NPR News: 02-19-2025 11AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now Episode: February 19, 2025, 11 AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman
Release Date: February 19, 2025

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1. Legal Battle Over Elon Musk’s Doge Entity Access to Government Systems

Timestamp: [00:16]

Korva Coleman opens the episode with a significant legal development involving Elon Musk’s Doge entity. A federal judge has declined to temporarily halt Doge's operations within the White House, despite over a dozen Democratic state attorneys general suing to block Musk’s team from accessing government systems and laying off federal employees.

Key Points:

• Lawsuit Details: Fourteen states allege that Doge oversteps constitutional limits by accessing government data and participating in workforce reductions.
• Judicial Response: Judge Tanya Chutkin expressed concerns about the legality of Musk’s actions, stating they resemble the executive abuses the Constitution aims to prevent. However, she denied a temporary restraining order due to insufficient evidence from the states.
• White House Stance: The White House clarified that Elon Musk is not the leader of Doge, leaving the leadership role ambiguous as of the court filings.

Notable Quote:

"Musk's actions appear to be precisely the executive abuses the Constitution intended to prevent."
— Judge Tanya Chutkin [00:41]

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2. Ukraine’s President Zelensky Criticizes Trump’s Disinformation on the Russia-Ukraine War

Timestamp: [01:17]

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly requested the United States to cease spreading Kremlin-backed disinformation regarding the ongoing war with Russia. This statement follows President Trump’s recent unfounded claims blaming Ukraine for initiating the conflict, despite the reality of Russia's surprise invasion three years prior.

Key Points:

• Zelensky’s Concerns: Zelensky emphasized the detrimental impact of disinformation on Ukraine’s international standing and support.
• Trump’s Misinformation: Zelensky pointed out that Trump’s narratives are based on falsehoods, specifically denying Ukraine's role in starting the war.
• Diplomatic Efforts: The statement coincides with the arrival of Trump’s special envoy on Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in Kyiv for ongoing talks.

Notable Quote:

"I would like to see more truth out of the Trump team, because this affects Ukraine and not in a positive way."
— President Volodymyr Zelensky [01:47]

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3. Indictment of Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for Coup Plotting

Timestamp: [02:29]

In a major political upheaval, Brazil’s attorney general has indicted former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of plotting a coup to retain power after his narrow defeat in the recent election to President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva.

Key Points:

• Charges: Bolsonaro and 33 others are accused of forming a vast criminal organization aimed at usurping Lula’s presidency.
• Alleged Plot: The indictment includes plans to poison President Lula, his vice president, and a Supreme Court justice with whom Bolsonaro had conflicts.
• Bolsonaro’s Response: The former president has denied all allegations, describing them as “fanciful” and unfounded in court.

Notable Quote:

"They say these charges are fanciful and won't prevail in court."
— Jair Bolsonaro [03:05]

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4. President Trump’s Proposed Tariffs and USPS Leadership Change

Timestamp: [03:05]

President Trump has announced plans to impose new tariffs on imported automobiles, semiconductor chips, and pharmaceuticals, with potential rates soaring up to 25% or higher, anticipated to commence in April. This move comes amid concerns highlighted by Reuters that nearly half of all generic prescriptions in the U.S. were imported in 2022.

Key Points:

• Tariff Details: High tariffs are aimed at protecting domestic industries but could lead to increased prices for consumers.
• Economic Impact: The proposed tariffs might significantly affect sectors reliant on imports, potentially disrupting supply chains.
• USPS Leadership: In related news, Louis Dejoy, the head of the U.S. Postal Service, announced his resignation after nearly five years in the role, prompting the Board of Governors to seek his successor.

Notable Quotes:

"President Trump says he plans to impose fresh tariffs on imported automobiles, semiconductor chips and on pharmaceuticals."
— Korva Coleman [03:05]

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5. Record-Breaking Surfing at Nazaré, Portugal

Timestamp: [04:01]

Shifting to lighter news, NPR’s Miguel Macias reports from Nazaré, Portugal, renowned for its colossal waves. The Playa do Norte beach holds records for the tallest waves ever surfed, with some exceeding 90 feet. The recent Nazare Big Wave Challenge saw Frances Justine Tupo emerge as the women's competition winner, showcasing remarkable skill and bravery.

Key Points:

• Competition Highlights: Frances Justine Tupo won the event after a triumphant performance, balancing her professional achievement with personal presence by holding her one-year-old child while accepting her win.
• Team Effort: Navigating such dangerous waves requires a coordinated team effort, including jet ski support to position surfers optimally for their big wave attempts.

Notable Quote:

"You can say we should have a prize for the best driver of all time. It's Eric. He's the best driver for all the time."
— Frances Justine Tupo [04:26]

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Conclusion

This episode of NPR News Now provided a comprehensive overview of significant global and national events, from high-stakes legal battles and political indictments to international diplomacy challenges and extraordinary human achievements in sports. The discussions highlighted the ongoing tensions in international relations, the complexities of legal systems in addressing political misconduct, economic strategies impacting global markets, and inspiring stories of human courage and teamwork.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content sections have been omitted to focus solely on the informative segments of the podcast.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. A federal judge is declining to temporarily halt the work of President Trump's Doge entity. It's overseen by billionaire Elon Musk. More than a dozen Democratic state attorneys general had sued to try to block Musk's team from accessing government systems and laying off Federal Employees. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the judge did raise concerns about the legality of Musk's work in the White House.

[Bobby Allen]

Fourteen states sued to prevent Doge from accessing government data and participating in laying off thousands of government workers. The states argued that only an official who was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate can have that much power. Judge Tanya Chutkin in Washington notes that Musk's actions appear to be precisely the executive abuses the Constitution intended to prevent. But she would not issue a temporary restraining order, saying the state's request lacked evidence. While Musk is the public face of Doge, the White House now says in court papers that Elon Musk is not its leader. Trump officials have not publicly stated who is running Doge.

[Korva Coleman]

Bobby Allen and PR News Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking the US to stop using Kremlin disinformation when talking about Russia's war on Ukraine. Yesterday, President Trump blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia. That is not true. Russia launched a full scale surprise invasion of Ukraine three years ago. NPR's Joanna Kakisis reports. This comes as Trump's special envoy on Russia and Ukraine arrived in Kyiv today.

[Joanna Kakisis]

Zelenskyy looked grim and exhausted as he briefed reporters in Kyiv about the challenges facing Ukraine a day after the US And Russia appeared to take the first steps toward normalizing ties after said, you shouldn't have started the war, a Kremlin talking point. Zelensky said Trump appeared to be living in a zone of disinformation. I would like to see more truth out of the Trump team, zelensky said, because this affects Ukraine and not in a positive way. He said he hopes to make his case at Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who is in Kyiv for talks. Joanna Kakissis, NPR News, Kyiv.

[Korva Coleman]

Brazil's attorney general has indicted the country's former right wing President, Jair Bolsonaro NPR's Carrie Khan says prosecutors accused Bolsonaro of plotting a coup in 2022 to stay in power.

[Carrie Kahn]

They're stunning charges, the standout points. Prosecutors say that Bolsonaro and 33 others were. They said it was this vast criminal organization to keep him in power after he narrowly lost to the current president, Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva. On top of that, there was also this pl outlined to poison Lula, kill his vice president and a Supreme Court justice who Bolsonaro has feuded with.

[Korva Coleman]

NPR's Carrie Kahn reporting. Bolsonaro has denied the allegations. He says they're fanciful and won't prevail in court. This is npr. President Trump says he plans to impose fresh tariffs on imported automobiles, semiconductor chips and on pharmaceuticals. He says these tariffs could be worth up to 25% or higher and they could start in April. Reuters news agency says nearly half of all generic prescriptions filled in the US during 2022 were imported. The head of the US Postal Service says he is going to step down. Louis Dejoy has served as postmaster general for nearly five years. He has asked the Postal Service Board of Governors to begin seeking his successor. In Portugal, surfers have again faced the giant waves of Nazare, about 70 miles north of Lisbon. NPR's Miguel Bacias reports there in Tutor Nazare's Big Wave Challenge.

[Miguel Macias]

Playa do Norte beach in Nazare is not just another big wave site. It actually holds the record for the biggest wave ever surfed over 90ft tall and the next three spots in that ranking. On Tuesday, Frances Justine Tupo won the women's competition in her return to the yearly Nazare Challenge. And that's no small feat for the 33 year old champion who took the stage holding her one year old child and thanked her team.

[Frances Justine Tupo]

You can say we should have a prize for the best driver in all time. It's Eric. He's the best driver for all the time.

[Miguel Macias]

And that's because catching such a big wave is too dangerous to attempt on your own. Surfers like Dupont are propelled by a teammate driving a jet ski who place them in the sweet spot to be able to ride these giants. Miguel Macias, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

And I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.

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