★★ My Country, 'Tis of Thee mikepasini.com
A S C R A P B O O K O F R E P O R T I N G O N T H E C O U N T R Y
Friday
12 Dec 2025
UPDATED
Fri 7:51 am PST
My country, 'tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing:
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside
let freedom ring!
No more shall tyrants here
With haughty steps appear,
And soldier bands;
No more shall tyrants tread
Above the patriot dead—
No more our blood be shed
By alien hands.
Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees
sweet freedom's song:
let mortal tongues awake,
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break,
the sound prolong.
Samuel Smith
1831
Beyond the headlines, these interviews and reports detail what's going on now in the United States. And how that affects all of us. A brief intro follows the head that takes you directly to the story, video or audio recording.
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October December N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5
A Teenager Redrew the Alabama Voting Map -- and It's Now State LawThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
ReportingEarlier this month, after years of litigation, a federal judge in Alabama ordered a new state senate map. In a surprising decision, the map she chose wasn't one drafted by a court-appointed special master and his expert cartographer, but rather one that had been submitted by an anonymous member of the public, known only by their initials, "DD." The decision stunned "DD" -- an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Alabama named Daniel DiDonato -- who learned his map had been selected as he was preparing to leave for his 9.30am introduction to political science class. The widespread availability of political data tools has created an online community -- Election Twitter -- where political, data and mapmaking junkies will create and share maps and forecasts. DiDonato said he "definitely" considered himself a member.
White House Launches Web Site to Excoriate Media for 'Biased' StoriesThe Guardian
MARINA DUNBAR
ReportingThe White House rolled out a new section of its official Web site on Friday that publicly criticizes and catalogs media organizations and journalists it claims have distorted coverage. At the top of the page, the text reads: "Misleading. Biased. Exposed." The feature names the Boston Globe, CBS News and the Independent as "media offenders of the week," accusing them of inaccurately portraying Trump's remarks about six Democratic lawmakers who released of video encouraging military members to not follow illegal orders. The controversy arose after Trump accused Democrats of "seditious behavior, punishable by death" on social media. He also reposted a statement including the words: "hang them."
Lawmakers Suggest Follow-Up Boat Strike Could Be a War CrimeThe New York Times
MICHAEL GOLD
ReportingA top Republican and Democrats in Congress suggested on Sunday that American military officials might have committed a war crime in President Trump's offensive against boats in the Caribbean after a news report said that during one such attack, a follow-up strike was ordered to kill survivors. The remarks came in response to a Washington Post report on Friday that said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given a verbal order to kill everyone aboard boats suspected of smuggling drugs and that this led a military commander to carry out a second strike to kill those who had initially survived an attack in early September. "Obviously if that occurred, that would be very serious and I agree that that would be an illegal act," Representative Mike Turner, Republican of Ohio and a former chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said on "Face the Nation" on CBS. Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, said on CBS that if the report was accurate, the attack "rises to the level of a war crime." And on CNN, when asked if he believed a second strike to kill survivors constituted a war crime, Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, answered, "It seems to."
Maryland's Governor Proposes Redistricting; Some of His Democratic Colleagues Oppose ItNPR Weekend Edition
SARAH PETROWICH
ReportingMaryland is one of the most heavily leaning Democratic states in the nation and it's one of the few that could redistrict to help their party win Congress by countering Republicans. However, so far, the idea hasn't been well-receive.
Retired Maj. Gen. James Hoyer on the Shooting of West Virginia National Guard MembersNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
DAVE MISTICH
ReportingNPR's Scott Simon speaks to retired Gen. James Hoyer of the West Virginia National Guard following Wednesday's shooting that left one guardsperson dead and another critically injured.
Afghans Seeking Asylum Voice Concerns as All U.S. Migration Is HaltedNPR Weekend Edition
DIAA HADID
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingAfghans seeking asylum say they're stuck in a hellish limbo as all migration suspended to the U.S.
U.S. Halts All Asylum Decisions After Shooting of National Guard MembersThe Associated Press
COLLIN BINKLEY
BEN FINLEY
ReportingThe Trump administration has halted all asylum decisions and paused issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports days after a shooting near the White House that left one National Guard member dead and another in critical condition. The Trump administration has seized on the shooting to vow to intensify efforts to rein in legal immigration, promising to pause entry from some poor countries and review Afghans and other legal migrants already in the country. That is in addition to other measures, some of which were previously set in motion.
College Freshman Is Deported Flying Home for Thanksgiving Surprise, Despite Court OrderThe Associated Press
HOLLY RAMER
ReportingA college freshman trying to fly from Boston to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving was instead deported to Honduras in violation of a court order, according to her attorney. Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, 19, had already passed through security at Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 20 when she was told there was an issue with her boarding pass, said attorney Todd Pomerleau. The Babson College student was then detained by immigration officials and within two days, sent to Texas and then Honduras, the country she left at age 7. "She's absolutely heartbroken," Pomerleau said. "Her college dream has just been shattered." According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an immigration judge ordered Lopez Belloza deported in 2015. Pomerleau said she wasn't aware of any removal order, however and the only record he's found indicates her case was closed in 2017. "They're holding her responsible for something they claim happened a decade ago that she's completely unaware of and not showing any of the proof," the lawyer said. The day after Lopez Belloza was arrested, a federal judge issued an emergency order prohibiting the government from moving her out of Massachusetts or the United States for at least 72 hours. ICE did not respond to an email Friday from The Associated Press seeking comment about violating that order. Babson College also did not respond to an email seeking comment.
More Than 220 Judges Have Now Rejected the Trump Admin's Mass Detention PolicyPolitico
KYLE CHENEY
ReportingThe Trump administration's bid to systematically lock up nearly all immigrants facing deportation proceedings has led to a fierce -- and mounting -- rejection by courts across the country. That effort, which began with an abrupt policy change by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 8, has led to a tidal wave of emergency lawsuits after ICE's targets were arrested at workplaces, courthouses or check-ins with immigration officers. Many have lived in the U.S. for years and sometimes decades, without incident and have been pursuing asylum or other forms of legal status. At least 225 judges have ruled in more than 700 cases that the administration's new policy, which also deprives people of an opportunity to seek release from an immigration court, is a likely violation of law and the right to due process. Those judges were appointed by all modern presidents -- including 23 by Trump himself -- and hail from at least 35 states, according to a Politico analysis of thousands of recent cases. The number of judges opposing the administration's position has more than doubled in less than a month. In contrast, only eight judges nationwide, including six appointed by Trump, have sided with the administration's new mass detention policy.
Trump Administration Continues Push to Prosecute Prominent CriticsNPR Morning Edition
CARRIE JOHNSON
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingThe Trump administration is under scrutiny for attempting to punish prominent critics with prosecution. But these investigations can take a toll even if the defendants end up winning.
Army National Guard Vet Talks About the Attack on National Guard Members in D.C.NPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez speaks with Army National Guard veteran Christopher Purdy about the implications for Afghan refugees following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Trump Says He Wants to 'Permanently Pause' Migration to the U.S. From Poorer CountriesThe Associated Press
JOSH BOAK
ReportingPresident Trump says he wants to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations, promising to seek to expel millions of immigrants from the United States by revoking their legal status. He is blaming immigrants for problems from crime to housing shortages as part of "social dysfunction" in America and demanding "REVERSE MIGRATION." Trump's threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America's foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The president said on Truth Social that "most" foreign-born U.S. residents "are on welfare, from failed nations or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs or drug cartels" as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens. There are roughly 50 million foreign-born residents in the U.S. and multiple studies have found that immigrants are generally less likely to commit crimes than are people who were born in the country.
Refugee Groups Worry About Backlash After Shooting of National Guard Soldiers in DCThe Associated Press
MARTHA BELLISLE
ReportingPeople who work with refugees are worried that those who fled dangerous situations to start again in America will face backlash after authorities say an Afghan national shot two National Guard soldiers this week, killing one of them. Many Afghans living in the U.S. are afraid to leave their houses, fearing they'll be swept up by immigration officials or attacked with hate speech, said Shawn VanDiver, president of the San Diego-based group #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war. "They're terrified. It's insane," VanDiver told The Associated Press Thursday. "People are acting xenophobic because of one deranged man. He doesn't represent all Afghans. He represents himself."
ICE Detains Texas Father as Son's Health Declines: 'Don't Forget About Me'The Guardian
TYLER HICKS
ReportingA62-year-old father named Maher Tarabishi visited the ICE field office in Dallas, Texas, on 28 October as he has done each year for 17 years. Tarabishi originally from Jordan, is in the U.S. on a supervision order. Even though his asylum claim was denied, the U.S. government allowed him to remain in the country because he is the primary caretaker for his son, Wael, who was diagnosed at four years old with a progressive muscle disorder called Pompe disease. On the warm late fall day in Dallas, Tarabishi and several others were detained by ICE agents. Four hours after his arrest, he called his family to tell them what happened. ICE claims Tarabishi is a "criminal alien" and a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which the U.S. designated a terrorist organization in 1987. "My father has lived in the United States for decades and has never committed a crime," Wael said in a statement to a local news station. "He has never been part of any terrorist organization. He has always followed the law, paid his taxes and attended every immigration appointment on time." To his family, Tarabishi's detainment reeks of racism and shows the Trump administration is eager to detain as many people as they can. Meanwhile, Wael, who is now 30, has been admitted to the hospital following infections in his lungs and his blood.
Former Homeland Security Official on the Attack on Two National Guard MembersNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez speaks to Juliette Kayyem, a former Homeland Security official and security analyst, about the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House.
Georgia Election Interference Case Against Trump and His Allies Has Been DroppedNPR Morning Edition
SAM GRINGLAS
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingThe Georgia criminal case against President Trump and more than a dozen of his allies for their efforts to try to overturn the 2020 election was dismissed Wednesday.
Mother of Karoline Leavitt's Nephew Detained by U.S. Immigration AgentsThe Guardian
EDWARD HELMORE
ReportingKaroline Leavitt's nephew's mother has been detained by U.S. immigration agents in Revere, Mass., as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Bruna Ferreira, a Boston-area resident who migrated with her family to the U.S. from Brazil as a child, is now in custody at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana. The White House press secretary's brother, Michael Leavitt, 35, had a relationship with Ferreira, 33 and they had a son, Michael Leavitt Jr, aged 11. Ferreira was leaving her home to pick up her son from school in New Hampshire when her car was "suddenly swarmed" by ICE agents, according to the Boston Globe. Ferreira's sister, Graziela Dos Santos Rodrigues, told the outlet that the agents demanded her name and driver's license, but Ferreira did not have an identification card. "They were not the most gentle with her," she told the Globe. Separately, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that "ICE arrested Bruna Caroline Ferreria [sic], a criminal illegal alien from Brazil. She has a previous arrest for battery. She entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the U.S. by 6 June 1999. She is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings."nNeither the record of Ferreira's arrest record or how any charges were resolved were immediately available. Ferreira has maintained her legal status through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which grants protection from deportation for those who entered the country as children.
Judges Allow North Carolina to Use a Map Drawn in Bid to Give Republicans Another U.S. House SeatThe Associated Press
GARY D. ROBERTSON
JONATHAN MATTISE
ReportingA federal three-judge panel on Wednesday allowed North Carolina to use a redrawn congressional map aimed at flipping a seat to Republicans as part of President Trump's multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections. The new map takes aim at North Carolina's only swing seat, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, an African American who represents more than 20 counties in the state's northeast. The 1st District has been represented by Black members of Congress continuously for more than 30 years. The three-judge panel denied the preliminary injunction requests after a hearing in Winston-Salem in mid-November. The day after the hearing, the same judges separately upheld several other redrawn U.S. House districts that GOP state lawmakers initially enacted in 2023. They were first used in the 2024 elections, contributing to Republicans gaining three more congressional seats.
Trump Administration Orders 500 More National Guard Troops to DC After Shooting of SoldiersThe Associated Press
ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
GARY FIELDS
ReportingThe Trump administration has ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following the shooting of Guard troops, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday. Hegseth said President Trump asked him to send the Guard members. There are currently 2,188 troops assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government's latest update. Hegseth was visiting the Dominican Republic. The two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded near the White House. FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalized in critical condition. Bowser said they were victims of a "targeted shooting."
Lawmakers Who Urged Servicemembers to Refuse Illegal Orders Being Investigated by FBINPR Morning Edition
SAM GRINGLAS
ReportingAfter appearing in a video urging members of the military to not obey illegal orders, six Democratic lawmakers say the FBI has requested interviews with all of them.
Leaked Call Transcripts Reveal U.S. Envoy Coaching Putin Aide on Pitching Peace PlanNPR Morning Edition
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingLeaked call transcripts between special envoy Steve Witkoff and a Putin advisor could derail President Trump's progress, as they show Witkoff coaching Moscow on pitching a Russia-friendly peace plan.
Judge Dismisses Georgia Election Interference Case Against TrumpThe New York Times
RICHARD FAUSSET
DANNY HAKIM
ReportingA judge in Georgia dismissed the last pending criminal prosecution against President Trump on Wednesday, effectively ending efforts to hold him criminally responsible for attempts to overturn the 2020 election. A motion seeking to end the prosecution was filed Wednesday morning by Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the state's nonpartisan prosecutor council. Skandalakis concluded that the inquiry undertaken by Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by the Justice Department under President Biden, was the more appropriate venue for an investigation of Trump's attempts to stay in power after the 2020 election. He added that the idea of pursuing a case against a sitting president in Georgia was impractical. He noted that the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last year, which granted presidents "absolute immunity" from criminal prosecution for acts within their constitutional authority, meant that it would take "months, if not years" to litigate immunity issues in the Georgia courts -- and that all of this would have to occur after Trump left office in 2029.
Justice Dept. Whistleblower Joins Legal Group Battling the Trump AdministrationThe New York Times
DEVLIN BARRETT
ReportingA former Justice Department lawyer who spoke out publicly about the Trump administration's aggressive maneuvers to deport migrants has joined one of the legal advocacy firms challenging the administration's approaches to immigration, benefits for the poor and civil rights. In an interview with The New York Times, Erez Reuveni said he decided to work for the group Democracy Forward because "this is really a make-or-break moment for the rule of law, for democracy, for the rights of all people who live in this country." Reuveni filed a whistle-blower complaint to Congress and government agencies, saying a senior official, Emil Bove III, suggested the department should be prepared to ignore court orders to ensure the planes of migrants were shipped away. Reuveni has also said he was told by his superiors to sign an appeal brief arguing that a migrant who had been mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a terrorist, despite a lack of evidence for such an accusation. Reuveni has said he refused, telling a supervisor, "I didn't sign up to lie." He was placed on administrative leave and eventually fired.
Democratic Congressman's Lawsuit Claims Trump Housing Official Abused Post to Target Trump CriticsThe Associated Press
MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
ReportingA federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell accuses the Trump administration's top housing regulator of abusing his position to misuse private mortgage records belonging to Swalwell and other Democratic critics of the Republican president. Swalwell sued Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte less than two weeks after Pulte formally referred the California Democrat to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution on mortgage fraud charges. Swalwell is seeking a court order for Pulte and his agency to withdraw the criminal referral. His lawsuit, which also seeks unspecified monetary damages, accuses Pulte of violating federal laws and Swalwell's First Amendment free speech rights. Pulte didn't immediately respond to a text message and telephone call seeking comment on the lawsuit.
The Full List of U.S. Universities at Risk of Funding Cuts Over Support for DEIThe Guardian
JOSEPH GEDEON
WILL CRAFT
ReportingLast week, the Guardian obtained an internal memo and spreadsheet showing that the state department is moving to exclude 38 institutions from the Diplomacy Lab program, which pairs university researchers with state department policy offices on foreign policy projects. The suspensions would take effect on Jan. 1 and because the list is not finalized, the school's have not yet been informed.
What Could Happen Next in the Cases of James Comey and Letitia JamesNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin asks Kim Wehle, a law professor and constitutional scholar, what might happen next in the cases of James Comey and Letitia James.
Transportation Department Wants Tougher Rules for Commercial Driver's LicensesNPR Morning Edition
JOEL ROSE
ReportingThe Transportation Department wants to make it harder for immigrants to get commercial driver's licenses after a deadly crash involving a trucker from India. Critics say it's an immigration crackdown.
U.S. Planning to Cut Support to Scouts, Citing National Security and DEI InitiativesNPR Morning Edition
GRAHAM SMITH
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingDocuments show the Pentagon plans to cut ties with the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts, citing changes the organization has made, including allowing girls to join.
How Life Is Changing for Trans Americans Under the Trump AdministrationPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingSince President Trump re-entered the White House, his administration has moved to restrict rights for transgender people. Those restrictions range from transition-related medical care for youth to sports participation to identity markers on passports. William Brangham has an update on these actions, the legal challenges to them and what may come next.
'Deportation Trap': Immigration Agents Arresting Migrants at Mandatory Court Check-insPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingA sweeping new investigation by the Associated Press is raising serious questions about what's happening inside America's immigration courts. White House Correspondent Liz Landers reports on how the administration has short-circuited the asylum process.
Americans Waiting for Obamacare Subsidies Delay or Drop Health InsuranceReuters
AMINA NIASSE
ReportingOfficials from several U.S. states say Americans relying on subsidies to afford Obamacare health insurance are holding off on enrolling as they face 2026 premium hikes that could more than double, with one state seeing enrollment drag by as much as 33 percent. Of more than a dozen states that directly sell to their residents plans established under the Affordable Care Act -- often called Obamacare -- seven including California and Maryland told Reuters sign-ups are lagging compared to a year ago.
Pentagon Says It's Investigating Sen. Mark Kelly Over Video Urging Troops to Defy 'Illegal Orders'The Associated Press
K. TOROPIN
BEN FINLEY
ReportingThe Pentagon announced Monday it is investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over possible breaches of military law after the former Navy pilot joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for troops to defy "illegal orders." It is extraordinary for the Pentagon, which until President Trump's second term had usually gone out of its way to act and appear apolitical, to directly threaten a sitting member of Congress with investigation. It comes after Trump ramped up the rhetoric by accusing the lawmakers of sedition "punishable by DEATH" in a social media post days after the video was released last week. In its statement Monday, the Pentagon suggested that Kelly's statements in the video interfered with the "loyalty, morale or good order and discipline of the armed forces" by citing the federal law that prohibits such actions.
Judge Dismisses Comey, James Indictments After Finding That Prosecutor Was Illegally AppointedThe Associated Press
ERIC TUCKER
ReportingA federal judge on Monday dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Trump's urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie halt at least for now a pair of prosecutions that had targeted two of the president's most high-profile political opponents and amount to a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration's legal maneuvering to install an inexperienced and loyalist prosecutor willing to file the cases. "All actions flowing from Halligan's defective appointment," including securing and signing the indictments, "were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside," she wrote. A White House spokeswoman said the rulings will "not be the final word on the matter" and Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed at an unrelated news conference that the Justice Department would pursue an "immediate appeal." The department may also look to bring the cases again. "I am grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence and a reflection of what the Justice Department has become under Donald Trump, which is heartbreaking," Comey, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress, said in a video statement. In a separate statement, James, a Democrat who has pleaded not guilty to mortgage fraud allegations, said, "I am heartened by today's victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country." She said she remained "fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day."
Trump Welcomes A.P.'s Photographers. Its Reporters? Not So Much.The New York Times
ERIK WEMPLE
ReportingThe somewhat contradictory approach, some experts say, is consistent with President Trump's approach to the media in general. He is eager to energize his MAGA base by bashing the work of mainstream journalists while keeping them close enough to carry his message to the world and perhaps take a memorable photo or two of him in action. (gift link)
New Orleans Prepares for Possible Federal Immigration CrackdownNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
MICHAEL MCEWEN
ReportingNew Orleans residents are preparing for a possible deployment of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents to the region, even though the agency won't say whether or not it is actually coming.
How Marjorie Taylor Greene's Resignation Is Changing the Republican PartyNPR Morning Edition
STEPHEN FOWLER
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingCongresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation is forcing the Republican party to reckon publicly with what the political landscape will look like when President Trump leaves the White House.
Trump's Neville Chamberlain PrizeThe New York Times
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Opinion ColumnistFinally, finally, President Trump just might get a peace prize that would secure his place in history. Unfortunately, though, it is not that Nobel peace prize he so covets. It is the "Neville Chamberlain Peace Prize" -- awarded by history to the leader of the country that most flagrantly sells out its allies and its values to an aggressive dictator. This prize richly deserves to be shared by Trump's many "secretaries of state" -- Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio and Dan Driscoll -- who together negotiated the surrender of Ukraine to Vladimir Putin's demands without consulting Ukraine or our European allies in advance -- and then told Ukraine it had to accept the plan by Thanksgiving. If Ukraine is, indeed, forced to surrender to the specific terms of this "deal" by then, Thanksgiving will no longer be an American holiday. It will become a Russian holiday.
Patel Under Scrutiny for Use of SWAT Teams to Protect His GirlfriendThe New York Times
ALAN FEUER
ADAM GOLDMAN
GLENN THRUSH
ReportingPatel's heavy use of taxpayer-funded resources during his first nine months on the job has contributed to growing questions inside the administration about whether it exceeds the bounds of standard practice. This includes an intense use of security to protect himself and his girlfriend. He has also used a government jet for some of his recreational travel, such as a golf trip with buddies to a private resort in Scotland over the summer.
Homeless Shelters Are Adapting to Meet the Growing Number of Seniors Among ThemNPR Weekend Edition
AARON BOLTON
ReportingSeniors are the fastest-growing homeless population across the nation. Now, some shelters are trying to make it easier to accommodate the elderly.
DOGE 'Doesn't Exist' With Eight Months Left on Its CharterReuters
COURTNEY ROZEN
ReportingU.S. President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency has disbanded with eight months left to its mandate, ending an initiative launched with fanfare as a symbol of Trump's pledge to slash the government's size but which critics say delivered few measurable savings. "That doesn't exist," Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters earlier this month when asked about DOGE's status. It is no longer a "centralized entity," Kupor added, in the first public comments from the Trump administration on the end of DOGE.
Big Changes to the Agency Charged With Securing Elections Lead to Midterm WorriesThe Associated Press
STEVE KARNOWSKI
JULIE CARR SMYTH
ReportingSince it was created in 2018, the federal government's cybersecurity agency has helped warn state and local election officials about potential threats from foreign governments, showed officials how to protect polling places from attacks and gamed out how to respond to the unexpected, such as an Election Day bomb threat or sudden disinformation campaign The agency was largely absent from that space for elections this month in several states, a potential preview for the 2026 midterms. Shifting priorities of the Trump administration, staffing reductions and budget cuts have many election officials concerned about how engaged the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will be next year, when control of Congress will be at stake in those elections. "We do not have a sense of whether we can rely on CISA for these services as we approach a big election year in 2026," said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who until recently led the bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State. The association's leaders sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February asking her to preserve the cybersecurity agency's core election functions. Noem, whose department oversees the agency, has yet to reply.
A Look at What Led to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Resignation and Its ImpactNPR Weekend Edition
STEPHEN FOWLER
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her impending resignation last night. We examine what led to the Georgia Republicans' decision and what it might mean for their party's narrow House majority.
Senate Democrats Are Investigating the Kennedy Center for 'Cronyism, Corruption'NPR Weekend Edition
ELIZABETH BLAIR
ReportingThe ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which oversees public buildings, is investigating leadership at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for what he says are "millions in lost revenue, luxury spending and preferential treatment for Trump allies." The committee's ranking member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) sent a letter outlining the claims to Kennedy Center president, Richard Grenell. Grenell denied the allegations in a letter that was posted to the Kennedy Center's social media. Senate Democrats obtained copies of contracts given to Grenell's friends and associates, worth tens of thousands of dollars. In his letter to Grenell, Whitehouse said these and other actions show a "profound disregard" for leadership's "fiduciary responsibility."
Opinion: Jamal Khashoggi's Words Live ForeverNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingWhen President Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Oval Office this week, a reporter asked about Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi journalist was murdered in 2018, according to U.S. intelligence agencies, in an operation approved by the Crown Prince. Jamal Khashoggi came from a prominent Saudi family but fled his country in June, 2017, after he'd become increasingly critical of his government. He said he'd been banned from using Twitter. He began to write columns for The Washington Post with a candid admission...
Trump Officials' Meeting With Russian in Miami Spurs Questions About Latest Ukraine ProposalReuters
ERIN BANCO
GRAM SLATTERY
ReportingU.S. officials and lawmakers are increasingly concerned about a meeting last month in which representatives of the Trump administration met with Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy who is under U.S. sanctions, to draft a plan to end the war in Ukraine, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The meeting took place in Miami at the end of October and included special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Dmitriev, who leads the Russian Direct Investment Fund, one of Russia's largest sovereign wealth funds. The meeting resulted in a 28-point plan for ending the war, two people familiar with the situation said. The plan, which was made public earlier this week by Axios, came as a surprise to U.S. officials in various corners of the administration and has stirred confusion at embassies throughout Washington and in European capitals. It has also prompted criticism from the Ukrainians and their allies for appearing heavily tilted toward Russian interests, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowing on Friday that he would not betray Ukraine's interests.
Clyburn Spotlights Trailblazing Black Members of Congress in 'The First Eight'PBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingCongressman James Clyburn has spent more than three decades in Congress. In his new book, he turns his attention to the trailblazing Black men who were the first to walk those halls. Geoff Bennett sat down with Rep. Clyburn to discuss The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation.
Colorado Aims to Protect Vaccine Access as Trump Administration Casts Doubt on SafetyPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingThis week, the CDC changed its Web site to suggest that vaccines may cause autism, even though there's no scientific evidence to prove such a link. It's the latest change to vaccine guidance under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In response, some Democratic-led states have taken steps aimed at protecting access to vaccines and pushing back on misinformation.
Coast Guard Changes Course, Reclassifies Swastikas and Nooses as Hate SymbolsAll Things Considered
STEVE WALSH
ReportingThe Coast Guard is reacting to reports it had downgraded swastikas, nooses and other hate symbols in its new harassment manual. A new policy debuted overnight.
Supreme Court Blocks Order That Found Texas Congressional Map Is Likely Racially BiasedThe Associated Press
MARK SHERMAN
ReportingThe U.S. Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that found Texas' 2026 congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Trump likely discriminates on the basis of race. The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito will remain in place at least for the next few days while the court considers whether to allow the new map favorable to Republicans to be used in the midterm elections. The court's conservative majority has blocked similar lower court rulings because they have come too close to elections. The order came about an hour after the state called on the high court to intervene to avoid confusion as congressional primary elections approach in March. The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections. The order was signed by Alito because he is the justice who handles emergency appeals from Texas.
Friday Night Massacre: Five Judges Fired From S.F. Immigration Court TodayMission Local
SAGE RÍOS MACE
MARGARET KADIFA
ReportingThe Department of Justice fired at least five San Francisco immigration court judges on Friday in the largest cut of immigration judges in the city so far this year. Today's firings bring the total number of San Francisco immigration judges sacked by the Trump administration to 12 this year. Judges Shuting Chen, Louis A. Gordon, Jeremiah Johnson, Amber George and Patrick Savage were fired, according to multiple sources close to the San Francisco immigration court. The dismissals follow the justice department's firing of seven other San Francisco immigration judges this year, including the Assistant Chief Judge Loi McCleskey in early September, Judge Shira M. Levine a few days earlier and Judge Chloe S. Dillon in late August. Only nine immigration judges remain in San Francisco, according to the court's Web site.
Trump Stops Getting Everything He Wants From Fellow RepublicansSemafor
BURGESS EVERETT
ELEANOR MUELLER
ReportingThe rifts between Trump and the rest of the GOP are piling up. Indiana Republicans are declining to rewrite their congressional maps at the behest of the president, sparking a wave of redistricting regret on Capitol Hill. Trump's pitch to eliminate Affordable Care Act subsidies is also drawing skepticism within the party, as is his bid to jam a moratorium on state AI regulations into a must-pass defense bill. Republicans spurned Trump's plans to import Argentine beef and shunned suggestions like a 50-year mortgage. Then there's the nearly unanimous bicameral vote to compel the Trump administration to release Jeffrey Epstein files and the Senate's rejection of Trump's personal appeal to gut the filibuster.
Europe Scrambles Over U.S. Plan to End Ukraine War Mostly on Russia's TermsThe New York Times
AURELIEN BREEDEN
C. F. SCHUETZE
ReportingEuropean leaders scrambled on Friday to respond to a White House proposal to end the war in Ukraine, a 28-point document that would give Russia most of what it has asked for, including the surrender of Ukrainian territory and sharp limits on Kyiv's military. The plan, which Ukraine and Europe have said was drafted without their involvement, would require Kyiv to accept conditions that it and its European allies have long called unacceptable and tantamount to capitulation. The plan was drafted by Steve Witkoff, a Trump administration envoy for peace missions, and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian counterpart.
This Weekend, Artists Are Speaking Out Across the CountryNPR Morning Edition
ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS
ReportingOn Friday and Saturday, artists across the country are participating in Fall of Freedom -- an undertaking which they say represents creative resistance to authoritarianism. More than 600 events of all sizes have been announced across more than 40 states, from Alaska to Florida. The idea for Fall of Freedom originated with visual artist Dread Scott, who approached her with an idea for "an artistic action." Nottage said it was a lifeline. She said she had been feeling "very paralyzed by how quickly things were shifting in this country. I knew I wanted to respond to the rising tide of fascism, but wasn't sure how. And then when he asked me to be part of Fall of Freedom, I thought, 'Yes, this is a beautiful organizing principle.'"
Analyst Talks About Potential Deal to End the War in UkraineNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Hanna Shelest of the Foreign Policy Council's Ukrainian Prism think tank about reports of a deal negotiated by the U.S. and Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Former CDC Official Reacts to Agency Shifting Stance on Vaccines and AutismNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez speaks to Demetre Daskalakis, a former high-ranking official at the CDC, about the agency renewing false claims about vaccines and autism.
Fact-Checking Trump's Claim His Family Has Done 'Little' Business With Saudi ArabiaNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingPresident Trump this week said his family has done "very little" business with Saudi Arabia, as Crown Prince Mohammed visited the White House. NPR fact checks that claim with Forbes' Dan Alexander.
U.S. Veteran Considers Civil Lawsuit After He Was Arrested and Injured at Anti-ICE ProtestThe Guardian
AARON GLANTZ
ReportingA 70-year-old air force veteran who had been charged with felony assault on a federal officer as he protested an ICE raid has told the Guardian he is now considering a civil lawsuit after all charges against him were dropped. The U.S. Department of Justice moved to dismiss all charges against Dana Briggs, who had been charged despite a video of the incident, which showed masked federal agents advancing on the elderly veteran and knocking him over. Briggs told the Guardian he is now considering launching a civil lawsuit over his treatment. "I stood up for something I believe in and will continue to do so, until my last breath," he said. He also relayed his own experience of the incident for the first time, saying that prior to being knocked over, he was asking the federal agents protecting the Chicago-area ICE facility: "How do you go home at night and explain to your community and family what you are doing to other people who look like you?"
Trump's DoJ Investigating Unfounded Claims Venezuela Helped Steal 2020 ElectionThe Guardian
ARAM ROSTON
ReportingFederal investigators have been interviewing multiple people who are pushing unfounded claims that Venezuela helped steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump, the Guardian has learned. Two promoters of the conspiracy theory have repeatedly briefed the U.S. attorney for the district of Puerto Rico, W Stephen Muldrow and have shared witnesses and documents with officials, according to four sources. Muldrow declined to comment. In addition to the Puerto Rico talks, people pushing the conspiracy have been interviewed by federal investigators for a federal taskforce in Tampa which is looking at Venezuelan drug trafficking and money laundering, four sources told the Guardian. The U.S. attorney's office in Tampa declined to comment. An investigation of this sort underscores how Trump's justice department is becoming a major weapon in the president's efforts to rewrite the history of his 2020 loss -- while potentially strengthening the administration's case for military action against Venezuela.
Exclusive: U.S. Threatens to Cut Intel, Weapons to Press Ukraine Into Peace Deal, Sources SayReuters
TOM BALMFORTH
MAX HUNDER
GRAM SLATTERY
Reportinghe United States has threatened to cut intelligence sharing and weapons supplies for Ukraine to press it into agreeing to the framework of a U.S.-brokered peace deal, two people familiar with the matter said. Washington has presented Ukraine with a 28-point plan, which endorses some of Russia's principal demands in the war, including that Kyiv cede additional territory, curb the size of its military and be barred from joining NATO.
Democrats Allege Spy Agency Work Is Being Undermined and Politicized Under TrumpThe Associated Press
DAVID KLEPPER
ReportingTop Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees blasted the Trump administration's handling of intelligence matters Thursday, alleging that America's spy agencies have been undermined and politicized under President Trump. During a floor speech, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said the Trump administration has rewarded loyalty over competence and purged experienced intelligence officers, including the former head of the National Security Agency. He also noted that deep cuts to intelligence agencies have shuttered efforts to combat foreign disinformation while reducing cyber defenses. China, Russia and other adversaries will look to capitalize on these changes amid escalating global tensions, Warner said. "We are watching, in real time, an administration strip away the guardrails that have protected this country for generations," said Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Trump Family's Cryptocurrency Ties Raise Concerns as Administration Loosens RegulationsPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingAs President Trump's administration has moved to loosen regulations on cryptocurrency and pledged to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the world," his family's ties to the industry are raising ethical concerns and blurring the lines between business and government. White House correspondent Liz Landers takes a closer look.
Trump Considers Order to Override State Regulations on Artificial IntelligencePBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingThe Trump White House is reportedly drafting an executive order that would override state regulations on artificial intelligence. The order would establish a task force inside the Justice Department to sue and potentially withhold federal funding from, states that pass their own AI laws. Geoff Bennett discussed more with tech journalist Jacob Ward of The Rip Current.
Trump Says Democrats Should Be Arrested for Urging Military to Refuse Unlawful OrdersPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingHalf a dozen Democrats in Congress with military and intelligence backgrounds urged current service members to ignore the chain of command if they are given unlawful orders. President Trump reacted by writing that these members of Congress should be arrested, saying their actions are "seditious behavior" that is "punishable by death." Amna Nawaz discussed more with Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado.
Trump Says Democrats' Message to Military Is 'Seditious Behavior' Punishable by DeathThe Associated Press
MEG KINNARD
ReportingPresident Trump on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition "punishable by DEATH" after the lawmakers -- all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community -- called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy "illegal orders." The 90-second video was first posted early Tuesday from Sen. Elissa Slotkin's X account. In it, the six lawmakers -- Slotkin, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan -- speak directly to U.S. service members, whom Slotkin acknowledges are "under enormous stress and pressure right now."
Judge Orders Trump Administration to End National Guard Deployment in DCThe Associated Press
GARY FIELDS
L. WHITEHURST
ReportingA federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to end its monthslong deployment of National Guard troops to help police the nation's capital. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb concluded that President Trump's military takeover in Washington, D.C., illegally intrudes on local officials' authority to direct law enforcement in the district. She put her order on hold for 21 days to allow for an appeal, however. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to challenge the Guard deployments. He asked the judge to bar the White House from deploying Guard troops without the mayor's consent while the lawsuit plays out.
Holiday Hiring Slows, Frustrating Job SeekersThe New York Times
KAILYN RHONE
ReportingEmployers are signaling a more cautious approach to holiday hiring this year. Retailers that normally add staff for the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas rush, such as UPS, haven't released their typical hiring targets. Others, like Kroger, have said they expected to bring on fewer temporary workers than last year. Economic headwinds have made the companies more guarded. The longest-ever government shutdown, tariff costs and artificial intelligence tools that have been reshaping certain roles have made it harder for many Americans to find work. Searches for holiday jobs are up 27 percent from last year while seasonal postings are up 2.7 percent, according to a report from Indeed. The National Retail Federation expects retailers to hire between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal workers this year, down from 442,000 in 2024. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a research firm, reported that holiday staffing could slip to its lowest level in more than a decade.
U.S. Posts Solid Job Gains in September but Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.4 Pct.Reuters
LUCIA MUTIKANI
ReportingU.S. job growth accelerated in September, but the unemployment rate increased to a four-year high of 4.4 percent and the economy in August shed jobs for the second time this year as employers navigate an uncertain environment. The increase in the jobless rate to the highest level since October 2021 reported by the Labor Department in its closely watched employment report on Thursday was from 4.3 percent in August and reflected more people entering the labor market in search of work. Other data from the Labor Department showed layoffs remained low in mid-November, suggesting the labor market remained in a holding pattern.
Border Patrol Is Monitoring U.S. Drivers and Detaining Those With 'Suspicious' Travel PatternsThe Associated Press
BYRON TAU
GARANCE BURKE
ReportingThe U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found. The predictive intelligence program has resulted in people being stopped, searched and in some cases arrested. A network of cameras scans and records vehicle license plate information and an algorithm flags vehicles deemed suspicious based on where they came from, where they were going and which route they took. Federal agents in turn may then flag local law enforcement. Suddenly, drivers find themselves pulled over -- often for reasons cited such as speeding, failure to signal, the wrong window tint or even a dangling air freshener blocking the view. They are then aggressively questioned and searched, with no inkling that the roads they drove put them on law enforcement's radar.
What's Next Now That Trump Has Signed Bill Releasing the Epstein FilesThe Associated Press
STEPHEN GROVES
ReportingPresident Trump has signed a bill to compel the Justice Department to make public its case files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a potentially far-reaching development in a yearslong push by survivors of Epstein's abuse for a public reckoning. Both the House and Senate passed the bill this week with overwhelming margins after Trump reversed course on his monthslong opposition to the bill and indicated he would sign it. Now that the bill has been signed by the president, there's a 30-day countdown for the Justice Department to produce what's commonly known as the Epstein files. "This bill is a command for the president to be fully transparent, to come fully clean and to provide full honesty to the American people," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Wednesday.
Comey Seeks to Have Indictment Dismissed Over DOJ's Handling of CasePBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingThe Senate forwarded the bill requiring the Justice Department to release the Epstein files to the White House, only days after President Trump withdrew his opposition. The DOJ is also facing more scrutiny over the handling of its case against former FBI Director James Comey. Geoff Bennett discussed both developments with Josh Gerstein of Politico.
House Lawmakers Force a Vote on Bill to Restore Federal Workers' Bargaining RightsAll Things Considered
ANDREA HSU
ReportingHouse lawmakers have collected enough signatures to force a vote on a bill that would nullify President Trump's executive order terminating collective bargaining rights for most federal workers.
Trump's Global Tariffs Curtailed Trade, Data ShowsThe New York Times
ANA SWANSON
ReportingPresident Trump's sweeping tariffs took a toll on trade in August, as imports of goods and services dropped 5.1 percent, to $340.4 billion, after taxes on exports from roughly 90 countries went into effect on Aug. 7, newly released data from the Commerce Department showed Wednesday. The data, which incorporates less than a month of Trump's new tariffs, illustrates how the sharp increase in trade taxes has scrambled life for international business.
State Department to Cut 38 Universities From Research Program Over DEI PoliciesThe Guardian
JOSEPH GEDEON
ReportingThe state department is proposing to suspend 38 universities including Harvard and Yale from a federal research partnership program because they engage in diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices, according to an internal memo and spreadsheet obtained by the Guardian. The memo, dated 17 November, recommends excluding institutions from the Diplomacy Lab -- a program that pairs university researchers with state department policy offices -- if they "openly engage in DEI hiring practices" or set DEI objectives for candidate pools.
Nearly All Immigrants Detained in Trump Chicago Raid Had No Criminal ConvictionThe Guardian
ROQUE PLANAS
ReportingMore than 97 percent of immigrants detained in the Trump administration's "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago had no criminal conviction, according to federal court records. The data, released on Friday and first reported by the Chicago Tribune, sharply contradicts the Trump administration's portrayal of the immigration sweeps as an effort to fight crime and, as Trump himself has described it, targeting the "worst of the worst." Of the 614 immigrants arrested in the Chicago operation, which began in September, just 16 had significant criminal histories, according to federal data submitted to the court by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as part of a lawsuit. Ten of the detainees were either convicted of or face charges for some form of assault, battery or domestic violence. One had been convicted of enticement of a minor and kidnapping. One was labeled a "foreign criminal." Two had drunk-driving convictions. The rest of the migrants arrested in the Chicago deportation operation had neither criminal convictions nor pending charges, according to the data.
Migrants Thought They Were in Court for a Routine Hearing. Instead, It Was a Deportation TrapThe Associated Press
JOSHUA GOODMAN
TIM SULLIVAN
ReportingThis year, Associated Press reporters observed immigration court proceedings in 21 cities. Hearings repeatedly ended with cases dismissed by the government, allowing agents to arrest immigrants in courthouse hallways. AP reporters also reviewed internal records and spoke to judges, clerks and lawyers for the departments of Justice and Homeland Security to gain insight about the scope of the administration's effort.
Poll: Democrats Have Biggest Advantage for Control of Congress in 8 YearsNPR Morning Edition
DOMENICO MONTANARO
ELENA MOORE
ReportingHeading into the 2026 midterm elections, there are some very big warning signs for Republicans in the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
Trump Administration Shares Plan to Dismantle More of the Department of EducationNPR Morning Edition
CORY TURNER
LEILA FADEL
ReportingThe Trump administration unveiled a sweeping plan to dismantle large swaths of the Department of Education, shifting some of its key work to other agencies.
Texas Appeals Ruling That Blocked the Use of a Trump-Backed Voting MapNPR Morning Edition
ANDREW SCHNEIDER
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingTexas Gov. Greg Abbott has appealed a ruling that blocked the state from using a voting map designed to give Republicans an advantage in next year's midterms.
Catholic Bishops Push U.S. To End 'Dehumanizing' Immigration EnforcementPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingCatholic bishops are speaking out against the Trump administration's mass deportation effort and its treatment of immigrants in detention. In a special pastoral message, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote, "we pray for an end to the dehumanizing rhetoric and violence." Amna Nawaz spoke with one of the bishops behind the message, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas.
As U.S. Skips Climate Summit, John Kerry Says Absence Undermines Global CooperationPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingThe United Nations climate summit, known as COP30, will wrap up later this week and its achievements will likely be more muted this year. Delegates from nearly 200 countries are meeting near the Amazon rainforest, but the Trump administration decided not to send anyone. As part of our Tipping Point series, William Brangham discussed more with former Secretary of State John Kerry.
'The World Will See Who's Involved' and Complicit, Says Attorney for Epstein SurvivorsPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingWith bipartisan support, Congress voted to release the Epstein files. To discuss the vote and what comes next, Amna Nawaz spoke with Spencer Kuvin, an attorney representing multiple survivors of Epstein's abuse.
Trump Administration Shares New Moves to Dismantle More of the Education DepartmentAll Things Considered
CORY TURNER
ReportingThe Trump administration unveiled a sweeping plan Tuesday to sidestep Congress and outsource large pieces of the U.S. Department of Education, telling lawmakers and staff that it would shift work dedicated to, among other things, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education and Indian education to other federal agencies. All three of those offices were originally placed at the department by Congress when it created the agency in 1979 and these moves are being made without Congress' consent. According to two people who were briefed on the plan by the Trump administration and who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, the administration has forged six new agreements between the Education Department and other agencies, offloading day-to-day operations of congressionally-required programs while retaining a small contingent of staff at the department.
Federal Judges Block Texas From Using Its New U.S. House Map in the 2026 MidtermsThe Associated Press
JOHN HANNA
ReportingA federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a redrawn U.S. House map that touched off a nationwide redistricting battle and is a major piece of President Trump's efforts to preserve a slim Republican majority ahead of the 2026 elections. The ruling is a blow to Trump's rush to create a more favorable political landscape for Republicans in next year's midterms, at least for now. Texas filed an appeal Tuesday evening with the U.S. Supreme Court after Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans publicly defended the map, which was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats. In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of federal judges in El Paso sided with opponents who argued that Texas' unusual summer redrawing of congressional districts would harm Black and Hispanic residents. The decision was authored by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump nominee from the president's first term. "To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map," the ruling states.
Trump Dismisses U.S. Intelligence That Saudi Prince Was Likely Aware of 2018 Killing of JournalistThe Associated Press
AAMER MADHANI
ReportingPresident Trump on Tuesday dismissed U.S. intelligence findings that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likely had some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his first White House visit in seven years. "Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen," Trump said of the international incident when asked about it by a reporter during an Oval Office appearance with Prince Mohammed. "But (Prince Mohammed) knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that. You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that."
Saudi Set to Announce Slew of AI Deals With U.S. FirmsSemafor
MATTHEW MARTIN
ReportingSaudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund-backed artificial intelligence company Humain is set to announce a slew of new deals with U.S. firms tomorrow as the country looks to pour billions of dollars into a plan to become the world's third largest country for AI. Humain is planning to announce multi-gigawatts data center buildouts in collaboration with companies including Amazon, AMD, xAI and GlobalAI, according to people familiar with the matter. The deals are expected to follow on from an agreement for the U.S. to approve a large semiconductors sale to the country, the people said. It's unclear how many of the deals will be new and substantive or indications of progress made on agreements announced during President Trump's visit to Riyadh in May.
Judge Dismisses Trump's Challenge of New York Law Barring Court ArrestsThe New York Times
L. FERRÉ-SADURNÍ
ReportingA federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that the Trump administration filed against New York State in hopes of enabling immigration agents to conduct arrests in state and local courthouses. The judge, Mae A. D'Agostino, ruled late Monday in favor of New York, finding that a 2020 state law and two executive orders that limit civil arrests near local courts and in state facilities were not unconstitutional, as the Department of Justice had argued in June. The 41-page ruling marked another defeat for President Trump's efforts to strike down laws passed by cities and states that limit cooperation between localities and the federal government on immigration matters.
Trump Family's Business Ties to Saudi Arabia Raise Ethics WorriesThe New York Times
VIVIAN NEREIM
ReportingThe leveraging of political relationships for personal profit is ordinary in the Persian Gulf, where hereditary ruling families hold near-total power and the term "conflict of interest" carries little weight. But the mixing of politics and profitmaking during President Trump's second term has shattered American norms, shocking scholars who study ethics and corruption. On Tuesday, Trump will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, engaging in sensitive national security talks with a foreign leader who also oversees a major construction project, known as Diriyah, that is in talks over a potential deal with the Trump family business. Even if that deal never comes to fruition, the Trump family's real estate and other business interests in Saudi Arabia have flourished during his second term.
As China Becomes the Global Leader in Renewable Energy, the U.S. Is Falling BehindNPR Morning Edition
JULIA SIMON
ANTHONY KUHN
ReportingChina is expanding renewable energy exponentially while the U.S. is going backward. How China became the global leader, why the U.S. falling behind and what it means for these countries' economies.
ProPublica Reporter on the High-Profile Raid of a Chicago Apartment BuildingNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks to ProPublica reporter Melissa Sanchez, who fact-checked the Trump administration's claims about a high-profile immigration raid in Chicago.
Rising Costs and Red Tape Force Home Childcare Centers Across the Country to CloseNPR Morning Edition
HANNAH YANG
ReportingIn some states, more and more home childcare centers and nursery schools are shutting down. The problem -- rising costs and mounds of red tape.
The Washington Post's Jason Rezaian Reacts to Saudi Crown Prince Meeting With TrumpNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez speaks with The Washington Post's Jason Rezaian, a former colleague of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, about the Saudi crown prince's White House visit.
Could the DOJ's Probe Into Epstein's Ties to Political Foes Stop the Files' Release?NPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance about whether the Justice Department's probe into Democrats' ties to Jeffrey Epstein will affect the potential release of the files.
As Data Flow Revives, Fed Still Faces a Deep Policy DivideReuters
HOWARD SCHNEIDER
ReportingA divided U.S. Federal Reserve begins receiving updated economic reports from the now-reopened federal government this week as policymakers hope for clarity in their debate over whether to cut interest rates when they meet in just over three weeks. It remains unclear how much of the shutdown-delayed data on employment, inflation, retail spending, economic growth and other aspects of the economy will be in hand by then. As of Monday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said it would publish the delayed employment report for September on Thursday, but the White House has said some of the October reports may be skipped altogether, while data gathering for November may also be hampered by a shutdown that stretched to mid-month. But the lines of debate have been sharply drawn and minutes of the Fed's October meeting to be released on Wednesday could provide more detail on the split that has emerged over whether the risk of higher inflation remains pronounced enough to delay rate cuts for now or whether slowing job growth and looser monetary policy should take priority.
Trump's Comments About Fuentes and Carlson Could Prolong a Republican Rift Over AntisemitismThe Associated Press
CHRIS MEGERIAN
THOMAS BEAUMONT
ReportingWhen President Trump doesn't like someone, he knows how to show it. In just the last few days, he's described Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as a traitor, mocked Rep. Thomas Massie's second marriage after his first wife died and demanded that comedian Seth Meyers get fired from his late-night television show. But he had nothing bad to say about two people roiling his party: white nationalist Nick Fuentes and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. The former Fox News host recently hosted Fuentes for a friendly interview, where he declined to challenge his guest's bigoted beliefs or a remark about problems with "organized Jewry in America." Asked about the controversy rippling through Republican circles for weeks, Trump did not criticize Fuentes and praised Carlson for having "said good things about me over the years." Although Trump has targeted left-wing campus activism as a hive of anti-Jewish sentiment, Fuentes' influence is a test of whether conservatives are willing to accommodate bigots as part of their political coalition.
C.D.C. Links Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First TimeThe New York Times
A. MANDAVILLI
TEDDY ROSENBLUTH
ReportingHealth officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America's status as a nation that has eliminated measles. The news came in a phone call, a recording of which was obtained by The New York Times, among officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments. Losing elimination status may not lead to tangible changes, such as travel restrictions. But experts have called the possibility "deeply embarrassing" for a wealthy country with the medical resources of the United States. A representative from the Health and Human Services Department did not immediately respond to request for comment.
E.P.A. Rule Would Drastically Curb Protections for WetlandsThe New York Times
MAXINE JOSELOW
ReportingThe Trump administration proposed on Monday to significantly limit the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to limit pollution in wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water across the country. The proposed rule could strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams, potentially threatening sources of clean drinking water for millions of Americans. It was a victory for a range of business interests that have lobbied to scale back the Clean Water Act of 1972, including farmers, home builders, real estate developers, oil drillers and petrochemical manufacturers.
Clinics That Provide Abortion in Maine Face an OnslaughtAll Things Considered
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN
ReportingAbortion is supported by three out of four Mainers, but a popular network of clinics that provides it alongside primary care is being shut out of Medicaid by the Trump administration.
Chicago Nonprofit Fights for DEIAll Things Considered
ANDREA HSU
ReportingPresident Trump's war on DEI has gone far beyond the federal government. A nonprofit in Chicago dedicated to promoting equity by bringing women into the skilled trades is fighting for its existence.
DOJ Records Show Hundreds of Immigrants Arrested in Chicago Had No Criminal HistoriesAll Things Considered
SERGIO MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN
ReportingDOJ records show that more than 600 arrests in Chicago's recent immigration enforcement operation may have violated a federal consent decree. And of those arrested, fewer than 3 percent had criminal records.
Protests in Charlotte as Aggressive Immigration Arrests ContinueThe Guardian
MAYA YANG
ReportingAggressive arrests by federal immigration agents continued in Charlotte on Monday after a weekend sweep in which authorities said they detained at least 130 people, as protests picked up. North Carolina's governor, Josh Stein, on Monday warned the crackdown was simply "stoking fear" and resulting in severe disruption. The White House has argued its latest focus on the Democratic-run city of about 950,000 people is an effort to combat crime but the enforcement has been met with fierce objections from local leaders -- amid declining crime rates in the city. Many residents were outraged when there was a flurry of reported encounters with immigration agents near churches, apartment complexes and stores over the weekend, chasing and arresting people as part of anti-immigration measures but which included some U.S. citizens. "We've seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks," Stein, a Democrat, said in a video statement late on Sunday. "This is not making us safer. It's stoking fear and dividing our community."
Acting FEMA Head Resigns After Furor Over Handling of Deadly Texas FloodingThe Guardian
ROBERT TAIT
ReportingThe acting administrator of FEMA is leaving the agency, a senior Trump administration official said on Monday. David Richardson resigned after only a brief stint leading the Federal Emergency Management Agency amid a furor over his responsiveness, especially during the catastrophic flooding in Texas during the summer that swept away a children's camp and killed more than 130 people. The Trump administration official familiar with Richardson's departure gave no reasons for the Fema chief stepping down.
Judge Says Justice Dept. May Have Committed 'Misconduct' in Comey CaseThe New York Times
ALAN FEUER
ReportingA federal magistrate judge said on Monday that the criminal case against James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, could be in serious trouble because of a series of apparent errors committed in front of the grand jury by Lindsey Halligan, the inexperienced prosecutor picked by President Trump to handle the matter. The remarkable rebuke of Halligan came in a 24-page ruling in which the magistrate judge, William E. Fitzpatrick, lodged broader complaints about the way that prosecutors presented the case to the grand jury and asserted that it could result in the matter being dismissed altogether. The judge said that when Halligan appeared -- by herself -- in front of the grand jury, she made at least two "fundamental and highly prejudicial" misstatements of the law. He also pointed out that the grand jury materials he ordered Halligan to turn over to him for his review appeared to be incomplete and "likely do not reflect the full proceedings." "The court is finding that the government's actions in this case -- whether purposeful, reckless or negligent -- raise genuine issues of misconduct, are inextricably linked to the government's grand jury presentation and deserve to be fully explored by the defense," Judge Fitzpatrick wrote.
The Unraveling of the Justice Department: Sixty Attorneys Describe a Year of Chaos and SuspicionThe New York Times
EMILY BAZELON
RACHEL POSER
ReportingPresident Trump's second term has brought a period of turmoil and controversy unlike any in the history of the Justice Department. Trump and his appointees have blasted through the walls designed to protect the nation's most powerful law enforcement agency from political influence; they have directed the course of criminal investigations, openly flouted ethics rules and caused a breakdown of institutional culture. To date, more than 200 career attorneys have been fired and thousands more have resigned. We interviewed more than 60 attorneys who recently resigned or were fired from the Justice Department. Much of what they told us is reported here for the first time.
Hundreds of National Guard Troops Will Leave Portland and ChicagoNPR Morning Edition
JULIANA KIM
ReportingA defense official, not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed to NPR that 200 California National Guard members in Oregon and 200 Texas National Guard members in Illinois will return to their home states in the coming days. About 300 Illinois National Guard personnel will remain activated in Chicago, while the number of Oregon National Guard forces in Portland will be reduced from 200 to 100, the defense official said. Local and state officials in Oregon and Illinois have condemned the troop deployments, calling them unnecessary and accusing the president of overstepping his authority. Courts have repeatedly blocked troops from conducting operations in the streets of Chicago and Portland after state and local leaders sued.
Epstein Survivors in D.C. To Demand the Release of Government FilesNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingSurvivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse are in Washington to demand the release of the Department of Justice's files. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks to Epstein accuser Annie Farmer.
U.S. Border Patrol Arrests 81 on First Day of Charlotte Immigration CrackdownReuters
BRAD BROOKS
ReportingFederal agents arrested at least 81 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, this weekend, a senior commander said on Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign. Gregory Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol official who led immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago before he arrived in Charlotte this week, said on social media early Sunday that agents made the North Carolina arrests within a roughly five-hour span on Saturday, their first day of operating in Charlotte. Many of those arrested had "significant criminal and immigration history," Bovino wrote. Neither the Border Patrol nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately responded to requests for comment on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees those agencies, did not respond to a request for comment.
New Analysis Shows More U.S. Consumers Are Falling Behind on Their Utility BillsThe Associated Press
JOSH BOAK
ReportingMore people are falling behind on paying their bills to keep on the lights and heat their homes, according to a new analysis of consumer data -- a warning sign for the U.S. economy and another political headache for President Donald Trump. Past due balances to utility companies jumped 9.7 percent annually to $789 between the April-June periods of 2024 and 2025, said The Century Foundation, a liberal think tank and the advocacy group Protect Borrowers. The increase has overlapped with a 12 percent jump in monthly energy bills during the same period. Consumers usually prioritize their utility bills along with their mortgages and auto debt, said Julie Margetta Morgan, the foundation's president. The increase in both energy costs and delinquencies may suggest that consumers are falling behind on other bills, too.
Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on DeportationsThe New York Times
STAFF
ReportingThe Department of Homeland Security has diverted thousands of federal agents from their normal duties to focus on arresting undocumented immigrants, undermining a wide range of law enforcement operations in response to mounting pressure from President Trump, a New York Times investigation has found. Homeland security agents investigating sexual crimes against children, for instance, have been redeployed to the immigrant crackdown for weeks at a time, hampering their pursuit of child predators. A national security probe into the black market for Iranian oil sold to finance terrorism has been slowed down for months because of the shift to immigration work, allowing tanker ships and money to disappear. And federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking have languished with investigators reassigned to help staff deportation efforts. The changes have extended deep into D.H.S.'s public-safety mission, as the Coast Guard has diverted aircraft to transport immigrants between detention centers and the department's law enforcement academy has delayed training for many agencies to prioritize new immigration officers. The Times investigation is based on previously undisclosed internal documents from D.H.S. -- including statistical reports about department workloads, search warrants and arrests -- obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
South Pacific Nation of Tuvalu Rebukes Trump's 'Shameful Disregard' at Cop30The Guardian
OLIVER MILMAN
DHARNA NOOR
ReportingOf all the representatives from 193 countries present at the crucial UN climate talks in Belém, Brazil, only one has summoned the courage to take the stage and publicly denounce the absent and hostile Trump administration: the climate minister of tiny Tuvalu. On Monday, Maina Vakafua Talia told leaders and diplomats at the Cop30 summit that Donald Trump had shown a "shameful disregard for the rest of the world" by withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. "The U.S. has withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement and I think that's a shameful thing to do," he said. "We look to the U.S. for options, for peace, but it seems they are going in the opposite direction and we should hold them accountable. Just because the U.S. is a bigger country doesn't mean we have to be silent. What matters to us is our survival."
Immigration Crackdown Inspires Uniquely Chicago Pushback That's Now a Model for Other CitiesThe Associated Press
SOPHIA TAREEN
C. FERNANDO
ReportingAs an unprecedented immigration crackdown enters a third month, a growing number of Chicago residents are fighting back against what they deem a racist and aggressive overreach of the federal government. The Democratic stronghold's response has tapped established activists and everyday residents from wealthy suburbs to working class neighborhoods. They say their efforts -- community patrols, rapid responders, school escorts, vendor buyouts, honking horns and blowing whistles -- are a uniquely Chicago response that other cities President Donald Trump has targeted for federal intervention want to model. "The strategy here is to make us afraid. The response from Chicago is a bunch of obscenities and 'no,'" said Anna Zolkowski Sobor, whose North Side neighborhood saw agents throw tear gas and tackle an elderly man. "We are all Chicagoans who deserve to be here. Leave us alone."
Trump's Republican Party Insists There's No Affordability Crisis and Dismisses Election LossesThe Associated Press
STEVE PEOPLES
ReportingAlmost two weeks after Republicans lost badly in elections in Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, many GOP leaders insist there is no problem with the party's policies, its message or President Trump's leadership. Trump says Democrats and the media are misleading voters who are concerned about high costs and the economy. Republican officials aiming to avoid another defeat in next fall's midterms are encouraging candidates to embrace the president fully and talk more about his accomplishments. Those are the major takeaways from a series of private conversations, briefings and official talking points involving major Republican decision-makers across Washington, including inside the White House, after their party's losses Nov. 4. Their assessment highlights the extent to which the fate of the Republican Party is tied to Trump, a term-limited president who insists the economy under his watch has never been stronger.
How Sanctions Imposed by Trump Are Taking a Toll on the International Criminal CourtPBS News Hour
KIRA KAY
ReportingThe International Criminal Court or ICC, only intervenes when national courts can't or won't prosecute crimes like genocide and crimes against humanity. But after the Trump administration sanctioned several members of the court this year, Americans trying to prosecute some of the world's worst crimes at the ICC are discovering those sanctions are preventing them from doing that.
Federal Immigration Officers Begin Sweep in Charlotte, North CarolinaThe Guardian
EDWARD HELMORE
ReportingFederal immigration officers on Saturday began a sweep through Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina, federal officials confirmed. Local media reports said that among the locations targeted by masked federal agents was a church in east Charlotte, where an arrest was made while about 15 to 20 church members were doing yard work on the property. The pastor at the church, who did not want to identify himself or his church, told the Charlotte Observer that agents reportedly asked no questions and showed no identification before taking the man away. The man's wife and child were inside the church at the time, said the pastor. "Right now, everybody is scared. Everybody," he said. "One of these guys with immigration, he said he was going to arrest one of the other guys in the church. He pushed him."
U.S. Judge Bars Trump From Cutting Off University of California FundsThe Guardian
CARLA HERRERIA RUSSO
ReportingA federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funding and threatening hefty fines against the University of California amid the administration's attempts to coerce elite U.S. universities into adopting and promoting conservative ideals. U.S. district judge Rita Lin of San Francisco issued the preliminary injunction late Friday, saying the government was not allowed to demand payments from the California school system over the administration's claims that it violates civil rights by allowing antisemitism and practising affirmative action. In her ruling, Lin said that the plaintiffs -- who include UC faculty, researchers and students -- have submitted "overwhelming evidence" illustrating the Trump administration's "concerted campaign to purge 'woke,' 'left' and 'socialist' viewpoints from our country's leading universities." Lin ruled that the government had a "playbook of initiating civil rights investigations" at universities in order to cut federal funding, "bringing universities to their knees and forcing them to change their ideological tune."
Week in Politics: Response to the Latest Epstein Emails; Health Care SubsidiesNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
RON ELVING
ReportingNPR's Ron Elving looks at the White House response to the latest release of Jeffery Epstein emails mentioning President Trump, as well as what's next in the fight to extend health care subsidies.
Trump Scraps Tariffs on Beef, Coffee and Tropical Fruit in a Push to Lower Grocery Store PricesThe Associated Press
WILL WEISSERT
ReportingPresident Trump announced Friday he was scrapping U.S. tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and a broad swath of other commodities -- a dramatic move that comes amid mounting pressure on his administration to better combat high consumer prices. Trump has built his second term around imposing steep levies on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of encouraging domestic production and lifting the U.S. economy. His abrupt retreat from his signature tariff policy on so many staples key to the American diet is significant and it comes after voters in off-year elections this month cited economic concerns as their top issue, resulting in big wins for Democrats .around the country.
N.I.H. Worker Who Criticized Trump Health Policies Says She Is on Administrative LeaveThe New York Times
SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
ReportingA National Institutes of Health employee who has been publicly critical of the Trump administration's health policies said she was placed on "nondisciplinary" administrative leave when she returned to work on Thursday after the government reopened. The employee, Jenna Norton, said in a TikTok video that the move "was designed to scare and silence me." Dr. Norton was a key organizer of "The Bethesda Declaration," a scathing public letter issued in June to Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the N.I.H. director. The letter, signed by dozens of N.I.H. employees, denounced what it described as the degradation of the American medical research apparatus under President Trump. "I was not given a reason for being put on leave, but I strongly suspect it is because I have been speaking up in my personal capacity about the harms that I've been witnessing inside the National Institutes of Health," Dr. Norton, a program director at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, said in the video.
Tallying Up the Cost of the Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. HistoryNPR Morning Edition
SCOTT HORSLEY
LEILA FADEL
ReportingEconomists are starting to put a price tag on the six-week government shutdown. But some of their calculations will be difficult to make because the shutdown temporarily limited government data.
NYU Law Professor Talks About the Fallout From the Release of Epstein DocumentsNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with New York University law professor Ryan Goodman about the fallout over the latest release of documents from the Epstein estate.
People Held in 'Decrepit' California ICE Facility Sue Over 'Inhumane' ConditionsThe Guardian
SAM LEVIN
ReportingSeven people detained at California's largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center have sued the U.S. government, alleging they have been denied essential medications, frequently go hungry and are housed in a "decrepit" facility. The federal class-action complaint filed against ICE on Wednesday challenges the "inhumane conditions" at the California City detention center. The suit alleges "life-threatening" medical neglect, with the plaintiffs saying they have been denied cancer treatment, basic disability accommodations and regular insulin for diabetes. The suit describes conditions as "dire," saying: "Sewage bubbles up from the shower drains and insects crawl up and down the walls of the cells. People are locked in concrete cells the size of a parking space for hours on end." Temperatures inside are "frigid," and detained residents who cannot afford to buy $20 sweatshirts "suffer in the cold, some wearing socks on their arms as makeshift sleeves," the complaint alleges; meals are "paltry," and people who cannot afford to buy supplemental food go hungry. Even though residents are detained for civil immigration violations, not criminal offenses, California City "operates even more restrictively and punitively than a prison," the lawyers say. The facility is run by CoreCivic, a private prison corporation, which is not a named defendant.
National Parks Facing 'Nightmare' Under Trump, Warns Ex-Director of ServiceThe Guardian
CALLUM JONES
ReportingAmericans should "raise hell" to protect U.S. national parks through the "nightmare" of Donald Trump's presidency, according to a former National Park Service director, amid alarm over the impact of the federal government shutdown. Jonathan Jarvis claimed the agency is now in the hands of a "bunch of ideologues" who would have no issue watching it "go down in flames" -- and see parks from Yellowstone to Yosemite as potential "cash cows," ripe for privatization. Over the past month, hundreds of NPS veterans including Jarvis, who led the NPS from 2009 to 2017, have watched aghast as most of the agency's workers were furloughed during the longest shutdown in U.S. history -- while the Trump administration kept all national parks open. There have been consequences.
Poll: Just 29 Pct. of Americans Support U.S. Military Killing Drug SuspectsReuters
JASON LANGE
MATT SPETALNICK
ReportingOnly 29 percent of Americans support using the U.S. military to kill suspected drug traffickers without a judge or court being involved, a rebuke of President Trump's strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The six-day poll, which closed on Wednesday as Washington continued a military buildup around Latin America that has focused especially on Venezuela, showed 51 percent were opposed to the killings of drug suspects and the rest were unsure where they stood. In a sign of division within Trump's party, 27 percent of Republicans in the poll opposed the practice, while 58 percent supported it, with the rest unsure. Three quarters of Democrats opposed the practice compared to one in 10 who supported it.
Trump Asks Justice Department to Probe Epstein Ties With Clinton, Other DemocratsReuters
ANDY SULLIVAN
ReportingPresident Trump on Friday said he was asking the Department of Justice to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's alleged ties with JPMorgan and several prominent Democratic figures, including former President Bill Clinton. The request comes after a congressional committee released thousands of documents that raised new questions about Trump's relationship with the convicted sex offender. Along with Clinton, who socialized with the late financier in the early 2000s, Trump said he had asked the Justice Department to investigate former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn founder who is also a prominent Democratic donor.
Military Personnel Seek Legal Advice on Whether Trump-Ordered Missions Are LawfulPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingMilitary service personnel have been seeking outside legal advice about some of the missions the Trump administration has assigned them. The strikes against alleged drug traffickers and deployments to U.S. cities have sparked a debate over their legality. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Frank Rosenblat, president of the National Institute of Military Justice, which runs The Orders Project.
The Government Can Now Get Back to Measuring the Economy With Shutdown OverAll Things Considered
SCOTT HORSLEY
ReportingNow that the government shutdown is over, federal number crunchers are back at work. It could take time, though, to make up for the jobs reports and inflation scorecards we missed in the last six weeks.
James Comey and Letitia James Press for Dismissal of Their Cases, Challenge Prosecutor's AppointmentThe Associated Press
ERIC TUCKER
ReportingLawyers for former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a judge Thursday to dismiss the cases against them, saying the prosecutor who secured the indictments was illegally installed in the role. U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said she expects to decide by Thanksgiving on challenges to Lindsey Halligan's appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. That decision could help determine the fate of the politically charged cases, which were both shepherded by the hastily installed Halligan and together have amplified concerns that the Justice Department is being used as a weapon to target President Donald Trump's perceived adversaries. Currie also disclosed in court that a record of grand jury proceedings in the Comey case that she reviewed was missing a portion, which she said raised questions about whether Attorney General Pam Bondi could have properly ratified the indictment as the Justice Department says she did.
Justice Department Sues to Block California U.S. House Map in Clash That Could Tip Control of CongressThe Associated Press
A. DURKIN RICHER
MICHAEL R. BLOOD
ReportingThe Justice Department on Thursday sued to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters last week, joining a court battle that could help determine which party wins control of the U.S. House in 2026. TThe move marks the first time the Justice Department has sued over a flurry of unusual, mid-decade House map revisions across the country drawn to maximize partisan advantage in advance of next year's elections. Three Republican-led states -- Texas, along with Missouri and North Carolina -- have not faced federal legal action after revamping district lines following Trump's call for new maps to expand GOP numbers in the House. Civil rights advocates have argued that the new boundaries in Texas and Missouri illegally disadvantage minority communities at the ballot box. California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment changing the congressional boundaries to give Democrats a shot at winning five seats now held by Republicans in next year's midterm elections.
Justice Dept. Struggled to Find Lawyers to Handle Maurene Comey SuitThe New York Times
J. E. BROMWICH
W. K. RASHBAUM
ReportingIn September, Maurene Comey, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor and a daughter of the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey, sued the Trump administration, accusing it of firing her without cause and asking to be reinstated. Two months later, the Justice Department, hobbled by scores of resignations and firings and strained by a crisis in morale, has not responded to the lawsuit. The Manhattan prosecutor's office where Comey was one of the top trial lawyers until her abrupt firing in July has indicated it will not work on the case. Nor will the Brooklyn prosecutor's office. The Federal Programs Branch of the Justice Department's Civil Division, which often handles high-profile litigation such as Comey's lawsuit, will not handle the case, either. A spokesman for the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. Spokesmen for the U.S. attorney's offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn declined to comment. The episode highlights how the Trump administration has struggled with the repercussions of its treatment of federal employees.
With ACA Subsidies Still Up in the Air, Health Insurance Shoppers Are Left in LimboNPR Morning Edition
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN
ReportingThe government shutdown has ended, but extending Affordable Care Act subsidies remains unaddressed, leaving health insurance shoppers in limbo and facing a significant increase in costs.
Former Republican Operative Talks About Why He Walked Away From His JobNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Miles Bruner, a Republican operative who walked away from his job. Bruner says the GOP is increasingly corrupt and has devolved into a cult of personality.
Trump Signs Bill Ending Longest ShutdownThe New York Times
CATIE EDMONDSON
ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS
ReportingThe federal government began reopening Wednesday night after President Trump signed into law a spending package that narrowly passed the House, ending the longest shutdown in the nation's history. Earlier, the House voted 222 to 209 on Day 43 of the shutdown and days after eight senators in the Democratic caucus broke their own party's blockade and joined Republicans in allowing the spending measure to move forward, prompting a bitter backlash in their ranks. It was the first time the House had held a vote in nearly two months, after an extended recess during the shutdown.
Ousted Immigration Judge Describes Deepening Court BacklogPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingDozens of immigration judges have been fired by the Trump administration with no explanation. From coast to coast, nearly four dozen judges have lost their positions as the courts face a record backlog. Many had worked in immigrant defense, prompting questions about whether the firings are part of the administration's hardline approach. Geoff Bennett discussed more with former judge Emmett Soper.
Trump Faces Fresh Epstein Questions as New Emails and Files Are ReleasedPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingLawmakers in the House of Representatives reached a critical threshold in the push to release information related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. At the same time, one committee has made public a set of emails and documents that raise new questions about President Trump's ties to the late sex offender.
As Consumer Bureau's Cash Dwindles, Trump Administration Declares Its Funding IllegalThe New York Times
STACY COWLEY
ReportingIn the Trump administration's fight to kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it deployed this week a new weapon: a novel legal argument that the agency's funding is unlawful. Unlike most federal agencies, which are funded by congressional appropriations, the consumer bureau gets its money from the Federal Reserve. On a quarterly basis, the agency's director requests from the Fed the funds the bureau needs to operate. Russell T. Vought, the White House budget director, who also serves as the consumer bureau's acting director, has not requested any funding this year, which left the agency with dwindling cash to pay its roughly 1,400 workers. In a legal filing on Monday, the bureau warned that it would run out of money early next year and said it could not obtain more from the Fed.
How Ending the Digital Equity Act Has Disrupted Programs to Help People Get OnlineAll Things Considered
SHELLY BRISBIN
ReportingPresident Trump ended the Digital Equity Act that funded equipment and services for communities and organizations that are underserved by high-speed Internet. We look at who's affected and how.
U.S. Troops Ramp Their Presence in Central and South America as President Maduro Mobilizes ForcesAll Things Considered
CARRIE KAHN
ReportingVenezuela continues to prepare its military in response to increasing regional presence of U.S. military in the region.
Judge Orders Release of Hundreds Arrested During Chicago Immigration RaidsThe Guardian
MAYA YANG
ReportingA federal judge has ordered the release of hundreds of people who were arrested over the last few months in the Chicago area amid the Trump administration's aggressive immigration raids across the city. On Wednesday, U.S. district judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered the justice department to produce a list showing which of the 615 possible class members are still in custody by 19 November, the Chicago Tribune reports. According to Cummings, he would allow the members' release on a $1,500 bond as long as they have no criminal history or prior removal order. The ACLU of Illinois said that the order will mean the immediate release of 13 people who have been detained by federal officials. As part of Wednesday's order, Cummings also prohibited the government from pressuring detainees to agree to voluntary deportation while their cases are pending, the Chicago Tribune added.
Atlanta Fed Chair Steps Down as Trump Attacks Central Bank's IndependenceThe Guardian
CALLUM JONES
ReportingThe head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta announced plans to step down amid an extraordinary campaign by Donald Trump to exert influence over the U.S. central bank. Raphael W Bostic, president of the Atlanta Fed, will retire from the role in February -- creating another vacancy on the Fed's powerful policy committee. As Trump continues to demand interest rate cuts and even target some Fed officials, Bostic is the latest senior figure to depart. After Adriana Kugler resigned in August from the Fed's board of governors, Trump replaced her on interim basis with Stephen Miran, one of his top advisers. The U.S. president will not pick Bostic's successor, however. The Atlanta Fed will now conduct a nationwide search for its next president.
Mike Johnson to Swear in Democrat Who Could Force Epstein Vote After Weeks-Long StandoffThe Guardian
JOSEPH GEDEON
ReportingMike Johnson, the U.S. House speaker, is expected to swear in Democratic representative-elect Adelita Grijalva on Wednesday afternoon, ending a seven-week standoff that prevented the incoming Arizona legislator from taking her congressional seat. Johnson's office announced Grijalva will take the oath of office at approximately 4pm EST on the House floor, ahead of a vote to reopen the federal government. The ceremony comes 49 days after Grijalva won a late September special election to succeed her father, longtime congressman Raúl Grijalva, who died in March. Her arrival does more than narrow the already razor-thin Republican majority. She has vowed to become the 218th and final signature on a discharge petition that would automatically trigger a House floor vote on legislation demanding the Justice Department release additional files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Already on Wednesday morning, House oversight Democrats released "never-before-seen" Epstein emails that mention Trump, including a 2011 message to Ghislaine Maxwell in which Epstein wrote that Trump "spent hours at my house" with a sex trafficking victim, calling Trump a "dog that hasn't barked."
Three Bob Ross Paintings Sell for $600,000 to Support Public BroadcastersThe New York Times
JIN YU YOUNG
ReportingThree Bob Ross paintings sold at auction in Los Angeles for over $600,000 on Tuesday, the first of 30 canvases by the artist and television host to be sold as part of a campaign to help public broadcasters across the United States weather federal funding cuts. The sales were announced by Bonhams, the auction house that hosted the auction. It plans to sell the other 27 paintings at several auctions next year in Boston, New York and Los Angeles. The proceeds will benefit public television stations across the country that have been grappling with the Trump administration's cancellation of $1.1 billion in funding for public media.
The I.R.S. Tried to Stop This Tax Dodge. Scott Bessent Used It Anyway.The New York Times
ANDREW DUEHREN
ReportingLike many firms on Wall Street, Bessent's hedge fund, Key Square Capital Management, was set up as a limited partnership. Through that structure, Bessent avoided paying roughly $910,000 in Medicare taxes on money he made running his hedge fund in 2021, 2022 and 2023, according to a memorandum prepared by Democratic Senate staff for Bessent's confirmation hearing in January. The memo, viewed by The New York Times, was based on a review of Bessent's tax returns and also indicated that Bessent paid Social Security taxes in full. Bessent has stood by the tax maneuver. During his confirmation process to lead the Treasury Department, which oversees the I.R.S., Bessent said he would not follow the I.R.S. position that limited partners like him owed those self-employment taxes. Instead, he said he wanted to see how ongoing legal challenges would pan out.
By Not Funding Food Stamps, Trump Risks Lasting Damage to Safety NetThe New York Times
TONY ROMM
ReportingWith the federal government set to reopen, monthly benefits will soon flow again to the roughly 42 million low-income Americans who rely on Washington to purchase groceries. But the damage wrought by days of delays, in a crisis that President Trump had refused to resolve, is likely to prove longer lasting. For the poorest Americans, the expected end to the longest shutdown in U.S. history has done little to quell their doubt and anxiety, leaving their faith shaken in the food stamp program and in the reliability of the federal government to serve as a social safety net. Never before had there been such an interruption to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, a decades-old initiative that serves about one in eight Americans.
Immigration Is a Key Issue at This Week's U.S. Conference of Catholic BishopsNPR Morning Edition
ALEJA HERTZLER-MCCAIN
ReportingThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in Baltimore this week to elect a new leader and renew their commitment to advocate on behalf of migrants in the U.S.
At COP30, California Governor Newsom Blasts Trump for 'Dumb' U.S. Climate PolicyReuters
VALERIE VOLCOVICI
ReportingCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom assured an audience at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil that his state would continue to prioritize green technology, while blasting U.S. President Donald Trump's "dumb" decision to reverse the federal government's course on climate action. Newsom, widely considered a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, also sounded alarm bells at the Republican Trump's policies, calling them threats to rule of law and democracy. Making several appearances at the annual climate summit on Tuesday in the Amazonian city of Belem, Newsom took every opportunity to slam Trump's attacks on the fast-growing clean energy economy. He said Republicans were ceding the fast-growth market to China, which "will dominate in the next great global industry.... The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic, but the state of California is not. And so we are going to assert ourselves, we're going to lean in and we are going to compete in this space."
Venezuelan Military Preparing Guerrilla Response in Case of U.S. AttackReuters
STAFF
ReportingVenezuela is deploying weapons, including decades-old Russian-made equipment and is planning to mount a guerrilla-style resistance or sow chaos in the event of a U.S. air or ground attack, according to sources with knowledge of the efforts and planning documents seen by Reuters. The approach is a tacit admission of the South American country's shortage of personnel and equipment. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of ground operations in Venezuela, saying "the land is going to be next" following multiple strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and a large U.S. military build-up in the region. He later denied he was considering strikes inside Venezuela.
Poll: What Americans Think About Trump's Management of the GovernmentThe Associated Press
JILL COLVIN
LINLEY SANDERS
ReportingApproval of the way President Donald Trump is managing the government has dropped sharply since early in his second term, according to a new AP-NORC poll, with much of the rising discontent coming from fellow Republicans. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research was conducted after Democrats' recent victories in off-year elections but before Congress took major steps to try to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It shows that only 33 percent of U.S. adults approve of the way the Republican president is managing the government, down from 43 percent in an AP-NORC poll from March. That was driven in large part by a decline in approval among Republicans and independents. According to the survey, only about two-thirds of Republicans, 68 percent, said they approve of Trump's government management, down from 81 percent in March. Independents' approval dropped from 38 percent to 25 percent.
WWII Nurses Who Dodged Bullets and Saved Lives Deserve Congressional Honor, Lawmakers SayThe Associated Press
JANIE HAR
ReportingEighty years after the war ended, a coalition of retired military nurses and others is campaigning to award one of the nation's highest civilian honors, the Congressional Gold Medal, to all nurses who served in WWII. Other groups, such as the Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII and the real-life Rosie the Riveters, have already received the honor. "The general public doesn't often recognize, I think, the contribution that the nurses have made in pretty much every war," said Patricia Upah, a retired colonel who served as an Army nurse in conflicts abroad and whose late mother was also a Army nurse in the South Pacific in World War II.
Federal Judge, Warning of 'Existential Threat' to Democracy, ResignsThe New York Times
MATTATHIAS SCHWARTZ
ReportingA federal judge warned of an "existential threat to democracy" in a searing first-person essay published on Sunday, saying he had stepped down from the bench to speak out against President Trump. He accused Trump of "using the law for partisan purposes, targeting his adversaries while sparing his friends and donors from investigation, prosecution and possible punishment." The judge, Mark L. Wolf, wrote in The Atlantic magazine that Trump's actions were "contrary to everything that I have stood for in my more than 50 years in the Department of Justice and on the bench."
Former Sec. Of State John Kerry Reflects on the U.S. Skipping UN Climate TalksAll Things Considered
AILSA CHANG
ReportingNPR's Ailsa Chang talks with former Secretary of State John Kerry about the COP30 climate talks in Brazil and what it means to have the U.S., one of the biggest climate polluters, largely sitting on the sidelines.
In an Encrypted Group Chat, National Guard Members Question Trump DeploymentsAll Things Considered
KAT LONSDORFAS
ReportingAs President Trump calls for National Guard deployments across the U.S., a small contingent of Ohio guard members has been quietly expressing concern in an encrypted group chat. "I really went to a dark place when they sent the troops to [Los Angeles] and then eventually [Washington, D.C.] and now, Chicago. This is just not what any of us signed up for and it's so out of the scope of normal operations," says J, a member of the Ohio National Guard who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity. "I have been on two humanitarian-esque missions with the guard, which were awesome, doing the things you see on the commercial, helping these communities," says J. "And then you want me to go pick up trash and dissuade homeless people in D.C. at gunpoint. Like, no dude. It's so disheartening every time I see another city -- and I just wonder, 'who's going to stand up to this?'" It's a sentiment that's building with guard members elsewhere.
The FDA Removes a Long-Standing Warning From Hormone-Based Menopause DrugsThe Associated Press
MATTHEW PERRONE
ReportingHormone-based drugs used to treat hot flashes and other menopause symptoms will no longer carry a bold warning label about stroke, heart attack, dementia and other serious risks, the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. Trump health officials said they will remove the boxed warning from more than 20 pills, patches and creams containing hormones like estrogen and progestin, which are approved to ease disruptive symptoms like night sweats. The 22-year-old FDA warning advised doctors that hormone therapy increases the risk of blood clots, heart problems and other health issues, citing data from an influential study published more than 20 years ago.
SNAP Recipients Feel Whiplash as Shutdown Deal Uncertainty Clouds Food AidNPR Morning Edition
TOVIA SMITH
LEILA FADEL
ReportingAs lawmakers debate a shutdown deal, SNAP recipients continue to face confusion and delays, with aid caught in uncertainty and legal wrangling since funds ran out.
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Call to Overturn Decision Legalizing Same-Sex MarriageThe Guardian
The Associated Press
The supreme court on Monday rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the high court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v Hodges. Davis had been trying to get the court to overturn a lower-court order for her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney's fees to a couple denied a marriage license. Her lawyers repeatedly invoked the words of Justice Clarence Thomas, who alone among the nine justices has called for erasing the same-sex marriage ruling.
Trump Pardons Giuliani, Others Accused of Seeking to Overturn His 2020 DefeatReuters
STAFF
ReportingPresident Trump has pardoned Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and dozens of other allies accused of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss, a U.S. Justice Department official said on Monday, in a largely symbolic move that does not apply to any state charges. Trump, in a proclamation dated Friday, said the move would end "a grave national injustice" and "continue the process of national reconciliation," according to a document posted on X by Ed Martin, who oversees the department's weaponization group that was set up to look into improper politically motivated cases. The Justice Department had been investigating a plan by Trump and his supporters to submit alternative slates of state electors to reverse President Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 presidential election. After Trump won a second term, none of the fake electors nor Trump's lawyers were charged by federal prosecutors.
U.S. Senate Advances Bill to End Federal ShutdownReuters
DAVID MORGAN
NATHAN LAYNE
ReportingThe U.S. Senate on Sunday moved forward on a measure aimed at reopening the federal government and ending a now 40-day shutdown that has sidelined federal workers, delayed food aid and snarled air travel. In a procedural vote, senators advanced a House-passed bill that will be amended to fund the government until Jan. 30 and include a package of three full-year appropriations bills. Under a deal struck with a handful of Democrats who rebuffed their party's leadership, Republicans agreed to a vote in December on extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Trump Administration Renews Supreme Court Appeal to Keep Full SNAP Payments FrozenThe Associated Press
DAVID A. LIEB
GEOFF MULVIHILL
ReportingPresident Trump's administration returned to the Supreme Court on Monday in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down. The request is the latest in a flurry of legal activity over how a program that helps buy groceries for 42 million Americans should proceed during the historic U.S. government shutdown. Lower courts have ruled that the government must keep full payments flowing and the Supreme Court asked the administration to respond after an appeals court ruled against it again late Sunday. Solicitor General D. John Sauer confirmed that the federal government still wants those lower-court orders put on hold, though in a letter to the justices he also pointed to reports that Congress could soon end the shutdown with a compromise that would fund SNAP.
Trump Administration Officials Demand States 'Undo' Work to Send Full Food StampsThe New York Times
TONY ROMM
ReportingThe Trump administration told states that they must "immediately undo" any actions to provide full food stamp benefits to low-income families, in a move that added to the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the nation's largest anti-hunger program during the government shutdown. The Agriculture Department issued the command in a late-night Saturday memo, viewed later by The New York Times. That guidance threatened to impose financial penalties on states that did not "comply" quickly with the government's new orders. The Agriculture Department did not respond to a request for comment. The White House budget office also did not respond.
U.S. Judge Bars Education Department Emails Blaming Shutdown on DemocratsReuters
DANIEL WIESSNER
ReportingA federal judge ruled on Friday that President Trump's administration violated the free-speech rights of furloughed U.S. Department of Education employees by altering their out-of-office email messages to blame "Democrat Senators" for the ongoing government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., said that nonpartisanship is the foundation of government service and commandeering Education Department employees' email accounts to broadcast a partisan message erodes it. "Political officials are free to blame whomever they wish for the shutdown, but they cannot use rank-and-file civil servants as their unwilling spokespeople," wrote Cooper, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama.
Trump's Assault on Voting Intensifies as Midterms Loom:'a Wholesale Attack on Free and Fair Elections'The Guardian
ANDREW GUMBEL
ReportingA year out from the 2026 midterms, with Republicans feeling the blows from a string of losses in this week's elections, Donald Trump and his allies are mounting a multipronged attack on almost every aspect of voting in the United States. Most visibly, Trump is pressuring Republican-run states to redraw their congressional maps outside the usual once-a-decade schedule and lock in as many additional safe Republican seats as possible. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has abandoned its decades-long defense of voting rights and in some instances -- notably, a pending supreme court case that risks erasing a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act -- has switched to the side arguing against protecting minority rights. The Department of Homeland Security has slashed funding and cut staff at an agency dedicated to protecting elections from physical and cybersecurity threats. The administration is also demanding states hand over sensitive voter data and purge voter rolls, despite grave concerns about this deterring or disenfranchising large numbers of legitimate voters. If Democrats still threaten to prevail next year, the administration has a multi-agency infrastructure set up to trumpet allegations of voter fraud and threaten legal action, including possible criminal prosecution of poll workers, election administrators, political adversaries and individual voters.
Politics Chat: Democrats Win Big in Elections, Record-Breaking Shutdown ContinuesNPR Weekend Edition
AYESHA RASCOE
TAMARA KEITH
ReportingIt's the 40th day of the government shutdown and stressors are evident from food banks to airports. After last week's election day wins for Democrats, is any resolution in sight?
Social Divisions Are Making Americans Feel Stressed and LonelyNPR Weekend Edition
RHITU CHATTERJEE
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingA new survey asked adults about social divisions. Those who found them to be a significant source of stress were more likely to say they felt isolated and left out.
Biden Warns of a 'Very, Very Dark Moment' as He Hits Out at TrumpThe New York Times
REID J. EPSTEIN
ReportingFormer President Joseph R. Biden Jr. lashed out on Friday at his successor, delivering an impassioned address in which he warned that the country was in a "very, very dark moment" and said President Trump had acted "in a way that embarrasses us as a nation." Biden, speaking at a Nebraska Democratic Party fund-raising dinner in Omaha, condemned Trump for "deliberately making hunger worse for America" and accused him of taking a "wrecking ball" to the White House, the Constitution and the rule of law while enriching his own family. "The American people are sending a message, are sending the message -- message to Trump and to his crowd," Biden said, at times shouting or meandering as he often did during the later years of his presidency. "I just want you to know, you work for us, President. We don't work for you."
Judge Permanently Blocks National Guard Deployments to Portland for ICE ProtestsThe New York Times
ANNA GRIFFIN
ReportingPresident Trump overstepped his authority when he sought to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Ore., to protect the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office there, a federal judge ruled on Friday, issuing a permanent block on troop deployments to the city in response to anti-ICE demonstrations. Judge Karin J. Immergut of U.S. District Court, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, had previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking the president's order federalizing National Guard soldiers in Oregon in a lawsuit that was brought by the States of Oregon and California and the City of Portland. In her final 106-page ruling, Judge Immergut rejected arguments from government lawyers that protests at the ICE building made it impossible for federal officers to carry out immigration enforcement, represented a rebellion or raised the threat of rebellion. She also found that the attempt to use National Guard soldiers in Oregon had violated the U.S. Constitution's 10th Amendment, which gives states any powers not expressly assigned to the federal government.
The Impact of Losing SNAP Benefits and a Head Start School Closure on This GrandmotherNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingNPR's Scott Simon speaks with Nicole Hines of Davenport, Iowa, about how the loss of SNAP benefits and the closure of a Head Start school that her granddaughter attended are affecting her life.
ICE Crackdown in Chicago Causes Many Immigrants to Alter Routines, Even Missing ChurchNPR Weekend Edition
ADORA NAMIGADDE
ALEJA HERTZLER-MCCAIN
ReportingSince increased immigration enforcement actions began in Chicago, some Latino migrants there say they've been avoiding church out of fear of ICE arrests. But others say they're willing to take the risk to practice their faith.
A Closer Look at Trump's Tariffs, the Impact and Who's Paying ThemNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
JULIANNA KING
ReportingThe Supreme Court is considering Trump's sweeping tariffs. Those tariffs are helping drive up prices, from coffee to furniture and voters say the economy played a major role in this week's elections.
Week in Politics: This Week's Elections; SCOTUS and Trump Tariffs; Shutdown UpdateNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
RON ELVING
ReportingWe look at what Tuesday's vote means to both parties and how the Supreme Court is looking at President Trump's tariffs. We also look ahead to what's next in the shutdown.
Supreme Court Issues Emergency Order to Block Full SNAP Food Aid PaymentsThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingThe Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration's emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown, even though residents in some states already have received the funds. A judge had given the Republican administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund and instead allow it to continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month. After a Boston appeals court declined to immediately intervene, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an order late Friday pausing the requirement to distribute full SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause. Jackson handles emergency matters from Massachusetts. Her order will remain in place until 48 hours after the appeals court rules, giving the administration time to return to the Supreme Court if the appeals court refuses to step in.
In New Book, Michael McFaul Explores the Global Fight Between Autocracy and DemocracyPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingThe former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, has been analyzing the rise of autocracies and the threats they pose to democracy for decades. Amna Nawaz sat down with McFaul to discuss his new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder.
With Government Jobs Report Delayed, What Other Data Reveals About the EconomyPBS News Hour
PAUL SOLMAN
ReportingThe labor market may not be cratering, but it does not look very strong. This week, a private report found 42,000 new jobs were created last month. Then, a separate report found more than 150,000 jobs were cut in October -- the highest in over two decades. Paul Solman takes a look at the official numbers from the government and the questions over whether the measurements are outdated.
As Millions Struggle With SNAP Lapses, Food Banks Are Swamped With DemandAll Things Considered
TOVIA SMITH
ReportingNovember is peak season for food banks and pantries -- in a normal year. But this year, since SNAP food assistance has lapsed for 42 million Americans, the pressure on pantries is next-level. "Welcome to the madness," says Operations Manager Elaina Schreckenberger, at the ABCD Allston/Brighton Neighborhood Opportunity Center Food Pantry, where staff are scrambling to keep up with the steady flow of people at the front door. As anxiety and demand have been mounting, staff at the ABCD pantry are already having to tell some people it's a two-week wait to get food. "It's painful when someone comes in and we have to say, 'I just don't have anything for you today,'" says the pantry's client advocate, Juliet Smith. "We've never had to do that before. Never."
U.S. Airlines Cancel 1,000 Flights While Complying With Shutdown OrderThe Associated Press
JOSH FUNK
RIO YAMAT
ReportingAnxious travelers across the U.S. felt a bit of relief Friday as airlines mostly stayed on schedule while still cutting more than 1,000 flights largely because of the government shutdown. Plenty of nervousness remained, though, as more canceled flights are coming over the next week to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce service at the nation's busiest airports. The order is in response to air traffic controllers -- who haven't been paid in nearly a month as the shutdown drags on -- calling out of work in higher numbers as they deal with financial pressure. While it's left some passengers making backup plans and reserving rental cars, the flights canceled Friday represented just a small portion of overall flights nationwide. Passengers still faced last-minute cancellations and long security lines at the 40 airports targeted by the slowdown including major hubs in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Trump Admin Asks Supreme Court to Halt Order Providing Full SNAP PaymentsThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingResidents in some U.S. states began to receive their full SNAP food aid Friday as an appeals court left in place, for now, an order requiring President Donald Trump's administration to fund such benefits amid a U.S. government shutdown. A judge had given the Republican administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the administration asked the appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund and instead allow it to continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month. After the appeals court declined to do so, the Trump administration quickly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up its request.
The Jobs Report Is Canceled. Here's What Private Data Shows.The New York Times
BEN CASSELMAN
ReportingJob growth has remained weak this fall, but despite a series of high-profile layoffs at major corporations, the labor market has not taken a sharp turn for the worse. Probably. With the federal government still shut down, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will not release its monthly jobs report on Friday, the second missed report in a row. Economists and policymakers haven't had an official read on the state of the labor market since August, the longest such data blackout on record. But state governments have continued to publish weekly data on applications for unemployment benefits and a variety of private companies release figures on job openings, hiring, wages and other topics based on surveys and data from their customers. "I don't know that I would characterize the labor market as stable," said Lisa Simon, chief economist at Revelio Labs. "I think we're standing on the edge of a cliff and we're slowly starting to slip down."
Hegseth Is Purging Military Leaders With Little ExplanationThe New York Times
GREG J.å SCHMITT
HELENE COOPER
ReportingDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or sidelined at least two dozen generals and admirals over the past nine months in a series of ousters that could reshape the U.S. military for years to come. His actions, which are without precedent in recent decades, have come with little explanation. In many cases, they have run counter to the advice of top military leaders who fought alongside the officers in combat, senior military officials said. The utter unpredictability of Hegseth's moves, as described in interviews with 20 current and former military officials, has created an atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust that has forced senior officers to take sides and, at times, pitted them against one another. "The message being sent to those younger soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines is that politics can and should be part of your military service," said Representative Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado and a former Army Ranger. "It's a dangerous message."
Man Charged With Throwing His Sandwich at a Federal Officer in D.C. Found Not GuiltyNPR Morning Edition
CARRIE JOHNSON
ReportingA jury has acquitted the man charged with assault for throwing his hoagie at a federal officer.
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Prohibit Gender Election on PassportsNPR Morning Edition
NINA TOTENBERG
ALYSSA KAPASI
ReportingThe U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed President Trump to proceed with his plan to require that passport applicants list their sex as what was designated on their birth certificate. The court's decision overturns a lower court order pausing Trump's policy and allowing applicants to choose for themselves whether they would like to identify with an M for male, F for female or an X for neither. The vote was 6-3 along ideological lines. Male and female sex markers began to be listed on passports in 1976. The government has allowed citizens for over 30 years to request a passport that reflects their gender identity instead of the sex listed on a birth certificate. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the dissent, which was joined by the court's two other liberals. She called the order a "pointless but painful perversion of our equitable discretion." "This Court has once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really, any) justification," she wrote.
Trump Has Accused Boat Crews of Being Narco-Terrorists. The Truth, AP Found, Is More NuancedThe Associated Press
R. GARCIA CANO
ReportingOne was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was a down-on-his-luck bus driver. The men had little in common beyond their Venezuelan seaside hometowns and the fact all four were among the more than 60 people killed since early September when the U.S. military began attacking boats that the Trump administration alleges were smuggling drugs. President Trump and top U.S. officials have alleged the craft were being operated by narco-terrorists and cartel members bound with deadly drugs for American communities. The Associated Press learned the identities of four of the men -- and pieced together details about at least five others -- who were slain, providing the first comprehensive account of those who died in the strikes. Residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang. Most of them were crewing such craft for the first or second time, making at least $500 per trip. They were laborers, a fisherman, a motorcycle taxi driver. Two were low-level career criminals. One was a well-known local crime boss who contracted out his smuggling services to traffickers.
These Are the Airports That Will Reduce Flights During the Government ShutdownThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingThe Federal Aviation Administration is forcing airlines to cut 10 percent of their flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the nation to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers during the ongoing government shutdown and ensure that flying remains safe. The cuts will start to take effect on Friday. Travelers should check with their airlines to see if their flight has been cut. [List follows.]
Trump Administration Seeks to Halt SNAP Food Aid Payments After a Court OrderThe Associated Press
DAVID A. LIEB
MICHAEL CASEY
SCOTT BAUER
ReportingThe Trump's administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block a judge's order that it distribute November's full monthly SNAP benefits amid a U.S. government shutdown, even as at least some states said they were moving quickly to get the money to people. U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. had given Trump's administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the administration asked the appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund. The court filing came even as Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' spokesperson Britt Cudaback said on Friday that some SNAP recipients in the state already had received their full November payments overnight on Thursday. The court wrangling prolonged weeks of uncertainty for the food program that serves about 1 in 8 a.m.ericans, mostly with lower incomes.
Federal Judge Sharply Criticizes Immigration Crackdown Tactics in ChicagoPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingA federal judge in Chicago issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics, saying federal officers used force against protesters and members of the media that "shocks the conscience." Amna Nawaz discussed the immigration crackdown in the city with Heather Cherone of WTTW, Chicago's PBS station.
Travelers Brace for Major Disruptions as FAA Cuts Air Traffic Amid ShutdownPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingThe FAA laid out a plan to cut as much as 10 percent percent of flights operating out of 40 major airports. Airlines already pre-emptively cancelled hundreds of flights in response. The Trump administration said the move was triggered by the government shutdown, as air traffic controllers working without pay have been calling in sick. Amna Nawaz discussed more with David Shepardson of Reuters News.
'She Was Fearless From the Start,' Says Nancy Pelosi BiographerAll Things Considered
SUSAN PAGE
AuthorNPR's Juana Summers talks with Susan Page, the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power about Pelosi's legacy, following the congresswoman's decision not to seek reelection.
How an Enduring Debate Over Health Care Sparked a Now Record-Long ShutdownAll Things Considered
SAM GRINGLAS
ReportingThe government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. The ongoing 36-day closure has sparked disputes over a range of topics -- from the separation of powers and the federal workforce, to food assistance and air traffic control. But at the heart of the impasse is a debate about health care, specifically expiring subsidies for health insurance premiums purchased on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Federal Judge Orders Full Funding of SNAP BenefitsAll Things Considered
JENNIFER LUDDEN
ReportingA Rhode Island federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to find enough money to restore full funding for SNAP benefits by Friday.
Subway Sandwich Thrower Found Not Guilty in D.C. Jury RebukeAll Things Considered
CARRIE JOHNSON
ReportingNot guilty. That was the finding of a jury on Thursday in the case of a man charged with assault for throwing his hoagie at a federal officer in Washington, D.C. The jury's conclusion came after about seven hours of deliberations. The case of the Subway sandwich has come to symbolize how many in the nation's capital feel about the Trump administration's surge of federal law enforcement to the city.
Judges Hear Cases on Chicago ICE Detention Center and Agents' Use of Force This WeekNPR Morning Edition
JON SEIDEL
ReportingTwo cases involving ICE are in court in Chicago this week. In one, a judge ordered conditions at a detention facility be improved while a ruling is still expected in a case over agents' use of force.
With Social Safety Nets Cut, Americans in Rural Areas Look for Ways to CopeNPR Morning Edition
EMILY RUSSELL
ReportingMillions of Americans rely on federal subsidies and programs to make ends meet. But the shutdown and other cuts have them looking elsewhere for help. Here's how residents in rural New York are coping.
Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., Talks About a Bipartisan Proposal to End the ShutdownNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks to Republican Congressman Jeff Hurd of Colorado about his work on a bipartisan "statement of principles" to extend subsidies for Obamacare and end the government shutdown.
Most Major U.S. Airports Are Among 40 Targeted by Shutdown-Related Flight CutsThe Associated Press
JOSH FUNK
RIO YAMAT
ReportingAirports in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago along with hubs across the U.S. are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Friday due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press. The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday it would reduce air traffic by 10 percent across 40 "high-volume" markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown. The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling off work.
Nancy Pelosi Retiring After 38 Years Representing San Francisco in CongressKQED News
SCOTT SHAFER
ReportingFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Congress for 38 years, announced Thursday morning that she will not seek reelection. Pelosi delivered the news in a video message framed as a "Dear San Francisco" letter, reflecting on the city's progress and challenges. "San Francisco -- know your power," she said. "We have made history. We have always led the way. And now we must continue to do so. By remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear."
Tariffs Aren't a Presidential Power, Says California Attorney GeneralAll Things Considered
JUANA SUMMERS
ReportingNPR's Juana Summers talks with California AG Rob Bonta about tariffs arguments at the Supreme Court, presidential power and the legal fights California is waging against the Trump administration.
A Deep Dive Into the Trump Administration's Firing of Immigration JudgesAll Things Considered
XIMENA BUSTILLO
ReportingThe Trump administration is firing scores of immigration judges and bringing on dozens of others, as it seeks to boost mass deportations. NPR analyzed patterns in hiring and firing.
NPR Fact Checks Kristi Noem on ICE Detaining U.S. CitizensAll Things Considered
ADRIAN FLORIDO
ReportingU.S. citizens were restrained, questioned and in some cases held for days in ways that conflict with the government's public assurances.
Judge in Comey Case Scolds Prosecutors as He Orders Them to Produce Records From ProbeThe Associated Press
ERIC TUCKER
ReportingA federal judge on Wednesday ordered prosecutors in the criminal case of former FBI Director James Comey to produce a trove of materials from the investigation, saying he was concerned that the Justice Department's position had been to "indict first and investigate later." Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick instructed prosecutors to produce by the end of the day on Thursday grand jury materials as well as other evidence that investigators seized during the investigation. The order followed arguments in which Comey's attorneys said they were at a disadvantage because they had not been able to review materials that were gathered years ago.
Tune in to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The Justices Will Be Squirming.The New York Times
LINDA GREENHOUSE
Guest EssayFor those of us who turn to the Supreme Court these days with a sense of foreboding, Wednesday morning's argument on the legality of President Trump's tariffs may offer temporary relief. Listening to it might even be fun. Where does the fun come in? If it comes, it will be from watching the conservative justices struggle to reconcile their deference to the president -- abundantly apparent in recent months from their multiple unsigned and unexplained orders giving him nearly everything he wanted -- with the method they embrace in other contexts for interpreting statutes. Inconveniently for these justices, deference and law in this case are quite clearly pulling in opposite directions and the conservatives may have to twist themselves into knots in the effort to reconcile them.
SCOTUS to Hear Challenge on Trump Tariffs. The Case Could Redefine Presidential PowerNPR Morning Edition
NINA TOTENBERG
ReportingThe Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case challenging President Trump's tariffs. The issue could have profound consequences for the country, as well as the presidency.
California Voters Approve Ballot Measure to Redraw the State's Congressional MapNPR Morning Edition
LAURA FITZGERALD
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingCalifornia voters easily approved Proposition 50, a ballot measure to redraw the state's congressional map to favor Democrats and counter Trump-backed redistricting in Texas.
Analyst Larry Sabato Talks About Tuesday's Election Results and What They MeanNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel discusses the issues and influences that defined Tuesday's election wins and losses with University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato.
Democrats Had a Big Night. Here Are Five Takeaways From the 2025 ElectionsNPR Morning Edition
DOMENICO MONTANARO
ReportingOne thing was clear -- it was a big night for Democrats. Up and down the ballot, Democrats did well. That was true whether it was the marquee governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey, where Democrats significantly outperformed 2024 presidential election margins or even less-closely-watched races like the Virginia House of Delegates, the state supreme court in Pennsylvania and even Georgia Public Service Commission. And the outcomes very well may have consequences in the near term, for things like the federal government shutdown, in the medium term for the 2026 midterm elections and in the longer term for 2028.
Democrats Sweep Key Races Across the CountryNPR Morning Edition
STAFF
ReportingDemocrats celebrated major victories in key races across the country Tuesday night, winning gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as New York City's closely watched mayoral race.
The Tragedy of Dick CheneyThe New York Times
RON SUSKIND
Guest EssayDick Cheney is now gone, but we will be living with his legacy for a long time to come. He wrote a playbook of how to exercise executive authority beyond constitutional boundaries and the rule of law. Donald Trump has added pages and is working on a sequel. It was Vice President Cheney, guiding his under-experienced boss, George W. Bush, who brought unitary executive theory into view. Operating out of a parallel executive office, staffed with people loyal to Cheney directly, he unleashed the war on terror, justifying brutal new tactics, an ill-conceived invasion and a system of mass domestic surveillance. He declared his priorities to be national emergencies, obviating the need to work within the structures of democratic power. He went after those -- Colin Powell, Christine Todd Whitman, Paul O'Neill -- who stood in his path. And he prioritized the bank accounts of the wealthy by supporting tax cuts in wartime against the strongest of warnings. Disastrous as those all actions were, Trump has undertaken even more significant expansions of power and illegality, often under even more dubious claims of emergency. Basically, it's the war on terror model without the war. Cheney made it possible.
Republicans Reprise Unfounded Claims of Widespread Election InterferenceThe New York Times
STEVEN LEE MYERS
ReportingProminent conservatives, including the president, sounded familiar alarms about voter suppression and other efforts to manipulate the vote on Election Day, without presenting evidence.
As L.A. Counts Ballots in a Glass Room, Officials Invite Anyone to WatchThe New York Times
SHAWN HUBLER
ReportingAs California vote counts go, this year should be a snoozer. The ballot has only one question, on whether to authorize the legislature to redraw the state's congressional districts and polls have been forecasting an easy passage for months. In the sprawling facility where Los Angeles County processes its ballots, however, the floor was alive with watchful eyes on Tuesday -- the result of an announcement that the Trump administration had dispatched monitors from the Department of Justice to observe the vote count. The public has long been welcome to watch the ballot counting process. But the Justice Department's announcement spurred fresh interest in observing the count among political activists and public officials, as well as among Democrats hoping to monitor the Republican monitors.
New Book 'Injustice' Explores Trump's Decade-Long Effort to Politicize DOJPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingIn their new book, Pulitzer Prize -- winning journalists Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis offer an investigation into the unraveling of the U.S. Justice Department. They reveal how, under Donald Trump, the nation's top law enforcement agency was transformed from an institution built to protect the rule of law into one pressured to protect the president. They joined Geoff Bennett to discuss "Injustice."
Trump Administration Says It Will Distribute Partial SNAP PaymentsNPR Morning Edition
JENNIFER LUDDEN
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingThe Trump administration says it will use a $4.5 billion in contingency funds to cover partial SNAP payments for November, but it might take weeks or months for some recipients to get their money.
Some Lawmakers Are Worried That Trump Is Dragging the U.S. Into War With VenezuelaAll Things Considered
MICHELE KELEMEN
ReportingPresident Trump is escalating boat strikes near Venezuela without ruling out hitting targets in the country. Lawmakers are warning the U.S. may be drifting toward war without a clear justification.
Lawsuit: Public Workers Could Be Denied Loan Forgiveness if Cities Defy TrumpAll Things Considered
CORY TURNER
ReportingThe cities of Albuquerque, N.M., Boston, Chicago and San Francisco are suing the Trump administration over changes it plans to make to the popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Effective July 1, 2026, the Department of Education says the change will allow it to deny loan forgiveness to workers whose government or nonprofit employers engage in activities with a "substantial illegal purpose." The job of defining "substantial illegal purpose" will fall not to the courts but to the education secretary. The plaintiffs fear that a city or county government's resistance to the administration's immigration actions, for example, or anti-DEI policies, could lead the secretary to exclude that government's public workers from loan forgiveness. They worry that a local nurse or first responder could be denied loan forgiveness because their local leaders defied the Trump administration.
Republicans Still Don't Like Obamacare, but Some Want Its Subsidies ExtendedAll Things Considered
SAM GRINGLAS
ReportingAt the heart of the government shutdown is a debate about expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. Republicans in Congress detest the ACA, but some have now accepted that it's here to stay.
Jack Smith, Trump's Target, Shifts From Defense to CounterattackThe New York Times
GLENN THRUSH
ReportingPresident Trump's unrelenting fast-track drive to humiliate, investigate and prosecute the people he hates has gained momentum, in part, because his targets have not been in a position to inflict serious retributive pain on him. Jack Smith is different. Smith, the special counsel who twice indicted Trump, appears unintimidated by the president's demand that Republican lawmakers investigate him and that the Justice Department put him in prison for as-yet unproved and unspecified crimes. Quite the opposite, in fact. Smith, who spent more than two years aggressively collecting evidence to prove Trump mishandled classified documents and tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election, appears eager to publicly challenge a foundational pillar of MAGA canon: that the president was a sinned-upon innocent who did nothing to deserve scrutiny, much less two prosecutions. Smith has told people in his orbit that he welcomes the opportunity to present the public case against Trump denied to him by the Supreme Court decision asserting broad presidential immunity from prosecution and adverse rulings from a Trump-appointed judge on the federal bench in Florida.
SNAP Recipients Share Their Fear and Confusion After Shutdown Cuts Off BenefitsNPR Morning Edition
STAFF
ReportingAs many states rush to fill the gaps left by the shutdown-related pause in food assistance benefits, SNAP recipients express anxiety and confusion.
A Judge Says the Trump Administration Has to Fund SNAP. What Happens NextNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Cindy Long, a former administrator of the USDA's SNAP program, what recent court rulings mean for the millions of Americans waiting for funds to buy groceries.
yTimeline for Restoration of SNAP Benefits Unclear as Millions of Recipients ScrambleNPR Morning Edition
JOE HERNANDEZ
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingThe national food aid program known as SNAP ran out of federal money Saturday due to the government shutdown, leaving the millions of Americans who rely on those benefits to buy food scrambling.
yICE Seizing Migrants From County Jails, Raising Due Process ConcernsNPR Morning Edition
MOSE BUCHELE
ReportingIn some parts of the U.S., ICE agents are seizing people directly from county jails to take into immigration custody. The tactic has raised concerns over due process.
Anger Over ICE Raids Is Driving Some Latino Voters to the PollsThe New York Times
STAFF
ReportingElections on Tuesday in California, New Jersey and other states are unfolding as the Trump administration's immigration raids have spread fear in Latino communities across the country. That fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity has become an X factor in next week's elections. Democratic officials and Latino voting-rights activists worry that the ICE crackdown will dampen Latino turnout and that the presence of Justice Department election monitors at polling sites in California and New Jersey will intimidate voters. Voter data of the turnout so far in California, New Jersey and Virginia shows that Latino participation is roughly on pace with past elections. And for some Latino voters, the Trump administration's escalation of force appears to be not a deterrent to casting a ballot but a motivation.
California Voters Weigh in on Redrawing the State's Congressional MapNPR Weekend Edition
ASHLEY LOPEZ
ReportingVoters in California are weighing whether to allow Democratic state leaders to redraw the state's Congressional map to offset Republicans' redraw in Texas.
Obama Criticizes Trump and Republican Policy in Stump Speech for Abigail SpanbergerThe Guardian
ERIC BERGER
ReportingFormer President Barack Obama headlined a rally Saturday in Virginia to try to secure a victory for the state's Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who leads in polls days before the election. Obama moved between criticizing Donald Trump and Republican policy and rhetoric -- with a bit of humor -- while also explaining how Abigail Spanberger could help counter what Democrats see as the country's downward trajectory. "As for the president, he has been focused on critical issues like paving over the Rose Garden so folks don't get mud on their shoes and gold-plating the Oval Office and building a $300m ballroom," Obama said. "So Virginia, here's the good news. If you can't visit a doctor, don't worry, he will save you a dance."
Three Killed in U.S. Military Strike on Alleged Drug Vessel in the CaribbeanThe Guardian
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ReportingThe U.S. military has carried out another lethal strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth said. Hegseth said on Saturday the vessel was operated by a U.S.-designated terrorist organization but did not name which group was targeted. He said three people were killed in the strike. It's at least the 15th such strike carried out by the U.S. military in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific since early September. The U.S. military has now killed at least 64 people in the strikes.
Uncertainty Over Federal Food Aid Deepens as the Shutdown Fight Reaches a Crisis PointThe Associated Press
STEPHEN GROVES
ALI SWENSON
SUSAN HAIGH
ReportingThe crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills. The impacts on basic needs -- food and medical care -- underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. Plans by the Trump administration to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills. It all added to the strain on the country, with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays. The shutdown is already the second longest in history and entered its second month on Saturday, yet there was little urgency in Washington to end it. Lawmakers are away from Capitol Hill and both parties are entrenched in their positions. The House has not met for legislative business in more than six weeks, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., closed his chamber for the weekend after bipartisan talks failed to achieve significant progress.