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Chapter 1: What is NPR's Shortwave podcast about?
Here on Shortwave, we believe that science is for everyone and that every question is worth asking, no matter your age. My name is Willie and my question is, is magic real? Our podcast is for the curious at heart. Come embrace your inner child when you listen now to Shortwave from NPR.
Chapter 2: What is the latest update on the Ukraine-Russia conflict?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is going to Moscow for talks with Russian leaders about the war in Ukraine. Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has said previously he wants any lasting peace to address Russia's security concerns.
NPR's Charles Maines says the Trump administration has already given Putin much of what he wants.
The Trump team has already gone on record saying no to Ukraine's membership in NATO, no to Ukraine regaining all its territory. And all of this has put the U.S. 's relationships with its traditional allies in Europe in turmoil. So you have to think, you know, even if Putin doesn't agree to this ceasefire deal as presented here, he'll be looking for ways to present counteroffers.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of the U.S. Education Department's staffing cuts?
And Piers Charles Mainz reporting. Officials in the education sector say they will fight plans by the U.S. Department of Education to cut its staffing levels by half. NPR's Janaki Mehta reports President Trump says the reductions are part of his plan to eliminate the agency.
Trump says he wants to return education to the states, which, by the way, is already largely the case. The federal government is responsible for about 10 percent of the money that goes to schools. The rest comes from state and local governments. Trump also said this about the layoffs.
When we cut, we want to cut, but we want to cut the people that aren't working or not doing a good job. We're keeping the best people.
But the layoffs look to be wide-ranging. The Ed Department is set to go from 4,100 to 2,200 people in the coming days. Janaki Mehta, NPR News.
Chapter 4: Why did a judge block the Trump administration's executive order against Perkins Coie?
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing parts of an executive order targeting a prominent law firm. It seeks to punish the law firm Perkins Coie. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports the firm represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and causes that are unpopular with President Trump.
President Trump issued the executive order last week that accuses Perkins Coie of dishonest and dangerous activity. The order seeks to prohibit federal contractors from retaining the law firm and to bar Perkins Coie employees from access to federal buildings and officials. Now, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is temporarily blocking parts of the executive order.
Ruling from the bench, Judge Howell said President Trump's order is clearly intended to punish the law firm and likely violates its First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights. She also said his order will be seen as an attempt to intimidate the entire legal profession from advocating for clients and causes unfavorable to the president. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
A federal judge has ruled that activist Mahmoud Khalil remained detained in Louisiana. But the judge has ruled the permanent U.S. resident who led protests against the Gaza War at Columbia University in New York cannot be deported without a hearing. The Trump administration has not yet provided evidence for its claim Khalil supports terrorism. You're listening to NPR News.
The premier of the Canadian province, Ontario, visits Washington, D.C. today. Premier Doug Ford will meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Letnick. President Trump has imposed 25 percent tariffs on all imports of aluminum and steel. But both the U.S. and the Ontario leader backed down from even steeper levies this week, calling for dialogue.
Canadian federal officials are still imposing retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., as is the European Union. The largest Protestant group in the U.S. has lost members in nearly every region of the country. NPR's Jason DeRose reports on a new analysis of Southern Baptist Convention data.
Lifeway Research found the only place the conservative evangelical Christian group gained members was in New England, but only a tiny percentage of its congregations are based there. Elsewhere in the U.S., losses were significant. The analysis shows that between 2018 and 2023, Southern Baptist congregations on the West Coast shrank by 18%. In the Great Plains, congregations were down 15 percent.
And in the South, from Texas to Kentucky, where Southern Baptists are largely concentrated, congregations lost 8 percent of their membership. As with most Christian groups in the U.S., overall numbers have declined in recent decades. But Southern Baptists are still the largest Protestant group in the country, with roughly 13 million members. Jason DeRose, NPR News.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory says there are more gas emissions coming from Mount Spur. That volcano is about 80 miles west of Alaska's biggest city, Anchorage. Researchers say it might erupt in the next few weeks or months. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.
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