Brian Mann
Appearances
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Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
Am I a propagandist? A truth teller? An influencer? There's probably no more contested profession in the world today than mine, journalism. I'm Brian Reed, and on my show, Question Everything, we dive headfirst into the conflicts we're all facing over truth and who gets to tell it. Listen now to Question Everything, part of the NPR Podcast Network.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Well, here's what we know. Hogle spent the day holding closed-door, one-on-one meetings with some of New York City's most influential politicians and civic leaders, including the Reverend Al Sharpton and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. He's the House Democratic minority leader. He represents part of Brooklyn.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
And they discussed Adams' future and this growing scandal that sent shockwaves through the city's leadership. Remember, four of Adams' top aides and deputy mayors, some of his key staff, resigned yesterday. Mm-hmm. So in her statement, Hochul said Adams' alleged conduct at City Hall is troubling and cannot be ignored. She made it clear that removing Adams from office is a real possibility.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
But so far, she has not pulled that trigger.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Yeah, louder and louder calls from Democratic leaders in New York for Adams to resign or for Hochul to force him out. Congressman Jeffries spoke to reporters today after his conversation with Hochul. He says confidence in Adams' ability to lead has been shattered. This interview was posted by the news channel New York One.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Yeah, so Mayor Adams was indicted last September on federal corruption and bribery charges. He's denied any wrongdoing. But after President Trump was elected, Adams and his legal team started courting Trump's team and the new leadership at the Justice Department. They looked for those very serious charges to be dropped.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Critics, including one DOJ attorney, say Adams' team offered a quid pro quo here. You know, shelve these criminal charges immediately. and in return, New York City's administration will help crack down on undocumented migrants. So last week, the DOJ did agree to put Adams' case on hold. That was a move so controversial that seven top DOJ attorneys resigned rather than go along with it.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Now moving forward, because the DOJ has reserved authority to reactivate those criminal charges against Adams, they're holding this big stick going forward. If Adams doesn't cooperate on migrants' The DOJ could hit him with those charges. Adams has already offered federal immigration police more access to inmates at the city's jail on Rikers Island.
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Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
You know, we really do not know when she's going to move forward here. One key moment, though, is Judge Dale Ho, the federal judge overseeing the Adams case, is going to review the DOJ request to put these criminal charges on hold. That happens tomorrow afternoon. And there's some indication that Hochul might act after we hear how that judge moves the case forward.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
I do. I live in New York. She tells me she really wants to see New York, and her dad, Gary, speaks up.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
When Nebra and Descupta's team at the University of North Carolina finished their new analysis of drug death data, they found a positive trend that seemed inconceivable a year ago.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
Drug deaths tracked nationwide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have already plunged 24% from peak levels. Every state has now seen improvement, with many states improving by 30, 40, even 50%. Dasgupta says the number of lives being saved left him stunned.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
Data is one thing. Reality on the street can feel very different. This is Kensington, long known as one of the country's most drug-plagued neighborhoods in Philadelphia. On a warm afternoon, Elena and Vadim lean against a fence, smoking a mix of fentanyl and xylosine. NPR agreed not to use last names because their drug use is illegal. I ask how this national shift feels here.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
And Elena says she's noticed the change.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
Smoking fentanyl and xylosine is still incredibly risky, but it's considered safer than using needles. Vadim says many people who use fentanyl are also taking smaller doses.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
They say there are more public health services here on the street, and people routinely carry naloxone or Narcan to reverse fentanyl overdoses. All this has contributed to nearly 2,000 fewer deaths a year in Pennsylvania alone compared with the peak. Dr. Nora Volkov, who heads the U.S. government's National Institute on Drug Abuse, says she believes the U.S. as a whole has reached a turning point.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
While overall drug deaths are down 24 percent, Volkov says deaths linked specifically to fentanyl are dropping even faster, down more than 30 percent. If that trend holds, the U.S. could soon return to levels not seen since 2016 when fentanyl hit.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
Volkov and Dasgupta also agree. This shift appears to be long-term and sustainable. Dasgupta's deep dive into CDC records found nearly half the states actually saw recoveries beginning much earlier than once understood, with fatal overdoses peaking back in 2021 and 2022, then beginning a steady decline.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
The result nationally is roughly 25,000 fewer drug deaths every year. But does Gupta and other addiction experts say this isn't a time to declare victory? They describe these improvements more as a crucial first step, meaning less death, but also a lot more people surviving with severe addiction and chronic illness needing help. Dr. Ben Cotillaro treats addiction patients here in Kensington.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
That's a tall order. The distance from where the U.S. is now in places like Kensington to that kind of public health response feels vast. On a late winter morning, Kaylee McLeod with Philadelphia's Overdose Response Unit sets off on foot across Kensington. She bends to check on a man huddled and unresponsive.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
The complicated reality is that more people surviving fentanyl overdoses will mean more people needing a whole network of care.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
A few blocks down the street, I meet Tracy Horvath, who says she's lived in Kensington most of her life, much of that time using fentanyl.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
She looks weary and cold, but she is one of the survivors. Horvath, too, says fentanyl might have killed her if Narcan weren't so widely available.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
I asked what she'd need to move beyond this life, beyond addiction. Horvath says her first goal is a safe place to live.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
Addiction care experts say getting people off the street into homes is often a crucial step. But there are so many needs here, it can feel overwhelming. Kayla McLeod says there has been progress building a network of services and support that didn't exist a decade ago.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
We pass a mobile healthcare team and a food pantry. There's a special police unit trained in addiction response and a group from a university dispensing buprenorphine, a medication that reduces fentanyl cravings. I meet Scout Gilson working at a syringe exchange run by a group called Prevention Point.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
Gilson, who's in long-term recovery, says she knows firsthand how complicated the health impacts of drug use can be, from mental health challenges to lingering skin wounds.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
But Gilson thinks deeper healing that moves people beyond survival is possible with the right help.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
In my time in Philadelphia, I see examples of this hopeful work, and I meet people like Gilson who've managed to rebuild their lives. But the need is clearly growing here in Kensington and around the U.S. One question is whether there will be money to pay for these services.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
So far, the Trump administration has focused largely on keeping fentanyl out of the U.S., not on programs that help people recover. Some Republicans in Congress are still talking about budget cuts that could affect Medicaid. That's the federal program that funds most addiction treatment in the U.S.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
I asked Kayla McLeod with Philadelphia's Overdose Response Unit if she's hopeful despite all the desperate need and the uncertainty. After a moment, she nods a cautious yes.
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Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
But it took years to slow fentanyl deaths in the U.S. McLeod says healing people in neighborhoods like Kensington will take more resources and a lot more time.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
But then, toward the end of 2023... Suddenly, the data coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed this drop.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
One month, two months in a row it dropped. Three months.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Okay. So I want to talk about the hopeful, happy parts in just a second. But let me begin with some of the maybe darker reasons this could be happening. So one thing is that a lot of people have died, Scott. I mean, this has been bad. Like, this has been terrifying. 114,000 people in one year, 110,000 in another year. So a lot of the most vulnerable people are gone.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And that's certainly some part of it. Another thing that's happening is that people on the streets regularly tell me that they've learned how to use fentanyl, this really dangerous drug, more safely. Not safely. I don't want to sugarcoat this again, but they're better. They don't use it as carelessly as they used to.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And so some people who are still in very severe, very unhealthy addiction to this toxic drug are surviving. They're living longer. And that is a good thing because it means they have more chances to recover, more chances to get out of this cycle. I don't want to say that they've recovered or they're healthy or they're off the street. They're still in a really dark place.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Yeah, and I think the data here is really strong, that we have seen one of the most effective public policy responses to a health crisis in U.S. history, right? So what the Biden administration did, they came in after a year when drug deaths had spiked 30%. That's what happened in the last year of the Trump administration.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
They inherit a raging, burning crisis of death across the country, and they immediately begin implementing policies really significant changes. First of all, they work to get naloxone, that medication that reverses overdoses. They really push to get that out on the street, get it everywhere. They just flooded the field with naloxone and Narcan. And I find it now everywhere.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And I want to introduce you to Scout Gilson. She actually works now as a harm reduction person in Philadelphia, but she was on the street. She was a fentanyl user. She talks about what it was like before the Biden team made naloxone really readily available.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Wow. That kind of calculation, Scott, was happening every day on every street in America. People were thinking, do I help that person survive or do I save it for myself? And now, That's not what it's like. Everybody has Narcan.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
There's also a whole range of other things, much of it funded by the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act that made insurance coverage really widely available for people who need addiction treatment. They also made it really easy comparatively to get buprenorphine and methadone. These are medications that help people avoid relapses into fentanyl use.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
What I was hearing from people using drugs on the street, talking to frontline harm reduction people, listening to people in Washington looking at this, they were saying this feels different. The carnage feels like it's easing. Suddenly, there was a shift.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
All of those things hitting the field at the same time, the Biden team inherits a 30% increase in drug deaths. As they left the White House, drug deaths were dropping by about 25%. So that's the arc that they managed to pull off in four years.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
It was really powerful to watch as a journalist. On the one hand, Scott, day after day, I was seeing this data solidify, showing this public health victory, this policy victory. And then what I would do is turn on the radio and I would hear Kamala Harris, the vice president and the candidate talking about fentanyl as if it's sort of a problem that they can't really deal with.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
At one point in the debate with Trump, she referenced the fact that he and his political allies had torpedoed an effort to increase security, including drug security, on the southern border. Here she is.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Meanwhile, let me let me pivot and give you a taste of how then candidate Trump was talking about this. Here he is out on the campaign trail.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And what now President Trump was saying there on the campaign trail is just not factual. You know, fentanyl was spreading rapidly in the U.S. during his first term. Drug deaths, as we've mentioned, were skyrocketing. And yet he was clearly the one with the more powerful message leading up to the election day.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
You know, addiction destroyed my family. I have a beloved stepbrother who I grew up with, Rick, who, you know, got drawn into the prescription pain epidemic and eventually died from complications relating to his addiction. My father was deep in addiction for much of my childhood and much of my adult life.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And the thing that's really has been powerful for me is that I didn't understand any of that. I was like most Americans. I think I had deep stigma about it. I hated it. I was scared of it. And only when I started understanding that there are treatments, there are really good medical-based, science-based ways of helping people recover, did I start to put those pieces together.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
This is a science fiction level event, like never before. in the history of America's drug crisis, and this goes even back before the pain pill crisis of the 90s, go back to heroin, go back to crack cocaine, we've never solved a drug epidemic in the way that these numbers suggest.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And I have huge regret about how I thought about my own family, how I navigated my own life before getting into this. And so I do try to say to people that this addiction thing that is so scary and often ugly, frankly, Thank you so much for having me. I didn't know enough about that in my own family to help get to those places. I turned away from it, honestly.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And so that is a reason that I continue to be very loyal to this beat and this subject because I love the idea that bit by bit, more Americans are realizing there is another side to this story and another side to how we respond to this.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Oh, a thousand percent. And there have been moments along the way that I've had these, you know, real flinch moments when I learned something about this. And I think, oh God, if I had known that a decade ago, 15 years ago, I would have known what to do. I would have had a better vocabulary for this.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Yeah. I think my brother, Rick, who was injured, you know, working in a factory and was put on pain pills for his back. And I can remember feeling how much of a personal failing it was for him to not kick his opioid addiction, his desire for that and his, he would relapse and he would relapse. And I felt like then at a point I gave up on him. I, that's just the truth.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
I gave, I said, that's that, you know, he doesn't have the character. He doesn't have the strength. That's not somebody I really want to associate with. And what I now know, Scott, is that relapse is a cornerstone part of this illness. It's as normal to this illness as as, you know, things that you do for diabetes or you do for cancer. You have to expect relapse to happen. It's part of the arc.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
I know that there are medical treatments that he could have had that I could have helped guide him toward. All of that, even back then, was out there and available. And I just, you know, I didn't clock it at the time.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
The best interventions with everybody throwing everything at the problem sometimes can ease the problem by eight, nine percent. We're now seeing states where drug deaths are dropping 50 percent in a single year, 30 percent, 40 percent is now common. That level of decline, so many lives being saved.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
Yeah, and I think about him all the time. When I'm on the streets in Philadelphia or Seattle or wherever, and I meet people who are so powerful in there, and I'm not romanticizing it, they're very unwell oftentimes, but they're also... living real lives. They are real people. They have thoughtful framing of how they see the world and what they hope for in the future.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
And so, you know, Rick and my dad definitely are kind of along for the ride whenever I'm having those conversations. And whenever I'm really trying to listen, you know, that's that circle kind of comes full then.
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Reporting on how America reduced the number of opioid deaths
All right. Thanks, Scott. Thanks for having me.
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Is there a Trump Doctrine for Foreign Policy?
Am I a propagandist, a truth teller, an influencer? There's probably no more contested profession in the world today than mine, journalism. I'm Brian Reed, and on my show, Question Everything, we dive headfirst into the conflicts we're all facing over truth and who gets to tell it. Listen now to Question Everything, part of the NPR Podcast Network.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-29-2025 6PM EST
More from NPR's Brian Mann. Kennedy was himself a heroin user for more than a decade and lacks medical training, but he's long been a critic of antidepressant medications, often referred to as SSRIs. During testimony, Kennedy said this.
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NPR News: 01-29-2025 6PM EST
That claim doesn't match the science. Heroin is highly addictive in almost all users. But a study published in the medical journal The Lancet last summer found significant withdrawal symptoms only affect about one in 35 people who use antidepressants. Brian Mann, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-25-2024 6PM EST
The arrangement allows countries to support Ukraine's economy and military with massive loans, with payback coming from revenue from Russia's overseas assets frozen after the 2022 invasion. Russian officials have condemned the arrangement as fraudulent, posting on social media that loans and other support for Ukraine will prolong the war. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-25-2024 6PM EST
Ukraine's Prime Minister, Denis Shmuhal, said on social media the first billion dollars have arrived. That's out of 20 billion in loans expected from the U.S., with an additional 30 billion in support slated to come from other big industrial G7 countries, including Britain and Canada. We thank our American partners and the World Bank for this important step toward justice, Schmahal said.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-04-2025 3PM EST
Trudeau addressed many of his comments to U.S. listeners, saying a trade war will hurt American families and cripple prosperity on both sides of the border. He said there will be no winners. China and Mexico have also announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. Brian Mann, NPR News, Washington.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-04-2025 3PM EST
In a national address, Trudeau detailed new 25% Canadian tariffs on nearly $110 billion worth of U.S. goods, part of what he acknowledged is now a full-scale trade war. Trudeau also challenged President Trump's inaccurate claim Canada plays a big role fueling America's overdose crisis.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-23-2025 6PM EST
Immigration and Customs John Sandwick told NPR enforcement actions carried out so far aren't a significant increase. I think these operations, this initial surge is business as usual.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-23-2025 6PM EST
NPR found migrant arrests varied over time during the Biden administration, but federal agents were already arresting more than 100 migrants per day with criminal convictions or charges pending before Trump took office. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-23-2025 6PM EST
Trump officials say they've arrested roughly 400 migrants with criminal records. Speaking on Fox News, White House adviser Stephen Miller said initial immigration operations have already arrested and removed what he called some of the most vicious criminals in this country. But former acting director of U.S.
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NPR News: 03-23-2025 5PM EDT
It is of utmost importance that it remain an independent federal agency so that it can remain the public service that it is.
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NPR News: 12-29-2024 8PM EST
It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national world. But there were also successes. Carter helped Israel and Egypt reach a peace agreement at Camp David. Much of Carter's legacy was shaped after his defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1980. He remained active in public life, writing more than 20 books and helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity.
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NPR News: 12-29-2024 8PM EST
In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-29-2024 8PM EST
Jimmy Carter's four years in the White House were marked by a number of crises. There was the hostage crisis with Iran in which 52 Americans were held captive for over a year. An oil embargo caused long lines and spiraling prices for gasoline. It led to Carter's so-called malaise speech in 1979. It is a crisis of confidence.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
That's after the Trump administration reached deals with the country's leaders aimed at reinforcing borders to stem the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl into the U.S. But NPR's Brian Mann found many of the White House statements about fentanyl are either false or greatly exaggerated.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
President Trump says drug deaths claim up to 300,000 lives in the U.S. every year. And White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt on Friday said tariffs are directly linked to fentanyl from Canada, China and Mexico that caused tens of millions of American deaths. Both numbers are hugely inflated. Fentanyl deaths occur in the tens of thousands.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
And fatal overdoses were dropping fast before these trade wars were announced. Also, law enforcement experts agree Canada plays no meaningful role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis. More than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the U.S. southern border last year, only 50 pounds at the Canadian border. Brian Mann, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
Recovery crews are removing wreckage from the Potomac River five days after a midair collision over Washington. More from Joel Rose.
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NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
This is NPR. People are constantly coming up with ideas about what might be going on in other people's heads. And as NPR's Neil Greenfield-Boyce explains, a new study suggests the same thing is done by apes.
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NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
Americans have been seeing steady increases in home values in many parts of the country, but some of that is expected to be tempered by climate change. That's according to a new study from the climate research company First Street, which estimates high insurance costs and homeowners avoiding some riskier neighborhoods. could eventually lead to nearly $1.5 trillion drop in home values.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
So far, any sign of price declines, at least on a national level, though, has been hard to find, where some parts of the country, including California, have already seen sharply higher insurance costs. Oil prices closed up 63 cents a barrel. This is NPR.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-03-2025 6PM EST
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's now acting head of USAID. Two Democratic senators have vowed to block State Department nominees in protest. For the moment, proposed 25 percent tariffs against Canada, much like those proposed against Mexico, are essentially on hold.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
Good morning, Leila.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
This is what it sounded like just before dawn as air defenses began to fire here in Kiev. Military officials say Russia targeted the city with drones packed with explosives. At least two civilians were killed and six others injured. And this attack set one apartment building on fire.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
Well, these New Year's Eve addresses are a tradition here in Ukraine. Zelensky was, of course, once a popular actor, and he's known for giving powerful speeches. So a lot of Ukrainians I spoke to were really waiting for this moment last night. They wanted to hear his take on the crisis. And Zelenskyy last night described the situation on the front lines as extremely, extremely difficult.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
But his speech then turned to a kind of pep talk where he said Ukraine, with the support of allies, including the U.S., is forcing Russia to pay a steep price. You paid the occupiers back, Zelenskyy said. You brought the war back to Russia.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
Well, Ukraine is finding ways to punch back. And let me describe some of that. The Russian army, and this is important, appears to be losing more than 30,000 soldiers killed and wounded every month. Last summer, of course, Ukraine invaded Russia in a surprise move. They still occupy a chunk of the Kursk region.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
Last month, Ukraine's spy agency claimed credit for assassinating a top Russian general in Moscow. And Ukraine is launching frequent drone attacks of its own, striking industrial and military targets deep inside Russia. But Leila, every military analyst I talk to, even members of Ukraine's general staff, they say that all hasn't been enough. Ukraine is still on the back foot.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
They're facing a desperate manpower shortage and deep fatigue among their soldiers.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
Yeah, they're frightened. You know, there are growing doubts about support from allies. On Monday, the Biden administration announced another $2.5 billion in military aid. But President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in January 20th. Trump's promise to push for a quick end to this war. And he's voiced ambivalence about supporting Ukraine's war effort.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
And then there's a second huge question here. How or if Ukraine can muster more soldiers for its exhausted army? And that all adds up to deep uncertainty. I spoke last night with Yaroslav Mishkov. He's 24 years old.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
So there's a lot of pessimism here, especially among young people I've been talking to. Meshkov told me one of his best friends had just been conscripted into the army. So this New Year's, he and his friends weren't celebrating.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine's New Year's Agony, Puerto Rico Power Outages, Dry January Tips
Thank you.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
Well, in a statement, Hochul said she spoke with Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer, one of Adam's top aides who's resigning. And that conversation left Hochul with, and I'm quoting here, serious questions about the long-term future of this mayoral administration. Hochul acknowledged no governor in the last 235 years has used their authority to oust an elected mayor of New York City.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
But Hochul then pointed to the crisis in City Hall, which she said is troubling and cannot be ignored. So Hochul now says she'll meet with key leaders in Manhattan later today for what she describes as a conversation about the path forward.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
Yeah, it's huge. It's a wipeout of Mayor Adams' top leadership. And this clearly got Hochul's attention. New York City is a complicated place to govern under the best of circumstances. And those departing hold key roles, dealing with everything from the city's infrastructure to the ongoing challenges from migrants arriving in the city. These were really the people keeping things on track.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
While Adams faced those DOJ criminal charges, now they're headed out the door. It's important to remember, too, Layla, this isn't the first wave of departures. Other key city leaders have also gone.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
Yeah, in September, the DOJ laid out a sweeping case against Adams, alleging he used the power of various city offices over nearly a decade to solicit lavish vacations and improper campaign contributions. Some of the bribes allegedly came from foreign agents working for Turkey.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
Adams has denied any wrongdoing and said the charges were political retribution for his criticism of the Biden administration's immigration policies. He never offered any evidence to support those claims. This month, the DOJ moved to shelve this case, saying a criminal trial would prevent Adams from helping the Trump administration deal with migrants in the city who don't have legal status.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
As you say, that decision by the Justice Department was so controversial, at least seven top federal attorneys have resigned.
Up First from NPR
Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
You know, he's facing intense pressure to go. Hochul's statement and these latest resignations raise the temperature even more. But speaking on Sunday at a Baptist church, the mayor was defiant.
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Ukraine Talks, U.S. Health Agency Cuts, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Fallout
And in a statement Layla sent to NPR, Adams said he's disappointed by these latest departures, but the city will keep functioning. The situation, of course, moving very quickly. We'll see what moves Governor Hochul makes later today.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Good morning, Cassara.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Well, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says they were able to shoot down 50 of the 70 or so missiles launched Christmas morning by Russia. Ukraine also blocked most of those drones. They often used electronic jammers, causing them to crash. But at least 20 of these missiles got through. There were explosions and fires across Ukraine. One utility worker and engineer was killed.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
In his statement on social media, Zelensky condemned this attack. He said it was clearly time for the holiday, called it inhumane and evil, but said this latest violence, and I'm quoting here, will not break Ukraine and will not spoil Christmas. President Biden also called the attack outrageous.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
And President-elect Donald Trump's incoming special envoy for Ukraine and Russia condemned Moscow's decision to attack yesterday. He said the U.S. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Well, this is clearly rattling the system. The biggest utility in the country said yesterday, Sarah, that this strike was the 13th large attack on the energy grid this year alone. Even before yesterday's missile launch, there were already rolling blackouts across the country. These explosions and fires caused more power outages. A lot of homes lost heat.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Luckily, it's been a pretty mild winter here so far by Ukraine standards. Yesterday, Maxim Timchenko, the head of that big private utility DTEK, he called for Ukraine's allies to help boost the country's air defense systems.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Yeah, there's no question Ukrainians are weary. But if Russia's goal here is to make Ukrainians so miserable they lose the will to fight and defend their country, I'm not seeing evidence that's working. After yesterday's attack, I heard anger, not fear. People are remarkably resilient in Ukraine. They've adapted to this war. A lot of homes I visit have generators. They have stockpiles of fuel.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
I went out for some last-minute Christmas shopping yesterday, and I saw families back out of the bomb shelters celebrating Christmas, eating dinner. But I don't want to romanticize what's happening in Ukraine. The situation here remains very hard.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Most military analysts think Russia has the advantage this winter on the battlefield. Russian troops clearly outnumber the Ukrainians. They have more artillery and shells. But Russian advances have been slow. Russia will fight for days just to take one small village. And the cost to Moscow in casualties and men killed and wounded appears to be staggeringly high.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Ukraine, meanwhile, is fighting with very different tactics. They're retreating slowly, preserving as many soldiers' lives as possible. I spoke, Sarah, to dozens of Ukrainian soldiers near their front lines, and they say they're bone deep in exhaustion. They're frustrated at times by the lack of equipment, but they seem confident Ukraine's army can keep holding on.
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Christmas Attack In Ukraine, Honda-Nissan Merger, Nigeria's Economic Crisis
Thanks, Sarah.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
Good morning, Steve. Why does this city matter? Well, you mentioned Pokrovska is important for its coal and its rail and road connections. They're vital to Ukraine's army. held Russia back from cutting into the heartland of Ukraine. If Pokrov falls, cities like Dnipro, home to nearly a million people, will be far more vulnerable.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
So everyone I met yesterday said this battle is crucial and the fighting is grim. Okay, so what did you see when you visited that embattled city? Well, this was a city of 60,000 people. Yesterday, I saw empty gray streets, houses and shops and hotels just shattered by Russian bombs. I met Ukrainian soldiers. deeply weary, worn thin by this fighting.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
One man who would only give his first name, Vitaly, had just come back from the front lines in an American-made Bradley fighting vehicle that had been heavily damaged by a landmine. The situation's pretty bad, Vitaly told me. The Russian drones are the worst. He actually used a curse word to describe the hovering machines that rain bombs from the sky.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
I asked if he thinks Ukraine can hold out in Pokrovsk, and he said, if it doesn't work, we at least have to try. Most military analysts, Steve, say the reality is Russia's army is simply much larger. They have more men, more artillery, more shells.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
They're not. One of the hardest things I saw yesterday was people still in the streets. Pokrovsk is a frightening place. There are Russian drones everywhere. They pummel the city with grenades and larger bombs. But officials say they think roughly 11,000 Ukrainians are still hunkered down under the threat of this violence without gas or heat or running water.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
I met one elderly man who called himself Sergei, who had turned up yesterday at one of the evacuation points. I was born here. I didn't want to go because this is my hometown, Sergei told me. I was born here, but now I have to leave.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
Well, they're getting creative, in part by also using attack drones. I was taken last night to a secret Ukrainian drone command center. where the military let me watch in real time as their drones hunted and killed Russian soldiers. I was speaking to one Ukrainian technician named Yuri at the chilling moment when a Ukrainian drone stopped a Russian attack.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
So what we just saw was actively a bomb dropped from that device and struck near that Russian.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
So what I saw yesterday was Ukrainians being as ruthless as they can trying to hold Povrovsk. They're making Russians pay a terrible price. But Ukrainian soldiers also acknowledge they're facing assaults by larger units that never seem to end. We've seen Russia slowly advance. And if they do finally take this city, it'll be Russia's biggest, most significant victory in months.
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GOP Stopgap Bill Fails, Battle For Ukrainian Town, Syria's Interim Government
Thank you, Steve.