Jennifer Ludden
Appearances
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-19-2025 6PM EST
The National Urban League, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago are all help black, brown, and LGBTQ people. They say those groups have historically been denied equal access to housing, health care, and other rights, and if they can't specifically target them, they can't do their jobs.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-19-2025 6PM EST
Their lawsuit challenges three of President Trump's executive orders on DEI, illegal discrimination, and gender ideology. Trump says he's ending policies to, quote, socially engineer race and gender issues, But the lawsuit alleges the orders violate constitutional amendments on free speech and equal protection. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-22-2025 6PM EDT
Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Milgram both worked at the Israeli embassy in D.C. A friend of Milgram's, Ayelet Razin-Bet Orr, says she started the job after Hamas attacked Israel a year and a half ago, determined to combat rising anti-Semitism.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 05-22-2025 6PM EDT
with intelligence. Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen and devout Christian. The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. says he'd bought a ring and planned to propose to Milgram during a trip to Jerusalem next week. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-21-2025 8PM EST
Trump's efficiency team, Doge, wants to cut staff at the federal housing agency by half, but the office that funds homelessness would lose more, 84 percent, according to a document NPR has seen. Ann Oliva with the National Alliance to End Homelessness says that would go far beyond Washington, D.C.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-21-2025 8PM EST
A spokesperson says the housing agency continues to carry out its critical functions. Local nonprofits are waiting to receive several billion dollars for rent and other support to keep people off the streets. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-19-2025 4PM EDT
I am worried for our democracy, so I have read that the best way to bring down the attempt of authoritarians is to take to the streets.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-17-2025 2PM EDT
The move targets the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates policy among 19 agencies. It was created in 1987 precisely to make government more efficient, says Jeff Olivet, who led it most recently. The memo calls for reducing the agency to the minimum required by law. But with just 20 people, he says it's already bare bones.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-17-2025 2PM EDT
Olivet credits the agency with helping dramatically reduce veteran homelessness and helping certain cities stem the rise in people sleeping outside. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-07-2025 3PM EDT
In Emporia, Virginia, Trinity Woods Senior Living desperately needs new central air conditioning. Their old system died three years ago. Resident Dena Moore says summers are too hot even for bingo nights. Last year, it was god-awful. The Department of Housing and Urban Development had awarded them and hundreds of other places money for an upgrade, potentially including solar panels.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-07-2025 3PM EDT
But now, HUD says energy efficiency does not fit its mission. Julia Gordon oversaw the HUD program under President Biden and says it would help private industry that's providing badly needed affordable housing.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-07-2025 3PM EDT
Legal challenges allege that freezing this congressionally approved funding is unlawful. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-27-2024 6PM EST
The homelessness count is up a whopping 18 percent from last year. Jeff Olivet recently stepped down as head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-27-2024 6PM EST
Still, the count is made in January, and the federal housing agency that puts it out says it's likely the numbers have come down since then. Denver and Chicago, for example, saw a big drop in migrants after President Biden limited asylum seekers at the border. And in some places, they note, rising rents have finally stabilized or even dropped.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-18-2025 3PM EDT
The housing agency HUD says its 1968 building faces more than $500 million in deferred maintenance and that current staff only occupy half the space, even as its workforce shrinks. HUD Secretary Scott Turner says right-sizing will be more efficient and less costly for taxpayers. He's also called the massive, brutalist-style building ugly. It could be tricky to sell.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 04-18-2025 3PM EDT
It's on the National Register of Historic Places. HUD says staying in the D.C. area is a priority. But this week, President Trump made it easier for agencies to move outside large cities, saying they need to be where the people are. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
The man suspected of killing two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., has been charged with two counts of murder, among other crimes.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
NPR's Jennifer Ludden is with us now with the latest. Jennifer, good morning. Good morning. I understand that we now have a lot more information on what exactly happened. So what can you tell us?
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
Yeah, and the Washington Post is also reporting that the gunman sat down indoors after the shooting as though he was fleeing the danger. A witness told the Post that somebody even got him a glass of water. So President Trump and others have called this an act of anti-Semitism. But is it correct that so far he has not been charged with a hate crime?
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
Tell us more about the two people who were killed. They were a young couple. They both worked at the Israeli embassy. What else can you tell us about them?
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
Finally, Jennifer, very briefly, obviously something like this heightens people's fears, obviously for many Jewish people, but others as well. Are officials saying something about that? Absolutely. D.C.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
It's about values. And independent agencies like the Federal Reserve are supposed to be insulated from political influence. But the Supreme Court says President Trump is allowed to fire members of those agencies, at least for now. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
That is NPR's Jennifer Ledin. Jennifer, thank you. Thank you.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court said President Trump can fire two members of independent agencies for now.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
NPR's Andrea Hsu is here to explain. Andrea, good morning. Good morning. Could you just start by telling us who are these officials that Trump fired?
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
Okay, so tell me more about this probably. Does that mean that this is not necessarily a definitive ruling?
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
OK, so what did they say about the Fed?
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
That is NPR's Andrea Hsu. Andrea, thank you. You're welcome. And finally, last night, President Trump dined with more than 200 investors into the Trump meme coin, the president's personal cryptocurrency venture.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
The Associated Press reports that at the dinner, hosted at Trump's golf resort in Virginia, the coin's top 25 investors were invited to a private reception with Trump, raising questions about the president's commingling his business interests with his public office. The White House said the president attended the event in his personal time.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
While there, he stood at a lectern emblazoned with the presidential seal, No media were allowed access. A lot has changed in higher education since President Trump took office. Students have come to me and just, they feel really scared.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
This Sunday on Up First, how members of the Class of 2025 are feeling about the state of higher education and their own futures. Listen to the Sunday story right here on NPR's Up First podcast. And that's Up First for Friday, May 23rd. I'm Michelle Martin.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
Today's episode of Up First was edited by Krishna Dev Kalamore. Nicole Cohen, Russell Lewis, Ali Schweitzer, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Zianne Butch, Nia Dumas, and Ana Perez. We get engineering support from Zach Coleman in Washington, D.C., and Josh Savageau at MPR in St. Paul. And a big thank you to Jeff Jones and all of our colleagues at MPR for their support this week.
Up First from NPR
Suspected D.C. Shooter Charged, Trump vs. Harvard, SCOTUS Ruling On Agency Firings
Our technical director is Carly Strange, and our executive producer is Jay Shaler. We hope you'll join us again Monday.