NPR News: 02-18-2025 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: February 18, 2025, 9 AM EST

Hosted by NPR, this episode of NPR News Now delivers the latest updates in just five minutes, covering significant national and international events.

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1. U.S.-Russia Diplomatic Talks on Ukraine

Location: Saudi Arabia
Participants: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister

NPR's Korva Coleman reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart concluded high-stakes talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for three years since Russia's invasion.

Key Points:

• Exclusions: Notably, Ukraine and European leaders were excluded from these discussions.
• U.S. Stance: The Trump administration has conceded to Russian demands by declining to support NATO membership for Ukraine and stating that Ukraine may not regain all its territories.

Notable Quote: Mike Walz, White House National Security Adviser, emphasized the need for lasting peace:

“This needs to be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary end as we've seen in the past. We know just the practical reality is that there is going to be some discussion of territory and there's going to be discussion of security guarantees.”
[01:35]

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2. Tensions in Southern Lebanon and Israeli Forces

Location: Southern Lebanon
Involved Parties: Lebanese Military, Israeli Defense Forces, Hezbollah

NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi provides an update on the evolving situation in southern Lebanon, where Lebanese troops have regained control over nearly a dozen areas previously under Israeli occupation.

Key Points:

• Military Movements: The Lebanese military has secured 11 locations, surveying war damages and coordinating with United Nations peacekeepers.
• Israeli Response: Despite a ceasefire agreement, Israel retains a presence in five strategic locations to safeguard northern Israeli communities.
• Hezbollah's Stance: The militant group opposes the continued Israeli presence, deeming it a violation of the ceasefire and calling for complete withdrawal.

Notable Quote: Lebanese President Joseph Varon stated the necessity of honoring the ceasefire:

“The ceasefire agreement must be respected and that Israel cannot be trusted.”
[02:10]

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3. Political Turmoil in New York City: Mayor Eric Adams Under Scrutiny

Location: New York City
Key Figures: Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams

Governor Kathy Hochul is set to engage with NYC's leadership to discuss the potential removal of Mayor Eric Adams amidst a burgeoning corruption scandal. Four of Adams' top aides have resigned, raising questions about his administration's stability.

Key Points:

• Corruption Charges: Mayor Adams faces bribery and corruption allegations from the Justice Department, dating back to September. Critics allege that these charges were previously overlooked in exchange for Adams' cooperation with federal migrant policies.
• Historical Significance: Hochul highlighted the unprecedented nature of her consideration to oust an elected NYC mayor in over two centuries.
• Adams' Position: The mayor steadfastly denies all allegations and has declared he will not resign.

Notable Quote: Governor Hochul expressed her concerns regarding the mayor's administration:

“I have serious questions about the long term future of this mayoral administration.”
[02:27]

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4. Senate Confirmation for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick

Location: Washington, D.C.
Subject: Confirmation Vote

The Senate is poised to vote on the confirmation of Howard Lutnick as the next U.S. Commerce Secretary. Lutnick, a billionaire investor and former Wall Street CEO, is known for leading President Trump's transition team and advocating for increased tariffs.

Key Points:

• Background: Lutnick brings significant financial and leadership experience to the role, with strong ties to the Trump administration's economic policies.
• Implications: His confirmation could signal a continuation of aggressive trade policies and economic strategies aligned with Trump's agenda.

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5. Investigation into the Eaton Fire and Power Company Involvement

Location: Los Angeles, California
Event: Eaton Fire

NPR's Kiara Eisner delves into the catastrophic Eaton fire, which devastated approximately 10,000 structures and resulted in 17 fatalities. Investigations reveal that Southern California Edison (SCE) failed to promptly shut off power, contributing to the fire's spread.

Key Points:

• Wildfire Cause: High winds and dry conditions made the area susceptible, with power lines either sparking or falling, igniting new fires.
• First Responders' Challenges: Analysis of nearly 100 hours of firefighter radio communications indicated delays in SCE's power shutdown efforts.
• Consequences: The inability to quickly sever power exacerbated the fire, highlighting critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Notable Quote: Kiara Eisner summarized the findings:

“That evidence shows the power company, Southern California Edison, wasn't able to quickly shut off power in two key neighborhoods and that live power lines led to new fires.”
[04:05]

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6. Heartwarming Wildlife Rescue in Connecticut

Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Organization: Mystic Aquarium

In a lighter note, officials at Mystic Aquarium are currently caring for a baby gray seal that was found wandering the streets of New Haven over the weekend. The young seal, estimated to be only a few weeks old, appears to have become disoriented and is being rehabilitated with plans to return it to the ocean.

Key Points:

• Rescue Efforts: The seal was safely captured and is under the care of both aquarium officials and local wildlife experts.
• Future Plans: Efforts are underway to ensure the seal's successful reintegration into its natural habitat once it regains sufficient health and orientation.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and developments covered in the February 18, 2025, episode of NPR News Now. Stay informed with NPR for the latest updates.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart have concluded talks in Saudi Arabia. They focused on ending the war in Ukraine three years after Russia invaded. Rubio says ending the war will require concessions on all sides with White House national security Adviser Mike Walz says that means there will have to be meaningful.

[Mike Walz]

Negotiations, some underlying principles. This needs to be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary end as we've seen in the past. We know just the practical reality is that there is going to be some discussion of territory and there's going to be discussion of security guarantees.

[Korva Coleman]

But the US And Russia excluded Ukraine from today's talks. They also excluded European leaders. The Trump administration has essentially agreed to Russian demands. The US Won't back NATO membership for Ukraine and says Ukraine won't be able to get back all its territory. Lebanese troops have regained control over nearly a dozen areas in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from their under ceasefire terms, ending the war with Hezbollah. But NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi reports Israel is keeping some of its forces based in Lebanon.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

The Lebanese military said it has moved into 11 locations in southern Lebanon where the Israeli military has withdrawn from. It said it was surveying the damage done by the war. It said it was coordinating with United nations peacekeepers. But on Monday, Israel said it will remain in five locations in southern Lebanon to protect communities in the north of Israel. Lebanese officials on Hezbollah said this violates the terms of the ceasefire, calling for Israel to withdraw completely. Lebane President Joseph Varon said that the ceasefire agreement, quote, must be respected and that Israel cannot be trusted. Hadil Al Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Korva Coleman]

New York Governor Kathy Hochul says she'll meet with key leaders in New York City today. They'll weigh the possible ouster of Democratic Mayor Eric Adams. Four top aides to Adams resigned yesterday. NPR's Brian Mann reports there is a growing scandal involving corruption charges against the mayor.

[Brian Mann]

In a statement, Hochul said she spoke with Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer, one of Adams four top eight aids leaving office. According to Hochul, that conversation left her with, quote, serious questions about the long term future of this mayoral administration. Mayor Adams was charged by the Justice Department in September with bribery and corruption. Critics say the Trump administration shelved those charges only after Adams agreed to help a national crackdown on migrants. No governor in the last 235 years has used their authority to oust an elected mayor of New York City. But Hochul said the crisis in City hall is troubling and cannot be ignored. Adams has denied any wrongdoing and says he won't resign. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Senate is scheduled to hold a confirmation vote this afternoon for Howard Lutnick to be the next commerce secretary. Lutnick is a billionaire investor who's been a Wall Street CEO for many years. He led President Trump's transition team and strongly backs Trump's moves to impose more tariffs. After the Eaton fire broke out in Los Angeles, it was not fully contained for more than three weeks. NPR's investigations team transcribed hours of first responder radio to better understand how the power company was involved. NPR's Kiara Eisner has more.

[Kiara Eisner]

When high winds and dry conditions whip up a wildfire, power lines can cause problems by sparking or falling down. That's dangerous for first responders and can also start new fires. NPR analyzed almost 100 hours of radio traffic exchanged among firefighters responding to the Eaton fire.

[Mike Walz]

Hey, Delta Branch 3.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Hey.

[Mike Walz]

I just met with Edison's reps. They're not going to be able to guarantee shutdown in here.

[Kiara Eisner]

That evidence shows the power company, Southern California Edison, wasn't able to quickly shut off power in two key neighborhoods and that live power lines led to new fires. The Eaton fire burned down about 10,000 structures and led to the deaths of 17 people. Kiara Eisner, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Officials at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut are caring for a baby gray seal. It was discovered twice over the weekend in New Haven wandering the streets. Aquarium officials and mystics say the baby seal is only a few weeks old and likely got disoriented in New Haven. They plan to eventually put him back into the ocean. This is npr.

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