Why the U.S. desires Ukraine’s minerals. And AOC speaks with NPR’s Steve Inskeep

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At this time’s high tales

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Washington, D.C., in the present day for his first assembly with President Trump for the reason that inauguration. The 2 leaders are anticipated to signal a preliminary deal to offer the U.S. entry to a few of Ukraine’s essential uncooked supplies. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether or not the deal will supply Ukraine the long run safety ensures it says it wants to guard itself from Russia.

• 🎧 Zelenskyy says in the present day’s deal is a framework somewhat than a closing settlement. The settlement established a fund to assist Ukraine recuperate if the struggle ends and can be managed by each nations, NPR’s Joanna Kakissis tells Up First. Zelenskyy rejected earlier drafts of the uncooked supplies agreements as they might have used the income to pay again help Ukraine already acquired from the U.S. The present model has extra favorable phrases for Ukraine, and the income appears to be going towards future U.S. funding within the nation.
• ➡️ These are 5 minerals in Ukraine that could possibly be a part of the deal and why they’re of curiosity to the U.S.

Andrew and Tristan Tate, brothers dealing with expenses in Romania for sexual abuse and human trafficking, arrived in Florida yesterday. They traveled by non-public jet after Romanian authorities lifted their journey restrictions. Andrew describes himself as a “misogynist” and has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Each brothers are vocal supporters of Trump, elevating questions on whether or not the Trump administration could have influenced the relief of their journey restrictions.

• 🎧 Andrew says the fees in opposition to him and his brother are false. The case in opposition to Andrew, who first turned well-known practically a decade in the past on the British model of Large Brother, entails seven ladies who say they had been misled and brought to Romania, the place they had been sexually exploited, NPR’s Greg Allen says. He faces comparable expenses within the U.Ok. The Monetary Instances reported final week that members of the Trump administration pressed Romanian authorities to carry the journey restrictions. Yesterday, Trump said he knew nothing about it.

Trump has spent his first 5 weeks in workplace making an attempt to broaden government energy. His try and slash the federal workforce has drawn a number of lawsuits. Two instances have simply arrived on the Supreme Court docket, involving some $2 billion in unpaid payments, which might supply some early clues on how Trump’s strategies will fare.

• 🎧 The instances contain USAID chopping funding to 1000’s of recipients. Organizations susceptible to chapter sued to receives a commission, NPR’s Frank Langfitt says. A decrease courtroom ordered the federal government to pay and offered a deadline. The Trump administration requested for an attraction to the Supreme Court docket on Wednesday, and Chief Justice John Roberts paused the case. The federal government has successfully refused to pay cash Congress has already appropriated and says the decrease courtroom exceeded its authority. The federal government says it’s dedicated to paying what it owes.

The NPR Politics staff is recapping every part it is advisable know concerning the Trump administration’s first 100 days every Friday morning. From Trump’s assembly with French President Emmanuel Macron to the announcement that tariffs in opposition to Canada and Mexico will take impact on March 4, here’s a day-by-day recap of every part that has occurred up to now week. Subscribe to the NPR Politics e-newsletter for extra updates and evaluation.

From our hosts

NPR’s Steve Inskeep interviews Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

NPR

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NPR

This essay was written by Steve Inskeep, Morning Version and Up First host

The primary time I spoke with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was in 2018, the morning after she shocked the political world.

The 28-year-old defeated a senior Democrat in a major election for Congress.

She immediately turned one of many main characters throughout the first Trump administration: a progressive rebel, a Democratic socialist, a frequent critic of her personal get together and a social media sensation.

She was a member of “The Squad” of younger progressives who challenged Trump and attracted his scorn. And, she was additionally a number one character on Fox Information, a determine conservatives cherished to hate.

At this time, Ocasio-Cortez is a little more seasoned and mainstream, having constructed relationships inside Congress. Once we met for our newest interview, she talked of an effort to cross a bipartisan invoice with Josh Hawley, a Trump-supporting senator from Missouri.

She stays satisfied that authorities works effectively for the rich and never so effectively for everybody else.

In saying that the federal government does not work for the working class, she resembles President Trump — although her response is totally different. She thinks Republicans are making “large errors” as they hack away at authorities workers and companies.

“I mean to the FAA? No. To the NIH? No,” she stated. “I actually don’t want someone taking a wrecking ball to someone’s chemotherapy to just see what happens.”

Weekend picks

Try what NPR is watching, studying and listening to this weekend:

🍿 Motion pictures: A number of motion pictures are coming to theaters this spring. Mark your calendars and put together your wallets for these 5 movies price garnering consideration.

📺 TV: Each Paradise episode has saved me on my toes, wanting extra. The present follows a Secret Service agent caught in an internet of conspiracy after the U.S. president is assassinated, with no suspect in sight.

📚 Books: Over a dozen celebrities, together with Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles and acclaimed musician Lionel Ritchie, are letting individuals peek into their lives with memoirs this yr. This is when they’ll hit the cabinets.

🎵 Music: Drake is getting revenge in his rap struggle with Kendrick Lamar. This week, Drake’s new album with producer PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, knocks Lamar out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. (I positively counsel dancing to “Nokia” this weekend.)

❓ Quiz: Properly, effectively, effectively… this quiz stumped me. Was I even paying consideration this week? I want you luck on your try. You may want it.

3 issues to know earlier than you go

Actor Gene Hackman arrives together with his spouse, Betsy Arakawa, for the sixtieth Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Picture/Mark J. Terrill, File)

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Mark J. Terrill/AP

1. The causes of demise for actor Gene Hackman and his spouse, Betsy Arakawa, haven’t been introduced; nevertheless, their deaths are thought of “suspicious enough” to justify additional investigation. The 2-time Oscar winner and his spouse had been discovered useless of their New Mexico house this week.
2. Katy Perry and Gayle King are heading to area this spring as a part of an all-female Blue Origin crew. It is going to be an 11-minute suborbital flight.
3. Tesla gross sales have dropped by 45% within the European market in a head-to-head comparability between January 2024 and January 2025, based mostly on information launched by the European Vehicle Producers’ Affiliation.

This article was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.