DOGE savings; Ukraine-Russia war; Israeli hostages : NPR

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Today’s top stories

The Trump administration has posted a new online tracker that claims the Department of Government Efficiency has so far saved $55 billion in federal government spending. The cost-cutting effort, championed by Elon Musk and President Trump, promised receipts. However, the numbers add up to far less in savings than claimed, according to an NPR analysis.

• 🎧 DOGE shared a list of some of the government contracts that were canceled recently, which allegedly adds up to around $16 billion in savings, NPR’s Stephen Fowler tells Up First. After digging through 130,000 contracts, Fowler found that DOGE’s claims were overstated by billions of dollars. Half of the savings claimed in the receipts come from what DOGE said was a typo entered into the federal contract database a few years ago that made a listing worth up to $8 million look like $8 billion instead. The typo was fixed a few weeks ago. Fowler says a third of the entries also don’t result in savings because those contracts have already been maxed out and wouldn’t see future savings.

Trump is escalating his attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by calling him a “dictator.” The U.S. has pressed Zelenskyy to submit to peace talks with Russia, which have excluded Ukraine thus far. Yesterday, Zelenskyy said he wants the U.S. to stop using disinformation when talking about Russia’s war on Ukraine after Trump accused Ukraine of starting the war.

• 🎧 Trump has had mixed criticism and praise for Zelenskyy throughout their relationship, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez says. Zelenskyy appears to be handling the recent attacks cautiously, particularly Trump’s assertions that he deceived the U.S. into spending billions of dollars on the war. Additionally, Zelenskyy has expressed concerns about the meetings between the Trump administration and Russian officials. There is widespread worry across Europe that if Russia halts its fighting in Ukraine, it may only be a temporary pause. Potential for future invasions could affect other European nations.

Hamas has released the bodies of what it says are four Israeli hostagesincluding a mother and her two sons. They will undergo forensic testing in Israel to confirm their identities. This marks the first time Hamas has released the bodies of hostages under the current ceasefire deal.

• 🎧 The bodies are believed to be 33-year-old Shiri Bibas, her sons Ariel and Kfir, ages 4 and nine months, and 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz, according to NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf. Hamas says Israeli strikes killed the four hostages during their time in captivity. Bibas’ husband was also taken with the rest of the family on Oct. 7, 2023 and released alive on Feb. 1. They became a symbol in Israel of the plight of the hostages in Gaza. On Saturday, Hamas is expected to honor its commitment to the first phase of the ceasefire and release the remaining six living hostages. In response, Israel is expected to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails.

Today’s listen

Yesterday marked the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the ferocious WWII Battle of Iwo Jima. Tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers invaded a strategically critical island held by Japan. The Library of Congress has preserved recordings from Marine Corps combat correspondents on the frontlines. These include interviews with soldiers, music, and the sounds of war. Some recordings are so vivid that it feels like the war is unfolding in your mind. Listen to recordings from the battle here.

From our hosts

This essay was written by Michel MartinMorning Edition and Up First host

This is one of the things we struggle with in putting shows together: Is something a “local” story or is it “national?” In other words, is this something only the people who live in the environs of NPR HQ are worried about or thinking about? Or is this something we think people around the country (even around the world) might want to know?

That’s what was on my mind when I pitched a story about comedian W. Kamau Bell’s decision to continue with his appearance at the Kennedy Center last week after he learned that Trump had dismissed the leadership of the performing arts venue and appointed a board of loyalists that in turn installed him as chairman. Bell, whose comedy has always been infused with his progressive politics, was literally flying to the venue when he found out what happened (he paid for the airplane Wi-Fi!) and he also found out that other performers were canceling…what would HE do?

That was his dilemma. This was ours: Sure, the Kennedy Center is a world-class venue and TV shows like the Kennedy Center Honors are taped there. But if you don’t live here or go to live performances, do you care?

The mass layoffs of federal employees are different. Some 80% live outside of the D.C. area, and their work, of course, affects everyone in the country. But is the matter of who controls a cultural resource — and how performers feel about that — something a lot of people would be interested in?

I think that what happens in the DMV does matter — because it’s an interesting place in its own right. But I also think that culture has power, and people who direct the culture have power. Just how much power is always a question. Why else do people care so much about, say, what’s on SNL? Or Jason Aldean’s lyrics? Or who Taylor Swift is voting for?

Anyway, I thought Bell’s dilemma fit into that. And it seems, judging by how many people listened to the story or read it online, you agreed. If you missed it this week, listen here to learn why Bell ultimately didn’t cancel his performance.

3 things to know before you go

1. Hurricane, the hero Belgian Malinois who protected the Obama White House from an intruder, died this week at the age of 16. He was a Special Operations Canine for the Secret Service and became the most decorated dog in U.S. history.
2. Kansas lawmakers are considering a proposal to allow people in the state who obtain raccoon ownership permits to keep them as pets. (via KMUW)
3. Anthropology Professor Cara Ocobock from the University of Notre Dame studies reindeer herders in Finland to understand how humans evolved to endure extreme cold. Here’s what she found. (via KCUR)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.