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Chapter 1: Who supports NPR's mission for public service journalism?
Support for NPR and the following message come from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, whose bequest serves as an enduring investment in the future of public radio and seeks to help NPR produce programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression.
Chapter 2: What is President Trump's executive order on regulatory agencies?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. A Trump administration executive order aims to expand the president's sway further over what are known as independent regulatory agencies. The order is part of a string of actions aimed at expanding presidential power. More from NPR's Daniel Kurtzleben.
Independent agencies include well-known entities like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. They were set up by Congress with some insulation from presidential power. This order, signed Tuesday afternoon, would remove much of that insulation, requiring those agencies to run new regulations by the White House.
In addition, the Trump administration would have power over their spending. This comes after Trump has fired top officials from some of these agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board. Those firings have led to lawsuits, and this order could similarly spur more legal action. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.
Chapter 3: How are scientific research cuts affecting researchers?
A crowd gathered in front of the headquarters for the Department of Health and Human Services today in Washington. They were protesting cuts to scientific research by the Trump administration. More from NPR's Selina Simmons-Duffin.
People braved snow and freezing temperatures to protest the firing of government researchers and cuts to academic research currently paused by the courts. Signs read, no one voted for polio and I'd rather be in my lab working on cures for cancer. One of the speakers was Connor Phillips, who told the crowd he has cerebral palsy.
My experience inspired me to become a scientist at the NIH, where I have developed new therapies to improve the lives of other children with cerebral palsy.
He says after cuts at the National Institutes of Health, he can't continue his research even though he was a postgraduate volunteer. Selina Simmons-Duffin, NPR News, Washington.
Chapter 4: What is New York's response to the removal of congestion pricing?
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is responding to an announcement by the Trump administration that's doing away with the congestion pricing plan recently put in place in New York City. The plan instituted tolls for vehicles entering the city below 60th Street. Hochul defended the policy and accused Trump of going after New York City as part of his, quote, revenge tour.
We are a nation of states. This is what we fought for. These are people like Alexander Hamilton and others fought for, to set up a system. We are not subservient to a king or anyone else out of Washington.
Trump in a statement on his social media platform said, quote, congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan and all of New York is saved. Long live the king. The pricing plan was designed to reduce traffic and generate millions for mass transit in New York. Fed members at their meeting last month opted not to raise short-term interest rates, citing concerns about the prospect of inflation.
Now it appears those concerns may have been justified. Fed policy members citing Trump administration tariffs and deportation of migrants, along with strong spending by consumers as pushing up prices. Trump, meanwhile, is trying to distance himself from a rise in inflation, saying it had nothing to do with his return to the Oval Office. Stocks gained ground on Wall Street.
The Dow was up 71 points today. This is NPR. After comments from President Trump yesterday in which he appeared to blame Russia's war against Ukraine on Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelensky, relations appear to be souring further between Trump and the Ukrainian leader. Trump's comments came after Russia and the U.S.
held a meeting during which they promised to work toward bringing the nearly three-year-old war to a close without including Ukraine in the discussion. Zelensky today accused Trump of living in what he termed a Russian-made disinformation space. This June, the Tony Awards, Broadway's highest honors, will have a new host, Cynthia Erivo.
The British actress has been a constant presence throughout the Hollywood Awards season. She's up for an Oscar as Elphaba, the Green Witch in Wicked. But as Jeff London reports, the stage is in her blood.
After playing many theater roles in London, Cynthia Erivo burst on the Broadway scene in 2015 as Celie in the Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Purple.
Gonna hold my head up, gonna put...
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