★★ My Country, 'Tis of Thee mikepasini.com about
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
Saturday
24 May 2025
UPDATED
Sat 8:20 am PDT
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 with lucidity what's happening now in the United States. A brief intro follows the head that takes you directly to the story, video or audio recording. Dotted red lines are day breaks.
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April M A Y 2 0 2 5 April
More Than a Dozen U.S. Officials Sold Stocks Before Trump's Tariffs Sent the Market PlungingProPublica
ROBERT FATURECHI
PRATHEEK REBALA
BRANDON ROBERTS
ReportingThe week before President Donald Trump unveiled bruising new tariffs that sent the stock market plummeting, a key official in the agency that shapes his administration's trade policy sold off as much as $30,000 of stock. Two days before that so-called "Liberation Day" announcement on April 2, a State Department official sold as much as $50,000 in stock, then bought a similar investment as prices fell. And just before Trump made another significant tariff announcement, a White House lawyer sold shares in nine companies, records show. More than a dozen high-ranking executive branch officials and congressional aides have made well-timed trades since Trump took office in January, most of them selling stock before the market plunged amid fears that Trump's tariffs would set off a global trade war, according to a ProPublica review of disclosures across the government.
Pivoting From Tax Cuts to Tariffs, Trump Ignores Economic Warning SignsThe New York Times
TONY ROMM
COLBY SMITH
ReportingOne day after House Republicans approved an expensive package of tax cuts that rattled financial markets, President Trump pivoted back to his other signature policy priority, unveiling a battery of tariff threats that further spooked investors and raised the prospects of higher prices on American consumers. So far, bond markets are not buying his approach. Where Trump sees a "golden age" of growth, investors see an agenda that comes with more debt, higher borrowing costs, inflation and an economic slowdown. Investors who once viewed government debt as a relatively risk-free investment are now demanding that the United States pay much more to those who lend America money. That is on top of businesses, including Walmart, that say they may have to raise prices as a result of the president's global trade war.
U.S. Officials Visit Alcatraz Amid Trump's Plan to Reopen Island PrisonThe Guardian
CORAL MURPHY MARCOS
ReportingFederal prison officials visited Alcatraz last week after Trump's announcement earlier this month of plans to reopen the prison, which has been closed for over 60 years. David Smith, the superintendent of the Golden Gate national recreation area, told the San Francisco Chronicle that officials with the Federal Bureau of Prisons are planning to return for further structural assessments. BOP director William Marshall told Fox News, "We've got engineering teams out there now that are doing some assessments and so I'm just really excited about the opportunity and possibilities," he said. Smith said he was skeptical about reopening Alcatraz, pointing to the large financial investment and legal challenges it would require. But Marshall called the proposal "exciting" and feasible. "When you think of Alcatraz, you think of Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Lambeau Field, those types of facilities ... you just get that kind of feeling about Alcatraz when you think of those historical venues," Marshall told Fox News's My View with Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law.
Trump Dismisses Dozens of National Security Council Staff in Major ShakeupNPR Weekend Edition
GREG MYRE
ReportingPresident Trump is drastically reducing the number of national security and foreign policy experts employed by the National Security Council. Dozens of NSC staffers were abrupted dismissed Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
A Community in the Colorado Valley Braces for Devastating Impacts From Medicaid Cuts John DaleyNPR Weekend Edition
JOHN DALEY
ReportingIn rural Colorado, Medicaid coverage is integral to both people's health and the local economy. Proposed changes such as work requirements, could ripple through communities.
Ahead of Hurricane Season, the National Weather Service Is Reeling From DOGE's Cuts Brian LaMarreNPR Weekend Edition
BRIAN LAMARRE
Former NWS MeteorologistThe National Weather Service is dealing with staff shortages and DOGE cuts as hurricane season nears. NPR's Scott Simon asks former NWS meteorologist Brian LaMarre about the impact of the cuts. There are short-term strategies to survive what is an unsustainable situation, he says.
Home Builders Are Struggling to Add New Homes Amidst Tariffs and Economic UncertaintyNPR Weekend Edition
LAUREL WAMSLEY
ReportingFresh statistics on building permits and builder sentiment show a challenging environment for home builders and indicate fewer homes will be built in the U.S. as home prices rise 50 percent with 7 percent interest rates.
Trump's Debunked 'Burial Site' Video Reopens 'Wounds,' Says Victim's SonNPR Weekend Edition
KATE BARTLETT
ReportingPresident Trump claims a "genocide" of white people, particularly Afrikaner farmers, is taking place in South Africa. When he met the country's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump played him a video -- previously shared at least twice on social media by his advisor Elon Musk -- that he said was evidence of this. The video showed a road lined on either side with scores of white crosses and a procession of cars carrying mourners paying their respects. It was indeed a video taken in South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal province. But, it was not a burial site. "My parents Glen and Vida Rafferty were murdered or gunned down, by six men on their farm in 2020, so those crosses were erected as a memorial on the day of their funeral," Nathan Rafferty told NPR. Contrary to Trump's claims, no bodies were ever buried along that road and the white crosses don't mark graves.
Previously on My Country, 'Tis of Thee...
Karen Dunn and Other Top Lawyers Depart Paul Weiss to Start FirmThe New York Times
MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG
MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN
ReportingFour top partners at Paul Weiss announced late Friday that they were leaving the law firm, a major blow to the firm in the wake of its decision to cut a deal with President Trump to head off an executive order that would have restricted its business. The partners -- Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jeannie Rhee and Jessica Phillips -- will form their own law firm.
'We're Playing Into Russia's Hands': Ex-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine on Why She ResignedPBS News Hour
BRIDGET BRINK
Former AmbassadorThis week's prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was the largest since the war's onset. But skepticism of a lasting truce and President Trump's peace-making, remains. Bridget Brink resigned as ambassador to Ukraine in April, faulting the Trump administration's Ukraine policy. Brink joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the war and her resignation.
Private Event With Crypto Customers Fuels Accusations of Trump Profiting Off PresidencyPBS News Hour
ERIC LIPTON
ReportingPresident Trump hosted a gathering on Thursday with the highest-paying customers of his personal cryptocurrency business, sparking bipartisan concerns that he's selling access to the presidency for personal profit. Geoff Bennett discussed the event with Eric Lipton, who covers the intersection of the presidency and Trump's business interests for The New York Times.
How NOAA Funding Cuts Could Make It Harder to Predict and Prepare for Severe WeatherPBS News Hour
MILES O'BRIEN
ReportingFor many people, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. But along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, it also means the start of hurricane season is nearly here. This particular hurricane season comes at a moment when NOAA and its agencies are being cut and facing their own turmoil.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Barring Foreign Student Enrollment at HarvardThe Associated Press
COLLIN BINKLEY
ReportingA federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from cutting off Harvard's enrollment of foreign students, an action the Ivy League school decried as unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House's political demands. In its lawsuit filed earlier Friday in federal court in Boston, Harvard said, "With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission. Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard." The ruling from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs puts the sanction against Harvard on hold, pending the lawsuit.
Trump Threatens 50 percent Tariffs on EU and 25 percent Penalties on Apple as His Trade War IntensifiesThe Associated Press
JOSH BOAK
ReportingDonald Trump on Friday threatened a 50 percent tax on all imports from the European Union as well a 25 percent tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are made in America. The threats, delivered over social media, reflect Trump's ability to disrupt the global economy with a burst of typing, as well as the reality that his tariffs have yet to produce the trade deals he is seeking or the return of domestic manufacturing he has promised voters. The Republican president said he wants to charge higher import taxes on goods from the EU, a long-standing U.S. ally, than from China, a geopolitical rival that had its tariffs cut to 30 percent this month so Washington and Beijing could hold negotiations. Trump was upset by the lack of progress in trade talks with the EU, which has proposed mutually cutting tariffs to zero even as the president has publicly insisted on preserving a baseline 10 percent tax on most imports.
Fury as Republicans Go 'Nuclear' in Fight Over California Car EmissionsThe Guardian
NICK VISSER
ReportingFor decades, California has been granted the ability to make the EPA's emission rules even stricter to help address some of the worst smog and air quality issues in the nation, which are linked to a host of health effects that disproportionately affect people of color. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to reverse the waivers, in move that prompted fury from Democrats who call it a "nuclear" option, calling it an unprecedented and illegal, use of the statute. The Government Accountability Office and the Senate parliamentarian have agreed, saying EPA waivers are not subject to the review law. "This move will harm public health and deteriorate air quality for millions of children and people across the country," said senators Alex Padilla, Sheldon Whitehouse and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, in a statement. "This Senate vote is illegal. Republicans went around their own parliamentarian to defy decades of precedent. We won't stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again," California's governor, Gavin Newsom, said in a statement on Thursday. "We're going to fight this unconstitutional attack on California in court."
Disarray at Department of Veterans Affairs Imperils Patient Care, Internal Documents RevealThe Guardian
AARON GLANTZ
ReportingThe Department of Veterans Affairs, the nation's largest integrated healthcare system, has been plunged into crisis amid canceled contracts, hiring freezes, resignations, layoffs and other moves by the Trump administration and Elon Musk's so-called "department of government efficiency," internal agency documents obtained by the Guardian show. The documents paint a grim picture of chaos across the department's sprawling network of 170 veterans affairs hospitals and more than 1,300 outpatient clinics, which serve 9 million U.S. military veterans.
Harvard University Sues Trump Administration Over Ban on Enrolling Foreign StudentsThe Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
ReportingHarvard University announced on Friday morning it was challenging the Trump administration's decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students, calling it unconstitutional retaliation for the school previously defying the White House's political demands. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston, Harvard said the government's action violates the first amendment of the U.S. constitution and will have an "immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders." It added, "With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission." The institution also said it plans to file for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the move.
A Harvard University Professor on Trump's International Students BanNPR Morning Edition
RYAN ENOS
Harvard UniversityHarvard University may no longer enroll foreign students. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Harvard Professor Ryan Enos about the latest in the ongoing conflict with the Trump administration.
Supreme Court Blocks Funding of Religious Charter School in OklahomaNPR Morning Edition
NINA TOTENBERG
ReportingA deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday effectively blocked the creation of the nation's first religious charter school in Oklahoma. For the time being.
The State of Civil Rights in the U.S. Five Years After George Floyd's DeathNPR Morning Edition
BENJAMIN CRUMP
Civil Rights AttorneyMichel Martin asks civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump about changes in the legal landscape in the years since a former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of murder in George Floyd's death.
How Can the Government Stop Harvard From Enrolling International Students?The New York Times
MIRIAM JORDAN
ReportingThe Trump administration wants to halt Harvard from enrolling international students. But how can the federal government dictate which students a private university can and cannot enroll? For college and universities, the Department of Homeland Security has a vast system just to manage and track the enrollment of the hundreds of thousands of international students studying across the country at any given time. But a school needs government certification to use this database, known as SEVIS, for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. And this vulnerability is what the Trump administration is exploiting against Harvard. Homeland Security says that effective immediately, it has revoked a certification that allows Harvard to have access to SEVIS. The SEVIS termination for Harvard would mean that all foreign students at the school would be in limbo. The students would, en masse, become deportable immediately, unless they transferred to another school or unless a court intervened to block the termination by Homeland Security.
Kennedy's 'MAHA' Report Targets Vaccines, Food Supply and Prescription DrugsPBS News Hour
ALI ROGIN
ReportingPresident Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a report about the uptick in chronic childhood diseases and what they say are the underlying causes. The report from the "Make America Healthy Again" commission is in line with the ideas and beliefs that Kennedy has promoted. Ali Rogan discussed more with Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.
Georgetown Scholar and Wife Speak Out for First Time Since His ICE DetentionPBS News Hour
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ
ReportingIn their first broadcast interview since his release from ICE detention, Georgetown scholar Badar Khan Suri and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, spoke to Laura Barrón-López about Khan Suri's recent release after nearly two months in a detention facility in Texas. The Trump administration accused Khan Suri of "spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media"-- an accusation he denies.
Trump Administration Bars Harvard From Enrolling Foreign StudentsThe Associated Press
COLLIN BINKLE
MICHAEL CASEY
ReportingThe Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school, saying almost 6,800 current students must transfer to other schools or leave the country. The Department of Homeland Security announced the action Thursday, saying Harvard has created an unsafe campus environment by allowing "anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators" to assault Jewish students on campus. It also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, saying it hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024. Harvard called the action unlawful and said it's working to provide guidance to students. "This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission," the university said in a statement.
Supreme Court Declines to Reinstate Independent Agency Board Members Fired by President TrumpThe Associated Press
MARK SHERMAN
ReportingThe Supreme Court's conservative majority on Thursday said President Donald Trump likely has the authority to fire independent agency board members, endorsing a robust view of presidential power. But the court suggested that it could block an attempt to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who Trump has complained has not cut interest rates aggressively. The court's action essentially extended an order Chief Justice John Roberts issued in April that had the effect of removing two board members who Trump fired from agencies that deal with labor issues, including one with a key role for federal workers as Trump aims to drastically downsize the workforce.
Republicans, Preparing to Cut Medicaid for U.S. Citizens, Would Prefer to Talk About ImmigrantsSemafor
DAVID WEIGEL
ReportingWary of the political fallout from cutting Medicaid and searching for savings they can defend to voters, Republicans pushing for passage of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" megabill have picked a familiar target: undocumented people in blue states.
House Passes Trump's Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill and Sends It to SenateThe Guardian
CHRIS STEIN
ReportingRepublicans in the House of Representatives won passage on Thursday of a major bill to enact Donald Trump's tax and spending priorities while adding trillions of dollars to the U.S. debt and potentially prevent millions of Americans from accessing federal safety net benefits.
FBI Whistleblower Claims He Tried to Get to Musk to Warn Him He Was Being Targeted by RussiaThe Guardian
STEPHANIE KIRCHGAESSNER
ReportingJohnathan Buma, former FBI counterintelligence agent turned whistleblower, has claimed he tried to gain access to Elon Musk in 2022 to warn the billionaire that he was the target of a covert Russian campaign seeking to infiltrate his inner circle, possibly to gain access to sensitive information. "Those efforts were intense and they were ongoing," he said. "I can't go into too much more detail."
Trump Administration Officially Accepts Jet From Qatar for Use as Air Force OneNPR Morning Edition
KAT LONSDORF
ReportingThe United States has officially accepted a Boeing 747-8 luxury jetliner as a gift from the Qatari government and the Air Force has been tasked with upgrading it to be used as a new plane for President Trump, according to an Air Force spokesperson. But experts warn that no matter how luxurious the plane is, it would take years to rework it to meet the current standards set for Air Force One.
A South African Journalist on Trump's Claim That White South Africans Are VictimsNPR Morning Edition
REDI THLABI
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin talks with South African journalist Redi Thlabi about President Trump's claim that white South Africans are disproportionately the victims of violence.
Trump's Firings of Rights Watchdog Board Members Were Illegal, Judge RulesThe New York Times
CHARLIE SAVAGE
ReportingJudge Reggie B. Walton of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Wednesday that President Trump broke the law when he fired members of an independent civil liberties watchdog without cause in January ordering the reinstatement of those challenging their removals in court. Lawmakers, the judge wrote, clearly intended to shield board members from arbitrary removal by a president before their terms were up. He noted that Congress created the bipartisan panel to oversee government counterterrorism actions and policies on the recommendation of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Judge Rules White House Violated Order by Deporting Migrants to South SudanThe Guardian
MAYA YANG
MAANVI SINGH
ReportingBrian E Murphy, the U.S. district judge in Massachusetts, has ruled the U.S. government's attempt to deport migrants to South Sudan "unquestionably" violated an earlier court order. During Wednesday’s hearing, Murphy also chastised government lawyers for their handling of the case of the Guatemalan man, known as OCG. "This is a really big deal," Murphy said. "It's a big deal to lie to a court under oath."
How the DOJ Under Trump Is Targeting His Perceived Political AdversariesPBS News Hour
CARRIE JOHNSON
ReportingAn emerging strategy from President Trump's Department of Justice is undoing Biden-era policies and pursuing some of the president's political adversaries. William Brangham discussed more with Carrie Johnson, the justice correspondent at NPR.
Trump Confronts South African President With Unfounded 'White Genocide' ClaimsPBS News Hour
NICK SCHIFRIN
ReportingA stunning scene unfolded in the Oval Office as President Trump met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Trump unexpectedly played videos that he says prove his claims that South Africa is committing genocide against white farmers there. The South African delegation pushed back and denied the claim in the historically tense meeting.
Justice Department Moves to Cancel Police Reform Settlements Reached With Minneapolis and LouisvilleThe Associated Press
STEVE KARNOWSKI
Reportinghe Justice Department moved Wednesday to cancel settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville that called for an overhaul of their police departments following the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor that became the catalyst for nationwide racial injustice protests in the summer of 2020. Following a scathing report by the Justice Department in 2023, Minneapolis in January approved a consent decree with the federal government in the final days of the Biden administration to overhaul its training and use-of-force policies under court supervision. The agreement required approval from a federal court in Minnesota. But the Trump administration was granted a delay soon after taking office while it considered its options and on Wednesday told the court it does not intend to proceed. It planned to file a similar motion in federal court in Kentucky.
Target Sales Drop in 1st Quarter and Retailer Warns They Will Slip for All of 2025The Associated Press
ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
ReportingTarget announced on Wednesday that sales fell more than expected in the first quarter and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025 year as its customers, worried over the impact of tariffs and the economy, pull back on spending. Target also said that customer boycotts did some damage during the latest quarter. The company, long a fierce corporate advocate for the rights of Black and LGBTQ+ people, scaled back many diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in January after they came under attack by conservative activists and the White House. Target's retreat created another backlash, with more customers angered by the retailer's reduction of LGBTQ+ themed merchandise for Pride Month in June of 2023.
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Faces Continued ResistanceNPR Morning Edition
DEIRDRE WALSH
LEILA FADEL
ReportingThe massive tax and immigration bill at the heart of President Trump's second term plans faces continued resistance from both moderates and hardliners.
Republicans Divided Over Trump's Massive Tax BillNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Rep. Mike Lawler, of New York State, about Republican divisions that threaten to derail the ongoing budget negotiations.
How Two Women-Owned Businesses Are Navigating Trump's TariffsNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin asks the heads of two women-owned businesses, one that makes baby products and another that sells clothing, how they are navigating the swing in tariff levels on China.
These Students Protested the Gaza War. Trump's Deportation Threat Didn't Silence ThemNPR Morning Edition
ADRIAN FLORIDO
ReportingWhen, in early March, one of Mahmoud Khalil's classmates at Columbia University heard that immigration agents had come for him, she triple-locked her door, terrified she might be next. "I just absolutely broke down, because he has a green card," she said. As a student with only a temporary visa, she reasoned they'd certainly come for her. "That's what really made me feel afraid."
DOGE Has Tried to Embed Beyond the Executive Branch. Some Targets Have Pushed BackNPR Morning Edition
SHANNON BOND
STEPHEN FOWLER
ReportingNPR has identified close to 40 entities -- inside, adjacent to and outside of the government -- where DOGE and the Trump administration have turned their attention in recent weeks. It starts with an email that often includes a request to embed DOGE staffers to learn more about what the agency does and review its inner workings. Nearly all of the meetings have been conducted by a small group of young staffers with no federal government experience and little apparent knowledge about what these entities do, according to more than a dozen lawsuits, documents shared with NPR and interviews with employees who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly and fear retaliation from the Trump administration.
What's Next for the United States Institute of PeaceNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingA federal judge blocked the Trump administration's takeover of the United States Institute of Peace. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with lawyer George Foote about the future of the institute.
Taxing Questions for IRS NomineeAll Things Considered
SCOTT HORSLEY
ReportingThe Senate Finance Committee held a hearing today on President Trump's nominee to lead the IRS. It comes as the agency has laid off thousands of workers, including nearly a third of its auditors.
Senators Question Paramount Over Efforts to Settle Trump LawsuitThe Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
ReportingDemocratic U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, along with their liberal colleague Bernie Sanders, are pushing for information on Paramount's efforts to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against CBS News's 60 Minutes -- in hopes of determining whether the media company is violating a federal bribery statute, the Wall Street Journal reported. In a letter to Paramount chair Shari Redstone, the senators wrote that they are concerned the media company "may be engaging in improper conduct involving the Trump administration in exchange for approval of its merger with Skydance Media."
Trump Officials 'Illegally Deported' Vietnamese and Burmese Migrants to South SudanThe Guardian
STAFF
ReportingImmigrant rights advocates have accused the Trump administration of deporting about a dozen migrants from countries including Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan in violation of a court order and asked a judge to order their return. Lawyers for the migrants made the request in a court filing on Tuesday directed to U.S. district judge Brian Murphy, who had barred the Trump administration from swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their own without first hearing any concerns they had that they might be tortured or persecuted if sent there. They said they learned that nearly a dozen migrants held at a detention facility in Texas were flown to South Sudan on Tuesday morning. Murphy told a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice during a hastily arranged virtual hearing that the potential violation might constitute criminal contempt and he was weighing ordering a plane carrying the migrants to the African country to turn around.
Spring Storms Spark Scrutiny of FEMA as Trump Overhauls and Slashes the AgencyPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingIt's been another day of storms and tornado watches in parts of the South. For the better part of a week now, severe weather has led to major damage and deaths in its wake. As residents are beginning to dig out, there are real questions about the immediate federal response and what states can expect this summer as the Trump administration makes big changes to FEMA. William Brangham reports.
'Vintage' Air Traffic System to Blame for Near Misses and Outages, Ex-FAA Official SaysPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingAir traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport again lost contact with planes Monday, according to the FAA. It's the fourth such incident at that airport in less than a month and the latest in a string of alarming incidents and close calls at airports across the country. Geoff Bennett discussed more with David Grizzle, the former COO of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization.
Justice Dept. To Use False Claims Act to Pursue Institutions Over Diversity EffortsThe New York Times
GLENN THRUSH
ALAN BLINDER
ReportingThe Trump administration plans to leverage a law intended to punish corrupt recipients of federal funding to pressure institutions like Harvard to abandon their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Justice Department officials announced late Monday. The initiative will be a joint project of the department's anti-fraud unit and its Civil Rights Division, which has been sharply downsized and redirected from its historical mission of addressing race-based discrimination to pursue Trump's culture war agenda.
'I Have to Worry Each Month': Social Security Cuts Incite Fears of Payment DisruptionsThe Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
ReportingRetiree and disability beneficiaries are worried about delays in payments, processing and services amid cuts being made to the U.S.'s social security system under the Trump administration. According to the SSA, about 3,500 employees have taken voluntary separation or buyout agreements, as the agency is seeking to cut staff by at least 7,000, to 50,000 workers, which will be the lowest staffing at the agency in decades. The agency is also planning to strip civil service protections from all employees in offices around the country. "This plan will dramatically impact the ability of SSA to timely process disability decisions, hearings and appeals for claimants all over the country, who are already waiting too long," said the American Federal Government Employees Social Security Administration general committee in a statement on the conversion plan.
Majority of U.S. Companies Say They Have to Raise Prices Due to Trump TariffsThe Guardian
LAUREN ARATANI
ReportingMore than half (54 percent) of the U.S. companies surveyed by insurance company Allianz said they will have to raise prices to accommodate the cost of the tariffs. Of the 4,500 companies across nine countries, including the U.S., UK and China, surveyed by Allianz only 22 percent said they can absorb the increased costs. The unpredictability of U.S. trade policy has also dented exporters' confidence. The survey found 42 percent of exporting companies now anticipate turnover to decline between -2 percent and -10 percent over the next 12 months, compared to fewer than 5 percent before 2 April "liberation day" -- when Trump unveiled his tariff policy.
Democratic Rep. McIver Charged With Assault After Skirmish at ICE Center, New Jersey Prosecutor SaysThe Associated Press
ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
ERIC TUCKER
MIKE CATALINI
ReportingDemocratic Rep. LaMonica McIver is being charged with assault after a skirmish with federal officers outside an immigration detention center, said New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, who also announced Monday that she was dropping a trespassing case against the Newark mayor whose arrest led to the disturbance. The prosecution of McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress for allegations other than fraud or corruption. The case instantly taps into a much broader and more consequential power struggle between a Trump administration engaged in a sweeping overhaul of immigration policy and a Democratic party scrambling for ways to respond.
Low Prices and Trump's Trade War Are Pushing These Northwest Farmers to the BrinkNPR Morning Edition
KIRK SIEGLER
ReportingUncertainty is something people across America's heartland are talking about, whether it be wheat farmers in states like Washington or Montana or corn and soybean growers in North Dakota and Indiana. It's yet unclear what farmers stand to gain from the second Trump administration's trade policies. Across the rural Midwest and West, plenty of farmers still fly Trump 2024 flags over their barns, but quietly worry his latest trade war will bankrupt them.
Large Tornado Outbreaks Are Becoming More Common in the U.S.NPR Morning Edition
REBECCA HERSHER
ReportingScientists are still teasing out the connections between climate change and tornadoes in the U.S. Large outbreaks of tornadoes are getting more common, but the total number of tornadoes isn't growing.
A Look at the Potential Impacts of Proposed Medicaid CutsNPR Morning Edition
LINDSAY ALLEN
Northwestern UniversityNPR speaks with health economist Lindsay Allen, assistant professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, about the impact of proposed cuts to Medicaid being debated in Congress.
A Brain Dead Pregnant Woman Is Being Kept on Life Support, Raising Legal QuestionsNPR Morning Edition
SAM GRINGLAS
ReportingA woman in Georgia has been declared brain dead, but she's being kept on life support because she's pregnant. The case is raising complicated legal questions about restrictive abortion laws.
Head of CBS News Is Forced Out Amid Tensions With TrumpThe New York Times
MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
BENJAMIN MULLIN
LAUREN HIRSCH
ReportingThe president of CBS News, Wendy McMahon, was forced out of her post on Monday, the latest shock wave to hit the news division amid an ongoing showdown involving President Trump, "60 Minutes" and CBS's parent company, Paramount. McMahon told her staff in a memo that "it's become clear the company and I do not agree on the path forward." Executives at Paramount informed McMahon on Saturday that they wanted her to step down, according to several people with direct knowledge who requested anonymity to share private discussions.
Judge Blocks Trump Officials' Efforts to Dismantle U.S. Institute of PeaceThe Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
ReportingA federal judge on Monday blocked efforts by the Trump administration and its so-called "department of government efficiency" to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace, at least temporarily. U.S. district court judge Beryl Howell on Monday ruled that DOGE illegally took over the institute through "blunt force, backed up by law enforcement officers from three separate local and federal agencies." The judge ruled as "null and void" all actions against the U.S. Institute of Peace, including the removal of its board and the transfer of its property to the government services administration.
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Strip Legal Protections From 350,000 Venezuelans Who Risk DeportationThe Associated Press
MARK SHERMAN
ReportingThe Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation. The court's order, with only one noted dissent, puts on hold a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that kept in place Temporary Protected Status for the Venezuelans that would have otherwise expired last month. The justices provided no rationale, which is common in emergency appeals. The status allows people already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she would have rejected the administration's emergency appeal.
How Federal Funding Cuts Have Hit Nonprofits and the Communities They ServePBS News Hour
LISA DESJARDINS
ReportingA federal judge heard arguments in a legal challenge to the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to AmeriCorps. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia argue the administration overstepped its authority in slashing the program. Lisa Desjardins spoke with non-profit organizations facing budget cuts and conservatives who want their funding slashed.
What Trump's Tariffs Mean for the Everyday Products We Rely OnPBS News Hour
PAUL SOLMAN
ReportingNearly one out of every three physical products made in the world today comes from China, including many items we use in our daily lives. Economics correspondent Paul Solman invites us into his home for a look at what tariff turbulence means for the products we rely on.
IRS Sued by Watchdog Group for Records on Trump's Attacks on HarvardNPR
LUKE GARRETT
ReportingA nonprofit watchdog group sued the Trump administration on Monday for "unlawfully withholding records" regarding President Trump's actions against Harvard University, including efforts to revoke the institution's tax-exempt status. "Our lawsuit seeks to compel the IRS, the Department of Treasury and Department of Education to release records that they're unlawfully withholding from the public," Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, told NPR. "The documents that underlie this lawsuit could reveal potential political interference by the president in agency operations."
Workers at Top U.S. Consumer Watchdog Sound Warning as Trump Bids to Gut AgencyThe Guardian
MICHAEL SAINATO
ReportingFor months the Trump administration has pushed to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and fire the vast majority of its workforce. Ripped-off Americans will have "nowhere to turn" if it succeeds, staff told the Guardian. "The agency that Congress created after the last financial crisis to help prevent another financial crisis is currently completely handcuffed from working," said one attorney at the CFPB, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. "And we are on the verge of another major financial crisis, so it's terrifying. The one thing we were created to do we can't do -- at a time when we're most needed."
How President Trump Is Sparking a Crypto Revolution in AmericaNPR Morning Edition
RAFAEL NAM
ReportingFor years, crypto was viewed by many as a weird and fringe investment, hyped up by a bunch of math geeks and used widely by all kinds of unsavory characters, from drug dealers to hackers. Now, a radical shift is taking place under President Trump. From financial regulators to the halls of Congress and all the way to the Oval Office, the U.S. is fully embracing -- and even promoting -- crypto. President Trump himself also stands to benefit financially.
The Hutchins Center's David Wessel Gives His Perspective on America's National DebtNPR Morning Edition
DAVID WESSEL
Hutchins CenterNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution, about America's federal debt, which is at $36 trillion and growing.
House Committee Advances Package With President Trump's Legislative PrioritiesNPR Morning Edition
BARBARA SPRUNT
ReportingThe House Budget Committee on Sunday night voted to advance a sweeping package with many of President Trump's domestic priorities. But the GOP-led chamber still has hurdles to overcome this week.
One Thing Helping Trump's Approval Rating: Some People Are Not Paying AttentionThe New York Times
RUTH IGIELNIK
ReportingPresident Trump's strategy to "flood the zone" may be working to keep his approval rating from sinking even lower. Voters who have not heard much about some of the many major news events from the first 100 days of Trump's second term have a higher opinion of the job he is doing, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll. A little under half of the 42 percent of voters who approved of the job Trump is doing as president said they had not heard much about at least some of the ups and downs of his administration's decisions.
The Future of History: Trump Could Leave Less Documentation Behind Than Any Previous U.S. PresidentThe Associated Press
WILL WEISSERT
Reportingor generations, official American documents have been meticulously preserved and protected, from the era of quills and parchment to boxes of paper to the cloud, safeguarding snapshots of the government and the nation for posterity. Now, the Trump administration is scrubbing thousands of government Web sites of history, legal records and data it finds disagreeable. It has sought to expand the executive branch's power to shield from public view the government-slashing efforts of Elon Musk's team and other key administration initiatives. Officials have used apps such as Signal that can auto-delete messages containing sensitive information rather than retaining them for recordkeeping. And they have shaken up the National Archives leadership and even ordered the rewriting of history on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
Cooking the Books? Fears Trump Could Target Statisticians if Data DisappointsThe Guardian
ROBERT TAIT
ReportingBuffeted by global markets and public opinion -- both of which show a wary skepticism of Donald Trump's affinity for trade wars -- the president may be about to turn his renowned hostility to truths at odds with what he believes toward public servants charged with producing accurate information. A proposed rule change making it easier to fire civil servants deemed to be "intentionally subverting presidential directives" could pave the way for the White House to fire statisticians employed to produce objective data on the economy but whose figures prove politically inconvenient, experts warn. "There are a number of changes to the civil service that make it much easier for the administration to try to interfere with the activities of the statistical agencies and that worries me," said Erica Groshen, a specialist in government statistics at Cornell University.
Politics Chat: Trump Attacks the Supreme Court, Walmart, Jerome Powell on Truth SocialNPR Weekend Edition
TAMARA KEITH
ReportingOn the heels of his first foreign trip, President Trump got busy on Truth Social. He took swipes at the Supreme Court, Walmart and the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
A Texas Salesman Discovers the Truth About 'Made in the U.S.A': No One's BuyingNPR Weekend Edition
SCOTT HORSLEY
ReportingA shower head vendor in Texas asked customers if they'd be willing to pay more for a product that was made in the USA. The answers poured cold water on claims of patriotic purchases.
Trump Hosts Dinner for Holders of His MemecoinNPR Weekend Edition
DECLAN HARTY
ReportingNPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Politico reporter Declan Harty about President Trump's memecoin, the dinner he is hosting for its holders and the ethical questions surrounding his crypto dealings.
Walmart CEO Warns Tariffs Will Raise Prices. Here's How That Impacts YouNPR Weekend Edition
MARK BLYTH
Brown UniversityWho are the winners and losers when it comes to inflation? NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Mark Blyth, a political economist at Brown University, about the impact of President Trump's tariffs.
Trump Warns Walmart: Don't Raise Prices Due to My Tariffs but Do Eat the Costs From Those TaxesThe Associated Press
JOSH BOAK
ReportingDonald Trump on Saturday ripped into Walmart, saying on social media that the retail giant should eat the additional costs created by his tariffs. As Trump has jacked up import taxes, he has tried to assure a skeptical public that foreign producers would pay for those taxes and that retailers and automakers would absorb the additional expenses. Most economic analyses are deeply skeptical of those claims and have warned that the trade penalties would worsen inflation. Walmart warned on Thursday that everything from bananas to children's car seats could increase in price. Trump, in his Truth Social post, lashed out at the retailer, which employs 1.6 million people in the United States. He said the company, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, should sacrifice its profits for the sake of his economic agenda that he says will eventually lead to more domestic jobs in manufacturing.
Justice Department Deal Ends a Ban on an Aftermarket Trigger. Gun Control Advocates Are AlarmedThe Associated Press
ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
ReportingThe Trump administration will allow the sale of forced-reset triggers, which make semiautomatic rifles fire more rapidly, with the federal government ending a ban as part of a settlement that also requires it to return seized devices. The agreement announced Friday by the Justice Department resolves a series of cases over the aftermarket trigger that the government had previously argued qualify as machine guns under federal law. The settlement is a dramatic shift in Second Amendment policy under the Republican administration, which has signaled it may undo many of the regulations that the previous administration of Democratic President Joe Biden had fought to keep in place in an effort to curb gun violence.
U.S. House Republicans Propose Fees on Immigrants to Fund Trump's CrackdownThe Guardian
CHRIS STEIN
ReportingLegislation moving through the GOP-controlled House of Representatives could require immigrants to pay potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars to seek asylum, care for a minor in the government's custody or apply for humanitarian parole. Republican lawmakers have described the fees as necessary to offset the costs of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. But experts who work with immigrants say putting more economic pressure on people attempting to navigate U.S. immigration laws could drain what little money they have, force them into exploitative work arrangements or push them to leave the country altogether.
'Very Disturbing': Trump Receipt of Overseas Gifts Unprecedented, Experts WarnThe Guardian
ANDREW ROTH
ReportingFormer White House lawyers, diplomatic protocol officers and foreign affairs experts have told the Guardian that Donald Trump's receipt of overseas gifts and targeted investments are "unprecedented," as the White House remakes U.S. foreign policy under a pay-for-access code that eclipses past administrations with characteristic Trumpian excess.
Trump's Middle East Trip Reflected a Shift in Policy Towards the RegionNPR Weekend Edition
FIRAS MAKSAD
Eurasia GroupNPR's Scott Simon asks Eurasia Group's Firas Maksad about President Trump's visit to the Middle East and the administration's shifting priorities in the region.
Local Farmers React to Trump's Announcement of Tariffs on Mexican TomatoesNPR Weekend Edition
ROBERT GUENTHER
Florida Tomato ExchangeNPR's Scott Simon asks Robert Guenther of the Florida Tomato Exchange about new efforts to limit the import of Mexican tomatoes to the U.S.and ramp up domestic production to replace them. Guenther does not anticipate "any significant changes" in the price of tomatoes.
Two Months After Trump Dismantled Voice of America, a Look Back on What Was LostNPR Weekend Edition
JAY SOPHALKALYAN
AuthorIt's been nearly two months since President Trump silenced Voice of America. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Jay Sophalkalyan, who says the broadcasts were a lifeline when he was growing up in Cambodia.
James Comey Is Under Investigation for His '8647' Instagram Post. What Does It Mean?All Things Considered
RACHEL TREISMAN
ReportingThe Trump administration is investigating former FBI Director James Comey over a social media post that some government officials and supporters of President Trump are interpreting as a threat to the president. On Thursday, Comey shared a picture on Instagram of seashells on a beach arranged into the numbers "8647." The caption read: "Cool shell formation on my beach walk." "Eighty-six" is a slang term that means "get rid of," and Trump is the 47th (and 45th) president of the United States.
Supreme Court Rejects Trump Bid to Resume Quick Deportations of Venezuelans Under 18th-Century LawThe Associated Press
MARK SHERMAN
ReportingThe Supreme Court on Friday barred the Trump administration from quickly resuming deportations of Venezuelans under an 18th-century wartime law enacted when the nation was just a few years old. Over two dissenting votes, the justices acted on an emergency appeal from lawyers for Venezuelan men who have been accused of being gang members, a designation that the administration says makes them eligible for rapid removal from the United States under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The court indefinitely extended the prohibition on deportations from a north Texas detention facility under the alien enemies law. The case will now go back to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which declined to intervene in April.
Trump Business Deals Revive Questions About His Family Profiting Off the PresidencyPBS News Hour
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ
ReportingThis week, President Trump visited three Middle Eastern nations where his family has deep business ties. Over the past month, billions of dollars have poured into Trump-owned companies. It has revived longstanding questions about whether the financial windfalls are influencing policy.
FEMA Will Shift More Disaster Recovery Responsibilities to the States, Acting Chief SaysPBS News Hour
GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA
The Associated PressThe Federal Emergency Management Agency's acting chief David Richardson plans to shift responsibility for disaster recovery to states during the upcoming hurricane season, he said during a staff town hall on Thursday. The agency is in a period of upheaval as the Trump administration weighs its future. President Donald Trump has floated "getting rid of" FEMA altogether, an idea Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has echoed. Richardson replaced former acting chief Cameron Hamilton last week, one day after Hamilton told a congressional committee that he did not think FEMA should be eliminated.
High-School Runner Rips GOP State Rep. For Anti-Trans CommentsKottke
JASON KOTTKE
ReportingTrans athlete Soren Stark-Chessa finished first in the 1600-meter race at a recent track meet in Maine. Republican state representative Laurel Libby complained about Stark-Chessa's win on a Fox News appearance, saying trans athletes are "pushing many, many of our young women out of the way in their ascent to the podium." Freshman Anelise Feldman finished second to Stark-Chessa and wrote a letter to the newspaper calling Libby a bully and asserting she didn't feel pushed out of first place.
Exclusive: U.S. Aid Cuts Leave Food for Millions Mouldering in StorageReuters
JESSICA DONATI
ReportingFood rations that could supply 3.5 million people for a month are mouldering in warehouses around the world because of U.S. aid cuts and risk becoming unusable, according to five people familiar with the situation. The food stocks have been stuck inside four U.S. government warehouses since the Trump administration's decision in January to cut global aid programmes, according to three people who previously worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development and two sources from other aid organisations.
ICE Used 'False Pretenses' for Warrant to Hunt for Columbia Students, Lawyers SayThe Guardian
JOSÉ OLIVARES
ReportingImmigration and Customs Enforcement misled a judge to gain access to the homes of students it sought to arrest for their pro-Palestinian activism, attorneys say. A recently unsealed search warrant application shows ICE told a judge it needed a warrant because the agency was investigating Columbia University for "harboring aliens." In reality, attorneys say, ICE used the warrant application as a "pretext" to try to arrest two students, including one green card holder, to deport them. What the unsealed document shows is the agency "was manufacturing an allegation of 'harboring', just so agents can get in the door," Nathan Freed Wessler, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said. "What ICE was actually trying to do is get into these rooms to arrest them."
Trump Suspends Asylum System, Leaving Immigrants to Face an Uncertain FutureThe Associated Press
TIM SULLIVAN
ReportingOn Jan. 20, just after being sworn in for a second term, President Donald Trump suspended the asylum system as part of his wide-ranging crackdown on illegal immigration, issuing a series of executive orders designed to stop what he called the "invasion" of the United States. What asylum-seekers now find, according to lawyers, activists and immigrants, is a murky, ever-changing situation with few obvious rules, where people can be deported to countries they know nothing about after fleeting conversations with immigration officials while others languish in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Nashville Mayor Demands Names of Nearly 200 People Detained by ICENPR Morning Edition
CINDY ABRAMS
ReportingThe mayor of Nashville is demanding the names of nearly 200 people detained by ICE during traffic stops in recent weeks. He worries some immigrants in the U.S. legally were arrested.
Supreme Court Justices Seem Divided in Birthright Citizenship ArgumentsNPR Morning Edition
NINA TOTENBERG
ReportingThe U.S. Supreme Court seemed at least partially divided as the justices heard arguments debating how the lower courts should handle President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship.
SCOTUSblog's Amy Howe Discusses Birthright Citizenship Case Before the Supreme CourtNPR Morning Edition
AMY HOWE
SCOTUSblogNPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Amy Howe, a reporter with SCOTUSblog, about the issue of birthright citizenship and the use of universal injunctions before the Supreme Court.
Springsteen, in England, Blasts Trump Administration as 'Treasonous'The New York Times
MICHAEL LEVENSON
ReportingBruce Springsteen opened his "Land of Hope and Dreams" tour in Manchester, England, on Wednesday with a forceful denunciation of President Trump, accusing him and his administration of trampling on civil rights and workers, abandoning allies and siding with dictators. "The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock 'n' roll, in dangerous times," he said. "In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration." The crowd responded with cheers...
Lawmakers in Both Parties Resist Trump's Attempt to Seize Control of Their LibraryThe New York Times
MAYA C. MILLER
CARL HULSE
ReportingThe Library of Congress, with its grand Beaux-Arts architecture and iconic reading room, is a distinctly congressional institution just across First Street from the Capitol. Members of Congress are proprietary about the library, a sentiment that has provoked bipartisan resistance after Trump summarily fired the popular chief librarian and tried to install one of his lawyers as the new acting head of the institution that catalogs American literature and culture. "We've made it clear that there needs to be a consultation around this," Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, said this week. He suggested that the White House had overstepped its authority and that both Congress and the president play roles in deciding who leads the library.
Judge Dismisses 'Trespassing' Charges Promoted by Trump in Border 'Defense Area'The New York Times
JACK HEALY
LEO DOMINGUEZ
SEAMU.S. HUGHES
ReportingFederal magistrate judge Gregory B. Wormuth dismissed charges against nearly 100 migrants detained under a Trump administration effort to arrest undocumented migrants for trespassing on a newly declared "national defense" zone along New Mexico's border with Mexico. Wormuth, a former federal prosecutor, said the federal government had failed to show that the migrants actually knew they were unlawfully entering a restricted military area. He has dismissed charges against 98 migrants so far as he works through the docket.
Addiction Programs That Helped Drug Deaths Plummet in 2024 Now Face Trump CutsAll Things Considered
BRIAN MANN
ReportingOverdose deaths plummeted in the U.S. in 2024, down by 27 percent. The news comes as the White House and Congress are advocating for steep cuts in programs that may be working to lower the death rate.
The U.S. Has 1,001 Measles Cases and 11 States With Active OutbreaksThe Associated Press
DEVI SHASTRI
ReportingThe U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases Friday. Texas still accounts for the vast majority of cases in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness. Other states with active outbreaks -- which the CDC defines as three or more related cases -- include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Military Commanders Will Be Told to Send Transgender Troops to Medical Checks to Oust ThemThe Associated Press
LOLITA C. BALDOR
ReportingMilitary commanders will be told to identify troops in their units who are transgender or have gender dysphoria, then send them to get medical checks in order to force them out of the service, officials said Thursday. A senior defense official laid out what could be a complicated and lengthy new process aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump's directive to remove transgender service members from the U.S. military. The defense officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the new policy.
'What Do States Do With a Newborn?' Kavanaugh Quizzes Trump Lawyer on Birthright OrderPBS News Hour
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE BRETT KAVANAUGH
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked the Trump administration Thursday to explain the practical details of ending birthright citizenship for people born in the United States to parents who entered the country illegally.
Retired Gen. McChrystal on Current Pentagon Leadership and His New Book 'On Character'PBS News Hour
GENERAL STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL
General Stanley McChrystal was the top commander of American and international forces in Afghanistan in 2009 when his career was cut short. McChrystal resigned after an article in Rolling Stone quoted him and his aides making candid yet disparaging remarks about President Obama and Vice President Biden. He joined Amna Nawaz to discuss his new book, On Character: Choices that Define a Life.
'Lives Are at Stake': Judge Whose Son Was Murdered Urges Leaders to End Hostile RhetoricPBS News Hour
JUDGE ESTHER SALAS
A report from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism found threats and calls for impeachment against judges have risen by 327 percent between May 2024 and March. One federal judge knows how real the violence can be. Judge Esther Salas's son was killed by a disgruntled lawyer posing as a delivery driver at her home, according to police. Salas joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the threats.
U.S. Reportedly Plans to Slash Bank Rules Imposed to Prevent 2008-Style CrashThe Guardian
KALYEENA MAKORTOFF
ReportingU.S. watchdogs are reportedly planning to slash capital rules for banks designed to prevent another 2008-style crash, as Donald Trump's deregulation drive opens the door to the biggest rollback of post-crisis protections in more than a decade.
Trump Administration Threatens Groups That Distributed Federal Aid for MigrantsThe Guardian
ALEXANDRA VILLARREAL
ReportingThe Trump administration is accusing some state authorities and non-profits of in effect smuggling or harboring migrants after they provided food and shelter for such people -- even though the services were funded through federal government programs and those being helped had already been processed and released by immigration officials.
Columnist Thomas Friedman Analyzes President Trump's Middle East Trip So FarNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingSteve Inskeep talks with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman about President Trump's foreign policy objectives with Gulf leaders.
RFK Jr. Stands by Deep Cuts to Health Budget During Contentious HearingsNPR Morning Edition
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN
ReportingHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that Elon Musk's DOGE effort drew up the blueprint for spending cuts that are reshaping the Department of Health and Human Services -- and Kennedy and his team implemented them. Kennedy also said he pushed back on some cuts and has reinstated a few programs cut mistakenly.
Trump Budget Proposal Would End Energy Assistance Program for Low-Income AmericansNPR Morning Edition
CRAIG LEMOULT
ReportingPresident Trump's budget proposal would completely eliminate a program that helps about 6 million low-income households heat and cool their homes. Supporters of the program hope Congress will save it.
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Birthright CitizenshipNPR Morning Edition
NINA TOTENBERG
ReportingThe Supreme Court hears arguments on Thursday in President Trump's challenge to a constitutional provision that guarantees automatic citizenship to all babies born in the U.S.
EPA Rolls Back Biden-Era Rules Against 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking WaterPBS News Hour
JOHN YANG
ReportingThe Environmental Protection Agency announced a rollback of Biden-era regulations on PFAS chemicals in drinking water systems. The EPA estimates more than 158 million Americans are exposed to these "forever chemicals" through water. John Yang discussed the move with Amudalat Ajasa of The Washington Post.
Wisconsin Judge Accused of Obstructing Immigration Agents Seeks Dismissal of CaseThe New York Times
MITCH SMITH
ReportingLawyers for Judge Hannah C. Dugan, a state judge in Wisconsin who has been accused of obstructing immigration agents, sought on Wednesday to dismiss the federal charges against her. A court filing by her defense lawyers, which came a day after Judge Dugan was indicted by a federal grand jury in Milwaukee, asserted that the "government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts." "Since at least the early 17th century in England and carried on through common law in the United States, judges of record have been entitled to absolute immunity for official acts with a few exceptions not applicable here," the filing said, adding that the efforts to prosecute the judge were "virtually unprecedented and entirely unconstitutional."
Montana Judge Finds Transgender Care Ban UnconstitutionalThe Associated Press
MARIA SILVERS
ReportingJudge Jason Marks found that Senate Bill 99, backed by Republicans largely along party lines during the legislative session two years ago, violates the Montana Constitution's rights to privacy, equal protection and free speech. The court found that plaintiffs, including transgender teen Phoebe Cross and other minor patients, their parents and medical providers, successfully presented evidence that the law undermines their constitutional rights by curbing access to medical treatments for gender dysphoria, such as puberty blockers and hormones.
What the End of Temporary Protected Status Means for Afghans in the U.S.All Things Considered
ELENA BURNETT
AILSA CHANG
PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
ReportingThe Trump administration said it will end the Temporary Protected Status program for Afghanistan this summer. That means more than 9,000 refugees may be forced back to the Taliban-ruled country.
Multiple Trump White House Officials Have Ties to Antisemitic ExtremistsAll Things Considered
TOM DREISBACH
Reporting"Antisemitic bigotry has no place in a civilized society," Trump said at an event in 2024. However, the president's critics question whether antisemitism may have found a place within his administration. NPR has identified three Trump officials with close ties to antisemitic extremists, including a man described by federal prosecutors as a "Nazi sympathizer," and a prominent Holocaust denier. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Judge Orders Release of Indian Academic Held by Ice Over Pro-Palestinian ViewsThe Guardian
MARINA DUNBAR
ReportingU.S. District Judge Patricia Giles has ordered the immediate release of Georgetown academic Badar Khan Suri from ICE detention. Khan Suri, who has spent two months in detention, was among several individuals legally studying in the U.S. who have been targeted by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism. Giles said the ruling was effective immediately with no conditions and no bond. She added that Khan Suri's release was "in the public interest to disrupt the chilling effect on protected speech" during the hearing. The judge explained in her ruling how the government did not submit sufficient evidence on several of its claims.
Renewable Energy Is Booming in Texas. Republicans Want to Change That.The New York Times
J. DAVID GOODMAN
BRAD PLUMER
IVAN PENN
ReportingConservative states with a hands-off approach to development, such as Texas and Oklahoma, have become wind and solar energy dynamos in recent years. But a simultaneous push by Republicans in Washington and in Sun Belt state capitals to cut off tax incentives and tighten permitting regulations threatens to snuff out the red-state renewable energy boom. The one-two punch underscores the Republicans' move away from embracing an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy to a one-sided effort to return to fossil fuels. Its success would unwind four years of Democratic efforts to address climate change and advance a clean-energy economy.
The World Is Wooing U.S. Researchers Shunned by TrumpThe New York Times
PATRICIA COHEN
ReportingAs President Trump cuts billions of federal dollars from science institutes and universities, restricts what can be studied and pushes out immigrants, rival nations are hoping to pick up talent that has been cast aside or become disenchanted. "This is a once-in-a-century brain gain opportunity," the Australian Strategic Policy Institute declared, as it encouraged its government to act. Last week, at the urging of more than a dozen members, the European Union announced it would spend an additional 500 million euros or $556 million, over the next two years to "make Europe a magnet for researchers."
U.S. Justice Department Asks Civil Rights Division Attorneys to Stay After Mass ExitsThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
ReportingJustice department officials have asked civil rights division attorneys to reconsider their decision to leave the department in recent weeks, a sign the agency may have been caught off-guard by the wave of personnel leaving. Officials have also asked attorneys, including career managers who were involuntarily detailed to low-level offices last month, if they would consider returning to their sections to handle civil rights work. The attorneys were removed in late April in an effort to force them to accept a paid offer to leave the department. More than 250 civil rights division attorneys have left since January or are planning to leave, an approximate 70 percent reduction in the division's personnel.
Democrats Sound Alarm Over GOP Medicaid Proposal They Say Could Affect MillionsNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingDemocratic Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky explains why he and other Democrats are sounding the alarm over a Republican Medicaid proposal they say will leave millions of people without health care.
How Possible Funding Cuts to Maine's Public Schools Might Impact One Rural DistrictNPR Morning Edition
JONAKI MEHTA
ReportingPresident Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from Maine's public schools after a clash with the state's governor. NPR visited a rural school in Maine to see what's at stake.
Trump Administration Says It Will Cut Another $450 Millithium-ion in Grants to HarvardNPR Morning Edition
ELISSA NADWORNY
ReportingThe Trump administration says it is cutting another $450 million in grants to Harvard. The announcement comes after the university's president pushed back on allegations of extreme liberalism.
Why April's Inflation Rate Was Better Than Expected, Despite Swings in Tariff RatesNPR Morning Edition
AUSTAN GOOLSBEE
Federal Reserve BankDespite tariffs that went up and down, April's inflation numbers were calm. NPR's A Martinez talks with Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, about why.
What Trouble in the Bond Market Means for Your Investments and the EconomyPBS News Hour
PAUL SOLMAN
ReportingThe April inflation numbers show that prices did not jump significantly after President Trump imposed higher tariffs and then, in many cases, delayed them. But the longer term is still uncertain. The market response to the back-and-forth over trade has been volatile, particularly when it comes to the bond market.
Ohio Students Face Changes on Campus as New State Law Rolls Back Diversity InitiativesPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingSince taking office in January, the Trump administration has targeted diversity, equity and inclusion efforts nationwide, including on college campuses. In Ohio, a new state law is also challenging DEI programs, leaving students and faculty on both sides of the issue bracing for change.
Chuck Schumer Says He'll Obstruct Trump's Justice Department Picks Over Qatar Jet GiftThe Guardian
JOSEPH GEDEON
ReportingThe Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, announced on Tuesday he would obstruct all Trump administration justice department nominations until the White House provides answers about plans to accept a luxury aircraft from Qatar for presidential use. "In light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One and the reports that the attorney general personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers," Schumer said in a Senate floor speech.
Federal Judge OKs Use of Alien Enemies Act to Deport Venezuelans Who Are Labeled Gang MembersThe Associated Press
REBECCA BOONE
ReportingU.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines says President Donald Trump can use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan citizens who are shown to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang. The ruling appears to be the first time a federal judge has signed off on Trump's proclamation calling Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization and invoking the 18th century wartime law to deport people labeled as being members of the gang. Also Tuesday, a federal judge in the western district of Texas temporarily barred the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport people in that region. At least three other federal judges have said Trump was improperly using the AEA to speed deportations of people the administration says are Venezuelan gang members.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Wisconsin Judge in Immigration Case, Allowing Charges to ContinueThe Associated Press
TODD RICHMOND
ReportingThe arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan escalated a clash between President Donald Trump's administration and local authorities over the Republican's sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to make a national example of Dugan to chill judicial opposition to the crackdown. Dugan faces up to six years in prison if she's convicted on both counts. Her team of defense attorneys responded to the indictment with a one-sentence statement saying that she maintains her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court.
George Saunders: Shame on the White HouseThe New York Times
GEORGE SAUNDERS
Author"If the White House wants to fire the librarian of Congress, it can. But it was interesting to have recently had the experience of meeting this dynamic, dedicated person and feeling so proud that she was our librarian of Congress, then reading the White House's sloppy, juvenile rationale for her dismissal; it gave me a visceral feeling for just how diseased this administration really is."
'Just Wildly Illegal': Top Democrats Push to Censure Trump's Plan to Accept Qatar JetThe Guardian
ED PILKINGTON
ReportingTop Democrats in the U.S. Senate are pushing for a vote on the floor of the chamber censuring Donald Trump's reported plan to accept a $400M luxury jet from the royal family of Qatar for use as Air Force One and later as a fixture in the Trump's personal presidential library. They said elected officials, including the president, are not allowed to accept large gifts from foreign governments unless authorized to do so by Congress. Cory Booker from New Jersey, Brian Schatz from Hawaii, Chris Coons from Delaware and Chris Murphy from Connecticut cast the reported gift of the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a clear conflict of interest and a serious threat to national security.
Trump's $4.9 Trillion Tax Plan Targets Medicaid to Offset CostsThe Associated Press
LISA MASCAR
KEVIN FREKING
ReportingHouse Republicans proposed sweeping tax breaks Monday in President Donald Trump's big priority bill, tallying at least $4.9 trillion in costs so far, partly paid for with cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs used by millions of Americans.
Episcopal Church Will Not Help Resettle White Afrikaners, Citing Moral OppositionNPR Morning Edition
BISHOP SEAN ROWE
ReportingThe Episcopal Church says it will not assist with the resettlement of South African migrants and will end it's government partnership to support refugees. NPR hears from presiding bishop Sean Rowe.
The President Has Named a New Acting Librarian of Congress. It's His Former Defense Lawyer.NPR
NEDA ULABY
ReportingTodd Blanche, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, has been appointed as the acting Librarian of Congress by President Trump, according to an employee at the Librarian of Congress, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. The permanent post of Librarian of Congress must be confirmed by the Senate. Blanche has no experience working in libraries or archives, according to his public profile. Now he will be running the largest one in the world. Blanche served as one of Trump's personal lawyers, leading the defense in last year's criminal trial in which Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to an adult film star.
Episcopal Church Refuses to Resettle White Afrikaners, Citing Moral OppositionNPR
JACK JENKINS
ReportingIn a striking move that ends a nearly four-decades-old relationship between the federal government and the Episcopal Church, the denomination announced on Monday that it is terminating its partnership with the government to resettle refugees, citing moral opposition to resettling white Afrikaners from South Africa who have been classified as refugees by President Trump's administration.
Utah Child Care Provider Says the Free Market Can't Fix EverythingPBS News Hour
KRISTYN ROSE
Child Care ProviderMore than 1,000 child care providers around the country are closed on Monday to fight for better wages for workers and lower costs for families. They are also speaking out to protect other safety net programs that support families, such as Head Start, SNAP and Medicaid. This comes as the Trump administration backs away from an idea to eliminate funding to Head Start.
White South Africans Arrive in U.S. After Receiving Refugee Status From TrumpPBS News Hour
BILL FRELICK
Human Rights WatchNearly 60 white South Africans were admitted into the U.S. as part of President Trump's resettlement program. Afrikaners, largely descendants of Dutch and French colonial settlers, led the apartheid government until it ended. The White House claims a new South African law is racist and the white minority is being persecuted. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Bill Frelick of Human Rights Watch.
What to Expect After Trump Signs Order Demanding Lower Prices From Drug CompaniesPBS News Hour
STACIE DUSETZINA
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterIn the U.S., pharmaceutical companies set the prices of drugs with few restraints. In many cases, Americans pay a lot more compared to Canadians or Europeans. President Trump signed an executive order directing that Americans will pay the lowest price available worldwide on prescription drugs. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Stacie Dusetzina of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Qatar Gifting Trump $400-MB Luxury Jet Raises Ethical and Legal ConcernsPBS News Hour
KATHLEEN CLARK
EthicistPresident Trump says the U.S. government is poised to accept an airplane from Qatar valued at nearly $400 million. He claims the 747 aircraft will replace the 40-year-old Air Force One. But the announcement has raised ethical and national security concerns. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert and professor at Washington University School of Law.
Trump Is Looking to Use the IRS for His Own Political Ends. Nixon Tried It TooNPR Morning Edition
SCOTT HORSLEY
ReportingFrom utilizing tax data to trace immigrants without legal status to threatening Harvard University's tax exemption, President Trump has been trying to use the IRS for his own political purposes, in ways that may seem unprecedented. But they're not. Former President Richard Nixon laid the groundwork more than four decades ago, when he tried to use the tax collector to punish his enemies and assist his friends.
Independent Pharmacists Warn of Higher Prices and Shortages From Proposed TariffsNPR Morning Edition
JACKIE FORTIÉR
ReportingIndependent pharmacists warn that proposed tariffs, aimed at bringing drug production to the U.S., could raise prices, cause drug shortages and drive them out of business.
Historian Jill Lepore Gives Her Perspective on the World the U.S. Made After 1945NPR Morning Edition
JILL LEPORE
NPR speaks with historian Jill Lepore about the world America made after World War II. She argues the U.S. is downplaying ideals like freedom and self-government, which were once promoted overseas.
Trump Officials 'Created Confrontation' That Led to Arrest of Newark MayorThe Guardian
JOSÉ OLIVARES
ReportingTrump administration homeland security officials were responsible for starting the confrontation on Friday at a New Jersey immigration jail that led to the arrest of Newark's mayor as well as threats to detain three members of Congress, the representatives said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. Democratic representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver and Rob Menendez, all of New Jersey, visited the controversial ICE detention center Delaney Hall on Friday to inspect the facility. As they waited to enter Delaney Hall, Newark's mayor, Ras Baraka, arrived and as he left the property, he was arrested outside by Ice officials accusing him of trespassing, leading to a commotion at the entrance of the jail.
Trump Fires Top U.S. Copyright OfficialPolitico
KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS
ReportingThe White House contacted Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter Saturday afternoon informing her that her job leading the U.S. Copyright Office had been "terminated," according to internal Library of Congress communications obtained by Politico. Federal law provides the Register of Copyrights be appointed by and supervised by the Librarian of Congress, a position that requires presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. The previous Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, was fired Thursday by the White House with no reason provided in a two sentence email. Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee which oversees the Library of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office, is alleging it is "no coincidence [Trump] acted less than a day after [Perlmutter] refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk's efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Turkish Tufts University Student Back in Boston After Release From Louisiana Detention CenterThe Associated Press
RODRIQUE NGOW
CLAIRE RUSH
ReportingRumeysa Ozturk returned to Boston on Saturday, one day after being released from a Louisiana immigration detention center where she was held for over six weeks. "In the last 45 days, I lost both my freedom and also my education during a crucial time for my doctoral studies," she said. "But I am so grateful for all the support, kindness and care." Ozturk said she will continue her case in the courts, adding, "I have faith in the American system of justice."
Federal Employee Unions Fight for Survival as Trump Tries to Eviscerate ThemNPR Weekend Edition
ANDREA HSU
ReportingAnthony Lee is president of NTEU Chapter 282, the union representing close to 9,000 FDA employees. Under the union's collective bargaining agreement, the government is required to provide advance notice of any reduction in force. But the Trump administration gave no such notice. Nor did it consult with Lee when it ended the union's telework agreement. "Basically we've been ignored," says Lee.
Dr. Casey Means, Trump's Pick for Surgeon General, Faces Criticism Across the SpectrumNPR Weekend Edition
WILL STONE
ReportingDr. Casey Means, a health care entrepreneur and social media influencer, is Trump's pick for surgeon general. But she's facing pushback for her unconventional resume.
What Newark's Communication Outages Show About the U.S.'s Air Traffic Control SystemsNPR Weekend Edition
WILLIAM MCGEE
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with aviation expert William McGee about the challenges facing the nation's air traffic control system following two communication outages at Newark's airport.
Utah Becomes First State to Make It Illegal to Add Fluoride to Public Drinking WaterNPR Weekend Edition
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingUtah is now the first state in the nation to ban adding fluoride to drinking water. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Utah dentist James Bekker about the impact on oral health.
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump's Sweeping Government OverhaulNPR Weekend Edition
ANDREA HSU
ReportingU.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's sweeping overhaul of the federal government after a hearing Friday in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions, nonprofits and local governments. "[T]o make large-scale overhauls of federal agencies," she wrote in her ruling Friday evening, "any president must enlist the help of his co-equal branch and partner, the Congress."
USDA, DOGE Demand States Hand Over Personal Data About Food Stamp RecipientsNPR Weekend Edition
JUDE JOFFE-BLOCK
STEPHEN FOWLER
ReportingThe Department of Agriculture is demanding states hand over personal data of food assistance recipients including Social Security numbers, addresses and, in at least one state, citizenship status, according to emails shared with NPR by an official who was not allowed to speak publicly. The latest data demands are "absolutely alarming," and "reckless" and likely violate the Privacy Act and other statutes, said John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center. He and other advocates warn the data could be used to enable deportation and mass surveillance efforts and would do little to address improper payments.
VA Says Its Job Cuts Will Limit Doctor, Nurse ResignationsNPR Weekend Edition
KATYA MENDOZA
QUIL LAWRENCE
ReportingData that employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs have shared with NPR shows that 11,273 agency employees nationwide have applied for deferred resignation, which the Trump administration is offering as part of its DOGE initiative to cut the VA's workforce by 15 percent, including nurses (about 1,300), medical support assistants (about 800) and social workers (about 300). Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut questioned Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins about his assurance the cuts won't affect service. "It simply cannot be done. And you may give us a lot of verbiage here, but you're not giving us facts. And facts are essential to accountability," said Blumenthal.
Remembering Justice David Souter and His Supreme Court LegacyPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingJustice David Souter, who spent nearly 20 years on the Supreme Court, has died. Souter was a critical figure in several key battles in the court over issues like abortion and the 2000 presidential election.
'This Is a Light of Hope': Mohsen Mahdawi Says Release Shows Democracy Is FunctioningPBS News Hour
MOHSEN MAHDAWI
Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi is fighting against his possible deportation after being detained by ICE and then released by a judge. The Trump administration wants to deport him, saying his presence has "foreign policy consequences." His lawyers say he was detained for speaking out for Palestinian human rights. Laura Barrón-López sat down with Mahdawi to discuss his experience.
Judge Orders Release on Bail of Tufts Student Battling Deportation OrderThe Guardian
MAYA YAN
NOA YACHOT
ReportingFederal judge William Sessions in Vermont on Friday morning ordered the release on bail of a Tufts University student arrested in March for her political speech and now held in Louisiana in what she and her lawyers argue is a breach of her constitutional rights. Sessions said her continued detention "potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens. Any one of them may now avoid exercising their first amendment rights for fear of being whisked away to a detention center from their home. For all of those reasons, the court finds that her continued detention cannot stand, that bail is necessary to make the habeas [petition] ... effective."
Mayor of Newark Arrested for Trespassing at ICE Detention CenterThe Guardian
RICHARD LUSCOMB
MARINA DUNBAR
ReportingThe mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, was arrested for trespass at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in New Jersey on Friday as Democratic members of Congress also attempted to conduct what they say was a visit to the controversial facility to conduct "federal oversight."
Trump Administration Mulling End to Habeas Corpus, Legal Right to Challenge One's DetentionThe Guardian
SAM LEVINE
ReportingThe Trump administration is considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus, the legal right to challenge one's detention, Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser, said on Friday. "The constitution is clear and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus could be suspended in time of invasion. So that's an option we're actively looking at. A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not," Miller said to a group of reporters at the White House. The U.S. constitution says: "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."
JB Pritzker: 'I Put My Money Where My Mouth Is'Semafor
DAVID WEIGEL
ReportingPritzker talked with Semafor before his recent speech to New Hampshire Democrats in Manchester, where he condemned both "do-nothing Democrats" and the "tyrants and traitors" of the GOP. He had more to say than that, some of it on topics that will be fought over in next month's high-profile hearing -- some of it, about the meaning of "oligarchy," being fought over every day. This is an edited transcript of the conversation.
http://localhost/my%20Site/tis/index.phpTrump Seeks to Strip Away Legal Tool Key to Civil Rights EnforcementThe New York Times
ERICA L. GREEN
ReportingIn an expansive executive order, Trump directed the federal government to curtail the use of "disparate-impact liability," a core tenet used for decades to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by determining whether policies disproportionately disadvantage certain groups. "This order aims to destroy the foundation of civil rights protections in this country and it will have a devastating effect on equity for Black people and other communities of color," said Dariely Rodriguez, the acting co-chief counsel at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, an advocacy group.
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter Dies Aged 85The Guardian
RICHARD LUSCOMBE
ReportingRetired supreme court Justice David H Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a darling of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. In 1992, he joined Justices Anthony M Kennedy and Sandra Day O'Connor, also appointed by Republican presidents, in a three-member affirmation of women's federally protected right to abortion. Reversing the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, Souter wrote, would be a "surrender to political pressure. To overrule under fire in the absence of the most compelling reason to re-examine a watershed decision would subvert the court's legitimacy beyond any serious question."
Trump Names Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for D.C. After Dropping Earlier PickNPR Morning Edition
RYAN LUCAS
ReportingPresident Trump said he is appointing Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be acting U.S. attorney in Washington DC. This is after the president pulled his controversial first pick for the job, Ed Martin.
President Trump Fires Librarian of Congress Carla HaydenNPR Morning Edition
CARLA HAYDEN
LibrarianHayden was appointed by then-President Obama in 2016 and was the first woman and first African American to serve in the role. The position used to be a lifetime appointment. The White House did not respond to a late night request for comment.
Air Traffic Control Overhaul Is Met With Applause and SkepticismNPR Morning Edition
SCOTT NEUMAN
ReportingSecretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has unveiled a sweeping plan to overhaul the country's aging air traffic control system -- a proposal that's being met with both applause and skepticism.
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow It to End Humanitarian Parole for 500,000 People From 4 CountriesPBS News Hour
LINDSAY WHITEHURST
The Associated PressPresident Donald Trump's administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to end humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from four countries. The emergency appeal asks the justices to halt a lower-court order keeping in place legal protections for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
nhttp://localhost/my%20Site/tis/index.phphttp://localhost/my%20Site/tis/index.phpStates Try to Revive Medicaid Work Requirements, Worrying Some Low-Income AmericansNPR
ALEXANDRA OLGIN
ReportingNow that Trump is back in the White House, states including Arkansas, Ohio and Arizona are reviving the effort to add work requirements to Medi-Cal --- which concerns some Medicaid patients and advocates.
OAN's Far-Right Coverage Will Fuel Voice of AmericaHere & Now
DAVID FOLKENFLIK
ReportingSenior presidential adviser Kari Lake struck a deal to have One America News Network supply content to Voice of America. Lake says the deal with the far-right network won't come at any taxpayer cost. Veterans of the agency that funded VOA have slammed the decision.
FEMA's Acting Administrator Is Replaced a Day After Congressional TestimonyThe Associated Press
CHRIS MEGERIA
GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA
ReportingThe Federal Emergency Management Agency faced fresh upheaval Thursday just weeks before the start of hurricane season when the acting administrator was pushed out and replaced by another official from the Department of Homeland Security. The abrupt change came the day after Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who held the job for the last few months, testified on Capitol Hill that he did not agree with proposals to dismantle an organization that helps plan for natural disasters and distributes financial assistance. "I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," he said Wednesday.
Bill Gates 'Horrified' by Cuts to U.S. Aid Overseas, Warns Children Will DieSemafor
YINKA ADEGOKE
ReportingBill Gates says he has been "horrified" at the cuts to global humanitarian aid programs by the U.S. Trump administration and will be lobbying the White House and Congress to help restore some of the axed programs. In an interview with Semafor to mark the Gates Foundation's 25th anniversary, Gates warned that the cuts will likely cost lives in some of the most vulnerable regions of the world. "The cuts in USAID are larger than what the Gates Foundation is able to provide. I look forward to a day that we get those USAID numbers back up again," he said.
Irish Woman Detained by U.S. Immigration Released After 17 Days in CustodyThe Guardian
RORY CARROLL
ReportingAn Irish woman who was detained by U.S. immigration authorities because of a criminal record dating back almost 20 years has been released after 17 days in custody. Cliona Ward, 54, who has lived legally in the U.S. for decades, emerged on Wednesday from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facility at Tacoma in Washington. After visiting her sick father in Ireland she had been detained at San Francisco airport on 21 April, causing an outcry in Ireland and the U.S. and a campaign for her release.
'They Disappear Them': Families of the Detained See Grim Echo of Latin American Dictatorships in Trump's U.S.The Guardian
TOM PHILLIP
CLAVEL RANGEL
ReportingFor five weeks after Neiyerver Rengel's detention in Irving, Tex., relatives remained in the dark over his whereabouts. His brother, Nedizon León Rengel, said he spent hours calling immigration detention centres but failed to get clear answers. "They told us he'd been deported but wouldn't say where," recalled Nedizon, who migrated to the U.S. with his brother in 2023. Juanita Goebertus, Human Rights Watch's Americas director, said she had no hesitation in calling the detentions of those Venezuelans enforced disappearances. "Under international law, when someone is detained and there's no account of where the person is, it amounts to enforced disappearances -- and this is exactly what has happened," she said.
Federal Prosecutors Investigate Criminal Referral Against New York Attorney GeneralThe Guardian
HUGO LOWELL
ReportingFederal prosecutors have opened an investigation into a criminal referral made by the Trump administration against New York's attorney general, Letitia James, that alleged she may have falsified paperwork for properties she owns in Virginia and New York. The investigation marks an escalation against James, a major political enemy of Donald Trump, who was ordered to pay more than $450m in penalties as a result of a lawsuit brought by James's office that accused him of inflating his net worth to secure financial benefits. James has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated retribution.
Trump Budget Proposal Pairs Cuts to Some Agencies With Increased Defense SpendingNPR Morning Edition
STEPHEN FOWLER
ReportingTrump's budget proposal for next year includes cuts to some federal agencies paired with an increase in defense spending. What's not included is evidence of the billions DOGE has claimed to save.
Trump Administration Plans to Deport Migrants to Libya and Other CountriesNPR Morning Edition
XIMENA BUSTILLO
LEILA FADEL
ReportingThe Trump administration wants to send migrants to Libya, possibly as soon as this week. U.S. officials have been negotiating with other countries willing to take in people deported from the U.S.
Prisons Closed Due to Serious Problems Set to Reopen as Migrant Detention CentersNPR Morning Edition
ZANE IRWIN
ReportingA troubled private prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, was shut down in 2021. Now, that facility and other prisons closed because of serious problems are set to reopen as migrant detention centers.
Memo Outlines Trump Administration Plans on Resettling White South AfricansNPR Morning Edition
KATYA SCHWENK
The LeverNPR speaks with Katya Schwenk, a reporter at investigative news outlet "The Lever," about a memo outlining the Trump administration's use of a refugee fund to resettle white South Africans (Elon Musk emigrated from Pretoria, South Africa) in the U.S.
Newsom Jabs at 'MAGA Trolls' as He Broadens Information WarPolitico
BLAKE JONES
ReportingCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched California Facts, a Web site fact-checking anonymous X accounts, in-state Republicans and Pr esident Donald Trump -- escalating a campaign to defend his home state and record against false and misleading information online. "This site is for everyone sick of the BS about California," Newsom said in a statement. "We're done letting the MAGA trolls define the Golden State. We're going on the offense and fighting back -- with facts."
House GOP Backing Off Some Medicaid Cuts as Report Shows Millions of People Would Lose Health CareThe Associated Press
LISA MASCARO
AMANDA SEITZ
ReportingHouse Republicans appear to be backing off some, but not all, of the steep reductions to the Medicaid program as part of their big tax breaks bill, as they run into resistance from more centrist GOP lawmakers opposed to ending nearly-free health care coverage for their constituents back home. This is as a new report out Wednesday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that millions of Americans would lose Medicaid coverage under the various proposals being circulated by Republicans as cost-saving measures. House Republicans are scrounging to come up with as much as $1.5 trillion in cuts across federal government health, food stamp and other programs, to offset the revenue lost for some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.
What Trump's Cancellation of Disaster Funds Means for Rural CommunitiesHere & Now
LAUREN SOMMER
ReportingRural communities are scrambling after the Trump administration canceled billions in disaster grants. Many were counting on the funds for vital infrastructure fixes, meant to withstand future disasters.
How a Social Network Is Bringing People Together in Increasingly Divisive TimesPBS News Hour
JUDY WOODRUFF
ReportingLarge social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok have billions of users across the globe. The decisions they make about privacy, content moderation and misinformation can impact people's social lives and mental health. A different kind of social network, one grown locally, might hold lessons for another way forward.
Examining Trump's Latest Hardline Immigration Policies and Legal Battles Around ThemPBS News Hour
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ
ReportingTo increase its deportation numbers, the Trump administration is planning to send immigrants to Libya on U.S. military planes. That's according to multiple reports citing unnamed officials. But when asked about it in the Oval Office, President Trump didn't seem to know what his administration was planning. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports on the president's deportation agenda.
Biden Blasts Trump in BBC Interview: 'That's Not Who We Are'The New York Times
LISA LERER
ISABELLA KWAI
ReportingFormer President Biden attacked Trump's management of the war in Ukraine and his dealings with global allies -- including his combative meeting in the Oval Office in February with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. "I found it sort of beneath America in the way that it took place," Biden said of the meeting. He also pointed to calls by Trump to rename the Gulf of Mexico, take back the Panama Canal and acquire Greenland. "What the hell's going on here? What president ever talks like that? That's not who we are," Biden said. "We're about freedom, democracy, opportunity -- not about confiscation."
'Maduro Did Not Close Our Bureau -- Trump Did': Voice of America Journalists Speak OutThe Guardian
LAUREN GAMBINO
ReportingValladares Pérez, a Washington-based correspondent for the government-funded international news service Voice of America, says she has been silenced -- not by a faraway regime, but by the government of the United States. The Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the U.S.'s largest and oldest international broadcaster is part of a broader crackdown on press freedom in the U.S., journalists and experts say. In late April, the president also signed an executive order aimed at slashing federal funding for NPR and PBS, accusing the news outlets of similarly spreading "radical woke propaganda."
Trump Administration to Stop U.S. Research on Space Pollution, in Boon to Elon MuskThe Guardian
TOM PERKINS
ReportingThe Trump administration is poised to kill federal research into pollution from satellites and rockets, including some caused by Elon Musk's space companies, raising new conflict-of-interest questions about the billionaire SpaceX and Starlink owner. The pollution appears to be accumulating in the stratosphere at alarming levels. Some fear it could destroy the ozone layer, potentially expose some people to higher levels of ultraviolet radiation or help further destabilize the earth's climate during the climate crisis.
CEO of Toy Company That Makes Care Bears Discusses Impact of Trump's TariffsNPR Morning Edition
JAY FOREMAN
Basic Fun!Toymakers say they will have to raise prices to offset Trump's tariffs. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun!, whose toys include Care Bears, Tonka Trucks and Lincoln Logs.
Airlines Trade Group VP Discusses Newark Airport DelaysNPR Morning Edition
PAUL RINALDI
Airlines for AmericaThousands of flights are still affected by last week's communications outage at Newark Airport. NPR speaks with Paul Rinaldi, a senior vice president with the Airlines for America trade group.
Environmental Groups Say Trump Administration Violated Their Free-Speech RightsNPR Morning Edition
MICHAEL COPLEY
ReportingA group of nonprofits and municipalities alleges the Trump administration violated their free-speech rights by targeting them over language in their grant documents, including words like "equity" and "socioeconomic," and trying to force them to use different language. They're not alone: Harvard University filed suit Monday arguing that a federal funding freeze threatens its First Amendment rights. "You can't use government funding to coerce speech," says Kym Meyer, litigation director at the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents nonprofits in the South Carolina lawsuit.
Previously on My Country, 'Tis of Thee...
GOP Rep. Malliotakis on Breaking With Her Party and Taking a Stand Against Medicaid CutsPBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingA dozen House Republicans wrote a letter to House leadership last month voicing opposition to potential Medicaid cuts. They say they support what they call "targeted reforms," but will not back "any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations." New York Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis is among them and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more.
Carney Shuts Down Trump's Threats to Annex Canada, Says Tensions Will Take Time to ResolvePBS News Hour
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ
ReportingThe new Canadian prime minister came to the White House to meet President Trump amid an acrimonious war of words. Mark Carney was elected last week amid Trump's repeated insistence that the U.S. should annex Canada, leading to an unprecedented outpouring of anger there. Laura Barrón-López reports and Amna Nawaz discusses how Canada is viewing the meeting with Brian Clow.
States Win a Legal Injunction Against President Trump, Pausing Library Funding CutsNPR
ANDREW LIMBONG
ReportingA federal judge has halted President Trump's attempt to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services -- the agency which provides federal funding to libraries and museums across the country. District court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. issued an injunction on Tuesday, stating that the executive order violated the Administrative Procedure Act. "It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,"
Judge Orders Trump Administration to Admit Roughly 12,000 RefugeesThe Associated Press
GENE JOHNSON
ReportingU.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead on Monday ordered the Trump administration to admit some 12,000 refugees into the United States under a court order partially blocking the president's efforts to suspend the nation's refugee admissions program. During a hearing last week, the administration said it should only have to process 160 refugees into the country and that it would likely appeal any order requiring it to admit thousands. But the judge dismissed the government's analysis, saying it required "not just reading between the lines" of the 9th Circuit's ruling, "but hallucinating new text that simply is not there."
Not Just Alcatraz: The Notorious U.S. Prisons Trump Is Already ReopeningThe Guardian
SAM LEVIN
ReportingWhile California lawmakers swiftly dismissed the Alcatraz announcement as "not serious" and a distraction, the Trump administration's efforts to reopen five other scandal-plagued facilities are well under way or already complete, in partnership with for-profit prison corporations. The shuttered prisons are being revived for immigration detainees, unlike the U.S. president's purported plan for Alcatraz, which he claimed on social media would imprison "America's most ruthless and violent Offenders."
Jewish Faculty Decry Republican Panel Members Ahead of Antisemitism HearingThe Guardian
ALICE SPERI
ReportingOn Wednesday, the U.S. House committee on education and workforce will question the presidents of Haverford College in Pennsylvania, DePaul University in Chicago and California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in a reprise of contentious showdowns between legislators and university administrators that last year played a part in the resignations of several university presidents. In a memo shared exclusively with the Guardian, the faculty at Haverford have questioned the credibility of several members of the committee. A number of Republican legislators set to grill the university presidents are associated with calls for Jews to convert to Christianity, have quoted Adolf Hitler or have reportedly threatened to burn a synagogue to the ground.
Trump's Plan to Impose Tariffs on Movies Causes Global ConfusionNPR Morning Edition
MANDALIT DEL BARCO
ReportingThe film industry started the week in some confusion after President Trump announced on social media that he was imposing a 100 percent tariff on movies produced outside the U.S.
Republicans Considering Selling Off Federal Land to Pay for Trump's Domestic AgendaNPR Morning Edition
KIRK SIEGLER
ReportingRepublicans are considering selling off some federal lands to pay for President Trump's domestic agenda, which is reigniting a decades-old controversy in the West.
New Book 'Personhood' Examines Escalating Battle Over Reproductive RightsPBS News Hour
MARY ZIEGLER
Personhood: The New Civil War over ReproductionAfter the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the victory spurred advocates' pursuit of fetal personhood. That's legislation that asserts that life begins at fertilization and establishes constitutional protections for embryos and fetuses. Amna Nawaz discussed this latest frontier of the anti-abortion movement with Mary Ziegler, author of Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction.
What the Constitution Says About Noncitizens' Rights as Trump Doubts Need for Due ProcessPBS News Hour
STEVE VLADECK
Georgetown UniversityOver the last few days, President Trump has repeatedly questioned the constitutional right to due process. His attacks come as the courts warn that the administration is exceeding the scope of his authority. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports on the latest and Amna Nawaz discusses how the Trump administration is approaching due process with Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck.
Former Palantir Workers Condemn Company's Work With Trump AdministrationNPR
BOBBY ALLYN
ReportingThirteen former employees of influential data-mining firm Palantir are condemning the company's work with the Trump administration weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached a deal to pay Palantir $30 million to provide the agency with "near real-time visibility" into the movement of migrants in the U.S. "Early Palantirians understood the ethical weight of building these technologies," the former employees wrote in a letter. "These principles have now been violated and are rapidly being dismantled at Palantir Technologies and across Silicon Valley."
States Sue Trump Administration for Blocking the Development of Wind EnergyThe Associated Press
JENNIFER MCDERMOTT
ReportingAttorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., are challenging an executive order Trump signed during his first day in office, pausing approvals, permits and loans for all wind energy projects both onshore and offshore. They say Trump doesn't have the authority to unilaterally shut down the permitting process and he's jeopardizing development of a power source critical to the states' economic vitality, energy mix, public health and climate goals. They're asking a federal judge to declare the order unlawful and stop federal agencies from implementing it.
Democrat-Led States Sue Trump Administration Over DEIHere & Now
ERICA MELTZER
ChalkbeatA group of Democrat-led states is suing the Trump administration over a requirement that states comply with the position that many common diversity practices constitute illegal discrimination. Erica Meltzer, national editor at Chalkbeat, joins us to discuss the lawsuit and what this means for schools.
'Fight Back': Journalist Taking Trump Administration to Court Calls for Media to Resist AttacksThe Guardian
KATE LAMB
Reporting"I never in a million years thought I would have to fight for freedom of the press in the United States of America. And yet here we are," says Patsy Widakuswara, the White House bureau chief for the broadcasting network. "As journalism is under attack, it feels empowering to fight back. We need more people to resist and fight back."
Lawsuit Challenges Trump Tariffs, Saying He Has Overstepped Constitutional AuthorityNPR Morning Edition
ILYA SOMIN
Liberty Justice CenterNPR speaks with Ilya Somin, a lawyer who has teamed up with the Liberty Justice Center, to challenge Trump's tariffs in court. He claims Trump's trade decisions overstep his constitutional authority.
John Bolton Discusses Marco Rubio's Dual Roles in GovernmentNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingMarco Rubio is now secretary of state and acting national security advisor. NPR speaks with former national security adviser John Bolton about whether it's really possible to juggle both roles.
When Asked if He Needs to Uphold Constitution, President Trump Says 'I Don't Know'NPR Morning Edition
ASMA KHALID
ReportingPresident Trump appeared on "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" and was asked about the due process rights of immigrants. When asked if a he needs to uphold the Constitution, he said, "I don't know." But he knows he wants to reopen Alcatraz.
Arizona Governor Pauses Deportation for Guatemalan Who Gave Birth Days AgoThe Guardian
Reuters
A Guatemalan immigrant who crossed the U.S. border eight months pregnant and gave birth in Arizona has avoided fast-track deportation after intervention by the state's governor, her lawyer and a federal official said on Saturday. The 24-year-old woman gained public attention after lawyer Luis Campos said federal agents had denied him access to her in a Tucson hospital after she gave birth on Wednesday and told him she was set for rapid removal after entering the country illegally.
NOAA Climate Science CutsLiving on Earth
ABRAHM LUSTGARTEN
ReportingA key climate modeling program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA is slated for near-elimination, according to a draft White House memo. Abrahm Lustgarten investigated these planned cuts for ProPublica and discusses with Host Jenni Doering the potential impacts to weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, agriculture, military operations and more.
Trump Administration Confirms Targeting International Students With Minor OffensesNPR Weekend Edition
JOEL ROSE
ReportingAny contact with law enforcement can now have major consequences for immigrants caught up in the Trump administration's crackdown. This has been especially tough for foreign students.
Aetna to Exit Health Insurance Exchange, Leaving Millions Without CoverageNPR Weekend Edition
BRUCE JAPSEN
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingHealth insurer Aetna will exit the federal health insurance exchange next year. Forbes contributor Bruce Japsen tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe that will leave around a million people without coverage.
Court Foils Plan to Reinstate More Than 1,000 Voice of America EmployeesThe Guardian
NINA LAKHANI
ReportingA federal appeals court has foiled a plan to return more than 1,000 Voice of America (VoA) workers to their desks after an earlier court ruling granted a temporary stay on Donald Trump's executive order dismantling the U.S. taxpayer-funded news service for overseas listeners. Now it seems unlikely that broadcasters will return to work until the case has been resolved by the courts. A Saturday ruling by a divided DC circuit court panel essentially decided that the courts must defer to the executive branch on employment matters.
Aetna to Exit Health Insurance Exchange, Leaving Millions Without CoverageNPR Weekend Edition
BRUCE JAPSEN
AYESHA RASCOE
ReportingHealth insurer Aetna will exit the federal health insurance exchange next year. Forbes contributor Bruce Japsen tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe that will leave around a million people without coverage.
How Vaccine Hesitancy May Be Driving a Spike in Pediatric Flu DeathsPBS News Hour
DR. PETER HOTEZ
Baylor College of MedicineThe CDC reported 12 seasonal flu-related deaths of children this week, bringing the total number of pediatric flu deaths this season to 216 -- the most in 15 years. Experts say one reason for this new record could be the plummeting flu vaccination rate among American children. John Yang speaks with Dr. Peter Hotez at Baylor College of Medicine to learn more.
How Staffing Shortages at the National Weather Service Could Put Lives at RiskPBS News Hour
SETH BORENSTEIN
AP science writerThe Trump administration's dismissals of hundreds of experts compiling a key report on climate change is only the latest in a series of science-related rollbacks and cuts. That includes job cuts at the National Weather Service, where an Associated Press analysis found a 20 percent vacancy rate in nearly half its forecast offices. John Yang speaks with AP science writer Seth Borenstein for more.
AI-Generated Image of Trump as the Pope Draws Criticism Ahead of Papal ConclavePBS News Hour
NICOLE WINFIELD
The Associated PressPresident Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as pope as the mourning of Pope Francis continues and just days before the conclave to elect his successor is set to begin. Trump’s action drew rebukes from a group representing Catholic bishops in New York and among Italians. "There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President," the New York State Catholic Conference wrote. "We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us."
Buffett Says U.S. Shouldn't Use 'Trade as a Weapon' as Trump Has Done With TariffsThe Associated Press
JOSH FUNK
ReportingInvestor Warren Buffett told thousands of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders Saturday that the United States shouldn't use "trade as a weapon" and anger the rest of the world like President Donald Trump has done with his tariffs that roiled global markets. "It's a big mistake in my view when you have 7.5 billion people who don't like you very well and you have 300 million who are crowing about how they have done," Buffett said as he addressed the topic on everyone's mind at the start of the shareholders meeting. He said the world will be safer if more countries are prosperous.
Germany Defends AfD Extremist Classification After Rubio Criticises 'Tyranny in Disguise'BBC
TIFFANY WERTHEIMER
ReportingGermany's Foreign Office has defended a decision to classify the Alternative für Deutschland party as right-wing extremist, after sharp criticism from the White House. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance accused "bureaucrats" of rebuilding the Berlin Wall and Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed the designation as "tyranny in disguise." In an unusual move, the foreign office directly replied to Rubio on X, writing: "We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped." The intelligence agency that made the classification found AfD's "prevailing understanding of people based on ethnicity and descent" goes against Germany's "free democratic order."
Scientific Societies to Do Climate Assessment After Trump Administration Dismissed AuthorsThe Guardian
MAYA YANG
ReportingThe American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union said they will work together to produce over 29 peer-reviewed journals covering all aspects of climate change including observations, projections, impacts, risks and solutions. The collaboration comes just days after Trump's administration dismissed all contributors to the sixth National Climate Assessment, the U.S. government's flagship study on climate change. The dismissal of nearly 400 contributors had left the future of the study, scheduled for publication in 2028, in question.
Win for Maine as Trump Officials Agree to Halt School Funding FreezeThe Guardian
SAM LEVIN
ReportingThe Trump administration has agreed not to freeze funds to Maine schools, a win for a state targeted by the president over its support for transgender rights. In a settlement disclosed on Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would halt all efforts to withhold funds for a child nutrition program in Maine. The USDA had suspended those dollars after Maine officials said the state would not comply with Trump's demands that trans girls be barred from participating in girls' sports. In February, when the president directly threatened to revoke funding from the state at a White House meeting with governors, Janet Mills, Maine's Democratic governor, had responded, "We'll see you in court," in a widely shared exchange.
Veterans' Groups Object to Trump's Proposal to Rename Veterans DayThe New York Times
KAROUN DEMIRJIA
JOHN ISMAY
ReportingPresident Trump's announcement that he planned to change the name of Veterans Day, on Nov. 11, to "Victory Day for World War I" prompted a backlash from veterans' groups which complained that the move would champion conquest over sacrifice and ignore the sacrifices of most living veterans. In a social media post late Thursday, Trump also said he would declare May 8, the date that Nazi Germany surrendered in 1945, "Victory Day for World War II" instead of Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day. "It is not the veterans' fault if we don't win wars," said Allison Jaslow, the chief executive of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, who also served in Iraq. She added that "Veterans Day should be an acknowledgment of the ways that fellow Americans have served and sacrificed to protect and defend what we have in America."
A Look at Trump's Executive Order Targeting Public Media FundingPBS News Hour
WILLIAM BRANGHAM
ReportingPresident Trump issued an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to halt all funding for PBS and NPR. It would impact those two networks, the roughly 1,500 public media stations nationwide and national programs like the News Hour. William Brangham reports.
Unpacking Trump's Budget Proposal and Where He Wants to Cut Billions in SpendingPBS News Hour
JESSICA REIDL
The Manhattan InstituteThe White House unveiled a budget proposal that would cut billions from non-defense programs across the government. President Trump's $163 billion in spending cuts would hit health, housing, education and climate programs. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Jessica Reidl of the Manhattan Institute, who was also the chief economist for former GOP Sen. Rob Portman.
Judge Blocks Trump Executive Order Targeting Elite Law Firm Perkins CoiePBS News Hour
ERIC TUCKER
The Associated PressU.S. District Judge Beryl Howell on Friday blocked a White House executive order targeting Perkins Coie, an elite law firm, dealing a setback to President Trump's campaign of retribution against the legal profession. Howell said the executive order against the law firm violated multiple provisions of the Constitution and ordered that it be immediately nullified.
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Let DOGE Access Social Security SystemsThe Associated Press
LINDSAY WHITEHURST
ReportingThe Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for Elon Musk 's Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans. The emergency appeal comes after a judge in Maryland restricted the team's access to Social Security under federal privacy laws. The agency holds personal records on nearly everyone in the country, including school records, bank details, salary information and medical and mental health records for disability recipients, according to court documents.
Ketanji Brown Jackson Condemns Trump Rhetoric 'Designed to Intimidate the Judiciary'The Guardian
JESSICA GLENZA
ReportingThe U.S. supreme court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson condemned the Trump administration's attacks on the judiciary in a cutting speech at a judicial conference on Thursday evening. "The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government. And they ultimately risk undermining our constitution and the rule of law," Jackson said.
PBS Chief Decries Trump's Executive Order Directing Federal Funding Cuts to PBS and NPR as UnlawfulThe Associated Press
DAVID BAUDER
ReportingPublic Broadcasting Service CEO Paula Kerger said Friday that President Donald Trump's executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR was blatantly unlawful. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funnels public funding to the two services, said it is not a federal executive agency subject to Trump's orders. The president earlier this week said he was firing three of the five remaining CPB board members -- threatening its ability to do any work -- and was immediately sued by the CPB to stop it.
In Texas Borderland, Trump's Immigration Push Suffers Its Worst Legal Defeat YetThe New York Times
MATTATHIAS SCHWARTZ
ReportingJudge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. found that Trump was wrong to claim the activities of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang in the United States, amounted to an "invasion" that justified invoking a 1798 war powers law. The decision was the most sweeping ruling issued so far by a federal judge blocking the most aggressive prong of Trump's effort, one that was already used to deport nearly 140 Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador on March 15. It comes after a Supreme Court decision in early April that Venezuelan detainees facing potential deportation under the Alien Enemies Act could file lawsuits in the district courts where they were being held.
RFK Jr. and Health Agency Falsely Claim MMR Vaccine Includes 'Aborted Fetus Debris'The Guardian
JESSICA GLENZA
ReportingHealth secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his department have made a series of misleading statements that alarmed vaccine experts and advocates in recent days, including that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine includes "aborted fetus debris." Health department officials released statements saying they could alter vaccine testing and build new "surveillance systems" on Wednesday, both of which have unnerved experts who view new placebo testing as potentially unethical.
Pam Bondi Turning DoJ Into Trump's 'Personal Law Firm', Top Experts WarnThe Guardian
PETER STONE
ReportingTrump's Department of Justice has taken radical steps to target his political foes, back a harsh agenda against undocumented immigrants and help business allies --- steps which underscore its politicization under the attorney general Pam Bondi and undermine the rule of law, say ex-prosecutors and legal experts. Some even say that the department has in effect become Trump's "personal law firm."
President Trump Orders End to Federal Funding for NPR and PBSNPR Morning Edition
RYLAND BARTON
ReportingPresident Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors to "cease federal funding for NPR and PBS."
Rep. Jeff Hurd Discusses Movement by Some Republicans to Reject Deep Medicaid CutsNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin speaks with Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., about a movement by some Republican lawmakers to reject deep cuts to Medicaid, the low-income federal health insurance program.
New Financial Pressures Forcing Planned Parenthood to Close Some ClinicsNPR Morning Edition
KATE WELLS
ReportingPlanned Parenthood is closing some clinics that offer abortions, even in states where abortion has broad protections, due to new financial pressures.
Legal Veteran Starts New Firm to Defend Targets of Trump ActionsNPR Morning Edition
CARRIE JOHNSON
ReportingAbbe Lowell is starting his own small law firm, Lowell & Associates. "We are not a partisan firm," Lowell said. "We are not trying to make a political statement. What we're trying to do is respond to the moment, which is very different than it's been." One difference is the attention on law firms. Trump has said these firms are abusing the legal system and pursuing baseless partisan attacks.
Exploring the Efforts to Control How U.S. History Is Presented in Museums and MonumentsPBS News Hour
DAVID BLIGHT
Yale UniversityThe Trump administration has put its mark on the nation's cultural sector. One focus is on how American history is told and presented in museums and monuments. That has roiled many in the academic and art worlds. Jeffrey Brown explores the effort to reshape institutions with David Blight, the outgoing president of the Organization of American Historians.
'The Project' Explores Project 2025's Origins and Goals to Reshape American CulturePBS News Hour
DAVID GRAHAM
'The Project'Many of the policies enacted by the Trump administration with lightning speed in these first 100 days were initially laid out two years ago in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. David Graham's new book "The Project" details its origins and sweeping goals to reshape American culture. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López sat down with Graham to discuss more.
Trump Administration Not Backing Down From Clash With JudiciaryPBS News Hour
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ
ReportingDespite once again being told by a federal judge that their actions exceed the scope of the executive's authority, President Trump and his administration continued their fight with the judicial branch. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López reports.
Trump Would Not Concede 'MS-13' Letters Were Digitally AddedThe New York Times
SHAWN MCCREES
ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS
ReportingIn the interview with Terry Moran of ABC News on Tuesday, the president appeared to believe that the characters that had been added to the photo he triumphantly held up in his social media post were in fact tattoos themselves. Moran gingerly tried to correct the record about that, but Trump was having none of it.
What Five Fired Federal Workers Want You to KnowThe New York Times
SPENCER BOKAT-LINDELL
Reporting"During its first 100 days, the Trump administration unleashed a sweeping campaign to cull and weaken the civil service, firing or laying off tens of thousands of federal workers and pressuring many more to resign. Over the past few months, I've spoken with some of those caught up in the upheaval. Of the people I spoke to, only about half were willing to tell their stories on the record. We edited and condensed five of them below."
Trump Has Launched More Attacks on the Environment in 100 Days Than His Entire First TermThe Guardian
OLIVER MILMAN
ReportingDonald Trump has launched an unprecedented assault upon the environment, instigating 145 actions to undo rules protecting clean air, water and a livable climate in this administration's first 100 days -- more rollbacks than were completed in Trump's entire first term as U.S. president.
Kamala Harris Says 'Courage Is Contagious' in Major Speech Excoriating TrumpThe Guardian
DARA KERR
ReportingKamala Harris delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump's first 100 days in power, warning in her first major address since leaving office that the nation was witnessing a "wholesale abandonment of America's highest ideals" by its president. The former vice-president struck a defiant posture as she praised the leaders and institutions pushing back against Trump and his aggressive agenda -- from the members of Congress acting boldly to the judges "who uphold the rule of law in the face of those who would jail them," the universities defying the administration's "unconstitutional demands," and the everyday Americans rallying to protect Social Security.
The House Strikes a Blow Against California in a Fight Over EVsNPR Morning Edition
CAMILA DOMONOSKE
ReportingThe U.S. House of Representatives has voted to undo three federal waivers that let California set strict vehicle pollution standards. Two nonpartisan government entities have advised Congress that it can't actually reverse those waivers through the mechanism it's using. The Senate now needs to decide whether to follow that guidance -- or follow the House.
DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin Discusses Trump Immigration Policy After 100 DaysNPR Morning Edition
TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN
Department of Homeland SecurityNPR's Michel Martin talks with the Department of Homeland Security's top spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, about the Trump administration's immigration and border security efforts after 100 days.