Stephen Fowler

One of President Trump's campaign promises was to eliminate the $9 toll for vehicles that enter Manhattan below 60th Street. In February, the Department of Transportation sent a letter to the state revoking its approval of the program. But the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was ready with a counter-lawsuit. Since then, the feds have dragged their feet on filing evidence.

The program has raised millions of dollars for transit improvements and has reduced traffic. Judge Lewis Lyman is now giving the feds until June 9th to submit documents in the case. A spokesperson for the federal DOT says the agency will comply with the judge's request and says the tolls are unfair for working-class Americans. For NPR News, I'm Stephen Nessen in New York.

The English hard rock band Sleep Token debuts on this week's Billboard 200 at number one. Even in Arcadia is the band's first chart topper, and all 10 of its songs have landed on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. It's a remarkable feat for a band that has remained a mystery.

Secrecy surrounds the true identity of its members who wear masks and have constructed elaborate lore around Sleep Token's backstory. It's also, coincidentally enough, the second time this month that a mask-clad hard rock band has entered the album chart at number one. Just two weeks ago, the Swedish band Ghost did exactly the same thing. Stephen Thompson, NPR News.

There's a new number one song in the country, but you'll be forgiven if it sounds familiar. Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You is back on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The 30-year-old holiday perennial has now topped the chart in six different years. That's an all-time record, and it is not even close. Old music is also having a big week on the albums chart.

Bing Crosby returns to the top 10 for the first time in 64 years thanks to a new compilation of his holiday hits. And Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets department returns to number one thanks to the release of its supersized deluxe edition on vinyl and CD. Stephen Thompson, NPR News.

For the last two weeks, Playboy Cardi has topped the Billboard albums chart with a brand new record called Music. But this week, it's been replaced by an album that topped the chart more than a year ago. Ariana Grande recently reissued her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine with five new songs and an extended version of another.

With six fresh tracks and fresh vinyl and CD editions for sale, the album leapt from number 87 all the way back to number one. The Wicked Star also landed all six of those new tracks in the Billboard Hot 100, with Twilight Zone hitting the top 20.

Stephen Thompson, NPR News.

The degree of power that he has concentrated is really frightening. It should be frightening for anybody who believes in liberal democracy.

CPB leaders denied that request, citing federal law that establishes the independent nonprofit outside of the control of the federal government. The request comes as the president is launching a broad assault against the country's two largest public broadcasters. At the same time, Doge has sought to embed itself in numerous independent agencies Trump wants to shutter.

Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta.

After President Trump attempted to fire three Corporation for Public Broadcasting board members and before an executive order claiming to defund PBS and NPR, Doge attempted to embed with a nonprofit. Court filings in a case challenging the alleged firings revealed Department of Government Efficiency staffers tried to set up a meeting with CPB leadership late last month.

After President Trump attempted to fire three Corporation for Public Broadcasting board members and before an executive order claiming to defund PBS and NPR, Doge attempted to embed with a nonprofit. Court filings in a case challenging the alleged firings revealed Department of Government Efficiency staffers tried to set up a meeting with CPB leadership late last month.

CPB leaders denied that request, citing federal law that establishes the independent nonprofit outside of the control of the federal government. The request comes as the president is launching a broad assault against the country's two largest public broadcasters. At the same time, Doge has sought to embed itself in numerous independent agencies Trump wants to shutter.

Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta.

Phase one of the agency RIF and reorganization plan asks agencies to list jobs and obligations that are essential and encourages them to cut just about everything else. Some, like the Department of Education, have already announced their intention to fire large numbers of employees. through reductions in force that will take effect in a few months.

Phase 2 plans due mid-April asks agencies to ID more ways to cut costs, like moving offices out of Washington, D.C., and axing regulations. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta.

A suspect was pointed out to our officers on the scene. Our officers immediately encountered that suspect who was taken into custody without incident. That suspect, who I'm not able to ID at this time, was taken to the hospital with some minor injuries as well.

Scientists have known that many cells in the immune system have built-in circadian clocks, genes that tell them to respond differently depending on the time. But scientists weren't quite sure how the immune system was telling time. To figure it out, researchers used baby zebrafish, which are transparent, with modified immune cells that give off fluorescent light.

The team exposed the fish to fluorescent bacteria and watched how the immune cells responded when it was light or dark. During the day, the immune cells killed bacteria faster, but when researchers cut out certain circadian clock genes from the immune cells, they lost that ability. This knowledge could allow scientists to rally immune cells to respond to a bad infection.

They published their findings in the journal Science Immunology. Burleigh McCoy, NPR News. This is NPR News.

Trump asked the Supreme Court to block a court order issued February 12th that reinstated the head of the Office of Special Counsel for two weeks while the judge considered the larger case. The short shelf life of that ruling means it usually can't be appealed, but Trump's lawyers tried anyways. After the D.C.

Court of Appeals declined to make an exception, Trump went to the Supreme Court, who also did not step in. This was a procedural question that does not address the administration's larger legal argument that the president has complete power to determine who runs executive agencies, even independent ones. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

The social media frenzy caused by the world's richest man has added more conflict to an already narrow Republican House majority that has had issues governing. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

NPR's Stephen Fowler has more. Musk is not an elected official, but his proximity to President-elect Trump and high profile posting helped sink a bipartisan funding bill announced earlier this week. He called it, quote, criminal and attacked language that went beyond spending to keep the government open. Musk also threatened to support primary challengers to anyone that voted against his wishes.

We're trying to protect everybody's children, everybody's family, everybody's drinking water. You know, it's not a partisan thing.

The White House says this trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates is about strengthening ties in the region and highlighting cooperation where, as the press secretary puts it, extremism has been replaced by commerce and cultural exchanges. Stephen Cook at the Council on Foreign Relations says the Gulf leaders know what Trump wants.

Cook says the lavish welcome also insulates the Gulf leaders if the U.S. seeks to pressure them to take action on something they don't want. Franco Ordonez, NPR News.

This marks the end of a 130-day tenure that also saw Musk face rising unfavorability numbers, financial stress on his business empire, and talk of a rift between the world's richest man and its most powerful political leader.

Trump, appearing to largely read notes from a binder, offered praise for Musk's work as, quote, one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.

Musk and Trump both say the money Doge will save the government will continue to grow, though many of those claims have been inaccurate and overstated so far. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

Attendees of the Trump coin gala were greeted by protesters outside the Trump National Golf Club Thursday night. Inside, the president spoke positively about crypto, according to videos that some people shared from the dinner. The president and the White House say there's no conflict of interest with his crypto businesses and assets.

A recent analysis from crypto research firm Chainalysis estimates businesses tied to the Trump organization have earned hundreds of millions of dollars in fees from people buying and selling the coin. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.

But the pair also joined the growing chorus of voters who say the Democratic Party needs to do more to defend those institutions and have stronger plans to counter Trump's agenda. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Tempe, Arizona.

At a packed hockey arena on Arizona State University's campus, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders denounced Trump. Sanders painted Trump's Department of Government Efficiency effort to fire federal workers and slash government agencies as morally wrong and illegal. single day, Trump and his friends are ignoring the Constitution of the United States of America.

Thank you. And a Maryland district judge gave a similar directive to more than a dozen departments and offices. The next phase of restructuring asks agencies to conduct large-scale reductions in force in the coming months. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta.

A Mercedes spokesperson confirmed a flyer posted in the plant that announced a ramp-up in production. The German automaker did not say how many new workers will be hired. Some of its current employees will work more shifts starting in July. Mercedes also said it's too soon to know the tariff's full effect.

The decision to increase production was made before Tuesday's tariff announcements, though Trump promised tariffs on carmakers since the 2024 presidential election. Meanwhile, Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep and Chrysler, announced it's laying off 900 U.S. workers because of the tariffs. For NPR News, I'm Stephen Passaha in Birmingham, Alabama.