. The Dow was up 10 points to 44,556. The S&P 500 rose 14 points."

Despite some volatility, major indices continued their upward trajectory, signaling investor confidence amidst ongoing economic developments.

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Measles Cases Surge in West Texas and New Mexico

Anchor: Continuing his report, Jack Spear highlights public health concerns.

[03:02] Jack Spear: "The number of measles cases in rural West Texas has now risen to at least 58, with eight cases also now being reported in neighboring eastern New Mexico."

Health officials emphasize that most of those infected in Texas are unvaccinated, and the Texas Department of Health Services reports 13 hospitalizations. New Mexico authorities have not identified direct contact with the Texas cases, but the spread raises alarms about vaccination rates and public health measures in rural communities.

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Broadway Welcomes Loretta Lynn’s Legacy in New Musical Adaptation

Anchor: Jack Spear introduces an entertainment highlight of the episode.

[03:02] Jack Spear: "The late country music legend Loretta Lynn is coming to Broadway in a stage adaptation of Coal Miner's Daughter."

Reporter: Jeff London discusses the upcoming production.

[03:55] Jeff London: "Coal Miner's Daughter was very much a musical film. It featured many songs made famous by Loretta Lynn. The Broadway show will follow the singer's rise from hardscrabble beginnings in rural Kentucky to becoming a country music star. It will be overseen by a couple of Broadway stalwarts, director Sam Gold and music supervisor Jeanine Tesori, who collaborated on the Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home. Georgia born Sutton Foster, who last appeared on Broadway in Once Upon a Mattress and Sweeney Todd, will get to show off her range singing a variety of country music hits."

The adaptation aims to honor Loretta Lynn's impactful career, with acclaimed talent bringing her story to life on stage.

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Mexico Challenges Google’s Renaming of the Gulf of Mexico on Maps

Anchor: Jack Spear covers international tensions involving technology and national identity.

[04:41] Jack Spear: "Mexico says it's awaiting a new response from search engine company Google to changes in its Google Maps service that has followed Trump administration guidelines renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. President Claudia Scheinbaum is threatening to take the matter to court."

Mexico has expressed strong objections to Google's decision to rename a significant geographical landmark, arguing that the change undermines national identity and historical nomenclature. President Claudia Scheinbaum indicates potential legal action if Google does not revert the name, highlighting the sensitive intersection of technology companies and national sovereignty.

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This summary excludes advertisements, introductory segments, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive news discussed in the episode.

Transcript

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[Jack Spear]

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. New York Governor Kathy Hochul held meetings with top political and civic leaders in Manhattan today to weigh the future of Mayor Eric Adams. Hochul says she may force Adams from office as soon as tomorrow over a corruption scandal involving the Trump administration. Here's NPR's Brian Mann.

[Brian Mann]

Mayor Adams was charged last year with federal bribery and corruption charges. Last week, the Trump administration's DOJ agreed to suspend that criminal case. It was a move so controversial, seven DOJ attorneys resigned rather than go along with it. Critics say Adams leveraged the favor from Trump's team after agreeing to collaborate with the White House's crackdown on illegal immigration. After four of Adams own top aides resigned this week, Governor Hochul began talks with officials about whether to use her authority to remove Adams from office. It's unclear when she'll decide. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.

[Jack Spear]

A coalition of unions is going to court seeking to block Elon Musk and his DOGE team from gaining access to sensitive taxpayer information at the Internal Revenue Service. What Musk or his DOGE team are looking for is not entirely clear, though the administration has said the task force's job is to root out waste and fraud. NPR's Scott Horsley says when it comes to the IRS, though, such occurrences are.

[Scott Horsley]

Rare, fraud does happen. But the agency's own inspector general combed through seven years of records and found less than 1% of payments were made in error. But as with tax records, Social Security has a lot of people's sensitive personal information on file. And privacy advocates recoil at the idea of Elon Musk's deputies digging through that data without a lot of guardrails.

[Jack Spear]

Those opposed to granting Doge access have also pointed to the special privacy protections tax data enjoys and the potential unlawful use of taxpayer records to maliciously target people. Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs. That's according to the Vatican. NPR Serventri reports. There's concern about the ability of the 88 year old pontiff to fight off the infection.

[Sarah Ventri]

The Vatican says laboratory tests, chest X ray and the Holy Father's clinical condition continue to present a complex picture. A CT scan showing pneumonia has caused them to adjust his treatment, which now includes antibiotic and drug therapy. Francis had part of one lung removed after a pulmonary infection as a young man and is prone to bouts of bronchitis in the winter. Now he's reported to be in fair condition and is said to be eating breakfast every day, reading the newspapers and even doing some work from the hospital. Given his condition. Some Vatican events have been canceled. There will be no weekly general audience on Wednesday, and it's not clear if Francis will miss his Sunday noon blessing for a second week in a row. Sarah Ventri, NPR News.

[Jack Spear]

Stocks, after wobbling around a bit today, ended up closing higher. The broader market again moving past its previous record high. The dow was up 10 points to 44,556. The S&P 500 rose 14 points. This is NPR. The number of measles cases in rural West Texas has now risen to at least 58, with eight cases also now being reported in neighboring eastern New Mexico. New Mexico officials say the agency has not identified any direct contact with the Texas cases. Texas Department of health service says 13 people are hospitalized. Many of those infected are not vaccinated. The late country music legend Loretta Lynn is coming to Broadway in a stage adaptation of Coal Miner's Daughter. The 1980 film, which told the singer's life and won Sissy Spacek an Oscar, then will be played on Broadway by Tony Award winner Sutton Foster. Jeff London reports.

[Jeff London]

Coal Miner's Daughter was very much a musical film. It featured many songs made famous by Loretta Lynn. The Broadway show will follow the singer's rise from hardscrabble beginnings in rural Kentucky to becoming a country music star. It will be overseen by a couple of Broadway stalwarts, director Sam Gold and music supervisor Jeanine Tesori, who collaborated on the Tony Award winning musical Fun Home. Georgia born Sutton Foster, who last appeared on Broadway in Once Upon a Mattress and Sweeney Todd, will get to show off her range singing a variety of country music hits. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York.

[Jack Spear]

Mexico says it's awaiting a new response from search engine company Google to changes in its Google Maps service that has followed Trump administration guidelines renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. President Claudia Scheinbaum is threatening to take the matter to court. I'm Jack Speier, NPR News, in Washington.

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