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Chapter 1: Who are the sponsors of this NPR episode?
Support for NPR and the following message come from Jarl and Pamela Moan, thanking the people who make public radio great every day and also those who listen.
Chapter 2: What legal action is being taken against the Trump administration regarding USAID?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. A federal judge is temporarily pausing plans by the Trump administration to put 2,200 employees at the United States Agency for International Development on administrative leave. It follows suits by two federal unions to block the move.
NPR's Windsor Johnston reports it comes amid continued efforts by Trump and Doge head Elon Musk to shutter the international aid group.
In a post on social media, Trump wrote, close it down when referring to USAID. He went on to accuse the agency of spending money fraudulently and said there's nothing the, quote, radical left can do about it. But unions representing foreign service officers and employees at USAID have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its efforts to dissolve it and freeze foreign assistance.
The suit argues that only Congress can dismantle the organization and cause the administration's actions unconstitutional and illegal. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.
Chapter 3: What are the allegations surrounding Elon Musk's cost-cutting team?
People, meanwhile, are asking who are members of Elon Musk's cost-cutting team, Doge. There is a group at the White House, but also people who've been fanned out across various federal agencies. That includes one member of Musk's team, who NPR's Shannon Bond reports stepped down at Treasury Department after racist social media posts came to light.
Chapter 4: What controversy surrounds Marco Ales and his resignation?
His name is Marco Ales. He's a 25-year-old Rutgers University graduate who previously worked at Musk's SpaceX and at X. He was a temporary appointee at Treasury who was granted access to this payment system alongside Krauss. Now, on Thursday, the Wall Street Journal identified racist posts from a social media account linked to him.
Those posts have been deleted, but NPR did independently confirm them. And Ales has now resigned, although Musk and Vice President J.D. Vance are saying he should get his job back.
Chapter 5: What is the latest update on Israeli hostages held in Gaza?
President Trump today sided with Vice President J.D. Vance on rehiring the employee. A short time later on Musk's social media platform, there were also posts saying Elez should be rehired. Hamas is confirming three Israeli hostages will be returned tomorrow after being held in Gaza for 16 months in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
NPR's Kat Lonsdorff reports from Tel Aviv.
Earlier in the day, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the terms of the ceasefire agreement, saying that Israel had not allowed certain humanitarian aid like shelters, debris removal equipment and fuel into Gaza. aid which Hamas says is necessary for reconstruction efforts.
Israel's military released a statement saying that it had deployed troops at several points within Gaza and were, quote, ready in defense. This weekend's hostage for prisoner exchange is the first after President Trump floated plans to have the U.S. take over Gaza and relocate the nearly two million Palestinians there elsewhere. Kat Lonsdorff, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
Stocks went into retreat mode at week's end. The Dow down 444 points. The Nasdaq fell 268 points today. This is NPR. Academy Awards nominee Carlos Sofía Gascon is reeling from some resurfaced social media posts. And Piers Mandelito Barco reports the criticism could affect her film, Emilia Perez, during awards season.
For her role as Mexican drug lord Emilia Perez, Carlos Sofía Gascon had looked forward to possibly becoming the first trans actress to win an Oscar. That changed when a journalist uncovered Gascon's old social media posts in which she vilified Islam and denigrated George Floyd, whose killing by police sparked racial justice protests. At first, Gascon tried to explain herself to CNN en Español.
I've committed no crime, haven't hurt anyone, and I'm not racist, she said. Emilia Perez director Jacques Audiard called Gascon's statements self-destructive. Gascon's reps and Netflix haven't responded to NPR's request for comments, but the actress now says she's bowing out of campaigning for the Oscars. Mandalit Del Barco, NPR News.
For the 149th year, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held, and for the first time since 2020, it will be at New York's Madison Square Garden. All told, around 2,500 dogs from 201 different breeds will be participating in this year's show, vying for a Best in Show trophy that will be awarded Tuesday night.
Dog lovers are already asking whether this could be the year for last year's runner-up, a German Shepherd named Mercedes. Or could this be the year Monty, a giant schnauzer who was a finalist for the past two years, picks up the trophy? Crude oil futures prices higher today. Oil gained 39 cents a barrel to end the session at $71 a barrel in New York. I'm Jack Spear, NPR News in Washington.
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