NPR News: 04-02-2026 5PM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Attorney General Pam Bondi is out at the Justice Department. President Trump made the announcement on social media. NPR's Kerry Johnson reports Deputy Todd Blanch will serve in the acting role for now.
In a post on social media, President Trump calls Pam Bondi a great American patriot and loyal friend and says she'll transition to a job in the private sector. Trump has blamed Bondi for mishandling law enforcement files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and he's demanded the Justice Department do more to go after his perceived political enemies. Bondi presided over a huge exodus at the DOJ. The group Justice Connection, which supports current and former justice workers, says DOJ's independence, integrity, and workforce have degraded more under her leadership than any other time during the department's history. Todd Blanch, one of Trump's former personal lawyers, will run the Justice Department on an acting basis.
Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.
In three weeks, shareholders of Warner Brothers Discovery will vote on whether to accept a $110 billion acquisition deal from media mogul David Ellison. As NPR's Mandolito Barco reports, the merger still needs to get past federal and international regulators and faces challenges in California.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says this of the proposed consolidation.
It's not a done deal.
Bonta told NPR he's conducting an antitrust review because he doesn't trust the Department of Justice to do a fair investigation. Bonta points to the close relationship the DOJ and the Ellison family have with President Trump.
Maybe they will be fair, be objective, be vigorous, do the job the federal government has long done, but I'm not holding my breath.
Meanwhile, some working in the film and TV industry are campaigning to block the merger. Actress Jane Fonda is voicing her concerns on social media. The idea of the whole entertainment industry being run by one company, that doesn't seem good. With Paramount Pictures' Skydance, David Ellison already controls CBS. By merging with Warner Brothers Studios, he'd also have HBO. Mandalit Del Barco, NPR News.
The foreign minister of Bahrain says he's hoping the U.N. Security Council will pass a resolution tomorrow calling on Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz. He's also criticizing Tehran for ignoring a previous resolution and continuing to strike Gulf states in response to the war in Iran. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says it's past time for the U.S. and Israel to stop the war and for Iran to stop attacking its neighbors. Bahrain, the current Security Council president, has drafted a resolution to press Iran to reopen the strait. Russia's ambassador points out that the closure was the result of what he called an unprovoked act of aggression by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
NPR's Michelle Kellerman reporting. Stocks overcame early losses to close mixed today. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both rose a fraction. It's NPR. A drone maker backed by President Trump's two oldest sons is trying to win contracts with U.S. allies under threat by Iran. The company Powerus is holding demonstrations in several Gulf countries of how its drone interceptors could help them ward off the attacks. Powerus recently struck a deal that will bring on the Trump brothers, Eric and Donald Jr., as stakeholders. The Trumps have expanded their business interests rapidly beyond hotels and golf courses in a little over a year since their father took office again. Taxes on sugary drinks are not effective in reducing consumption, according to a study in the journal PLOS Medicine.
NPR's Allison Aubrey reports researchers analyzed data from Taco Bell.
Researchers studied several years of transactions from Taco Bells, including from drive-thrus in Chicago, Oakland, California, Philadelphia, and Seattle. These are all places that had adopted soda taxes aimed at reducing sugar consumption and encouraging healthier habits.
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