The Headlines
A Showdown on Ukraine, and a Judge Says DOGE Might Be Unconstitutional
Tue, 25 Feb 2025
Plus, Roberta Flack remembered. On Today’s Episode: U.S. and European Allies Split Sharply at the U.N. Over Ukraine, by Farnaz FassihiTrump and Macron Display Old Friendship but Split on the Ukraine War, by Peter BakerUkraine Nears a Deal to Give U.S. a Share of Its Mineral Wealth, by Constant MéheutJudge Questions Constitutionality of Musk’s Cost-Cutting Operation, by Alan FeuerOn Chinese Tuna Boats, North Koreans Trawl for Cash for Kim Jong-un, by Choe Sang-Hun and Muktita SuhartonoRoberta Flack, Virtuoso Singer-Pianist Who Ruled the Charts, Dies at 88, by Giovanni RussonelloTune in every weekday morning. To get our full audio journalism and storytelling experience, download the New York Times Audio app — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.Tell us what you think at: [email protected].
Chapter 1: What are today's headlines from The New York Times?
From The New York Times, it's The Headlines. I'm Tracey Mumford. Today's Tuesday, February 25th. Here's what we're covering.
The way we answer to the Russian aggression today, it will define our common future, the future of entire democratic world and the future of the UN.
Chapter 2: How did the U.S. and European allies clash at the U.N. over Ukraine?
At the United Nations yesterday, there was a diplomatic showdown between the U.S. and some of its closest allies over the war in Ukraine. Delegates were meeting on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, and Ukraine put forward a resolution condemning Russia's actions and calling on it to pull back its troops. It had the backing of countries like Britain and France, but the U.S.
refused to support it. Multiple resolutions of the General Assembly have failed to stop the war. It has now dragged on for far too long. Instead, American representatives pushed through a short resolution of their own that called for an end of the war without assigning blame and mourned the loss of life on both sides of the conflict.
European diplomats said they were furious that the U.S., their longtime ally, had sided against them. And as the U.S. and Europe split played out at the U.N., their growing rift was also on display at the White House. French President Emmanuel Macron met one-on-one with President Trump.
Chapter 3: What was discussed in the meeting between Macron and Trump about Ukraine?
There were hugs and handshakes and compliments, but Macron also pushed back on Trump's framing of the war in Ukraine. In one exchange, Macron cut Trump off to fact-check his false claim that European countries were only helping Ukraine because they expected to be reimbursed. Macron's team had scrambled to organize the D.C. visit amid Trump's increasingly hostile stance towards Europe.
It came as other leaders are also rushing to Washington. Over the weekend, the Polish president attended the conservative convention CPAC to try and influence the new administration. The prime minister of Britain will visit the White House this Thursday. Meanwhile, The Times has learned that the U.S. and Ukraine are pushing forward on a massive new economic deal. It would give the U.S.
Chapter 4: What is the proposed economic deal between the U.S. and Ukraine?
a large share of the profits from Ukraine's natural resources, like lithium. It was originally Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's idea. He wanted to trade the country's valuable natural resources for future U.S. military support. But Trump is pushing a very different deal.
Essentially, Donald Trump has turned the concept on its head and said that he wants the minerals and other natural resources such as oil and gas as compensation for past American aid with no thing in return for Ukraine.
Chapter 5: Why is there controversy over the U.S. demand for Ukraine's resources?
Constant Mayer covers Ukraine for The Times and has gotten access to drafts of the agreement. He says right now the sticking point will be what kind of security guarantee, if any, the U.S. is willing to provide.
And so the Ukrainians and the Americans have been haggling over what Ukraine could get in return. The argument at the White House has been that the mere presence of American economic interest in Ukraine would deter future Russian aggression. The idea is that if you have American businesses on the ground, the Russians will not dare to attack.
But President Zelensky has countered that there were American businesses on the ground prior to the Russian full-scale invasion, and that did not deter the Russians' attack.
Yesterday, a federal judge said that the way Elon Musk's cost-cutting team, the Department of Government Efficiency, was set up may be unconstitutional. The judge said she was concerned that Doge violates a clause in the Constitution that requires leaders of federal agencies to be confirmed by the Senate, which Musk has not been.
Chapter 6: What are the constitutional concerns regarding Elon Musk's cost-cutting team?
She also indicated she has serious concerns about how Doge is being run and who is technically in charge. A lawyer for the government told her he was unable to identify who's actually running it and said he didn't have any details about Musk's specific role.
The judge said, quote, If you have people that are not authorized to carry out some of these functions that they're carrying out, that does raise an issue. Her remarks came as part of a case challenging Doge's attempts to access sensitive data at the Treasury Department. They're not part of any binding ruling, but they suggest there could be legal problems ahead for Musk's team.
A new report reveals how North Korea has been sending its own citizens overseas as forced labor to bring in money for the regime. The report from the Environmental Justice Foundation found that North Koreans have been forced to work on Chinese fishing boats thousands of miles from home. Some of the workers have been effectively trapped on the ocean for almost a decade.
They've had their passports confiscated, they have no cell phones, and most of their salaries go directly to North Korea's government. The boats catch tuna, which is sold to markets across Asia and even as far away as Europe and the United Kingdom. It's part of a shadowy labor practice in which dozens of countries around the world benefit from forced North Korean labor.
North Korea has sent people to work in factories and restaurants in China. Others work in Russian logging and construction. And there are laborers in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. In all, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 North Koreans are working abroad for the regime. And finally, Roberta Flack, the virtuoso singer and pianist, has died at 88 years old.
The first time ever I saw your face She was best known for her powerful performances of achingly slow songs. Though she started playing the piano from the time she was small, she didn't hit it big until much later. She worked as a teacher into her 30s.
At one point I was teaching physical education and I thought,
Math classes, I taught English classes. Which is a waste, I guess.
No, not a waste, but not music. Flack played her early gigs around Washington, D.C.
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