NPR News Now – February 22, 2025, 1 PM EST

President Trump Fires Top Military Leaders

[00:01] Nora Ramm opens the episode with a significant development in the U.S. military leadership. President Trump has dismissed Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and replaced the chief of naval operations.

Tom Bowman, an NPR military correspondent with 27 years of experience, provides deeper insight:

"This is highly unusual that early into an administration you would remove the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and also the chief of naval operations. Clearly, the Trump administration and Secretary Hegseth have long said the military is woke. It's all about DEI."

Bowman emphasizes the historical significance, noting:

"This is the second black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after Colin Powell. And Lisa Franchetti is the first woman to run the Navy. It appears that what they're basically saying here is these folks got their jobs because of DEI."

Trump's Clash with Maine Governor Over Transgender Athletes

Moving to domestic politics, Nora Ramm reports on a confrontation between President Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills regarding transgender athletes in sports.

Franco Ordonez, NPR correspondent, details the incident:

"Trump went on to question Democratic Governor Janet Mills whether her state would comply with his executive order banning transgender women from women's sports."

Governor Janet Mills responded firmly:

"We are following the federal law. Well, you better do it. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't."

The exchange concluded with Mills stating:

"We'll see you in court," to which Trump replied, "I look forward to that."

Hostage Releases Amid Fragile Ceasefire in Israel-Gaza Conflict

Nora Ramm covers the tense developments in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Hundreds in Tel Aviv watched as Hamas released six Israeli hostages via a livestream, including four men captured during the 2023 attack and two citizens held for nearly a decade.

Kat Lansdorf, NPR correspondent in Tel Aviv, reports:

"In exchange, more than 600 Palestinians are expected to be released from Israeli jails. Four more hostage bodies are set to be returned next week as phase one of the fragile ceasefire deal comes to an end."

Yoav Brodai, a 57-year-old Israeli pollster, shares public sentiment:

"I hope that it will continue, it will not end. I hope that somehow they will reach an agreement because that's what we need to do."

Despite the positive steps, Lansdorf notes:

"Several far-right lawmakers in Israel's government are pushing for the war to resume."

Apple Withdraws Secure Cloud Services from the UK

Shifting to international tech news, Nora Ramm reports on Apple's decision to withdraw its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature from the United Kingdom.

Lauren Freyr, NPR correspondent in London, explains:

"Apple says it can no longer offer ADP for iCloud in the UK after the British government demanded access to customer data, which Apple claims it can't access even itself."

Apple argues that:

"Giving governments backdoor access would eventually lead to hackers and others getting in," leading to the removal of the security feature from the UK market.

Freyr adds:

"Users will eventually have to disable it from their iPhones. Apple says it's, quote, gravely disappointed given the rise of threats to customer privacy."

The UK government has yet to respond to NPR's request for comment.

Associated Press Sues Trump Administration Over Press Access

In media-related news, the Associated Press (AP) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The AP alleges that the administration has been barring reporters from major presidential events, impeding press freedom.

Additionally, the news service disputes President Trump's attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, stating that it is following journalistic integrity rather than adhering to the president's preference.

Nora Ramm concludes the segment with:

"This is NPR News in Washington."

Conclusion

This episode of NPR News Now delivers a comprehensive overview of critical national and international issues, from significant changes in the U.S. military leadership influenced by DEI policies to high-stakes political confrontations and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Additionally, the episode highlights the intersection of technology and privacy with Apple's strategic decisions, and underscores the ongoing tensions between the press and the Trump administration.

For more details and continuous updates, visit NPR News Now.