President Trump will announce the new immigration proposal on Thursday. It would keep legal immigration levels the same but dramatically change who would be let in.
CFPB Chief Says Education Department Is Blocking Student Loan Oversight
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Kathy Kraninger says the department is getting in the way of efforts to police the student loan industry. The revelation comes in a letter obtained by NPR.
Trump Pardons His Friend Conrad Black, Who Wrote Glowing Trump Biography Last Year
The former media mogul was convicted of fraud in 2007 and served more than three years in prison. Black says Trump told him he was reversing an unjust verdict, not rewarding him for his support.
Trump Takes Aim At Huawei, Paves Way For Ban Of Foreign Telecom Equipment
Amid rising trade tensions, President Trump is moving against Chinese telecom firms that the administration says can exploit vulnerabilities in communications and information technology.
PG&E Transmission Lines Caused California’s Deadliest Wildfire, State Officials Say
The utility giant had already acknowledged that the fire investigation would likely find its equipment responsible for the Camp Fire in 2018.
FCC Wants Phone Companies To Start Blocking Robocalls By Default
“The American people are fed up with illegal robocalls,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. “And we believe that we need to make it easier for phone companies to block these robocalls.”
Which Countries Are Best At Preventing Low Birth Weight? Which Need To Do More?
For the first time, the World Health Organization has estimated how well the world is doing to prevent low-weight births. The progress is too slow, researchers say.
Tariff Waivers Let U.S. Government Pick Winners And Losers
President Trump suggests U.S. firms hurt by tariffs on Chinese goods can apply for a waiver. The Commerce Department is already dealing with thousands of exclusion requests for earlier tariffs.
Auto Industry Waits (And Waits) To See Whether Trump Will Slap New Tariffs On Cars
President Trump’s tariff tit-for-tat with China is not the only trade tension in town. The White House is weighing the possibility of tariffs on cars and car parts from Europe and Japan.
U.S. Births Fell To A 32-Year Low In 2018; CDC Says Birthrate Is In Record Slump
“The birthrate is a barometer of despair,” demographer Dowell Myers says. Not since 1986 has the U.S. seen so few babies born.
New HIV Map Offers Most Detailed Look Yet At The Epidemic
Knowing where rates of prevalence are highest — and lowest — can lead to new strategies for treatment and prevention. The map focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, the epicenter of the epidemic.
As Leaks Show Lavish NRA Spending, Former Staff Detail Poor Conditions At Nonprofit
New documents leaked about NRA top executive Wayne LaPierre’s lavish clothing and travel expenses contrast with the culture of fear, poor pay and an underfunded pension described by former staffers.
India’s 6-Week-Long Elections Are So Big They’ve Become A Tourist Draw
With nearly 900 million eligible voters, the elections are considered the world’s largest. Now travelers — both Indian and foreign — want to experience what it’s like across the country.
Carly Rae Jepsen Colors Outside The Lines
On her latest album Dedicated, Carly Rae Jepsen opens up about family, singlehood and the one that might’ve got away.
It’s Not Just Measles. What You Should Know About Vaccines For Adults
Many people don’t know which shots they need as they get older. And the vaccines can be tougher to keep track of because many adults go to the doctor less frequently than kids do.
After Walking Thousands Of Miles, Mink The Bear Is Almost Back Home
New Hampshire wildlife officials relocated a black bear with a penchant for doughnuts more than 100 miles north — close to the Canadian border. A year later, she has traveled a long and winding route.
American Muslims In Public Life Say They Face Outsize Scrutiny
Many say the storm of criticism around Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the first black Muslim woman in Congress, is more about who she is than what she says. Her experience is familiar to other Muslim leaders.
Precedent Favors Democrats In Power Struggle With Trump, But It Could Take Awhile
Courts have tended to side with Congress when it comes to questions of congressional oversight of the executive branch. House Democrats hope they will again in a confrontation over the Mueller report.
Mueller Report Elicited A Lot Of Conversation — But Little Election Legislation
Congress so far hasn’t used the special counsel report to draft new laws aimed at protecting elections from foreign interference. One key senator worries about missing the moment.
State Department Orders Nonessential U.S. Government Employees Out Of Iraq
The travel advisory ordered the departure of employees at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Irbil. It was not immediately clear what led to the order.
Alabama Lawmakers Pass Bill Banning Nearly All Abortions
The vote in the Alabama Senate came after a chaotic attempt to vote last week. If the governor signs the bill into law, it will become among the most restrictive in the country.
Spider Uses Web As Slingshot To Ensnare Prey, Scientists Find
There’s a type of spider that can slowly stretch its web taut and then release it, causing the web to catapult forward and entangle unsuspecting prey in its strands.
Ex-USC Coach Behind Fake Athletic Profiles In College Admissions Scam, Pleads Guilty
Laura Janke had previously denied taking bribes for writing the phony biographies, but she is now the fourth corrupt coach to plead guilty. She’s expected to testify against others in the case.
Trump Jr. Strikes Deal With Senate Intelligence Committee For Additional Testimony
The mid-June interview will be limited in time, although no topics are off limits and it is expected to focus heavily on the proposed Trump Tower Russia project and a 2016 meeting, a source tells NPR.
Ocasio-Cortez Decries Biden ‘Middle-Of-The-Road Approach’ On Climate Change
“I will be damned if the same politicians who refused to act then are going to try to come back today and say we need to find a middle-of-the-road approach to save our lives,” the congresswoman said.
Alice Rivlin, First Woman To Serve As Budget Director, Dies At Age 88
Rivlin overcame sexism in the world of economics and was a heavweight, serving as former President Bill Clinton’s budget director and the first head of the Congressional Budget Office.
India’s Ballot Has Some Really Offbeat Symbols For Its Political Parties
A flashlight, a flower and a “lady farmer” are a few of the symbols on the ballot. They were originally meant to help illiterate voters. New symbols reflect urbanized, modern India.
New Zealand Girl Sends Prime Minister $5 ‘Bribe’ To Fund Dragon Research
An 11-year-old sent Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern the seed money to launch studies about dragons and telekinesis. Why? So she can grow up to be a dragon trainer.
On Visit To Russia, Pompeo Says ‘We Would Not Tolerate’ Interference In 2020 Election
“If the Russians were to engage in that in 2020, it would put our relationship in an even worse place than it has been,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
Tim Conway, Who Relished The Role Of Comedic Co-Star, Dies At 85
Conway built a career playing goofballs who rarely took center stage. On The Carol Burnett Show, he developed a reputation for sidesplitting improvisations that cracked everybody up.
Florida Governor Says Russian Hackers Breached 2 Counties In 2016
The attack had not been publicly known until last month’s release of the Mueller report. The governor said no vote tallies were affected and that no data had been manipulated.
Howard Stern Tells Terry Gross His ‘Pure Id’ Days Are Behind Him
Stern says he’s not the raunchy shock jock he once was. “If I hadn’t grown and evolved and changed … I don’t know that I could still be on the radio.” His new book is Howard Stern Comes Again.
San Francisco Considers Ban On Government’s Use Of Facial Recognition Technology
The city is home to some of the world’s largest technology companies, but it may ban the use of facial recognition software by police and city agencies.
U.S. Prepares Tariffs On Additional $300B Of Imported Chinese Goods
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published a list of Chinese goods that would be hit with new duties, from artists’ brushes to watches.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock Announces 2020 Presidential Run
With a focus on campaign finance, the Democrat who was twice elected governor in a state President Trump won by more than 20 points joins a primary field that is approaching two dozen candidates.
Elizabeth Warren Has A Plan — To Get Personal With Voters
The Democratic presidential candidate has built her brand on prolific policy proposals. But she’s also using folksy charm to try and win support at campaign stops in towns big and small.