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Chapter 1: What is the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast about?
From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, catch the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR.
Chapter 2: What updates did Corova Coleman provide from NPR News Washington?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corova Coleman. President Trump continues his Mideast visit. Today, he met with Syria's new interim leader. This comes after the former Syrian regime collapsed last fall after years of civil war. NPR's Ea Batrawi reports that earlier, Trump announced the U.S. will lift decades of sanctions on Syria.
Chapter 3: Who did President Trump meet during his Mideast visit and what was discussed?
The meeting included Trump, the Saudi crown prince, and Turkey's president joining over the phone for half an hour with Ahmad al-Shara, a man who just months ago was on the U.S.-designated list of terrorists with a $10 million bounty on his head for ties with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
But since rebel forces ousted longtime President Bashar Assad from power, al-Sharaa has switched from militia leader to statesman in a suit. And this new Syria says it's ready to build a relationship with the U.S.
Chapter 4: Why is the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria significant?
Trump says he heard from the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Turkey urging him to lift sanctions in order to give Syria a chance at rebuilding and pull it back from Iranian and Russian influence. U.S. sanctions were mostly hurting average Syrians, with an effect so far-reaching hospitals couldn't import spare parts for machines or even fix their elevators.
Chapter 5: What are the implications of U.S. sanctions on Syrian civilians?
Ayyub Altarawi, NPR News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Chapter 6: What budget cuts are House Republicans proposing?
House Republicans are pushing to finish work on an enormous budget bill. They're seeking to slash $1.5 trillion in savings or cuts. Some conservative Republicans say cutting Medicaid would help achieve this. They're also looking at shifting some funding for food assistance from the federal government to the states.
Chapter 7: How do Democrats respond to the proposed budget cuts?
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says most of the benefits of the budget restructuring will go to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
and they want to pay for it by sticking us with additional debt, trillions of dollars, and by enacting the largest health care cut in American history, along with the largest cut to food assistance in American history.
Chapter 8: What is the Senate's stance on the House budget proposal?
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Republicans in his chamber are willing to work with a new House budget.
And when it comes over here, We will be prepared for various contingencies, obviously one of which could be taking up the House bill and then offering a Senate substitute.
House Republicans hope to pass the budget bill by Memorial Day. Federal scientists say that last month was the second warmest April on record. NPR's Lauren Summer reports, That continues a trend of near-record temperatures.
April was 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than average globally, compared to records going back to 1850. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that puts it second to April of last year, which remains the hottest ever recorded. Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere was also the smallest recorded, tying with last year.
As humans emit greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, the planet is steadily heating up. The hottest 10 years in modern record-keeping have all been in the last 10 years. But NOAA doesn't expect 2025 to come in as the hottest. That's because a shift away from the natural climate pattern of El Nino has a slight cooling effect on the planet. Lauren Sommer, NPR News. This is NPR.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify before House and Senate committees today. He'll be asked about the restructuring of the Federal Health Agency. It's responsible for ensuring the safety of medication, public health, and medical research for Americans.
Federal health officials have opened the first comprehensive review of the nutritional content of infant formula since 1988. NPR's Maria Godoy reports the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies say They want to ensure the safety of baby formula.
The FDA is seeking public input to help determine whether existing nutrient requirements for infant formula should be revised or expanded based on the latest scientific data. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of all babies receive formula at some point in their first three months of life.
A recent study found many formulas contained high amounts of added sugar, and an investigation from Consumer Reports found that Some formulas contain concerning levels of arsenic and lead. The FDA says it will also increase testing for contaminants in formula as part of Operation Stork Speed. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
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