★★ 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
Wednesday
22 Jul 2026
UPDATED
55 minutes ago
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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December February J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6
Minneapolis Residents Wear Their Passports, Desperate to Ward Off ICEThe New York Times
TALYA MINSBERG
ReportingMaría Pabón Gautier has a new routine when she sends her 8- and 15-year-olds off to school in their Minneapolis suburb. Before they run out the door, she slips lanyards around their necks. The lanyards hold their American passports. "We need to be ready before they point a gun to us," said Joua Tsu Thao, a citizen, retired mental health practitioner and pastor who fought with U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. The 75-year-old now tapes his passport and drivers license to the outside of his clothing. Being able to prove their citizenship without making a sudden movement, toward a bag or a back pocket, did provide a sort of solace, they said. But "feeling safe" was a stretch. "I have a passport, but it's paper, not a shield," one Minnesotan put it.
ICE Expands Power of Agents to Arrest People Without WarrantsThe New York Times
HAMED ALEAZIZ
CHARLIE SAVAGE
ReportingAmid tensions over President Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota and beyond, federal agents were told this week that they have broader power to arrest people without a warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo reviewed by The New York Times. The memo, addressed to all ICE personnel and signed on Wednesday by Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of the agency, centers on a federal law that empowers agents to make warrantless arrests of people they believe are undocumented immigrants, if they are "likely to escape" before an arrest warrant can be obtained. "An alien is 'likely to escape' if an immigration officer determines he or she is unlikely to be located at the scene of the encounter or another clearly identifiable location once an administrative warrant is obtained," Lyons wrote. The Times shared a description of the memo's contents with several former senior ICE officials from the Biden administration. Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former senior adviser at ICE, called the new definition "an extremely broad interpretation of the term 'escape.' It would cover essentially anyone they want to arrest without a warrant, making the general premise of ever getting a warrant pointless."
Week in Politics: Final Epstein Files, Partial Government Shutdown, 'Safer' ICE Operations, New Fed ChairNPR Weekend Edition
RON ELVING
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingAnother batch of Epstein files and the continuing controversies involving the Department of Homeland Security are dominating the political conversation this weekend.
This Year's Midterm Elections Could See Unprecedented Involvement From the Federal GovernmentNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
MILES PARKS
ReportingTop state-level election officials react to the Jan. 28 raid on the Fulton County, Ga, elections office. The FBI executed a search warrant seeking ballots from the 2020 election.
DHS Keeps Making False Claims About People. It's Part of a Broader PatternNPR Weekend Edition
JUDE JOFFE-BLOCK
HUO JINGNAN
AUDREY NGUYEN
ReportingTrump administration officials have repeatedly made unproven or incorrect claims when describing immigrants targeted for deportation, U.S. citizens arrested while protesting the administration's immigration crackdown and people who simply drove through areas where an immigration enforcement operation was going on. "It seems to me that they are not writing these statements with the intention of ever supporting them in court, but just to try and convince officers and their voter base," said Greg Jackson, an attorney in Southern California who has clients who were shot at by federal immigration agents.
More Than 300 Anti-ICE Protests Planned Across U.S. This WeekendThe Guardian
FABIOLA CINEAS
ReportingMore than 300 demonstrations are expected to take place across all 50 states and Washington DC, today, in what organizers are calling "ICE Out of Everywhere." Organizers, led by the national grassroots organization 50501, say today's protests are a response to a series of recent deaths involving federal immigration agents, including the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month, the homicide of Geraldo Campos in an immigration detention facility in Texas and the shooting of Keith Porter Jr by an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Los Angeles. "The national day of action is about fighting back against the escalations that the Trump administration has taken against the American people over the past year," said Hunter Dunn, a national press coordinator for 50501 and organizer in southern California. "Reports about the killings of Porter and Campos, the ones not captured on camera and so many others have pierced the veil for many people who until now were unaware of how bad things had gotten."
ICE Claim That a Man Shattered His Skull Running Into Wall Triggers Tension at a Minnesota HospitalThe Associated Press
JACK BROOK
JIM MUSTIAN
MICHAEL BIESECKER
ReportingIntensive care nurses immediately doubted the word of federal immigration officers when they arrived at a Minneapolis hospital with a Mexican immigrant who had broken bones in his face and skull. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initially claimed Alberto Castañeda Mondragón had tried to flee while handcuffed and "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall," according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release. But staff members at Hennepin County Medical Center determined that could not possibly account for the fractures and bleeding throughout the 31-year-old's brain, said three nurses familiar with the case. "It was laughable, if there was something to laugh about," said one of the nurses, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss patient care. "There was no way this person ran headfirst into a wall."
Thousands Demonstrate in Minnesota and Across U.S. to Protest ICEReuters
BRAD BROOKS
DANIEL TROTTA
RICH MCKAY
ReportingThousands of protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and students across the United States staged walkouts on Friday to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens. Students and teachers abandoned classes from California to New York on a national day of protest, which came amid mixed messages from the Trump administration about whether it would de-escalate Operation Metro Surge. Rock star Bruce Springsteen lent his voice to the protest, taking the stage at a fundraiser for Good and Pretti in downtown Minneapolis. With the words "Arrest the President" plastered to his guitar, he played his new song "Streets of Minneapolis," written in response to the deaths. "No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE," ran a slogan on the organizers' Web site that listed 250 sites for Friday's protests across 46 states and in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington.
Tim Walz Says Trump Administration Wants to 'Twist Reality' in MinnesotaAll Things Considered
JUANA SUMMERS
ReportingMinnesota Gov. Tim Walz is skeptical about many things the Trump administration is saying about de-escalating its immigration crackdown in his state. "I know who I'm dealing with. I know that they're not going to keep their word," Walz tells NPR.
Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Disputes ICE Arrest NumbersAll Things Considered
JUANA SUMMERS
ReportingNPR's Juana Summers speaks with Paul Schnell, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, over his agency's dispute of Homeland Security claims around arrest numbers.
Efforts to Extend ACA Subsidies Stall in Congress as GOP Reignites Old ArgumentsNPR Morning Edition
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN
ReportingEfforts to pass extra financial help for people who buy their own health insurance have sputtered in Congress and Republicans are dusting off arguments against Obamacare that they've used for years.
tFulton County Chairman Talks About FBI Seizure of 2020 Election BallotsNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts about the FBI seizure of 2020 election ballots earlier this week.
Trump Nominates Federal Reserve Critic Kevin Warsh as Its Next ChairThe Guardian
LAUREN ARATANI
TOM KNOWLES
ReportingDonald Trump has announced Kevin Warsh as his nomination for the next chair of the Federal Reserve, selecting a candidate who has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. central bank. Warsh, 55, a former Federal Reserve governor who has deep ties to Wall Street, had previously interviewed for the job of chair in 2017 when the role went to Powell, whose term ends in May. Trump's pick will have to be confirmed by the Senate. Stephen Brown, a U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said markets were likely to consider Warsh "a relatively safe choice" and his nomination would alleviate concerns that the president was going to pick "a full-blown Trump stooge" to be the next Fed chair.
Journalist Don Lemon Has Been Arrested After He Covered a Minnesota Church ProtestThe Associated Press
ALANNA D. RICHER
ERIC TUCKER
ReportingJournalist Don Lemon and three other people were arrested Friday in connection with an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church and increased tensions between residents and federal officials. Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he had been covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney Abbe Lowell said. It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon and the others are facing in the Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul where a local official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as a pastor. Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and that he was there as a journalist chronicling protesters. "Don has been a journalist for 30 years and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done," Lowell said in a statement. "The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable."
Springsteen Releases 'Streets of Minneapolis,' a Song Protesting ICEThe New York Times
MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
ReportingBruce Springsteen released a new song, "Streets of Minneapolis," on Wednesday in response to two fatal shootings by federal immigration enforcement agents in the city this month. Springsteen dedicated the song to "the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good." The lyrics describe the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, where a surge of federal agents has led to widespread protests, with people like Pretti recording confrontations with their cellphones and blowing whistles to alert others to the presence of immigration agents. "Their claim was self-defense, sir," Springsteen sings of the Trump administration's justification for the shootings. "Just don't believe your eyes / It's our blood and bones / And these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem's dirty lies."
He Sold Me Fresh Fruit for Years. I Was There When Immigration Agents Took HimAll Things Considered
ADRIAN FLORIDO
ReportingNPR's Adrian Florido has been buying fruit from the same fruit cart vendor in his LA neighborhood for years. On Tuesday, Adrian was there when federal immigration agents swooped in and arrested him.
Minnesotans Are Training to Become Constitutional Observers -- of ICEAll Things Considered
JUANA SUMMERS
ReportingNPR's Juana Summers speaks with Edwin Torres DeSantiago, who conducts trainings for constitutional observation of immigration enforcement.
Rep. Joaquin Castro Visits 5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos at an ICE Detention FacilityAll Things Considered
AILSA CHANG
ReportingNPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, about his visit to the immigration facility where a 5-year-old and his father have been detained since last week.
Conservative Judge in Minnesota Tries to Keep Trump Administration in Check During CrackdownThe Associated Press
ED WHITE
ReportingA law enforcement agency executing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has been described as a serial violator of court orders in Minnesota. The declaration didn't come from the Democratic governor or Minneapolis' Democratic mayor, who have repeatedly traded barbs with President Trump. It was a federal judge with a conservative pedigree who has added a powerful voice to a saga that has stirred the nation. "ICE is not a law unto itself," Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz wrote this week, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Schiltz wasn't referring to the tactics of immigration officers, who have killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, burst into homes with battering rams, smashed windows and pulled people from cars and tossed tear gas at irate protesters. Rather, after surveying other judges in his court, Schiltz was talking about the government's failure to comply with nearly 100 court orders since Jan. 1 in 74 cases in which people arrested during Operation Metro Surge have sued seeking release or other relief. Even that number, he said, is "almost certainly substantially understated."
House Republicans Propose Voting Changes as Trump Administration Eyes the MidtermsThe Associated Press
LISA MASCARO
ReportingHouse Republicans are proposing sweeping changes to the nation's voting laws, a long-shot priority for President Trump that would impose stricter requirements, including some before Americans vote in the midterm elections in the fall. The package released Thursday reflects a number of the party's most sought-after election changes, including requirements for photo IDs before people can vote and proof of citizenship, both to be put in place in 2027. Others, including prohibitions on universal vote-by-mail and ranked choice voting -- two voting methods that have proved popular in some states -- would happen immediately. The Republican president continues to insist that the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was rigged. The legislation faces a long road in the narrowly-split Congress, where Democrats have rejected similar ideas as disenfranchising Americans' ability to vote with onerous registration and ID requirements.
What We Learned After Tracking Every Lawsuit Challenging Trump's PoliciesThe New York Times
MATTATHIAS SCHWARTZ
ReportingThe New York Times has been tracking every lawsuit challenging President Trump's policies since he returned to office in January 2025 -- more than 600 cases and counting. On the whole, the district courts tended to push back on Trump. On final merits rulings from district court judges, the plaintiffs who sued the administration won 48 times and lost only five times. Appeals court judges treated Trump more favorably than their district court counterparts, ruling in his favor 51 percent of the time in 2025. In 24 cases in 2025, the Supreme Court started to contemplate the Trump agenda, mostly considering whether to issue temporary orders allowing pieces of it to take effect even as they were challenged in court. It ruled in Trump's favor 21 times. However, the vast majority of those rulings were on the court's emergency docket. The Times's tracker is following 634 lawsuits against the administration. Of those, 509 are still active. New cases are filed most every day.
U.S. Trade Deficit Widens Despite Trump's TariffsThe New York Times
ANA SWANSON
ReportingThe U.S. trade deficit in goods and services rebounded to $56.8 billion in November, rising 95 percent from the previous month as President Trump's tariffs continued to cause huge fluctuations in trade, according to data from the Commerce Department released on Thursday. Exports fell 3.6 percent in the month, to $292.1 billion, led by declining outbound shipments of gold, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and crude oil. Imports rose 5 percent in November, to $348.9 billion, as Americans bought foreign pharmaceuticals as well as equipment to fill new data centers. The combination pushed up the monthly trade deficit, the gap between what the United States imports and what it exports.
Kennedy Center Official Resigns Less Than Two Weeks After HiringThe Guardian
ANNA BETTS
ReportingThe newly appointed senior vice-president of artistic programming at Washington DC's John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Kevin Couch, has resigned less than two weeks after his hiring was announced. Couch confirmed he "resigned yesterday" in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday. He declined to give a reason for his resignation. The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
Sen. Adam Schiff on Whether Democrats Will Risk a Partial Shutdown Over DHS FundingNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff whether his party is willing to allow a partial government shutdown in order to block new funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Why Democrats Oppose Funding DHS Without Restrictions for ICENPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois about her party's intensifying opposition to funding the Department of Homeland Security without guardrails for ICE.
Immigration Lawyers Say ICE Is Whisking Detainees Away and Denying Them Legal AccessNPR Morning Edition
ELIZABETH SHOCKMAN
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingLawyers in Minnesota say ICE is detaining families with children and whisking them off to a Texas detention facility. They say the speed is denying detainees access to legal counsel.
At Annual Conference, Republican Mayors Call for De-Escalation in MinnesotaNPR Morning Edition
EVE ZUCKOFF
ReportingAt the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, Republicans were among those expressing concern about ICE's tactics and calling for a de-escalation in Minnesota.
Sen. Susan Collins Announces End to ICE Large-Scale Operations in Maine After Talks With NoemThe Associated Press
PATRICK WHITTLE
KIMBERLEE KRUESI
ReportingU.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Thursday that immigration officials have ceased their "enhanced operations" in the state, the site of an enforcement surge and more than 200 arrests since last week. Collins, a Republican, announced the development after saying she had spoken directly with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. "There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here," Collins said in a statement, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state."
Omar Criticizes Trump's 'Hateful Rhetoric' After Attack; Suspect Had Made Pro-Trump Posts OnlineThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingDemocratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar blamed President Trump for threats to her safety on Wednesday, one day after she was accosted and squirted with liquid at an event in Minneapolis. The man arrested for Tuesday's attack has posted online in support of the Republican president. "Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket," Omar said during a press conference. Asked if she was nervous about appearing in public, she said, "Fear and intimidation doesn't work on me." Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has long been a fixture of Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric. After she was elected seven years ago, Trump said she should "go back" to her country. He recently described her as "garbage" and said she should be investigated. During a speech in Iowa on Tuesday, shortly before Omar was attacked, he said immigrants need to be proud of the United States -- "not like Ilhan Omar." Jeremy Slevin, who worked for years as a spokesperson for Omar before becoming a senior advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, said, "It's hard not to see the link between what happened and the attacks Trump has made against Omar personally, not to mention his siege of her city."
FBI Executes Search Warrant at Election Office in Fulton County, GeorgiaThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
GEORGE CHIDI
ReportingThe FBI executed a search warrant at the election office in Fulton county, Georgia, on Wednesday for records related to the 2020 election, according to a spokesperson for the county and the FBI. The warrant sought all ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton county, tabulator tapes, ballot images and voter rolls, according to documents obtained by a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The attorney for the government listed on the document is Thomas Albus, currently serving as the interim U.S. attorney in the eastern district of Missouri. Robert Patrick, a spokesperson for that office said: "Per Justice Department policy, we cannot confirm or deny whether an investigation exists." The warrant also suggests the alleged criminal conduct involved retaining records and tabulating false ballots. Donald Trump lost Georgia in the 2020 election and his false claims about voter fraud in Fulton county, home to Atlanta, were central to his efforts to try to overturn the election. Trump and allies repeated false claims that election workers pulled ballots out of suitcases after counting had ended. Those claims were debunked and Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's lawyers, was ordered to pay two election workers $148.1m in damages as part of a defamation suit. Trump allies have nonetheless continued claiming something was amiss in Fulton county.
Federal Troop Deployments to U.S. Cities Cost Taxpayers $496M and CountingThe Associated Press
FATIMA HUSSEIN
ReportingThe Trump administration's high-profile deployment of federal troops to six U.S. cities has cost taxpayers roughly $496 million through the end of December and continued deployment could cost over $1 billion for the rest of the year, according to new data from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO published the new data estimating the costs associated with the federal deployments of National Guard and active-duty Marines after a request from Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who is the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee. "The American people deserve to know how many hundreds of millions of their hard-earned dollars have been and are being wasted on Trump's reckless and haphazard deployment of National Guard troops to Portland and cities across the country," Merkley said in a statement about the CBO report.
Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady, Taking a Pause From Rate Cuts to Assess the EconomyAll Things Considered
SCOTT HORSLEY
ReportingThe Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, as expected, despite pressure from President Trump for much lower borrowing costs. The central bank has already cut its benchmark interest rate three times since September, making it cheaper to borrow money to buy a car, expand a business or carry a balance on a credit card. But with inflation still above target, most Fed policymakers voted to hold their target rate unchanged, in a range between 3.5 and 3.75 percent. "The unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization," policymakers said in a statement. "Inflation remains somewhat elevated."
Sen. Klobuchar Says Democrats Are United on ICE Reform DemandsAll Things Considered
JUANA SUMMERS
ReportingNPR's Juana Summers speaks with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., on recent developments around the federal immigration enforcement surge in her home state.
'Shameful': Trump's EPA Accused of Prioritizing Big Business Over Public HealthThe Guardian
OLIVER MILMAN
DHARNA NOOR
ReportingAfter a tumultuous year under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency has adopted a new, almost unrecognizable guise -- one that tears up environmental rules and cheerleads for coal, gas-guzzling cars and artificial intelligence. The EPA is poised to remove its own ability to act on the climate crisis and has, separately, unveiled a new monetary worth assigned to human lives when setting air pollution regulations. The current new value? Zero. "The EPA was designed to protect public health and the environment and did a remarkably effective job of that," said William Reilly, who was EPA administrator under a previous Republican president, George HW Bush. "That record is now at risk and we will see the degradation of air quality in major cities. The administration seems to conceive the purpose of the agency as solely promoting business, which has never been the agency's mission. That's revolutionary -- it's not been seen before."
In Six Violent Encounters, Evidence Contradicts Trump Immigration Officials' NarrativesReuters
RENEE HICKMAN
TED HESSON
BRAD HEATH
KRISTINA COOKE
ReportingPresident Trump's top immigration officials have repeatedly made statements after violent encounters involving federal agents -- including two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this month -- that were later contradicted by evidence, a Reuters review found. The Reuters review of these incidents show a pattern in which officials rushed to defend immigration officers without waiting for key facts to emerge -- in what former immigration officials called a clear break with past practice for federal agencies in such situations. "They are trying to control a narrative from the very start and they don't seem to care when they're proven wrong," said David Lapan, who was the DHS press secretary in 2017, during Trump's first administration.
The Trump Administration Has Secretly Rewritten Nuclear Safety RulesNPR Morning Edition
GEOFF BRUMFIEL
ReportingThe Trump administration has overhauled a set of nuclear safety directives and shared them with the companies it is charged with regulating, without making the new rules available to the public, according to documents obtained exclusively by NPR. Over 750 pages were cut from the earlier versions of the same orders, according to NPR's analysis, leaving only about one-third of the number of pages in the original documents. "They're taking a wrecking ball to the system of nuclear safety and security regulation oversight that has kept the U.S. from having another Three Mile Island accident," said Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "I am absolutely worried about the safety of these reactors."
Trump Says the U.S. Economy Is 'Booming,' but Data Contradicts His MessageNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN
ReportingPresident Trump went to Iowa Tuesday, looking to change the subject to his economic agenda as his administration faces growing backlash over his immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
American Academy of Pediatrics Breaks From CDC on Childhood Vaccine RecommendationsNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, why the group is breaking with the CDC on vaccine recommendations for children.
After Violence in Minneapolis, Some Influencers Break From Typical ContentNPR Morning Edition
ELIZABETH BLAIR
ReportingLifestyle influencers or those cute animal accounts on social media rarely feature commentary about news and politics. The violence in Minneapolis has been an exception.
Former Homeland Secretary on Kristi Noem's Responsibility in Deadly ShootingsNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin talks to former Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's culpability in the deadly shootings by federal agents.
Philip Glass Withdraws From Kennedy Center, as Its Symphony Vows to Play OnThe New York Times
ADAM NAGOURNEY
ReportingSix years ago, the National Symphony Orchestra commissioned the renowned composer Philip Glass to write a symphony honoring Abraham Lincoln for the 50th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2022. Glass missed that deadline, but his Symphony No. 15 was set for its world premiere by the orchestra this June. On Tuesday, Glass informed the Kennedy Center that he did not want his symphony, based on Lincoln's 1838 Lyceum Address, performed on its stage. "Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and the values of Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the symphony," he wrote in a letter asking that the orchestra not play his work. A copy of the letter was shared with The New York Times. The withdrawal of work by Glass, 88, who received a Kennedy Center Honors award in 2018, is the latest blow for the center -- and particularly for the increasingly isolated National Symphony Orchestra and its music director, Gianandrea Noseda.
Judge Revives Wind Farm That Trump Halted Off Martha's VineyardThe New York Times
MAXINE JOSELOW
ReportingA federal judge on Tuesday ruled that construction could continue on a $4.5 billion wind farm off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., striking down the Trump administration's decision to halt work on the nearly complete project. Judge Brian E. Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction that would allow the developers of the wind farm, known as Vineyard Wind, to restart construction while the broader legal battle unfolds. The ruling was the fourth legal setback that the Trump administration has suffered in its quest to throttle the country's nascent offshore wind industry. Other federal judges have issued preliminary injunctions that allowed three other projects -- Revolution Wind off Rhode Island, Empire Wind off New York and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia -- to resume construction. Vineyard Wind is already 95 percent complete and is sending some power to the electric grid in Massachusetts.
Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation of 5-Year-Old Detained in Minneapolis SuburbThe New York Times
NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS
ReportingA federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the deportation of a 5-year-old boy and his father who were arrested in a Minneapolis suburb in an operation that further stirred the outrage over the Trump administration's deportation efforts. The boy, Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were arrested last week in Columbia Heights, Minn., shortly after the father had picked the boy up from school, according to school district officials. They were quickly taken to an immigration detention center outside San Antonio, where they remain. In his order, Judge Fred Biery of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas told the federal government that it could not move the boy or his father out of his court's jurisdiction while they challenged their detention.
TikTok Users Say They Are Being Censored After Change to U.S. OwnershipPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingJust days after a group of mainly American investors approved by President Trump took over control of TikTok's U.S. operations, some users now say the app is censoring and limiting their content, including posts and messages about Jeffrey Epstein and the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Jacob Ward of The Rip Current.
Whistleblower Responds After DOJ Confirms DOGE Mishandled Social Security DataPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingThe Social Security Administration says members of Elon Musk's DOGE team working at the agency accessed and shared sensitive data. The latest disclosure from the Trump administration seemed to confirm some key concerns first raised in a whistleblower complaint filed by the agency's chief data officer, Chuck Borges. Amna Nawaz spoke with Borges and his lawyer, Debra Katz.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Border Czar Tom Homan Begin Talks Over ICE SurgeAll Things Considered
BRIAN BAKST
ReportingBorder czar Tom Homan met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Tuesday. Homan takes over from Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, overseeing ICE operations in the state. Do things look any different on the ground?
Maine Immigrants Protected by "God Squad"All Things Considered
PATTY WIGHT
ReportingFaith leaders in Maine are trying to protect immigrants from being taken into ICE custody. The so-called "God squad" forms a human barrier to protect employees arriving to work at a local factory.
The Best Weapon You Have in the Fight Against ICEThe New York Times
JULIA ANGWIN
Investigative Journalist"The nation's founders worried that if the state had a monopoly on weapons, its citizens could be oppressed. Their answer was the Second Amendment. Now that our phones are the primary weapons of today's information war, we should be as zealous about our right to bear phones as we are about our right to bear arms. To adopt the language of Second Amendment enthusiasts, perhaps the only thing that can eventually stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a camera." (gifrt link)
'A Militia That Kills': Uproar in Italy Over ICE Security Role at Winter OlympicsThe Guardian
ANGELA GIUFFRIDA
JAKUB KRUPA
ReportingA unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will have a security role in the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, sparking uproar and petitions against the deployment. Sources at the U.S. embassy in Rome confirmed a statement from ICE, the agency embroiled in a brutal immigration crackdown in the U.S., saying that federal agents would support diplomatic security details during the Milan-Cortina games but would not run any enforcement operations. Speculation in Italy over ICE's involvement in the Games, which begin on 6 February, had been brewing for days and mounted further on Monday after the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said on Monday that the U.S. vice-president, JD Vance and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be protected by ICE "bodyguards" at the Olympics. The speculation fuelled outrage in Italy over ICE's immigration operations, especially after the fatal shootings this month of the U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala said, "This is a militia that kills," he said. "It's clear that they are not welcome in Milan, there's no doubt about it. Can't we just say no to Trump for once? We can take care of their security ourselves. We don't need ICE."
U.S. Judge Threatens ICE Chief With Contempt, Orders Court AppearanceReuters
STAFF
ReportingThe chief judge of Minnesota's federal court ordered the acting chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in court on Friday to personally explain why that agency has not complied with dozens of court orders in recent weeks. In a filing late Monday, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz said acting ICE director Todd Lyons must explain why he should not be held in contempt after his agency missed a deadline to provide a detainee with a bond hearing. "This court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result," Schiltz wrote. "The court's patience is at an end." The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday. Schiltz said he will cancel Friday's hearing if the detainee is released. The judge, who sits in Minneapolis, was appointed to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush.
Minnesota Gov. Walz Says Trump Agreed to 'Consider' Reducing Number of ICE AgentsNPR Morning Edition
MATT SEPIC
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingMinnesota Gov. Tim Walz says President Trump has agreed to "consider" reducing the number of federal agents in the state, following the killing of Alex Pretti.
Republican State Representative on Why He Called for ICE Surge in Minnesota to EndNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Republican Minnesota State Rep. Nolan West, who represents part of Minneapolis, about the reservations he's expressed on the federal show of force in the state.
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith Calls for 'Meaningful Restraint' of 'Lawless' Federal AgentsPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingFor a closer look at the concerns in Minnesota and the killings of U.S. citizens there, Amna Nawaz spoke with Sen. Tina Smith. She's a Democrat and one of many who say they won't vote for any further funding for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
Border Patrol 'Untrained and Unskilled' for Policing in Urban Areas, Ex-CBP Head SaysPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingThe crackdown in Minnesota and the deadly shootings of two U.S. citizens are raising questions about the tactics used by federal immigration agents. Amna Nawaz discussed that with former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske. He also served as the chief of police in Seattle.
Fight Over DHS Funding Has the Government on Track for a Partial ShutdownAll Things Considered
CLAUDIA GRISALES
ReportingEfforts in Congress to avoid a partial government shutdown have been scrambled by two fatal shootings in Minneapolis this month involving ICE officers.
Trump and Walz Strike Conciliatory Tone in Wake of Second Minnesota KillingAll Things Considered
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN
ReportingThe Trump administration is working to reframe the narrative in Minneapolis on enforcing the law after outrage over killings continues.
Amid Lawsuits and Protests, Trump Signals Changes to Minnesota Immigration SurgeAll Things Considered
JENNIFER LUDDEN
LIZ BAKER
ReportingAfter "very good" phone calls with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday, President Trump announced that border czar Tom Homan will be heading to the midwestern state to lead federal immigration enforcement efforts there. The surge of agents to Minneapolis has resulted in waves of protest, legal action and political backlash against the Trump administration, especially after the shooting deaths of two American citizens, Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal immigration agents. In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio's Clay Masters on Monday, Gov. Walz described a "more collaborative tone" from Trump and said the president agreed to consider reducing the number of federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities. He further confirmed that Gregory Bovino, the bombastic and controversial Border Patrol chief leading the surge, will soon leave the state.
U.S. Families Face 'Impossible Choices' as White House Pushes to Freeze Childcare FundingThe Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
ReportingU.S. families are facing "impossible choices" as the Trump administration pushes to freeze federal funds for childcare and family assistance in five states over claims of potential fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds. Billions of dollars of funding are at risk in Minnesota, New York, California, Illinois and Colorado, each with state governments run by Democrats. Alice Dryden, a childcare worker in Chicago, Illinois, told the Guardian, freezing federal childcare funds would be a "disaster" for the families reliant on them. "If we had to close our doors or close some classrooms, these families would be faced with impossible choices," said Dryden. "It wouldn't just be a disaster for the families and the children who don't have daycare to go to any more. This is a support network for the entire community. Our workforce allows the rest of the workforce in the city and the state to function."
U.S. Judge Considers Pause to Minnesota Crackdown as Trump Dispatches Border CzarReuters
BRAD BROOKS
JACK QUEEN
ANDY SULLIVAN
ReportingA U.S. judge on Monday weighed Minnesota's request to temporarily stop the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the state, following the fatal shooting of a second U.S. citizen over the weekend that sparked a fierce backlash. Lawyers for the state urged U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez to immediately suspend the administration's surge of 3,000 immigration agents, which they characterized as a violent and illegal occupation that is putting public safety at risk. "This administration, your honor, is not content with the rule of law. They are not content with letting the courts work this stuff out. Instead, they put violence into the streets of Minnesota to get what they want," said Brian Carter, a lawyer with the state attorney general's office. Menendez, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, appeared skeptical of the state's argument that she had the power to shut down the operation on the grounds that it violates the state's sovereignty.
Former Columbia University President's New Book Explores Attacks on Higher EducationNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Lee C. Bollinger, former president of Columbia University and author of the new book, University: A Reckoning.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Says He Plans to Vote 'No' on DHS Funding BillNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin speaks with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., about why he plans to vote against a Department of Homeland Security funding bill.
Minnesota Official Talks About Fatal Shooting of Man by Immigration AgentNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin speaks with Bob Jacobson, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, about the fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti.
Political Blame Game Continues After Second Fatal Minneapolis ShootingNPR Morning Edition
D. MONTANARO
LEILA FADEL
ReportingA second person was killed in Minneapolis over the weekend by federal officials. The political finger-pointing began almost immediately.
National Park Service Dismantles Slavery Exhibit in PhiladelphiaNPR Weekend Edition
FRANK LANGFITT
ReportingThe National Park Service has removed exhibits depicting slavery and George Washington's treatment of enslaved people at the President's House in Philadelphia.
The Trump Administration Admits Even More Ways DOGE Accessed Sensitive Personal DataNPR Weekend Edition
STEPHEN FOWLER
JUDE JOFFE-BLOCK
ReportingFor much of the last year, staffers who were initially part of the Department of Government Efficiency effort improperly accessed and shared sensitive personal data on millions of Americans. The Trump administration hasn't been able to answer how much data is at risk, what it was used for or why its unprecedented efforts to consolidate data are needed. Those questions deepened last week, when the Social Security Administration said it discovered DOGE employees at the agency secretly and improperly shared sensitive personal data last year, but once again can't verify the extent of the violations. The admission came in a court filing last Friday, Jan. 16, that made numerous corrections to testimony given by top agency officials last year in a lawsuit alleging that DOGE was illegally accessing Social Security data.
Schumer: Democrats Will Block Funding Package if It Includes Homeland Security MoneyThe Guardian
KIRA LERNER
LAUREN GAMBINO
ReportingIn the wake of another fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minnesota by a federal officer, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said his party would block a funding package next week if it includes money for the Department of Homeland Security. The announcement, which escalates the potential for another partial government shutdown, comes as anger toward Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, intensifies after a group of federal agents violently restrained and then fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. "What's happening in Minnesota is appalling -- and unacceptable in any American city," Schumer said. "Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans' refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included."
Video Contradicts Trump's Claim Man Killed in Minneapolis Was a 'Gunman'The Guardian
ROBERT MACKEY
ReportingVideo recorded by witnesses to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday shows that the 37-year-old registered nurse was holding a phone, not a gun, when he was tackled and shot, directly contradicting the claims of senior Trump administration officials that he threatened to "massacre" officers. In the aftermath of the killing, which was recorded by multiple witnesses, the Department of Homeland Security released an image of a handgun, which Donald Trump referred to as "the gunman's gun" in a social media post. Kristi Noem, the DHS secretary, said at a briefing that Pretti had "approached U.S. border patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun," though she later declined to say whether or not Pretti pulled the gun out. Greg Bovino, a senior border patrol commander who was reprimanded by a federal judge last year for lying, also told reporters that Pretti had approached border patrol agents with the same gun. That account is directly contradicted by video evidence of the incident reviewed by the Guardian. While Pretti was legally licensed to have a gun, it is unclear whether he had one on his person at the time of the incident and the videos do not show him ever having one in his hand.
Videos of Deadly Minneapolis Shooting Contradict Government StatementsThe Associated Press
HANNAH FINGERHUT
ReportingVideos quickly emerged showing the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a Border Patrol agent that has been widely denounced as a case of excessive force carried out by untrained federal officers. The administration says it was a case of an armed man provoking violence. The Associated Press reviewed multiple bystander videos that show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing 37-year-old Alex Pretti after a roughly 30-second scuffle around 9 a.m. Saturday. The videos appear to contradict statements by the Trump administration, which said the shots were fired "defensively" against Pretti as he "approached" them with a gun. In the videos, Pretti is seen with only a phone in his hand. None of the footage appears to show him with a weapon. During the scuffle, agents discovered that he was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and they opened fire with several shots. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
The Man Killed by a U.S. Border Patrol Officer in Minneapolis Was an ICU Nurse, Family SaysThe Associated Press
MICHAEL BIESECKER
TIM SULLIVAN
JIM MUSTIAN
ReportingFamily members say the man killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday was an intensive care nurse at a VA hospital who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Trump's immigration crackdown in his city. "He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset," said Michael Pretti, Alex's father. "He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests." Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets. Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it.
Protesters Demand Immigration Agents Leave Minneapolis After Man Is Shot and Killed During CrackdownThe Associated Press
SARAH RAZA
JACK BROOK
STEVE KARNOWSKI
ReportingDemocrats demanded federal immigration officers leave Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis and set off clashes with protesters who poured into the frigid streets in a city already shaken by another shooting death weeks earlier. The latest shooting also sparked a legal fight over control of the investigation and renewed calls by state and city officials for an end to the immigration surge that has swept across Minneapolis and surrounding cities. Pretti's family said they were "heartbroken but also very angry" at authorities, saying in a statement that Pretti a kindhearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world. A federal judge has already issued an order blocking the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to the shooting, after state and county officials sued. Spokespersons for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which are named in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Sunday.
Federal Officers Shot Another Person in Minneapolis Amid Immigration Crackdown, Governor SaysThe Associated Press
JACK BROOK
ReportingFederal officers shot another person in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday. Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He called on the President Trump to end the crackdown in his state. The details surrounding the shooting weren't immediately clear. "Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now," Walz said in a post on X. After the shooting, bystanders gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them "cowards" and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: "Boo hoo." Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.
EEOC Withdraws Previous Harassment GuidanceNPR Weekend Edition
ANDREA HSU
ReportingThe EEOC voted to rescind its 2024 harassment guidance, which explained what constitutes unlawful harassment. The vote came amid a fight over a section of the guidance focused on gender identity.
ICE Says It Has Arrested More Than 100 People in Maine This WeekNPR Weekend Edition
ARI SNIDER
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingImmigration and Customs Enforcement says it has arrested more than 100 people so far in Maine as part of an ongoing, large-scale operation that began this week.
Week in Politics: Trump in Davos; Longtime Allies Regard the U.S. With ReserveNPR Weekend Edition
RON ELVING
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingPresident Trump announced a "framework" for a deal on U.S. involvement in Greenland, without details, in Switzerland this week. He also appeared increasingly infirm in Davos.
F.B.I. Agent Who Tried to Investigate ICE Officer in Shooting ResignsThe New York Times
ALAN FEUER
GLENN THRUSH
ReportingAn F.B.I. agent who sought to investigate the federal immigration officer who fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis this month has resigned from the bureau, according to two people familiar with the matter. The agent, Tracee Mergen, left her job as a supervisor in the F.B.I.'s Minneapolis field office after bureau leadership in Washington pressured her to discontinue a civil rights inquiry into the immigration officer, Jonathan Ross, according to one of the people. Such inquiries are a common investigative step in similar shootings. Mergen's resignation was only the latest shock wave to have emerged from the Justice Department's handling of the shooting of Renee Good, an unarmed mother who was killed on Jan. 7 as she was behind the wheel of her Honda Pilot. Cindy Burnham, a spokeswoman for the F.B.I. office in Minneapolis, declined to comment on Mergen's resignation.
Thousands Brave Frigid Cold in Twin Cities 'ICE Out' ProtestPBS News Hour
FRED DE SAM LAZARO
ReportingThe Trump Administration's immigration crackdown and ICE surge in the Twin Cities drew large protests on Friday. It was part of a general strike and walkout backed by labor leaders and faith groups. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.
'They Are Circling Our Schools,' Superintendent Says After 5-Year-Old Detained by ICEPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingThe ICE operations in the Twin Cities are also affecting children who are caught up in the surge of personnel and detentions. A 5-year-old boy who was held by federal agents is a student in the Columbia Heights School District. Liz Landers discussed the incident with Superintendent Zena Stenvik.
In President's Trump's Tangled Science Policies, Experts See a Unifying ThreadAll Things Considered
KATIA RIDDLE
ReportingHeading into the second year of Trump 2.0, when it comes to science, some argue Trump has no consistent ideology for decision-making. Others argue the unifying theme is destruction of science itself.
Reporters Describe Covering a Massive Immigration Sweep in MinneapolisAll Things Considered
JASMINE GARSD
KAT LONSDORF
ReportingFor two weeks, Minneapolis has seen protests and clashes between demonstrators and federal immigration agents, as the administration continues its aggressive campaign to arrest undocumented immigrants.
Former Prosecutor Talks About Jack Smith's Testimony Before House Judiciary CommitteeNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Andrew Weissmann, a former lead prosecutor in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office, following Jack Smith's testimony on the Hill Thursday.
How One Organization Is Trying to Close the Funding Gap Left by USAID's ClosureNPR Morning Edition
MARY CHILDS
ReportingIn the wake of the USAID closure, philanthropies are trying to fill some of the gap. How one organization is trying to do the most good in the face of the sudden funding gap.
Minneapolis Union President Talks About Economic Blackout to Protest ICE's ActionsNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel talks to Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, which endorsed an economic blackout in protest of ICE's actions.
Minnesotans Strike to Protest ICE Surge in State: 'No Work, No School, No Shopping'The Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
RACHEL LEINGANG
ReportingA "no work, no school, no shopping" blackout day of protest was kicked off by community leaders, faith leaders and labor unions on Friday in protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in the state. The "Day of Truth & Freedom" protest comes in the wake of the killing of Renee Good, the unarmed woman killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this month. Their demands include that ICE leave Minnesota, that the ICE officer who killed Good be legally held accountable, an end to additional federal funding for ICE and for the agency to be investigated for human rights and constitutional violations. Hundreds of local businesses in Minnesota have announced closures in solidarity. Thousands of people are expected to call out from work to join the action, while others will participate by not shopping on Friday. The Minneapolis city council endorsed the day of action and the general strike. The state's cultural institutions -- including the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Minnesota Children's Museum -- will be closed on Friday as well. The day of action culminates with a march in downtown Minneapolis at 2pm local time. The march will end with a rally inside the Target Center, an arena downtown.
U.S. Completes Withdrawal From World Health OrganizationThe Associated Press
MIKE STOBBE
DEVI SHASTRI
ReportingThe U.S. has finalized its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, one year after President Trump announced America was ending its 78-year-old commitment, federal officials said Thursday. But it's hardly a clean break. The U.S. owes more than $130 million to the global health agency, according to WHO. And Trump administration officials acknowledge that they haven't finished working out some issues, such as lost access to data from other countries that could give America an early warning of a new pandemic. The withdrawal will hurt the global response to new outbreaks and will hobble the ability of U.S. scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines and medicines against new threats, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University. "In my opinion, it's the most ruinous presidential decision in my lifetime," he said.
How Trump Is Challenging America's Judicial System During His Second TermPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingAmerica's judicial system is undergoing one of its most consequential stress tests as President Trump pushes the limits of executive power and strains the system of checks and balances. A year into his second term, we're returning to guests from our On Democracy series. Geoff Bennett discussed the administration challenging the authority of judges with constitutional law professor Steve Vladeck.
Jack Smith Defends Criminal Investigations Into Trump During House HearingPBS News Hour
ALI SCHMITZ
ReportingRepublicans on the House Judiciary Committee sharply criticized former special counsel Jack Smith over his investigation of President Trump, which produced more than 40 criminal charges that have since been dropped. GOP lawmakers accused Smith of partisanship, but as Ali Rogin reports, Smith defended his conduct, saying the law required him to act.
DOJ Arrests Three People in Connection With Minneapolis Church ProtestsAll Things Considered
MATT SEPIC
ReportingThe DOJ has arrested at least two people in connection with protests at a Minneapolis church last weekend. One of the pastors is said to lead the local ICE field office.
Trump Sues JPMorgan for $5 Billion, Alleges the Bank Closed His Accounts for Political ReasonsThe Associated Press
KEN SWEET
ReportingPresident Trump sued banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon for $5 billion on Thursday over allegations that JPMorgan stopped providing banking services to him and his businesses for political reasons after he left office in January 2021. The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County court in Florida, alleges that JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in February 2021 with just 60 days notice and no explanation. By doing so, Trump claims JPMorgan and Dimon cut the president and his businesses off from millions of dollars, disrupted their operations and forced Trump and the businesses to urgently open bank accounts elsewhere. In a statement, JPMorgan said it believes the suit has no merit.
Consumer Prices Rose 2.8 Percent Through November, a Sign of Sticky InflationThe New York Times
TALMON J. SMITH
ReportingConsumer prices increased moderately in October and November, according to the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge. Data released on Thursday from the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, as the gauge is called, showed a 0.2 percent monthly increase in prices in October and a 0.2 percent increase in November. Compared with the same time the previous year, prices were up 2.7 percent in October and up 2.8 percent in November. Altogether, the numbers tell a story in which inflation -- while far down from its highs after the pandemic -- continues to nag households.
Few Voters Say Trump's Second Term Has Made the Country Better, Poll FindsThe New York Times
S. GOLDMACHER
RUTH IGIELNIK
CAMILLE BAKER
ReportingLess than a third of voters think the country is better off than it was when President Trump returned to the White House a year ago, with a wide majority saying he has focused on the wrong issues, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena University. A majority of voters disapprove of how Trump has handled top issues including the economy, immigration, the war between Russia and Ukraine and his actions in Venezuela. And significantly, a majority of Americans, 51 percent, said that Trump's policies had made life less affordable for them. All told, 49 percent of voters said the country was worse off than a year ago, compared with 32 percent who said it was better.
Investigation Links Several of Trump's Associates to Mining Interests in GreenlandNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingAs President Trump pursues a takeover of Greenland, an investigation links several of his associates to mining interests in the Arctic territory. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with journalist Kevin Hall.
Jack Smith to Defend Trump Investigations to House RepublicansNPR Morning Edition
CARRIE JOHNSON
ReportingFormer special counsel Jack Smith's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee marks the first open testimony about his work. He presided over two federal criminal indictments of Trump. Neither of those cases reached a jury before Trump won the election and returned to the White House last year. "The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy," Smith said in a deposition, which congressional Republicans released on New Year's Eve. "These crimes were committed for his benefit." Smith said the violent attack at the U.S. Capitol, which injured 140 law enforcement officers, would not have happened, except for Trump. "No one should be above the law in our country and the law required that he be held to account," according to a copy of Smith's opening statement he intends to deliver to Congress on Thursday. "So that is what I did."
Federal Officers Detain a 5-Year-Old Boy Who School Official Says Was Used as 'Bait'The Associated Press
HALLIE GOLDEN
ReportingA 5-year-old boy arriving home from preschool in Minnesota was taken by federal agents along with his father to a detention facility in Texas, school officials and the family's lawyer said, making him the fourth student from his Minneapolis suburb to be detained by immigration officers in recent weeks. Federal agents took Liam Conejo Ramos from a running car while it was in the family's driveway on Tuesday afternoon, Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said during a news conference Wednesday. The officers then told him to knock on the door to his home to see if other people were inside, "essentially using a 5-year-old as bait," she said. Stenvik said the family has an active asylum case and has not been ordered to leave the country. "Why detain a 5-year-old?" she asked. "You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal."
Trump Rolls Out His Board of Peace at Davos, but Many Top U.S. Allies Aren't ParticipatingThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingPresident Trump on Thursday inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas, insisting that "everyone wants to be a part" of the body he said could eventually rival the United Nations -- despite many U.S. allies opting not to participate. The new peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire, but it has morphed into something far more ambitious -- and skepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a pass. Trump tried not to let those not participating ruin his unveiling party, saying 59 countries had signed onto the board -- even though heads of state, top diplomats and other officials from only 19 countries plus the U.S. actually attended the event. Trump has spoken about the board replacing some U.N. functions and perhaps even making that entire body obsolete one day.
St. Paul Mayor Responds to Unrest Triggered by Federal Immigration RaidsPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingThe Trump Administration's surge of ICE agents has arrived in the state of Maine, where at least 50 people have been detained. In Minnesota, the surge is now in its third week and state and local officials are continuing to push back against the federal presence in the Twin Cities. Geoff Bennett discussed more with St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her.
Supreme Court Hears Case on Trump's Attempt to Control Federal ReservePBS News Hour
ALI SCHMITZ
ReportingThe Supreme Court heard arguments in a legal battle centered on President Trump's efforts to fire a Federal Reserve governor. The case comes as Trump has moved to exert greater control over the Fed. Ali Rogin discussed more with News Hour Supreme Court analyst and SCOTUSBlog co-founder Amy Howe and David Wessel of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution.
Anne Applebaum on What's Next for U.S. And Allies After Trump's Greenland DemandsPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingFor a deeper look at President Trump's speech in Davos and what it signals to the rest of the world, we return to our On Democracy series. It explores the laws, institutions and norms that have shaped America and the pressures they face today. Amna Nawaz spoke with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, host of The Atlantic's "Autocracy in America" podcast.
Trump Backpedals on Threats Against Greenland, but Allies Say Damage Has Been DonePBS News Hour
NICK SCHIFRIN
ReportingPresident Trump announced what he called the framework of a deal over Greenland, the Danish island he had threatened to take over. There are not many details, but Trump said it would allow the U.S. to build missile defense bases and mine for minerals. Even as the president has taken an off-ramp, many Europeans and Canadians say the damage has already been done. Nick Schifrin reports.
Trump Administration Drops Appeal in School D.E.I. LawsuitThe New York Times
DANA GOLDSTEIN
ReportingThe Trump administration has abandoned one of its major efforts to restrict diversity and equity programs in schools and colleges. The effort was a threat by the administration to withhold billions of dollars in education funding from states and schools that refused to sign a document attesting that they did not have diversity and equity programs. Education groups sued in federal court and won a favorable ruling in August, which the government then appealed. But on Wednesday, the administration withdrew its appeal. The federal judge in Maryland who heard the case, Stephanie Gallagher, ruled against the Trump administration on multiple grounds. She found that the administration had not followed proper procedure in attempting to withhold the funding and that the underlying policy threatened educators' free speech in the classroom.
Judge Blocks Government From Reviewing Seized Washington Post DevicesThe New York Times
ERIK WEMPLE
ReportingMagistrate Judge William B. Porter on Wednesday ordered the government not to review materials seized during the search of a Washington Post reporter's home last week. The ruling was in response to a legal filing by the newspaper on Wednesday arguing that the seizures violated the First Amendment and demanding the return of the items. "The seizure chills speech, cripples reporting and inflicts irreparable harm every day the government keeps its hands on protected materials," the company said in the filing. Judge Porter wrote that The Post and the reporter, Hannah Natanson, had shown "good cause" to maintain the "status quo" while the issues were being sorted out in court.
Former President of Ireland Talks About Trump's Plan for His Board of PeaceNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingWhat is President Trump's Board of Peace actually for? NPR's Leila Fadel asks Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and member of The Elders, a group of world leaders who advocate for peace.
Trump's Greenland Demand Has Been a Gift to U.S. Geopolitical Foes Like RussiaNPR Morning Edition
CHARLES MAYNES
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingThe tensions between the U.S. and Western Allies are a source of satisfaction to many in the Kremlin.
Veteran Diplomat on Trump's Objectives With His World Economic Forum SpeechNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel asks veteran diplomat Richard Haass about President Trump's objectives with his address to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
It's Showdown Time for the Fed's Independence at the Supreme CourtNPR Morning Edition
NINA TOTENBERG
ReportingTrump's lawyers will tell the Supreme Court that he is not asking for a free pass to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve's governing board appointed by President Biden. He is firing her for cause; namely, the administration claims that Cook falsified documents to obtain loans on two different properties she listed as her primary residences. Her lawyers say she listed one of the properties as a vacation home. The accusations against her were lodged initially by Bill Pulte, Trump's head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Cook, for her part, denies any wrongdoing whatsoever. Her lawyers in their Supreme Court papers contend that Cook's mortgage applications were "cherry-picked" by Pulte to make it appear that perfectly legal mortgage applications were somehow nefarious. And to underline the point, her lawyers point to recent reporting that four of Trump's Cabinet members, plus his deputy attorney general and even Pulte's own relatives have recently made applications for multiple mortgages similar to Cook's, without any suggestion of wrongdoing.
U.S. Justice Department Subpoenas Minnesota Democrats Accused of Impeding ICE EffortsThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
ReportingThe justice department subpoenaed several top officials in Minnesota on Tuesday as part of its investigation into whether Minneapolis officials have conspired to impede federal immigration efforts there. A copy of a subpoena to the office of the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, obtained by the Guardian, requests guidance and policies related to immigration enforcement in Minnesota since last year. It also requests communication regarding those policies with other state agencies, as well as documents related to "hindering, doxxing, identifying or surveilling immigration officers." The office of the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, also received a subpoena, his office said. The offices of the state attorney general, Keith Ellison, the Hennepin county attorney, Mary Moriarty, the St Paul mayor, Kaohly Her and the Ramsey county attorney, John Choi, also reportedly received subpoenas.
'Something's Going to Happen,' Trump Says as Greenland Threats Rattle NATO AlliesPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingPresident Trump sent mixed signals on his threats to take over Greenland ahead of meetings with European allies in Davos this week. After inflammatory messages were posted online, Trump seemed to signal a deal could be reached. It comes as European leaders are pushing back against the president's new tariff threats. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Robin Niblett.
Migrant Families Allege Children Held by ICE Face Unsafe and Unsanitary ConditionsPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingFood contaminated with worms and mold. Limited access to clean drinking water. Inadequate medical care. These are a few of the allegations made by migrant families in recent court documents about their children's conditions while in ICE custody. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Becky Wolozin, a senior lawyer with the National Center for Youth Law.
Wall Street Sinks as Trump Threatens 8 European Countries With Tariffs Over GreenlandThe Associated Press
DAMIAN J. TROISE
ReportingStocks slumped on Wall Street Tuesday after President Trump threatened to hit eight European countries with new tariffs as tensions escalate over his attempts to assert American control over Greenland. The losses were widespread, with nearly every sector losing ground. Major indexes in the U.S. extended losses from last week in what has been a wobbly start to the year.
What to Know About Trump's 'Board of Peace' for GazaThe New York Times
AARON BOXERMAN
ISABEL KERSHNER
ReportingWhen President Trump said he planned to establish and lead a "Board of Peace" to oversee the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, many did not know what to make of it. On Friday, letters went out asking countries to join the newly minted body, among them U.S. allies like Canada, France, Britain and Saudi Arabia. But Russia and Belarus, hardly allies, were also on the list. And a review of the body's charter -- which governments received alongside their invitations -- suggested that Trump hoped the Board of Peace could get involved in all kinds of global conflicts, not just the one in the Gaza Strip. Critics reacted furiously, saying the Trump administration appeared to be setting up the board as a potential American-dominated rival to the United Nations, which Trump has long accused of liberal bias and waste. As chairman, Trump would have considerable influence over the Board of Peace. With countries being asked to pay more than $1 billion for permanent membership, its budget could be substantial, though it is unclear how much control Trump would have over how the money is spent.
Volunteers in Minnesota Deliver Groceries So Immigrants Can Hide at HomeThe New York Times
ORLANDO MAYORQUÍN
ReportingAs thousands of federal agents have flooded streets in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to round up and deport undocumented immigrants, Sergio Amezcua, 46, has mobilized his church and organized free grocery deliveries to help people stay safely inside their homes. An effort that started with a couple of hundred deliveries a week quickly swelled into a vast operation involving thousands of volunteers, who have signed up at the church to pack boxes with donated grocery items and make deliveries. Amezcua said that, so far, the church had received almost 25,000 requests for grocery deliveries through an online request form. Since the program started, he said, there have been 14,000 deliveries. "To us, as Latinos in Minnesota, this is worse than Covid," he said of the enforcement surge. "This is a bigger pandemic." "Our community is traumatized," he added. "People that are born here are traumatized."
Falsehoods Fueled Trump's First Year Back in OfficeThe New York Times
LINDA QIU
ReportingIn the first year of his second term, President Trump has cited an arsenal of falsehoods, baseless claims and distortions to justify significant policy changes on the economy, immigration and deployments of the military. His case for ushering in a turnaround rests on inaccurate superlatives (the "worst inflation" ever under his predecessor and the "best numbers" now under his presidency), mathematically impossible figures (a "600 percent" decline in drug prices) and evidence-free assertions (the decimation of maritime drug smuggling).
ICE Broke Into Minnesota Home, Dragged Barely Clothed Man Into SnowReuters
MARIA CARDONA
ReportingA Minnesota man told Reuters on Monday he felt fear, shame and desperation a day after ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him and dragged him into the snow wearing shorts and Crocs. ChongLy Thao, 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen who goes by the name Scott, was returned home later on Sunday without explanation or apology, he said. "I was praying. I was like, God, please help me, I didn't do anything wrong. Why do they do this to me? Without my clothes on," Thao, a Hmong man born in Laos, told Reuters from his home on Monday, while neighbors were at work fixing the broken door. A statement published by the family called the incident "unnecessary, degrading and deeply traumatizing." The highest temperature in Saint Paul on Sunday was 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stars and Stripes Top Editor Talks About Pentagon's Takeover of the NewspaperNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin asks Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin about the Pentagon's takeover of the newspaper that has covered U.S. armed forces since the Civil War.
Gretchen Whitmer Says It's Not 'Paranoia' to Fear Trump Using Homeland Security Personnel in ElectionsNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingMichigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says her swing state is preparing for Trump administration efforts to disrupt voting in 2026 and 2028. In an NPR interview, Whitmer did not accuse the administration of specific plans to interfere. But, she said, "It would be a mistake to assume that they're not going to," and said Democrats are preparing through "table top" exercises.
Less Personnel Drama but Still Sky-High Turnover One Year Into Trump's New TermNPR Morning Edition
TAMARA KEITH
ReportingOne year into this second Trump presidency, high level staff and Cabinet turnover is significantly lower than it was during the same period in 2017. That's according to a new analysis from Brookings Institution visiting fellow Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, shared exclusively with NPR. In 2017, Trump oversaw turnover in two Cabinet positions and 35 percent of senior staff posts. This time around, there's been no turnover at the Cabinet level and senior staff turnover is at 29 percent. "For the other six presidents before President Trump, the average [high level staff] turnover in that first year is typically around 10 percent, so he's much higher than the average, but I will say it is less than his first term by a good margin," Tenpas said in an interview with NPR.
Ex-Trump Official Weighs in on Whether the Presidency Is Operating Without GuardrailsNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingWith troops standing by for Minnesota and an escalating campaign for Greenland, NPR's Michel Martin asks former Trump official Miles Taylor if this is a presidency without guardrails.
Minnijean Brown-Trickey's Brief but Spectacular Take on 'Walking Like You Belong'PBS News Hour
MINNIJEAN BROWN-TRICKEY
ReflectingMinnijean Brown-Trickey is one of the original members of the Little Rock Nine, the teenagers who integrated Central High School after the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. She shares her Brief But Spectacular take on walking like you belong.
'Very Historic Time': U.S. Protests Have Jumped Since Trump's First TermThe Guardian
LEX MCMENAMIN
A. WITHERSPOON
ReportingIn the year since Donald Trump retook office, the number of protests in the U.S. outpaced those at the same point in his first administration, according to data from the Crowd Counting Consortium, an open-source project collaboration between Harvard University's Kennedy School and the University of Connecticut. There were more than 10,700 protests in 2025, a 133 percent increase from the 4,588 recorded in 2017, the first year of Trump's first term. According to the data, an overwhelming majority of U.S. counties -- including 42 percent that voted for Trump -- have had at least one protest since he was re-inaugurated last year. "It is a very historic time, in the sense that people are mobilizing where they live in ways that I don't think I have seen before in my lifetime," said Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard Kennedy School and co-director of the Crowd Counting Consortium.
Former Diplomat on Trump's Tariff Threats Against NATO Allies Over Greenland IssueNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, about what critics perceive as the Trump administration's threat to the transatlantic alliance.
Former Diplomat on Trump's Tariff Threats Against NATO Allies Over Greenland IssueNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, about what critics perceive as the Trump administration's threat to the transatlantic alliance.
Martin Luther King's Son: 'Justice Demands Endurance'The New York Times
MARTIN LUTHER KING III
ReportingThe future of the Voting Rights Act hangs in the balance. As the Supreme Court deliberates in Louisiana vs. Callais, Times Opinion convened a conversation between the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s son and Norm Ornstein, a leading scholar of voting rights, to talk about the stakes of this case -- and look back on what's been accomplished since 1965.
Amid ICE Clashes, New Hampshire Bishop Urges Clergy to Prepare Their WillsNPR Weekend Edition
TOVIA SMITH
ReportingBishop Rob Hirschfeld's stark warning to his clergy is resonating across the nation, drawing fervent praise from some and rebukes from others. Hirschfeld called out the "cruelty, the injustice and the horror ... unleashed in Minneapolis," and warned his clergy to prepare for "a new era of martyrdom." "I've asked them to get their affairs in order to make sure they have their wills written," he said, "because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable."
U.S. Senators Wrap Up Denmark Trip as Trump Steps Up His Greenland Pressure CampaignNPR Weekend Edition
BARBARA SPRUNT
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingU.S. senators are in Denmark this weekend to meet with officials, as President Trump announces tariffs against NATO members to pressure them over his designs on Greenland.
The Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Is Covered by Trump's Pardon, Lawyer SaysNPR Weekend Edition
RYAN LUCAS
ReportingA lawyer for the man charged with planting bombs at the Democratic and Republican party offices the night before the Jan. 6 riot says his client is covered by President Trump's pardon last year.
Why Bernice King Sees MLK Day as a 'Saving Grace' in Today's Political ClimateThe Associated Press
KATE BRUMBACK
ReportingAgainst a backdrop of political division and upheaval, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter said the holiday honoring her father's legacy comes as "somewhat of a saving grace" this year. "I say that because it inserts a sense of sanity and morality into our very troubling climate right now," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "With everything going on, the one thing that I think Dr. King reminds people of is hope and the ability to challenge injustice and inhumanity." The "three evils" -- poverty, racism and militarism -- that the civil rights leader identified in a 1967 speech as threats to a democratic society "are very present and manifesting through a lot of what's happening" under Trump's leadership, Bernice King said. She cited efforts to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; directives to scrub key parts of history from government Web sites and remove "improper ideology" from Smithsonian museums; and immigration enforcement operations in multiple cities that have turned violent and resulted in the separation of families. Bernice King said she's not sure what her father would make of the United States today, nearly six decades after his assassination. "He's not here. It's a different world," she said. "But what I can say is his teachings transcend time and he taught us, I think, the way to address injustice through his nonviolent philosophy and methodology."
Counter Protesters Chase Off Conservative Influencer During Minneapolis Immigration CrackdownThe Associated Press
JACK BROOK
ReportingHundreds of counterprotesters drowned out a far-right activist's attempt to hold a small rally in support of the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown in Minneapolis on Saturday, as the governor's office announced that National Guard troops were mobilized and ready to assist law enforcement though not yet deployed to city streets. Conservative influencer Jake Lang organized an anti-Islam, anti-Somali and pro-ICE demonstration, saying on social media beforehand that he intended to "burn a Quran" on the steps of City Hall. But it was not clear if he carried out that plan. Only a small number of people showed up for Lang's demonstration, while hundreds of counterprotesters converged at the site, yelling over his attempts to speak and chasing the pro-ICE group away.
In Their Words: European Governments Criticize Trump's Tariff Threats Over GreenlandThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingEuropean governments blasted U.S. President Trump's announcement that eight countries will face 10 percent tariff for opposing American control of Greenland beginning next month. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland are on Trump's list, though it was not immediately clear if the tariffs would impact the European Union as a bloc. Trump's threat sets up a potentially dangerous test of U.S. partnerships in Europe. The U.S. president indicated the tariffs were retaliation for the deployment of symbolic levels of troops from the European countries to Greenland. Europeans said the troops were sent in response to Trump's call for strengthened Arctic security.
MLK Day Concert Held Annually at the Kennedy Center for 23 Years Is RelocatingHere & Now
ELIZABETH BLAIR
ReportingLet Freedom Ring is an annual event celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Over the years major stars have performed at the event, including Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Leslie Odom. For more than 20 years, Let Freedom Ring has been a signature event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. But not this year, as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.
Trump Ices Climate DiplomacyLiving on Earth
JENNI DOERING
ReportingThe Trump Administration recently announced plans to withdraw the United States from dozens of United Nations treaties and organizations including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a treaty that was ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1992 and is the key international forum for addressing the climate crisis. Marianne Lavelle, the Washington Bureau Chief for Inside Climate News, speaks with host Jenni Doering about what this decision could mean for global climate progress.
How the House Slumped to Historic Lows of Productivity in 2025The New York Times
MINHO KIM
ASHLEY WU
ReportingEven by the standards of an institution that has set records for dysfunction in recent years, the Republican-led Congress in 2025 hit new lows for productivity. Speaker Mike Johnson left the chamber out of session for a nearly eight-week period that coincided with the longest government shutdown in history. He maneuvered to avoid politically difficult votes on canceling Trump's tariffs, releasing the Epstein files and extending health care subsidies, ultimately prompting his own rank-and-file to team with Democrats to go around him and force action. And he presided over a free-for-all of censures and reprimands on the House floor as lawmakers' frustrations boiled over.
The CFPB Experienced an Exceptionally Turbulent Year. Here's WhyNPR Weekend Edition
STAFF
ReportingIt's been a challenging year for the consumer watchdog agency, as the Trump administration has tried to deny it funding and lay off most of its staff.
Week in Politics: New Poll on Trump; Trump's Possession of a Nobel Peace PrizeNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT SIMON
RON ELVING
ReportingAccording to polling, both President Trump and his policies are widely unpopular as he marks a year in office.
How Trump's Promise to Slash Energy Bills in Half Has Failed Across the U.S.The Guardian
OLIVER MILMAN
DHARNA NOOR
ReportingDonald Trump has comprehensively failed to meet a key election promise to slash Americans' energy bills in half within the first year of his presidency, with power prices instead surging across the U.S.. The average household electricity bill in the U.S. was 6.7 percent more expensive in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to a Guardian analysis of data from the Energy Information Administration, the Department of Energy's statistical arm. The increases meant that, on average, U.S. households paid nearly $116 more across 2025 than they did in 2024.
Republican Dissent as Key Figures Warn Trump Against Greenland PursuitThe Guardian
CHRIS STEIN
ReportingDonald Trump's renewed interest in taking control of Greenland has become a subject of pointed dissent among congressional Republicans, with several allies speaking out in recent days against the idea after the president reintensified his interest following the U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. "The thought of the United States taking the position that we would take Greenland, an independent territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is absurd," North Carolina senator Thom Tillis said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday. "Somebody needs to tell the president that the people of Greenland, up until these current times, were actually very, very pro-American and very, very pro American presence." Nebraska congressman Don Bacon told the Omaha World-Herald: "If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency. And he needs to know: the off-ramp is realizing Republicans aren't going to tolerate this and he's going to have to back off. He hates being told no, but in this case, I think Republicans need to be firm."
Trump Says Eight European Countries Will Be Charged a 10 percent Tariff for Opposing U.S. Control of GreenlandThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingPresident Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10 percent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to American control of Greenland. Trump said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff and that it would climb to 25 percent on June 1 if a deal is not in place for "the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland" by the United States. The threat of tariffs was a drastic and potentially dangerous escalation of a showdown between Trump and NATO allies, further straining an alliance that dates to 1949 and provides a collective degree of security to Europe and North America. The Republican president has repeatedly tried to use trade penalties to bend allies and rivals alike to his will, generating investment commitments from some nations and pushback from others such as China, Brazil and India. It was unclear how Trump could impose the tariffs under U.S. law, though he could cite economic emergency powers that are currently subject to a U.S. Supreme Court challenge.
Measles Is Spreading Fast in S.C. Here's What It Says About Vaccine ExemptionsAll Things Considered
MARIA GODOY
ReportingSouth Carolina on Friday reported 124 new measles cases in the last three days, bringing the total number to 558 in the state's fast-growing outbreak. Cases have nearly doubled in the last week alone. "We have right now the largest outbreak in the U.S. and it's going to get worse before it gets better," Dr. Helmut Albrecht, an infectious disease physician with Prisma Health and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, said in a briefing Friday. Hundreds of people in other parts of the state are already in quarantine or isolation, he said.
U.S. Justice Department Probing Minnesota Governor Walz, Other Officials, Source SaysReuters
JANA WINTER
A. GOUDSWARD
ReportingThe U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation of Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, over an alleged conspiracy to impede immigration agents, a source familiar with the probe said on Friday. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said subpoenas were prepared for Walz and Frey as part of the inquiry, but it was not immediately clear whether they had been served. The investigation, first reported by CBS News, stems from statements made by Walz and Frey about the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks under orders from President Trump, the source said. Reacting on social media to news of the investigation, Walz, who unsuccessfully ran for the vice presidency in the 2024 election won by Trump, said the federal justice system was being weaponized to intimidate Trump's perceived political enemies. "Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic," Walz said.
Trump Issues a Flurry of Pardons, Including for a Woman Whose Sentence He Commuted in His First TermThe Associated Press
WILL WEISSERT
ReportingPresident Trump issued a flurry of pardons in recent days, including for the father of a large donor to his super PAC, a former governor of Puerto Rico and a woman whose sentence he commuted during his first term but who ended up back in prison for a different scheme. Trump commuted the sentence of Adriana Camberos just before his first stint in the White House ended in 2021. That followed her being convicted as part of an effort to divert 5-Hour Energy drink bottles acquired for resale in Mexico and instead keep them in the U.S. Prosecutors said she and several co-conspirators attached counterfeit labels and filled the bottles with a phony liquid before selling them. The Camberoses were among 13 pardons Trump issued Thursday, along with eight commutations. An additional pardon was announced Friday for Terren Peizer, a resident of Puerto Rico and California who headed the Miami-based health care company Ontrak.
Judge Rules Feds in Minneapolis Immigration Operation Can't Detain or Tear Gas Peaceful ProtestersThe Associated Press
AUDREY MCAVOY
STEVE KARNOWSKI
ReportingFederal officers in the Minneapolis-area participating in its largest recent U.S. immigration enforcement operation can't detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren't obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents, a judge in Minnesota ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez's ruling addresses a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists. The six are among the thousands who have been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since last month. Federal agents and demonstrators have repeatedly clashed since the crackdown began. The confrontations escalated after an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away from a scene in Minneapolis, an incident that was captured on video from several angles. Agents have arrested or briefly detained many people in the Twin Cities.
FEMA Is Getting Rid of Thousands of Workers in Areas Recovering From DisastersNPR Morning Edition
REBECCA HERSHER
ReportingThousands of workers across the Federal Emergency Management Agency will lose their jobs this year, according to multiple people who attended personnel meetings that supervisors held in the last week. FEMA supervisors warned that workers with multiyear contracts that are set to expire this year will not see those contracts extended, even if they are actively working on rebuilding efforts in places that recently suffered disasters. Some divisions within the agency stand to lose half their workers if current policies stay in place for the rest of the year, those with direct knowledge said. They all requested that NPR not use their names because they were told they would be fired for speaking to the press. FEMA and the White House did not respond to questions about why employees are being let go or how the cuts will affect the agency's ability to respond to disasters.
Trump Threatens to Use the Insurrection Act to Stop Anti-ICE Protests in MinneapolisNPR Morning Edition
MEG ANDERSON
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingPresident Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis to quell ongoing protests against ICE, but local leaders say it's the White House that's escalating the situation.
Justice Department Loses Bid to Get Sensitive Information on California VotersThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
ReportingThe Justice Department is not entitled to get sensitive information on California voters, a federal judge ruled on Thursday, writing that the administration's efforts to get the information on voters in the state is a threat to democracy. The Trump administration has filed similar lawsuits in nearly half of U.S. states. Last summer, the Justice Department asked California for a list of all voters, including their dates of birth and the last four digits of their social security number, claiming the information was needed to ensure the state was keeping ineligible voters off its rolls. California's secretary of state offered to let the Justice Department inspect a redacted version of the voter registration list, but refused to turn over all of the requested information. TheJustice Department responded by filing a lawsuit against the state and went on to file similar litigation in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Giving Trump the Nobel Peace Prize Medal Is 'Absurd', Say Norwegian PoliticiansThe Guardian
MIRANDA BRYANT
ReportingPolitical leaders in Norway have condemned the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado's "absurd" decision to present her Nobel peace prize medal to Donald Trump, accusing the U.S. president of being a "classic showoff" who takes credit for other people's work. The Nobel laureate gave her medal to Trump at the White House on Thursday "in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to'] our freedom." Several hours later, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Machado "presented me with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect." The Nobel Peace Center said on social media that "a medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot." The organisers of the prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute, had already said that the prize "cannot be revoked, shared or transferred" when Machado first revealed her plan.
Small Minneapolis Businesses Hit Hard by ICE Crackdown, While Corporations Stay SilentReuters
MARIA CARDONA
SAVYATA MISHRA
ROSS KERBER
ReportingUp and down Lake Street in the heavily Latino area of south Minneapolis, numerous mom-and-pop restaurants have hung up signs that say "No ICE," referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials who have been conducting frequent raids in the area. The federal actions have also prompted thousands in the streets to protest after ICE agents killed 37-year-old Renee Good in her vehicle last week. By contrast, large corporations in Minneapolis have been much less vocal about the effects of immigration enforcement on the city, known as both a bastion of progressive politics in the U.S. Midwest and a robust corporate employer. Seventeen Fortune 500 companies are based in Minnesota, including Target (TGT.N), opens new tab, UnitedHealth (UNH.N), opens new tab and General Mills (GIS.N), opens new tab. Reuters reached out to those companies, as well as Minnesota-based corporations Best Buy (BBY.N), opens new tab, Hormel (HRL.N), opens new tab, Land O'Lakes, agricultural giant Cargill and industrial conglomerate 3M (MMM.N), opens new tab. None would speak on the record on the guidance they have given to employees. Their Web sites also have not addressed the current federal actions or unrest in the city. It stands in contrast with how companies responded in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd that spurred nationwide anger; many companies, including UnitedHealth and General Mills, spoke out in support of Floyd or his family after his death.
Defense Department Says Military Newspaper Stars and Stripes Must Eliminate 'Woke Distractions'The Associated Press
DAVID BAUDER
ReportingThe Pentagon said Thursday that it is changing the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes so it concentrates on "reporting for our warfighters" and no longer includes "woke distractions." That message, in a social media post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's spokesman, is short on specifics and does not mention the news outlet's legacy of independence from government and military leadership. It comes a day after The Washington Post reported that applicants for jobs at Stars and Stripes were being asked what they would do to support President Trump's policies. Stars and Stripes traces its lineage to the Civil War and has reported news about the military either in its newspaper or online steadily since World War II, largely to an audience of service members stationed overseas. Roughly half of its budget comes from the Pentagon and its staff members are considered Defense Department employees. The outlet's mission statement emphasizes that it is "editorially independent of interference from outside its own editorial chain-of-command" and that it is unique among news organizations tied to the Defense Department in being "governed by the principles of the First Amendment."
Denmark and U.S. To Form Working Group to Talk About U.S. Security ConcernsNPR Morning Edition
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingAfter meeting with President Trump's top aides, Danish officials say they will form a working group to talk through U.S. security concerns about control of Greenland.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Discusses Bipartisan Legislation to Block Takeover of GreenlandNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin speaks with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, about bipartisan legislation that would block a U.S. takeover of Greenland.
Trump Administration Restores $2 Billion in Grants for Mental Health, AddictionNPR Morning Edition
BRIAN MANN
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingWithout warning the Trump administration canceled grants late Tuesday for a wide range of addiction and mental health services, but the decision was reversed a day later after political backlash.
First Amendment Lawyer Says FBI's Search of Journalist's Home Is 'Radical Escalation'NPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin asks First Amendment lawyer Theodore Boutrous about the FBI executing a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post reporter.
Trump Says Zelenskiy, Not Putin, Is Holding Up a Ukraine Peace DealReuters
STEVE HOLLAND
GRAM SLATTERY
ReportingPresident Trump told Reuters that Ukraine -- not Russia -- is holding up a potential peace deal, rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine. In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to wrap up his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskiy, the U.S. president said, was more reticent. Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved Europe's largest land conflict since World War Two, Trump responded: "Zelenskiy." Trump's comments suggested renewed frustration with the Ukrainian leader. The two presidents have long had a volatile relationship, though their interactions seem to have improved over Trump's first year back in office.
Trump Threatens to Use the Insurrection Act to End Protests in MinneapolisThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingPresident Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal officers sent to Minneapolis to enforce his administration's massive immigration crackdown. The threat comes a day after a man was shot and wounded by an immigration officer who had been attacked with a shovel and broom handle. That shooting further heightened the fear and anger that has radiated across the city since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head. Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the rarely used federal law to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, over the objections of state governors.
FBI Searches Reporter's Home, Raising Concerns About Intimidation of Free PressPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingThe FBI searched the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation involving a government contractor accused of mishandling classified information. Hannah Natanson has been reporting on President Trump's overhaul of the federal government. Press freedom advocates sharply criticized the search, saying it's a dangerous escalation. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Gabe Rottman.
Twin Cities on Edge as ICE Raids Ignite Fear and ProtestsPBS News Hour
FRED DE SAM LAZARO
ReportingIt's been just over a week since an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis, touching off large protests in the Twin Cities and nationwide. Since then, the presence of immigration enforcement officials has only grown, leaving Minnesota communities on edge. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.
'We're Not Stupid': What Greenlanders Would Say to TrumpThe New York Times
J. GETTLEMAN
MAYA TEKELI
ReportingPipaluk Lynge knows the history of how Indigenous people have been treated in the United States. And she's well aware of the holes in the country's health care system and its yawning economic inequality. Lynge, one of Greenland's top officials and the leader of the Parliament's foreign and security policy committee, chafes at President Trump's offer to buy Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark and his insistence that Greenlanders would be better off as Americans. "We're not going to sell our soul," she said. "We're not stupid."
Trump's Economic Speech Veers Off-Topic as He Targets Biden and PowellNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
TAMARA KEITH
ReportingPresident Trump gave a speech in Detroit that was supposed to focus on the economy, but it veered off-topic quickly and covered a lot of unrelated ground.
Former Federal Prosecutor Talks About Minnesota ICE Shooting Probe and Trump's DOJNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep talks to former federal prosecutor and Politico writer Ankush Khardori about the resignation of several federal prosecutors in Minnesota over the ICE shooting probe.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Talks About Trump's Desire to Take Over GreenlandNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez asks Rufus Gifford, who served as U.S. ambassador to Denmark under the Obama administration, about President Trump's aspirations to take control of Greenland.
Poll: Just One in Five Americans Support Trump's Efforts to Acquire GreenlandReuters
JASON LANGE
ReportingJust 17 percent of Americans approve of President Trump's efforts to acquire Greenland and substantial majorities of Democrats and Republicans oppose using military force to annex the island, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The two-day poll, which concluded on Tuesday, showed widespread concerns over Trump's threats to NATO ally Denmark over Greenland, which has been a Danish territory for centuries. Some 47 percent of respondents to the Reuters/Ipsos poll disapproved of U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland, while 35 percent said they were unsure.
How Denmark Views Trump's Threats to Take Over GreenlandPBS News Hour
MALCOLM BRABANT
ReportingCrucial talks are due to take place in Washington between Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland. President Trump has coveted the Danish territory and his repeated threats to take over the island have prompted warnings that such a move could lead to the breakup of NATO. Malcolm Brabant reports from Copenhagen.
DOJ Prosecutors Resign in Protest Over Handling of ICE Shooting InvestigationPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingAcross the Justice Department, there was a wave of resignations from top prosecutors. At least four senior leaders of the division that investigates police killings have resigned in protest over the handling of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. In Minnesota, six other federal prosecutors have left their posts. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Carol Leonnig.
How Minnesota Faith Communities Are Resisting Aggressive Immigration OperationsAll Things Considered
JASON DEROSE
ReportingAs immigration enforcement actions have ramped up in Minnesota, people of faith have been at the forefront of the response to ICE detentions and the killing of Renee Macklin Good by a federal agent.
Trump Threatens to Halt Federal Money Next Month Not Only to Sanctuary Cities but Also Their StatesThe Associated Press
GEOFF MULVIHILL
ReportingPresident Trump said Tuesday that starting Feb. 1 he will deny federal funding to any states that are home to local governments resisting his administration's immigration policies, expanding on previous threats to cut off resources to the so-called sanctuary cities themselves. Such an action could have far-reaching impacts across the U.S., potentially even in places that aren't particularly friendly to noncitizens. Two previous efforts by Trump to cut off some funding for sanctuary jurisdictions were shut down by courts.
Trump Loyalist Asserts She Can Keep U.S. Attorney TitleThe New York Times
ALAN FEUER
ReportingLindsey Halligan, the Trump loyalist chosen as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, told a federal judge on Tuesday that she was within her rights to continue using that title, even though a different judge has determined that she was appointed to the post unlawfully. In her filing to Judge Novak, Halligan said that even though Judge Currie's order had concluded that she had been illegally installed as the office's top prosecutor, nothing in it explicitly barred her from "performing the functions of or holding herself out as the United States attorney."
In Secret Testimony, Republicans Derided Trump's Stolen Election ClaimsThe New York Times
RICHARD FAUSSET
DANNY HAKIM
ReportingTranscripts of secret grand jury testimony from the Georgia election interference case against Trump and his allies, obtained this week by The New York Times, show just how alarmed and exasperated a number of senior Republicans felt about the president's efforts to overturn an American presidential election. The testimony, given in 2022, is emerging at a time when Trump is again raising complaints about his 2020 defeat and voicing regret that he did not order the National Guard to seize voting machines after the election. He has also said he wanted to "lead a movement" to ban voting machines and mail-in ballots in time for the midterm elections this year. The transcripts were part of the investigative file in the case brought by Fani T. Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., who obtained indictments of Trump and 18 of his allies on election interference charges in 2023.
Clintons' Personal Letter to ComerThe New York Times
BILL CLINTON
HILLARY CLINTON
Bill and Hillary Clinton wrote \to Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chairman of the Oversight Committee, refusing to testify in Congress. This is the full text of that letter.
What the Subpoena of Fed Chair Jerome Powell Could Mean for the Central BankNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep talks with former assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Honig about the implications of the Trump administration's subpoena of Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
Former U.S. Attorney on the Relationship Between Federal and Minnesota InvestigatorsNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Anders Folk, a former U.S. Attorney and federal prosecutor, about the relationship between federal investigators and Minnesota law enforcement.
Global Central Banks Offer 'Full Solidarity' to U.S. Fed's Powell Amid Trump ThreatsThe Guardian
HEATHER STEWART
ReportingGlobal central banks have issued an extraordinary joint statement offering "full solidarity" to the U.S. Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, in the face of the latest threat to his independence from Donald Trump's White House. "The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability," the statement said. It was signed by 10 central bank governors including the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey and the chair of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. It was coordinated by the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, which added its chair and general manager to the signatories. Other signatories to the unprecedented statement include the central bank governors of Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea, Norway and Canada. They pay testament to Powell's "integrity" and "unwavering commitment to the public interest," calling him a "respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him."
DOJ Civil Rights Lawyers Resign in Part Over Sidelining From Minnesota Shooting ProbeReuters
A. GOUDSWARD
MIKE SPECTOR
ReportingFour senior civil rights lawyers at the U.S. Justice Department resigned in recent days, departures that were prompted in part by a decision to sideline their unit from investigating the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by a U.S. immigration officer, according to two sources familiar with the departures. The lawyers were all supervisors in the criminal section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, which typically plays a leading role in federal investigations into use of force by police officers. The head of the division, Harmeet Dhillon, an appointee of President Trump, informed the unit last week they would not be involved in the probe, one of the sources said. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive internal matter. The Minnesota probe was not the only factor in their decision. The four lawyers were also offered early retirement by the Trump administration and had become disillusioned with the direction of the division, whose priorities had been reshaped to align with Trump, according to the sources.
Democrats Will Spend Millions to Shift Voter Registration Strategy Ahead of the Midterm ElectionsThe Associated Press
MATT BROWN
ReportingThe Democratic National Committee will spend millions of dollars to cement control of voter registration efforts that have traditionally been entrusted to nonprofit advocacy groups and individual political campaigns, a shift that party leaders hope will increase their chances in this year's midterm elections. The initiative, being announced on Tuesday, will begin in Arizona and Nevada with at least $2 million for training organizers. It's the first step in what could become the DNC's largest-ever push to sign up new voters, with a particular focus on young people, voters of color and people without college educations. All of those demographics drifted away from Democrats in the last presidential race, which returned Republican Donald Trump to the White House. "It's a crisis. And for our party to actually win elections, we have to actually create more Democrats," DNC Chair Ken Martin said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Clintons Refuse to Testify in House Epstein Investigation as Republicans Threaten Contempt ChargesThe Associated Press
STEPHEN GROVES
ReportingFormer President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton say they will refuse to comply with a congressional subpoena for them to testify in an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons are slamming a Republican-controlled committee's attempts as "legally invalid" as GOP lawmakers prepare contempt of Congress proceedings against them. In a letter released on social media Tuesday, the Clinton's tell the chair of the House Oversight Committee, Republican Rep. James Comer, he's on the cusp of a process "literally designed to result in our imprisonment." Comer says he'll begin contempt of Congress proceedings next week. It potentially starts a complicated and politically messy process that Congress has rarely reached for.
Judge Strikes Down Trump's Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind ProjectThe New York Times
LISA FRIEDMAN
MAXINE JOSELOW
ReportingA federal judge on Monday ruled that construction could resume on a $6.2 billion wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, striking down the Trump administration's decision last month to halt work on the Revolution Wind project. Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Interior Department's suspension order was "arbitrary and capricious" in violation of federal law. Revolution Wind is one of five offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast that were ordered to stop work last month by the Trump administration, which cited unspecified national security concerns. Several states, as well as developers of four of the projects, have challenged the move in court. The case involving Revolution Wind was the first complaint to be heard.
Trump Administration's Posts Echo Rhetoric Linked to Extremist GroupsPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingJust weeks into the new year, the Trump administration has rolled out a campaign across departments that draws on images and ideas borrowed from right-wing and white nationalist circles. Liz Landers reports on what some of these images and posts mean and Amna Nawaz discusses more with Cynthia Miller-Idriss of the Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab at American University.
Trump's Intimidation of Fed's Leadership Threatens Economic Stability, Yellen SaysPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingAs Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell pushes back against a criminal probe from the Trump Justice Department, Amna Nawaz discusses the developments with Janet Yellen. She served as chair of the Federal Reserve Board from 2014 to 2018 and was Treasury Secretary during the Biden administration.
'Hope. Hope. Hope.' How Gabby Giffords Keeps Fighting for Change.All Things Considered
ELENA BURNETT
JUANA SUMMERS
COURTNEY DORNING
ReportingNPR's Juana Summers speaks with former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown about their efforts to stop gun violence. " We can't wait for Congress to act," she says. "We will win in the states and hold the gun industry accountable."
Federal Prosecutor in Virginia Fired After Refusing to Lead Comey CaseThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
ReportingThe number two prosecutor in the U.S. attorney's office for the eastern district of Virginia has been fired, according to two people familiar with the matter, the latest in a series of dismissals in an office that is leading controversial criminal prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James. Robert McBride, a former federal prosecutor in Kentucky, was brought in late last year to serve as the deputy to Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally who the president installed as the acting U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia in September. McBride was dismissed after declining to lead the Comey prosecution, which a judge threw out in November after ruling Halligan was unlawfully appointed, one of the people said. McBride refused to take on important cases in the district, another person familiar with the matter said and had met privately with judges in the district with the goal of being appointed himself to the top prosecutor job. The person said top justice department officials supported McBride's firing.
Minnesota and the Twin Cities Sue the Federal Government to Stop the Immigration CrackdownThe Associated Press
REBECCA SANTANA
MARK VANCLEAVE
STEVE KARNOWSKI
ReportingMinnesota and its two largest cities sued the Trump administration Monday to try to stop an immigration enforcement surge that led to the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal officer and evoked outrage and protests across the country. The state, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, said the Department of Homeland Security is violating the First Amendment and other constitutional protections. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to halt the enforcement action or limit the operation. "This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities in Minnesota and it must stop," state Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference. "These poorly trained, aggressive and armed agents of the federal state have terrorized Minnesota with widespread unlawful conduct."
Trump's Move to Pull U.S. From Key UN Climate Treaty May Be Illegal, Experts SayThe Guardian
DHARNA NOOR
ReportingThe Trump administration's long-anticipated decision this week to pull the U.S. from the world's most important climate treaty may have been illegal, some experts say. "In my legal opinion, he does not have the authority," Harold Hongju Koh, former head lawyer for the U.S. state department, told the Guardian. The UN climate body requires one year's notice for withdrawal, so the United States will not cease being a party for a year. Trump's memo did not specify whether or not his administration will submit a formal notice of termination to the UN.
Ex-Fed Chairs Condemn Trump's Bid to Weaken Central BankThe Guardian
CALLUM JONES
ReportingEvery living former head of the Federal Reserve condemned an "unprecedented" attempt by the Trump administration to weaken the central bank's independence, after the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into its chair, Jerome Powell. Ex-Fed chairs Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen warned similar prosecutorial attacks in other countries had led to "highly negative consequences" for the cost of living -- and argued they had "no place" in the U.S.. "The reported criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell is an unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine that independence," a blunt statement signed by 13 former senior officials said. "This is how monetary policy is made in emerging markets with weak institutions, with highly negative consequences for inflation and the functioning of their economies more broadly. It has no place in the United States whose greatest strength is the rule of law, which is at the foundation of our economic success."
DOJ Subpoenas the Federal Reserve in an Escalating Pressure CampaignNPR Morning Edition
SCOTT HORSLEY
ReportingThe Justice Department has subpoenaed the Federal Reserve for information on the central bank's headquarters renovation, according to a video statement released by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Sunday. It's the latest escalation in the administration's pressure campaign to force the central bank to make bigger cuts in interest rates. Powell said the grand jury subpoenas, received by the Fed on Friday, threaten criminal indictments related to his testimony on the renovation project before the Senate Banking Committee last June. In an unusually combative statement, however, Powell called it a mere pretext. "This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings," Powell said. "The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President."
What the DOJ Subpoena of Jerome Powell Means for the Central Bank and U.S. EconomyNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks with David Wessel of the Brookings Institution about what the subpoena of Fed Chair Jerome Powell means for the central bank's independence and the U.S. economy.
DHS Sending More Agents to Minnesota as Protests Over Renee Good's Death ContinueNPR Morning Edition
JASON DEROSE
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingThe killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent sparked protests across Minneapolis. Federal authorities have taken over the investigation and say they're sending more Homeland Security agents to Minnesota.
Why the Trump Administration Wants to 'Take Over' GreenlandNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingPresident Trump has restated his intent to "take over" Greenland. NPR's A Martinez speaks to Rebecca Pincus of the Foreign Policy Research Institute about why Greenland is so important.
Trump Wants to Add the West Wing to His List of Construction ProjectsNPR Morning Edition
TAMARA KEITH
ReportingPresident Trump is on a remodeling and construction spree. In addition to the White House ballroom project, Trump wants to add a second story to the West Wing colonnade.
Federal Reserve Chair Powell Says DOJ Has Subpoenaed Central Bank, Threatens Criminal IndictmentThe Associated Press
CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
ReportingFederal Reserve Chair Jerome Powellsaid Sunday the Department of Justice has served the central bank with subpoenas and threatened it with a criminal indictment over his testimony this summer about the Fed's building renovations. The move represents an unprecedented escalation in President Trump's battle with the Fed, an independent agency he has repeatedly attacked for not cutting its key interest rate as sharply as he prefers. The renewed fight will likely rattle financial markets Monday and could over time escalate borrowing costs for mortgages and other loans. The subpoenas relate to Powell's testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June, the Fed chair said, regarding the Fed's $2.5 billion renovation of two office buildings, a project that Trump has criticized as excessive. Powell on Sunday cast off what has up to this point been a restrained approach to Trump's criticisms and personal insults, which he has mostly ignored. Instead, Powell issued a video statement in which he bluntly characterized the threat of criminal charges as simple "pretexts" to undermine the Fed's independence when it comes to setting interest rates.
Trump's 'Superstar' Appellate Judges Have Voted 133 to 12 in His FavorThe New York Times
M. SCHWARTZ
EMMA SCHARTZ
ReportingPresident Trump has found a powerful but obscure bulwark in the appeals court judges he appointed during his first term. They have voted overwhelmingly in his favor when his administration's actions have been challenged in court in his current term, a New York Times analysis of their 2025 records shows. Time and again, appellate judges chosen by Trump in his first term reversed rulings made by district court judges in his second, clearing the way for his policies and gradually eroding a perception early last year that the legal system was thwarting his efforts to amass presidential power. The president's appointees voted to allow his policies to take effect 133 times and voted against them only 12 times. Ninety-two percent of their total votes were in favor of the administration. That figure far outstrips support for Trump's agenda from appeals court judges appointed by other Republican presidents and from Trump's appointees to the district courts.
Politics Chat: Lawmakers Push Back on Venezuela, ICE Shooting Sparks ProtestsNPR Weekend Edition
SACHA PFEIFFER
MARA LIASSON
ReportingA change in U.S. posture, following its military operation last weekend in Venezuela, as President Trumps talks about selling Venezuela's oil and taking Greenland.
After Minnesota, Ohio Gov. DeWine Fights Back Against Claims of Child Care FraudNPR Weekend Edition
SARAH DONALDSON
ReportingAccusations of benefits fraud has spread from Minnesota to Ohio, where the Republican governor is trying to fight back with facts and tamp down finger-pointing at Somali-Americans.
Minnesota Clergy Are Mobilizing Against the Fatal Shooting of Renee GoodNPR Weekend Edition
JASON DEROSE
ReportingAfter the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by an ICE agent, area clergy are planning protests and other public demonstrations.
Local Voting Officials Are Preparing for Possible Federal Interference in the MidtermsNPR Weekend Edition
MILES PARKS
SACHA PFEIFFER
ReportingWill this year's midterm elections be fair? It seems like a simple question, but many state and local voting officials from both parties are worried about the possibility of federal interference.
Congress Is Debating Consequences for ICE and Even Noem After Renee Good's KillingThe Associated Press
MATT BROWN
LISA MASCARO
ReportingThe killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill where Democrats and certain Republicans, are vowing an assertive response as President Trump's aggressive deportation operations spark protests nationwide. Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into Renee Good's shooting death and policy changes over law enforcement raids to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in what is fast becoming an inflection point. "The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. "And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats."
Anti-ICE Protesters Assemble Across the U.S. After Shootings in Minneapolis and PortlandThe Associated Press
REBECCA SANTANA
ReportingThousands of people marched in Minneapolis on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer there and the shooting of two people in Portland, Oregon. Minnesota leaders urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. The protest was one of hundreds planned for towns and cities across the country over the weekend. It came in a city on edge since the killing of Renee Good on Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. "We're all living in fear right now," said Meghan Moore, a mother of two from Minneapolis who joined the protest. "ICE is creating an environment where nobody feels safe and that's unacceptable."
Machado Offered Trump Her Nobel, but Prize Institute Says It's Not AllowedThe New York Times
JONATHAN WOLFE
ReportingOn Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Institute clarified the rules governing the award, writing that the facts were "clear and well established." "Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others," the institute wrote. "The decision is final and stands for all time." The statement was released after María Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and the winner of last year's prize, offered this week to give her Nobel Peace Prize to President Trump, who has long coveted the award.
Trump's $100 Billion Venezuela Oil Plan Gets a Cool ReceptionThe New York Times
REBECCA F. ELLIOTT
ReportingPresident Trump has put a number on how much he wants the biggest U.S. and European oil giants to pour into Venezuela: at least $100 billion. During a meeting at the White House on Friday afternoon, oil executives made it clear that they were not yet prepared to follow through. Darren Woods, who leads the largest U.S. oil company, Exxon Mobil, was especially blunt during a televised portion of the meeting. "We've had our assets seized there twice and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes," he said. "Today it's uninvestable."
Washington National Opera Latest to Leave Kennedy Center After Trump TakeoverReuters
KANISHKA SINGH
BHARGAV ACHARYA
ReportingThe Washington National Opera will leave the Kennedy Center, the two organizations said on Friday, marking the latest departure from the storied Washington arts institution since President Trump and his allies took it over. "Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity," the opera said in a statement, saying the step followed changes at the center. The opera's artistic director, Francesca Zambello, told the Guardian in November that it might leave its home of more than 50 years after a collapse in box office revenue and "shattered" donor confidence in the wake of Trump's takeover. The opera said the Kennedy Center's "new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance -- a requirement incompatible with opera operations" and that "centralized support services previously provided by the Center have been reduced or eliminated."
Trump Administration Can't Block Child Care Money for Five Democratic-Led States for Now, Judge SaysThe Associated Press
GEOFF MULVIHILL
HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
ReportingA federal judge ruled Friday that President Trump's administration cannot block federal money for child care subsidies and other programs aimed at supporting low-income families with children from flowing to five Democratic-led states for now. The states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York argued that a policy announced Tuesday to freeze billions of dollars in funds for three grant programs is having an immediate impact on them and creating "operational chaos." In court filings and a hearing earlier Friday, the states contended that the government did not have a legal reason for withholding the money from them. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was pausing the funding because it had "reason to believe" the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those states and not others. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze but said the five states met a legal threshold "to protect the status quo" for at least 14 days while arguments are made in court.
Democratic-Led States Sue Trump Over Freezing $10 Billion in Welfare FundingNPR Weekend Edition
MAWA IQBAL
ReportingFollowing fraud investigations in Minnesota, five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration after it said it's freezing funding intended to help low-income families and children.
The Latest Updates on the Minneapolis ICE ShootingNPR Weekend Edition
SERGIO MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingThe latest updates on the Minneapolis ICE shooting after last night's protests.
The Trump Administration Fired Nearly 100 Immigration Judges in 2025. What's Next?NPR Weekend Edition
XIMENA BUSTILLO
SCOTT SIMON
ReportingAn immigration court in San Francisco is the latest to close its doors, NPR has learned, as the Trump administration seeks to remake the system that offers immigrants due process.
U.S. Hiring Continues at Modest Pace, but Weaknesses Are EvidentThe New York Times
TALMON JOSEPH SMITH
ReportingThe American labor market has entered 2026 in respectable shape, continuing to muddle through challenges even as it loses strength. Employers continued to hire modestly in December and the unemployment rate declined, federal data showed on Friday, but hiring across 2025 was the weakest in five years, driven in part by government staffing cuts and tumultuous public policy. Employers added 50,000 jobs in the last month of 2025 and the unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent, the data showed. Average hourly earnings grew at 0.3 percent on a monthly basis in December and 3.8 percent on an annual basis, an acceleration compared with previous months. The report was the latest in a run of economic updates after several releases were delayed or canceled because of the federal shutdown. Those updates on the economy have demonstrated resilient growth and spending but prolonged softness in the labor market.
Homeland Security Expert Talks About ICE's Truncated Training After Hiring BlitzNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hired over 12,000 officers and reduced training time to aid with deportation efforts. Steve Inskeep speaks with a homeland security expert about that training.
Ex-U.S. Deputy Assistant AG on Trump Administration's Narrative Around ICE ShootingNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks Elliot Williams, a former U.S. deputy assistant attorney general, about the Trump administration's narrative around the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota by an ICE agent.
Federal Officers Blocked Medics From Scene of ICE Shooting, Witnesses SayThe Guardian
GEORGE CHIDI
ReportingWitnesses to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday say federal officers impeded the response of emergency medical personnel to the scene, blocking the road with their vehicles. Emily Heller, a witness who lives near the intersection of 34th Street and Portland Avenue, recorded the scene as it unfolded. She told NBC News that agents blocked people from approaching Good's vehicle. Her video shows a man who identified himself as a physician asking to check for a pulse and being rebuffed. "We have our own medics," bystanders were told. No evidence of medical support assigned to ICE or homeland security on the scene has emerged. The first responders to the scene came from Hennepin EMS, tied to Hennepin county medical center.
Trump Focused on Foreign Affairs to Distract From Domestic Challenges, Sen. Slotkin SaysPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingCongress has a lengthy list of priorities, but the week has been dominated by the Trump administration's operation in Venezuela and what to do next. Geoff Bennett spoke with Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin for the Democratic perspective.
What Federal Guidelines Say About Agents Using Deadly ForcePBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingAt the White House on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance strongly defended the ICE shooting in Minnesota, saying the officer was defending himself and called Renee Nicole Good's death "a tragedy of her own making." For a closer look at training for ICE agents, Amna Nawaz spoke with Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.
Senate Pushes Back on Trump's Military Threats Against Venezuela With War Powers VoteThe Associated Press
STEPHEN GROVES
JOEY CAPPELLETTI
ReportingThe Senate advanced a resolution Thursday that would limit President Trump's ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, sounding a note of disapproval for his expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote and ensure a vote next week on final passage. It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the Republican-controlled House. Still, it was a significant gesture that showed unease among some Republicans after the U.S. military seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid over the weekend.
House Votes to Extend Health Care Subsidies in Defiance of GOP LeadersThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingIn a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday, 230-196, that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as renegade GOP lawmakers joined essentially all Democrats in voting for the measure. Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed what is commonly known as a "discharge petition" to unlock debate, bypassing objections from House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a similar bipartisan compromise.
Federal Immigration Officers Shoot and Wound Two People in Portland, Ore.The Associated Press
CLAIRE RUSH
ReportingFederal immigration officers shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an officer shot and killed a driver in Minnesota, authorities said. The Department of Homeland Security described the vehicle's passenger as "a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring" who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants Thursday afternoon, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement. "Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot," the statement said. "The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene." There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or of any gang affiliation of the vehicle's occupants.
Trump Pulls Out of Global Climate TreatyThe New York Times
SOMINI SENGUPTA
LISA FRIEDMAN
ReportingPresident Trump announced on Wednesday that he was withdrawing the United States from the bedrock international agreement that forms the basis for countries to rein in climate change. The treaty, which has been in place for 34 years, counts all of the other nations of the world as members. The administration said it was also pulling the United States from the top United Nations climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as a host of other major international environmental organizations. They include the International Renewable Energy Association, which represents global clean energy interests, the International Solar Alliance and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The moves cement the United States' isolation from the rest of the world when it comes to fighting climate change.
Woman Killed by ICE Agent in Minneapolis Was a Mother of Three, Poet, New to the CityThe Associated Press
MICHAEL BIESECKER
JIM MUSTIAN
ReportingThe woman shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday was Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who had recently moved to Minnesota. She was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and appears to never have been charged with anything involving law enforcement beyond a traffic ticket. "Renee was one of the kindest people I've ever known," her mother Donna Ganger told the Minnesota Star Tribune. "She was extremely compassionate. She's taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being."
Deadly ICE Shooting Ignites Debate Over Legality of Officers Firing on a Moving CarNPR Morning Edition
MARTIN KASTE
ReportingThe fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer set off a firestorm of criticism Wednesday and ignited a debate over the legality of law enforcement officers firing on a moving vehicle.
Sen. Tim Kaine Talks About Vote to Limit Trump's Military Interventions in VenezuelaNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingSenators are expected to vote Thursday on another resolution to limit the Trump administration's military intervention in Venezuela. NPR speaks with one of its sponsors, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
German President Says U.S. Is Destroying World OrderReuters
STAFF
ReportingGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has strongly criticised the U.S. foreign policy under President Trump and urged the world not to let the world order disintegrate into a "den of robbers" where the unscrupulous take what they want. In unusually strong remarks, which appeared to refer to actions such as the ousting of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the weekend, the former foreign minister said global democracy was being attacked as never before. Describing Russia's annexation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a watershed, Steinmeier said the U.S. behaviour represented a second historic rupture. "Then there is the breakdown of values by our most important partner, the USA, which helped build this world order," Steinmeier said in remarks at a symposium late on Wednesday. "It is about preventing the world from turning into a den of robbers, where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want, where regions or entire countries are treated as the property of a few great powers," he said.
Why Experts Are Divided Over the New Federal Dietary GuidelinesPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingThe Trump administration released new dietary guidelines that will shape everything from school lunches to medical advice. The guidance puts a bigger emphasis on eating more protein and dairy, something Health Secretary Kennedy has long sought. William Brangham discussed the recommendations with Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist and co-director of the Global Food Research Program.
GOP Rep. Bacon Says Trump Placing 'Too Much Emphasis on Oil' After Maduro's RemovalPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingGeoff Bennett spoke with Republican Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska for his perspective on President Trump's military actions in Venezuela and his threats to take over Greenland.
State, City Leaders Clash With Feds After Deadly ICE Shooting in MinneapolisPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingState and local officials in Minneapolis are outraged after an immigration and customs enforcement agent fatally shot a woman there. Federal officials accused that woman of trying to run over officers with a vehicle, claiming the shooting was in self-defense. The city's mayor says the video tells a different story. Liz Landers reports. A warning, the video in this story is disturbing.
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith Weighs in on Minneapolis Shooting Death by ICE AgentAll Things Considered
A. MARQUEZ JANSE
JUANA SUMMERS
PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
ReportingNPR's Juana Summers talks with Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith about the Minneapolis shooting in which an ICE agent killed a 37-year-old woman.
Woman in Minnesota Fatally Shot by ICE Agent During RaidThe Guardian
RICHARD LUSCOMBE
RACHEL LEINGANG
ANNA BETTS
ReportingFederal agents shot and killed a woman during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Ilhan Omar, the Democratic Minnesota representative, said the victim was "a legal observer" of action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which had sent a surge of agents into the city in recent days tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.
A witness to the incident, Emily Heller, told local media that the victim was shot in the face multiple times. Heller said she saw a car blocking traffic that appeared to be part of a protest against the ICE operation and heard an agent telling the driver, a woman, to "get out of here." "She was trying to turn around and the ICE agent was in front of her car and he pulled out a gun and put it right in -- like his midriff was on her bumper -- and he reached across the hood of the car and shot her in the face like three, four times," Heller told MPR News, a Minneapolis public radio station. The woman has been identified as 37-year old Renee Nicole Good, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, emphasized that the priority of local law enforcement was to get the victim to the hospital and then to remove ICE from the scene because they were "making a difficult situation more problematic." Frey even issued an emphatic statement to ICE directly: "I do have a message for our community for our city and I do have a message for ICE. To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite. "People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart. Long-term Minneapolis residents that have contributed so greatly to our city, to our culture, to our economy are being terrorized and now, somebody is dead. Continuing to address ICE, Frey said: "That's on you. It's also on you to leave. It's on you to make sure that further damage, further loss of life and injury, is not done." The mayor also said that DHS was "trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bullshit."
Béla Fleck Withdraws From Kennedy Center ConcertsThe New York Times
EMMANUEL MORGAN
ReportingThe celebrated banjo player Béla Fleck announced on Tuesday that he had withdrawn from three concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, becoming the latest artist to forgo playing at the venue amid changes from the Trump administration. Fleck, an 18-time Grammy Award winner, was scheduled to play with the National Symphony Orchestra in February. Several musicians have cut ties with the Kennedy Center since its board voted last month to add President Trump's name to the institution. "It has become less and less a musically and artistically based situation and more of a highly politicized and divisive one," Fleck said in a statement to The New York Times. "This pushes against the deepest motivations of why I want to be a musician."
FEMA Staff Bracing for Dismissal of 1,000 Disaster WorkersThe New York Times
SCOTT DANCE
ReportingFederal Emergency Management Agency supervisors are advising their staff to prepare for the elimination of 1,000 jobs this month as part of changes that Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is overseeing at the agency, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions. The dismissals would apply to contractual FEMA staff whose assignments, which typically last for two or four years, expire this month. The workers, known as FEMA's Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees or CORE, help facilitate disaster recovery and emergency preparedness in communities across the country and have historically made up nearly 40 percent of the agency's work force.
Buy Greenland? Take It? Why? An Old Pact Already Gives Trump a Free Hand.The New York Times
J. GETTLEMAN
A. NIERENBERG
MAYA TEKELI
ReportingUnder a little-known Cold War agreement, the United States already enjoys sweeping military access in Greenland. Right now, the United States has one base in a very remote corner of the island. But the agreement allows it to "construct, install, maintain and operate" military bases across Greenland, "house personnel" and "control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings, movements and operation of ships, aircraft and waterborne craft." It was signed in 1951 by the United States and Denmark, which colonized Greenland more than 300 years ago and still controls some of its affairs. "The U.S. has such a free hand in Greenland that it can pretty much do what it wants," said Mikkel Runge Olesen, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen. "I have a very hard time seeing that the U.S. couldn't get pretty much everything it wanted," he said, adding, "if it just asked nicely."
DHS Wants Venezuelans to Return Home, but Fears Remain as Long as Maduro Regime Is in PowerNPR Morning Edition
SERGIO MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN
ReportingThe Trump administration says it is safe for Venezuelans to go back to their country, especially those who were in the U.S. with temporary protected status or TPS. The administration ended the program for more than 600,000 Venezuelans last year, saying then that conditions in the country had improved. But the Department of State has advised U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela "due to severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest and poor health infrastructure." On Monday, at least 14 journalists -- most from international news organizations -- were detained in Venezuela, according to Venezuela's National Union of Press Workers. There are also reports that armed groups are already working to suppress any support for Maduro's ouster. Luis Falcón said going back to Venezuela under these conditions can put those returning at extreme risk. He came to the U.S. in 2017 after fleeing persecution.
Federal Appeals Court Hears Challenge to Trump Administration's NIH Funding CutsNPR Morning Edition
CRAIG LEMOULT
ReportingA federal appeals court in Boston heard arguments Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to overturn a ruling that found the NIH acted unlawfully in terminating research grants.
Abortion Remains Legal in Wyoming After State's Supreme Court Throws Out BansNPR Morning Edition
HANNA MERZBACH
ReportingOn Tuesday, Wyoming's Supreme Court threw out two laws that aimed to ban most abortion procedures in the Cowboy state.
Trump Tries to Offer GOP a Midterm 'Roadmap,' but the Path Ahead Remains UnclearNPR Morning Edition
D. MONTANARO
LEILA FADEL
ReportingIn a meeting with House Republicans Tuesday, President Trump tried to offer his party a "roadmap" to maintain their congressional majorities in the midterms.
Trump Lawyer Ordered to Defend Using U.S. Attorney Title Despite Ruling It's UnlawfulThe Guardian
RICHARD LUSCOMBE
ReportingA judge has ordered the Donald Trump-appointed lawyer who led failed prosecutions of two of his political opponents to explain why she is still representing herself as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, after another judge ruled she was in the position unlawfully. In an order filed in the district's Richmond division on Tuesday, Lindsey Halligan was given seven days to explain why she had engaged in "professional misconduct" by continuing to sign indictments. "While the U.S. has appealed Judge Currie's opinion and order, no stay has been issued in conjunction with that appeal," District Court Judge David Novak wrote. "Consequently, it remains the binding precedent in this district and is not subject to being ignored."
U.S. Seizes Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in Atlantic After Two-Week PursuitThe Guardian
PJOTR SAUER
ReportingThe U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean in a high-stakes operation that could risk confrontation with the Kremlin after Moscow reportedly dispatched a submarine to safeguard the vessel. The Marinera, formerly known as the Bella 1, "was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro," U.S. European Command said in a post on X. U.S. media reported that the country's coastguard had successfully boarded the oil tanker, facing no resistance. The Marinera had been navigating in the Atlantic between Iceland and the UK, according to ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic. The Wall Street Journal reported that several helicopters and at least one coastguard vessel were used to take control of the tanker. Britain provided support to the U.S. in its operation, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
European Allies Working on Plan Should U.S. Move on GreenlandReuters
JOHN IRISH
ANDREAS RINKE
ANNE KAURANEN
ReportingAllies including France and Germany are working closely on a plan on how to respond should the United States act on its threat to take over Greenland, as Europe seeks to address U.S. President Trump's ambitions in the region. A U.S. military seizure of Greenland from a longtime ally, Denmark, would send shock waves through the NATO alliance and deepen the divide between Trump and European leaders. Leaders from major European powers and Canada have rallied behind Greenland this week, saying the Arctic island belongs to its people, following a renewed threat by Trump to take over the territory.
Jamie Raskin: Jan. 6 Never EndedThe New York Times
JAMIE RASKIN
House Judiciary Committee"Tuesday is a heavy day for the police officers who fought to put down the bloody insurrection at the Capitol five years ago. It is also a solemn day for the F.B.I. agents and federal prosecutors who worked the largest criminal investigation in American history to bring the members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers and all the other police-attacking rioters to justice. Five years after Jan. 6, 2021, we are still caught up in a struggle between forces who are willing to use authoritarian violence outside the Constitution to take and wield power and those who stand up nonviolently for our Constitution in the streets and in the polling places. Neither side can claim victory yet. It's still very much Jan. 6 in America."
Trump's Push to Access Venezuela's Oil Reserves Faces Major BarriersPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingPresident Trump says the U.S. government could subsidize any effort by American companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure. He has made no secret that a major goal of this weekend's operation was to pry open Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Francisco Manaldi, professor and director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University.
Five Years Later, the Fight Over How Jan. 6 Is Remembered ContinuesPBS News Hour
LISA DESJARDINS
ReportingIn the five years since Jan. 6, there has been a widespread fight over the story of that day. Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins was inside the Capitol and witnessed the storming firsthand and reports on the half-decade battle over the narrative.
How the Aftermath of Jan. 6 Still Challenges the CapitolPBS News Hour
LISA DESJARDINS
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingFive years later, the U.S. Capitol is still living with the aftermath of Jan. 6. Geoff Bennett discussed how the insurrection's impact continues to reverberate in Washington with Lisa Desjardins and Liz Landers.
Here's How to View NPR's Coverage of Jan. 6, Including a Timeline, Documents and VideoAll Things Considered
HENRY LARSON
BARRIE HARDYMON
SARAH HANDEL
ReportingNPR's Jan. 6 coverage includes a database of all the charges filed against more than 1500 defendants. It's now one of the only places that information is publicly accessible. Visit the archive online.
Amid Fraud Claims, Trump Admin Announces More Changes to Federal Child Care FundingAll Things Considered
KADIN MILLS
SEQUOIA CARRILLO
NICOLE COHEN
ReportingThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it would rescind a series of Biden-era rules governing one of the largest federal funding sources for child care. The move comes less than a week after HHS confirmed it was freezing all federal funding through that same program. The Child Care and Development Fund sends money to states, tribes and territories to help make child care more affordable for low-income families.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Votes to End OperationsAll Things Considered
MARC RIVERS
PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
ReportingThe Corporation for Public Broadcasting has voted to formally end operations. NPR's mission will continue, unchanged.
Stephen Miller Asserts U.S. Has Right to Take GreenlandThe New York Times
CHRIS CAMERON
ReportingStephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump, asserted on Monday that Greenland rightfully belonged to the United States and that the Trump administration could seize the semiautonomous Danish territory if it wanted. "Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland," Miller told Jake Tapper, the CNN host, after being asked repeatedly whether he would rule out using military force. "We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power," he said. "These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time." The United States' taking Greenland by force would rip apart the central agreement that underpins the NATO military alliance, of which Denmark and the United States are both founding members.
Two Republicans Oppose Pete Hegseth's Censure of Fellow Senator Mark KellyThe Guardian
JOSEPH GEDEON
ReportingTwo senior Republican senators on Monday openly opposed Pentagon secretary Pete Hegseth's attempt to punish their fellow Senator Mark Kelly by demoting him and cutting his pension after he released a video telling active-duty military to follow the law. Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate appropriations committee with jurisdiction over the Pentagon's budget, said she believed it was wrong to target Kelly's military benefits because of a political video. Thom Tillis of North Carolina also described the Pentagon's censure as "ridiculous," said "Hegseth overreached" and cautioned that pursuing such action "has a chilling effect on speech."
Trump Suggests U.S. Taxpayers Could Reimburse Oil Firms for Venezuela InvestmentThe Guardian
STAFF
ReportingDonald Trump has suggested U.S. taxpayers could reimburse energy companies for repairing Venezuelan infrastructure for extracting and shipping oil. Trump acknowledged that "a lot of money" would need to be spent to increase oil production in Venezuela after U.S. forces ousted its leader, Nicolás Maduro, but suggested his government could pay oil companies to do the work.
Fifth Anniversary of the Jan. 6 Attack Brings Fresh Division to the CapitolThe Associated Press
LISA MASCARO
ReportingFive years ago outside the White House, the outgoing President Trump told a crowd of his supporters to head to the Capitol -- "and I'll be there with you" -- in protest as Congress was affirming the 2020 election victory for Democrat Joe Biden. A short time later, the world watched as the seat of U.S. power descended into chaos and democracy hung in the balance. On the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, there is no official event to memorialize what happened that day, when the mob made its way down Pennsylvania Avenue, battled police at the Capitol barricades and stormed inside, as lawmakers fled. The political parties refuse to agree to a shared history of the events, which were broadcast around the globe. And the official plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol has never been hung.
Trump's Foray Into Venezuela Could Embolden Russian, Chinese AggressionThe New York Times
ANTON TROIANOVSKI
ReportingAfter attacking Venezuela and seizing its head of state, President Trump said on Saturday that the country had been "hosting foreign adversaries" and asserted that "American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." His remarks appeared to be a broadside against Russia and China, which both built close ties to Nicolás Maduro, the captured Venezuelan leader. But in fact, there was also plenty in Trump's words and deeds that Beijing and Moscow could get behind. Trump's stunning assault on Venezuela has ushered in new uncertainty around the globe, with allies and adversaries alike scrambling to reckon with a superpower ready to use force in the service of a transactional, might-makes-right foreign policy. For the two countries long seen as America's chief adversaries, Russia and China, that uncertainty is tinged with opportunity, foreign policy analysts said. "If we have the right to be aggressive in our own backyard," said Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at the Brookings Institution, "why can't they?"
Trump Officials Bar Head Start Providers From Using 'Women' and 'Race' in Grant ApplicationsThe Associated Press
MORIAH BALINGIT
ReportingThe Trump administration is telling Head Start providers to avoid dozens of terms in federal grant applications, including "race," "belonging" and "pregnant people" -- a directive that could reshape the early education program. A coalition of organizations representing Head Start providers and parents said in court filings last month that the Department of Health and Human Services told a Head Start director in Wisconsin to cut those and over a dozen other terms from her application. She later received a list with nearly 200 words the department discouraged her from using in her application, including "Black," "Native American," "disability" and "women." President Trump's administration associates the terms with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which it has vowed to root out across the government.
Trump Officials Sue California Cities Over Laws to Restrict Fossil FuelsThe Guardian
STAFF
ReportingThe Trump administration sued two California cities on Monday, seeking to block local laws that restrict natural gas infrastructure and appliances in new construction. The lawsuit is the administration's latest attack on energy policies that seek to rein in the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change. California, a Democratic stronghold, has among the most aggressive climate change policies in the world. In the complaint filed in U.S. district court in the northern district of California, justice department attorneys alleged that ordinances passed by the San Francisco-area cities of Morgan Hill and Petaluma since 2019 violated a 1975 law that prevents states and cities from regulating the "energy use" of products subject to federal standards.
What the Overhaul of U.S. Vaccine Guidance Means for Public HealthPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingIn a major departure from past practice, the CDC is scaling back the number of recommended vaccines for children. The new schedule recommends that flu and COVID vaccines only be given after consulting with a healthcare provider and narrows recommendations for hepatitis A and B, RSV and bacterial meningitis to what it considers higher risk groups. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Dr. Sean O'Leary.
Virginia Senator Seeks Answers From Trump Administration on VenezuelaAll Things Considered
ELENA BURNETT
MARY LOUISE KELLY
ReportingNPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, about what Congress may do in response to the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela.
U.S. Administration Cuts the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Every Child, a Move Slammed by PhysiciansThe Associated Press
ALI SWENSON
LAURAN NEERGAARD
ReportingThe U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of cutting the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, a move leading medical groups said would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases. The change is effective immediately, meaning that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now recommend that all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases. What's no longer broadly recommended is protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis or RSV. Instead, protections against those diseases are only recommended for certain groups deemed high risk or when doctors recommend them in what's called "shared decision-making."
Danish Prime Minister Says a U.S. Takeover of Greenland Would Mark the End of NATOThe Associated Press
A. KONGSHAUG
CLAUDIA CIOBANU
STEFANIE DAZIO
ReportingDanish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday an American takeover of Greenland would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance. Her comments came in response to U.S. President Trump's renewed call for the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island to come under U.S. control in the aftermath of the weekend military operation in Venezuela. The dead-of-night operation by U.S. forces in Caracas to capture leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife early Saturday left the world stunned and heightened concerns in Denmark and Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of the Danish kingdom and thus part of NATO. Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart, Jens Frederik Nielsen, blasted the president's comments and warned of catastrophic consequences. Numerous European leaders expressed solidarity with them. "If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops," Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday. "That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War."
Hegseth Starts Proceedings Against Sen. Mark Kelly Over His RemarksThe New York Times
GREG JAFFE
ReportingDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military had started administrative actions against Senator Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, that could result in a reduction in his retirement rank and military pension. In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers who served in the military or the intelligence community released a video reminding their still-serving counterparts that they were obligated to refuse illegal orders. In a social media message issued on Monday, Hegseth called the video "seditious" and criticized Kelly for a "pattern of reckless misconduct" aimed at undermining good order and discipline in the ranks. Kelly and his lawyers maintained last month that the senator was simply articulating a fundamental principle of military law. They noted that Hegseth had made similar statements in the past.
Law Professor Examines the Questions Raised by the U.S. Invasion of VenezuelaNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingWhat legal questions are raised by the U.S. invasion of Venezuela and its capture of President Maduro and his wife? NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with international law professor Mary Ellen O'Connell.
ICE Can Use Medicaid Data to Find People Without Legal Status for Deportation CasesNPR Morning Edition
JASMINE GARSD
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingStarting this week, ICE can use Medicaid data in deportation cases. A judge rejected a legal challenge against the practice brought by Democrat-led states.
After Venezuela Attack, Cuba Watches the U.S. WarilyNPR Morning Edition
EYDER PERALTA
ReportingWith his attack on Venezuela, President Trump has brought an almost 200-year-old political idea back into the spotlight. The Monroe Doctrine is the belief that the Western Hemisphere falls within the United States' exclusive sphere of influence. Few countries understand the consequences of that doctrine more intimately than Cuba. And after Washington's dramatic intervention in Venezuela, the island is once again in the U.S. crosshairs.
Trump Push to Politicize U.S. Military 'Reminiscent of Stalin', Top General WarnsThe Guardian
ED PILKINGTON
ReportingDonald Trump and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, are mounting an aggressive push to politicise the top ranks of the U.S. military -- a push that smacks of Stalinism and could take years to repair, the former infantry chief who trained troops to invade Iraq has warned. Major General Paul Eaton has sounded the alarm, saying in an interview with the Guardian that the effort to bend the higher echelons of the military to the U.S. president's will was unparalleled in recent history and could have long-term dire consequences. He warned that both the reputation and efficiency of the world's most powerful fighting force was in the balance. "There is an active effort to politicise the armed forces," Eaton said. "Once you infect the body, the cure may be very difficult and painful for presidents downstream." He added that the actions of Trump and his chosen head of the Pentagon were putting the standing of the military as an independent entity, free from party politics, at risk. "As the phrase goes, reputation is built a drop at a time and emptied in buckets."
Wall St Rallies Amid Energy Boost After Venezuela Strike; Dow Hits RecordReuters
PURVI AGARWAL
NIKHIL SHARMA
ReportingWall Street's main indexes surged on Monday, with the blue-chip Dow hitting an all-time high due to soaring financial stocks, while energy firms rose after a U.S. military strike that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Investors bet the move against Venezuela's leadership would allow American firms access to the world's largest oil reserves. A U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil remained in full effect, Trump said. S&P's energy index (.SPNY), opens new tab gained 1.3 percent, with heavyweights Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), opens new tab and Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab rising 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Defence-related stocks also advanced after Washington's military action. Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab rose 2.5 percent and General Dynamics (GD.N), opens new tab climbed 2.8 percent. The broader aerospace and defence index (.SPLRCAERO), opens new tab gained 1.2 percent to hit an all-time high. At 10:15 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 600.51 points or 1.24 percent, to 48,982.9, the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab gained 45.32 points or 0.66 percent, to 6,903.79 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab gained 203.37 points or 0.88 percent, to 23,439.
This Jan. 6 Plaque Was Made to Honor Law Enforcement. It's Nowhere to Be Found at the CapitolThe Associated Press
LISA MASCARO
ReportingApproaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found. It's not on display at the Capitol, as is required by law. Its whereabouts aren't publicly known, though it's believed to be in storage. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque. And the Trump administration's Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss a police officers' lawsuit asking that it be displayed as intended. The Architect of the Capitol, which was responsible for obtaining and displaying the plaque, said in light of the federal litigation, it cannot comment.
How the Times Assessed That Photo From Trump of Maduro in HandcuffsThe New York Times
MEAGHAN LOORAM
Director of PhotographyHours after President Trump announced on social media Saturday morning that the United States had captured Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, he posted an image that appeared to show Maduro in sweatpants, blindfolded and handcuffed onboard a U.S. warship. The Times has reported on Trump's habit of disseminating A.I.-generated imagery and deepfakes on social media, so we had reason to be skeptical of the authenticity of the photo. We are also cautious about publishing government handout images, as we cannot necessarily verify their authenticity, nor can we vouch for the journalistic rigor with which they were made, even if they are genuine. And we are mindful that images distributed by any government are often intended to advance a specific narrative. [Headline is a gift link]
NPR Investigation Shows How the Administration Has Tried to Erase Information About Jan. 6NPR Weekend Edition
TOM DREISBACH
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingThis week marks the fifth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. An NPR investigation details how the Trump administration is trying to erase government information on the attack. NPR has created an accurate public archive of the event.
Why the Dollar Fell Over 9 Pct. In 2025 and What to Expect in 2026NPR Weekend Edition
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingThe dollar fell over 9 percent in 2025, its worst annual performance since 2017. The declines reflect a volatile year for the U.S. economy, with investors likely facing another unpredictable 12 months. Turbulence in the U.S. market trumps low interest rates.
Maduro Faces Drug Charges in U.S. Even as Trump Freed Others Convicted of TraffickingNPR Weekend Edition
BRIAN MANN
ReportingPresident Trump escalated the U.S. drug war in dramatic fashion early Saturday ordering the invasion of Venezuela and removing that country's president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were quickly charged with narcotics trafficking by the U.S. Justice Department. But the stunning military action comes at a time when Trump has also freed or pardoned other convicted drug dealers and people accused of ties to drug gangs and cartels -- notably the former president of Honduras.
Italian Pasta Brands Get Relief From Trump's Tariffs After Threatening to Stop ExportsNPR Weekend Edition
RUTH SHERLOCK
ReportingAmericans may still get to enjoy Italian pasta after the Trump administration spared several producers from its high-level tariffs intended to block them from American grocery shelves.
U.S. Attack on Venezuela Raises Fears of Future Greenland TakeoverThe Guardian
DEBORAH COLE
ReportingThe U.S. bombardment of Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro, have renewed fears of an American takeover of Greenland, as members of Donald Trump's Maga movement gleefully set their sights on the Danish territory after the attack in South America. Just hours after the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, the rightwing podcaster Katie Miller -- the wife of Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's powerful deputy chief of staff for policy -- posted on X a map of Greenland draped in the stars and stripes with the caption: "SOON." The threat to annex the mineral-rich territory, which is part of the Nato alliance, drew immediate outrage from Danes. Copenhagen's ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, reposted Miller's provocation with a "friendly reminder" of the longstanding defence ties between the two countries. He said Denmark had increased defence spending in 2025, committing $13.7bn (10.2bn) "that can be used in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Because we take our joint security seriously." He added: "And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark."
Trump's Focus on Venezuelan Oil Reinforces Claim Action Was Never About 'War on Drugs'The Guardian
TIAGO ROGERO
South America CorrespondentHailing the U.S. military operation to seize Nicolás Maduro as spectacular, extraordinary and "an assault not seen since World War II," Donald Trump surprised many by making Venezuela's oil the central focus of his hour-long press conference on Saturday. The U.S. president made little mention of the "war on drugs" that for months had been his main justification for the military buildup and the strikes on boats that have killed 116 people, instead referring to oil more than a dozen times, even when questions made no reference to it. Trump's insistence ended up reinforcing a claim repeatedly made by Venezuela since the escalation began: that he was ultimately seeking to topple Maduro and seize the country's vast natural reserves.
Venezuela's Interim Government Says It Remains United Behind MaduroReuters
STAFF
ReportingA top Venezuelan official declared on Sunday that the country's government would stay unified behind President Nicolas Maduro, whose capture by the U.S. has sparked deep uncertainty about what is next for the oil-rich South American nation. Maduro is in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges, after U.S. President Trump ordered his removal and said the U.S. would take control of Venezuela. But in Caracas, top officials in Maduro's government, who have called the detentions of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores a kidnapping, were still in charge. "Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy's provocations," Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in an audio shared by the ruling PSUV socialist party on Sunday as he urged calm. Images of the 63-year-old Maduro, opens new tab blindfolded and handcuffed on Saturday stunned Venezuelans. The action is Washington's most controversial intervention in Latin America, opens new tab since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez -- who also serves as oil minister -- has taken over as interim leader with the blessing of Venezuela's top court, though she has said Maduro remains president.
Trump's Plan to Seize and Revitalize Venezuela's Oil Industry Faces Major HurdlesThe Associated Press
JOSH FUNK
ReportingPresident Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela's oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a raid isn't likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices. Venezuela's oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions, so it could take years and major investments before production can increase dramatically. But some analysts are optimistic that Venezuela could double or triple its current output of about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day to return to historic levels fairly quickly. "While many are reporting Venezuela's oil infrastructure was unharmed by U.S. military actions, it has been decaying for many many years and will take time to rebuild," said Patrick De Haan, who is the lead petroleum analyst at gasoline price tracker GasBuddy.
President Trump Orders Divestment in $2.9 Million Chips Deal to Protect U.S. SecurityThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingPresident Trump on Friday ordered the unraveling of a $2.9 million computer chips deal that he concluded threatened U.S. security interests if the current owner, HieFo Corp., remained in control of the technology. The executive order cast a spotlight on a business deal that drew scant attention when it was announced in May 2024 during President Joe Biden's administration. The deal involved aerospace and defense specialist Emcore Corp. selling its computer chips and wafer fabrication operations to HieFo for $2.92 million -- a price that included the assumption of about $1 million in liabilities. But Trump is now demanding that HieFo divest that technology within 180 days, citing "credible evidence" that the current owner is a citizen of the People's Republic of China.
With Capture of Maduro, Trump Claims Successful Operation as He Treads Into Uncharted TerritoryThe Associated Press
AAMER MADHANI
ReportingWith the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, President Trump and his allies are calling the audacious military operation a major success as the U.S. leader once again demonstrated a willingness to use U.S. forces for risky missions that come with a potential big payoff. The operation has ousted a South American strongman blasted by Trump's administration as an "illegitimate" dictator and a "narco-terrorist," a scourge responsible for a steady stream of illegal drugs poisoning the U.S. and Europe. But the path ahead could be treacherous as the White House faces a series of difficult questions.
Kennedy Center Faces Artist Cancellations, Drop in Ticket Sales After Trump's Name AddedPBS News Hour
JEFFREY BROWN
ReportingFirst, a takeover of leadership, then a renaming. Now, the Trump-Kennedy Center is facing canceled performances and a drop in overall ticket sales. Jeffrey Brown reports on the turmoil at one of the nation's preeminent arts centers. It's for our series Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy as part of our CANVAS coverage.
Naps, Bruising, Cognitive Tests: Trump Addresses Aging QuestionsAll Things Considered
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN
ReportingPresident Trump discusses his health after spending the 2024 campaign knocking President Biden as old.
Trump and Top Iranian Officials Exchange Threats Over Protests Roiling IranThe Associated Press
JON GAMBRELL
ReportingU.S. President Trump and top Iranian officials exchanged dueling threats Friday as widening protests swept across parts of the Islamic Republic, further escalating tensions between the countries after America bombed Iranian nuclear sites in June. Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it "violently kills peaceful protesters," the United States "will come to their rescue." "We are locked and loaded and ready to go," Trump wrote, without elaborating. Shortly after, Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, alleged on the social platform X that Israel and the U.S. were stoking the demonstrations. He offered no evidence to support the allegation, which Iranian officials have repeatedly made during years of protests sweeping the country.
In Transcript of Closed-Door Testimony, Jack Smith Defends His Prosecutions of TrumpNPR Morning Edition
LUKE GARRETT
ReportingThe House Oversight Committee has released the transcript and video of a private deposition by former special counsel Jack Smith in December.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Talks About the DOJ's Release of the Epstein FilesNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingReports say the Justice Department is reviewing more than 5 million Epstein-related files. NPR's Michel Martin talks to Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the law that mandates their release.
Small Business Owner Shares How Trump's Tariffs Affected SalesNPR Morning Edition
STAFF
ReportingPresident Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs on Chinese imports affected many U.S. businesses last year. We check in with one small business owner to ask what the year and holiday season were like.
Trump Says Water Pipeline Veto Was Because of Cost, but Critics Say It's RetributionNPR Morning Edition
HUO JINGNAN
ReportingPresident Trump has vetoed a bill to help finish a water pipeline in Colorado, saying it's about "fiscal sanity." Critics say the president's veto is a form of political retaliation.
How the Trump Administration's Freeze on Child Care Funding Will Affect FamiliesNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez asks Cindy Lehnhoff, director of the National Child Care Association, about the Trump administration's freeze on federal funding to help low-income families pay for child care.
Right-Wing Influencer's Fraud Claim Leads to Threats for Somali Day Care OwnersNPR Morning Edition
BRIAN MANN
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingA right-wing media influencer accused Somali day care operators in Minnesota of defrauding the federal government. This has led to threats against staff and a federal child care funding freeze.
Federal Employees File Complaint Against Trump Administration's Ban on Gender-Affirming CareThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingThe Trump administration is facing a new legal complaint from a group of government employees who are affected by a new policy going into effect Thursday that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs. The complaint, filed Thursday on the employees' behalf by the Human Rights Campaign, is in response to an August announcement from the Office of Personnel Management that it would no longer cover "chemical and surgical modification of an individual's sex traits through medical interventions" in health insurance programs for federal employees and U.S. Postal Service workers. The complaint argues that denying coverage of gender-affirming care is sex-based discrimination and asks the personnel office to rescind the policy. "This policy is not about cost or care -- it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children and dependents out of the federal workforce," Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson said in a statement announcing the move.
Trump Administration Freezes Child Care Funds in Minnesota After Claims of FraudNPR Morning Edition
CLAY MASTERS
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingThe Trump Administration has announced it's stopping all federal funds to Minnesota child care centers in response to allegations of fraud by some providers.
Legal Scholar on Trump Administration Investigating Minnesota Daycare Fraud ClaimsNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel talks to legal scholar and former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade about the Trump administration investigating a YouTube content creator's claims of daycare fraud in Minnesota.
Trump Will Drop Push for National Guard in Chicago, LA and Portland, Ore.NPR Morning Edition
ALINA HARTOUNIAN
ReportingPresident Trump said his administration will, for now, halt its efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., after his deployments to the Democratic-led cities suffered a series of legal setbacks. The deployments in Chicago and Portland were blocked by the courts. Guard members left California after a sharp rebuke from a U.S. District Court judge earlier this month. On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration must return control of the Guard to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. That decision came after the Supreme Court last week ruled against the administration's emergency appeal to deploy troops to Chicago. It was the first time the high court waded into the matter. While not precedent-setting, the ruling brought some clarity to Trump's presidential powers.
Affordable Care Act Subsidies Have Expired. What That Means for Millions of AmericansNPR Morning Edition
SARAH BODEN
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingJan. 1 is the day the extra financial help to buy Affordable Care Act health insurance goes away.