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Chapter 1: What are the civil rights groups suing the Trump administration for?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. Civil rights groups are suing the Trump administration over executive orders that say effectively is hamstringing their work. As NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports, the suit claims orders targeting DEI and transgender rights are unconstitutional.
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.
Chapter 2: What executive orders are being challenged by the civil rights lawsuit?
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.
Chapter 3: How is President Trump influencing congressional debates on legislative priorities?
President Trump is putting his thumb on the scale as Congress debates how to implement his top legislative priorities. CNPR's Barbara Sprunt explains there's been tension between the House and Senate for months as they offer competing visions for how to pass new funding to secure the U.S. southern border and extend the 2017 tax cuts.
Senate Republicans argue Congress should start with one bill that provides new funding for the military and the border and do a second bill later this year that would address tax cuts. House GOP leadership, aware of its incredibly narrow majority with factions hard to keep satisfied, has pushed for a one-bill path that would encompass border funding and taxes together.
Trump took to social media to offer support for the House's proposal in order for his full agenda to be implemented, not, quote, just parts of it. Barbara Sprunt and Peer News, Washington.
Chapter 4: What are the concerns regarding the U.S. Forest Service under the Trump administration?
Some former workers with the U.S. Forest Service say they're worried about the Trump administration's cuts to that agency and what reduced staffing means for the fire season ahead. Oregon Public Broadcasting's April Ehrlich reports.
Field rangers and ecologists were among the 2,000 Forest Service workers the U.S. Department of Agriculture says were fired. Many were also certified wildland firefighters that assist on major fires, including former park ranger Liz Crandall. Crandall, who's based in central Oregon, says she has helped fight 12 large wildfires.
I'm a firefighter type 2. I have my chainsaw certification. I'm able to go on a fire line.
A USDA spokesperson says the Forest Service did not fire any operational firefighters and is, quote, committed to preserving essential safety positions, but did not respond to questions about employees who were certified to fight fires as secondary roles. For NPR News, I'm April Ehrlich in Portland, Oregon.
Stocks ended the session modestly higher today with the second straight record high close for the broader market. The Dow gained 71 points to 44,627. The Nasdaq was up 14 points. The S&P 500 also closed up 14 points today. You're listening to NPR. Spring training gets underway tomorrow for Major League Baseball.
And last year's World Series champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are early favorites to win it all again after a free agent spending spree this offseason. Here's Becky Sullivan reports from Arizona.
The Dodgers' deluge of spending has pushed L.A. 's total payroll close to $400 million. That's more than double that of 16 other MLB teams. and way over the league's luxury tax line, which was created to discourage teams from outsized spending. But the Dodgers, with their big international fan base and the lucrative TV deal, can afford it. Payroll disparity has always been part of baseball.
Teams like the New York Yankees have long spent more. But Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledges fans and owners alike are raising concerns about it now.
The Dodgers, they're probably more profitable on a percentage basis than the old Yankees were, meaning it could be more sustainable, so it is more of a problem.
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