NPR News: 02-25-2025 12PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: February 25, 2025 | 12 PM EST

Hosted by Jeanine Herbst

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1. Federal Workforce Management Under the Trump Administration

Timestamp: [00:13]

The Trump administration is creating uncertainty among federal government employees regarding the recent directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Last Saturday, OPM issued an email requesting all federal workers to submit five key activities they undertook in the past week. As the deadline passed last night, the administration's response has been inconsistent.

NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports that the latest OPM guidance advises agencies to review the submitted responses and assess non-responses. Agency leaders hold the authority to determine whether to exclude non-compliant employees from the initiative and decide on any necessary actions for non-participation.

President Trump and Elon Musk have publicly suggested that failure to respond could lead to job termination. However, civil service protections are designed to safeguard federal employees from being dismissed without just cause through legal action. Labor unions and advocacy groups argue that OPM lacks the jurisdiction to oversee federal employees beyond individual agencies. These groups have petitioned a judge to temporarily halt the administration's mandate for employee responses.

Notable Quote:

"President Trump and Elon Musk have claimed workers who don't respond were at risk of losing their jobs." — Hansi Lo Wang ([00:31])

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2. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Visit to Guantanamo Bay

Timestamp: [01:13]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is making his first visit to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since his appointment in the Trump administration. Sacha Pfeiffer of NPR provides insights into the significance of this visit.

During his time at Guantanamo, Hegseth will receive briefings on the base's operations, including those at the detention facility housing migrants deported from the United States. Additionally, he is scheduled to meet with service members both at the base and aboard the USS Thomas Hudner naval destroyer, where he served in 2004 as a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard.

Hegseth's visit marks him as the second senior official from the Trump administration to visit Guantanamo this month, following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's recent trip.

Notable Quote:

"The Pentagon says while at Guantanamo, Hegseth will be briefed on operations at the base, including at the detention facility and prison complex where the administration has been holding migrants deported from the United States." — Sacha Pfeiffer ([01:24])

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3. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Boosts Military Spending

Timestamp: [02:07]

In a strategic move ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an increase in the United Kingdom's military expenditure to 2.5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2027. Starmer emphasized the necessity of supporting Ukraine to mitigate looming threats to both the UK's security and its economy.

Notable Quote:

"As the nature of that conflict changes, as it has in recent weeks, it brings our response into sharper focus." — Keir Starmer ([02:24])

Starmer clarified that the funding for this military expansion would come from scaling back on development projects. This announcement aligns with President Trump's longstanding call for European allies to contribute more substantially to Europe's defense infrastructure.

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4. Decline in Consumer Confidence Amid Economic Concerns

Timestamp: [02:36]

Consumer confidence experienced a significant downturn this month, marking the largest monthly decline in years. The Conference Board reported a 7-point drop in its consumer confidence index, the steepest since August 2021. This decline is attributed to growing worries over a slowing economy and rising inflation rates.

Additionally, concerns about increasing tariffs and rising prices have contributed to a pervasive sense of economic pessimism among consumers, as reflected in the industry's second major gauge of consumer sentiment.

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5. Supreme Court Overturns Death Penalty for Richard Glossop

Timestamp: [03:51]

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has vacated the murder conviction and death penalty imposed on Richard Glossop, an Oklahoma resident who has spent over 25 years on death row. The court found that Glossop's constitutional rights were violated during his 1997 trial for the murder of his former boss, a motel owner, due to prosecutors failing to disclose evidence that could have aided his defense.

Richard Glossop has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings.

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6. Luka Doncic's Emotional Return to Dallas with the LA Lakers

Timestamp: [03:51]

Tonight in Los Angeles, basketball fans will witness Luka Doncic face his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, now as a member of the LA Lakers. This matchup is particularly poignant following Doncic's unexpected trade from Dallas, a move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA community.

Steve Futterman of NPR highlights that Doncic, considered one of the league's most talented and virtually untradeable players, is performing exceptionally well with the Lakers—currently enjoying his best game since the trade. In contrast, the Mavericks are struggling, potentially impacted by the absence of Anthony Davis, the player they received in exchange for Doncic. Davis is currently sidelined with a knee injury and will not play tonight.

Notable Quote:

"The trade may have a lot to do with that. The player Dallas received in exchange for Doncic, Anthony Davis, has been sidelined with knee injury and Davis will not play tonight." — Steve Futterman ([03:51])

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7. Home Depot Rebounds with Increased Sales

Timestamp: [04:35]

Home Depot has successfully ended a two-year slump in same-store sales during the fourth quarter, driven by improved consumer demand. This resurgence occurs despite challenges in the housing market, which has been negatively impacted by soaring mortgage rates and a limited availability of homes for sale.

Jeanine Herbst reports that the positive sales figures indicate a rebound in consumer confidence regarding home improvement projects, even as broader economic pressures continue to weigh on the real estate sector.

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Stay Informed: For more updates and detailed reports, visit NPR News Now.

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This summary excludes advertisements, introductions, and outros to focus solely on the core news content discussed in the episode.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. The Trump administration continues to send mixed signals to federal government workers about what to do with an email telling them to describe their work last week. As NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports, the deadline to respond passed last night.

[Hansi Lo Wang]

The Office of Personnel Management sent a government wide email on Saturday asking federal employees to submit five things they did last week. The latest guidance from OPM says agencies should review responses and evaluate non responses, and agency leaders can decide to exclude workers from this activity and whether to take any appropriate actions if any employees don't participate. President Trump and Elon Musk have claimed workers who don't respond were at risk of losing their jobs. Civil service protections are in place to prevent many federal employees from being fired without cause in a lawsuit. Labor unions and other groups argue OPM has no authority to manage federal employees outside of the agency. They have asked a judge to temporarily block the administration from asking for responses to OPM's email. Han Zila Wang, NPR News, Washington.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is visiting the US Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, today. It's his first trip there since joining the Trump administration. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer has more.

[Sacha Pfeiffer]

The Pentagon says while at Guantanamo, Hegseth will be briefed on operations at the base, including at the detention facility and prison complex where the administration has been holding migrants deported from the United States. The Defense Department says Hegseth will also meet with service members at the base and aboard the USS Thomas Hudner naval Destroyer back in 2004. Hegseth served at Guantanamo for about a year, when he was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard. Now he'll be the second senior Trump administration official to visit Guantanamo this month. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem traveled there a few weeks ago. Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR News Ahead of his.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Meeting with President Trump this week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is increasing the UK's military spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027. Starmer says the UK has to stand by Ukraine or face increasing threats to its security and economy.

[Keir Starmer]

As the nature of that conflict changes, as it has in recent weeks, it brings our response into sharper focus.

[Jeanine Herbst]

He says Britain would pay for it by scaling back on development. Trump has long called on European allies to contribute more to Europe's defense consumer confidence tumbled this month in the biggest monthly decline in years over concerns about a slowing economy and rising inflation. The conference board says its consumer confidence index dropped 7 points. That's the biggest decline since August of 2021 as people worry about rising price tariffs. It's the second major gauge of consumer confidence, showing consumers are feeling much more pessimistic about the economy. You're listening to NPR News. The Supreme Court today threw out the murder conviction and death penalty for Richard Glossop, an Oklahoma man who's been on death row for more than 25 years. The court found his trial violated his constitutional rights because prosecutors didn't turn over evidence that might have helped his defense in the 1997 murder of a motel owner who was his former boss. Glossip has always maintained his innocence. In Los Angeles tonight, Luka Doncic of the LA Lakers is set to play against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks for the first time since his shocking trade. Steve Futterman has more.

[Steve Futterman]

It is a trade that is still reverberating across the NBA. Luka Doncic, Luka Doncic, one of the league's best players and considered virtually untradeable, was dealt by the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers. The game tonight is sure to be full of emotion. Doncic is coming off his best game since the trade. While the Lakers are playing probably their best basketball of the entire season right now, the same cannot be said of the Mavericks, and the trade may have a lot to do with that. The player Dallas received in exchange for Doncic, Anthony Davis, has been sidelined with Ned Ducter Strange and Davis will not play tonight. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Los Angeles.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Home Depot broke a two year slump in same store sales in the fourth quarter as consumer demand improved. This in a housing market, though, that's been hit with soaring mortgage rates and fewer homes up for sale. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News in Washington.

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