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Chapter 1: Who is reporting on the Senate Democrats' letter about transgender service members?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. More than a dozen Senate Democrats have signed onto a letter demanding a status update from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth regarding transgender service members.
NPR's Elena Moore reports a letter calls for Hegseth to explain how the Pentagon is complying with federal court rulings blocking President Trump's attempt to ban transgender troops from serving in the military.
Chapter 2: What does Senator Tammy Duckworth say about the transgender military ban?
The letter was drafted by Illinois Democratic Senator and veteran Tammy Duckworth. In it, she criticizes Trump's executive order and says that any effort to deny military service, quote, "...based on ideological grounds is inherently un-American." She also asks whether any transgender troops had been prematurely dismissed due to the attempted ban and what steps have been taken to bring them back.
It's unclear whether Secretary Hegseth will reply. In a statement to NPR, a defense official said the agency's policy is to communicate directly with elected officials regarding official correspondence. Elena Moore, NPR News, Washington.
Chapter 3: What is the Pentagon's response to the letter about transgender troops?
Hegseth's job may be at risk. A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly told NPR the White House has begun the process of looking for the secretary's replacement. At the White House today, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt says President Trump stands behind Hegseth.
Chapter 4: Is Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's job at risk and what does the White House say?
Secretary of Defense is doing a tremendous job and he is bringing monumental change to the Pentagon and there's a lot of people in this city who reject monumental change and I think frankly that's why we've seen a smear campaign against the Secretary of Defense since the moment that President Trump announced his nomination before the United States Senate.
Chapter 5: What accusations and issues has Secretary Hegseth faced recently?
Hegseth is accused of a second security lapse involving the disclosure of military information using an unsecured messaging app. Last week, four senior advisers abruptly left the Pentagon. Three were escorted out, accused of leaking information to the press.
And in an op-ed piece, a former Defense Department spokesperson called the past month of the Pentagon, quote, a full-blown meltdown of infighting that's harming President Trump. Hundreds of scholars say America is swiftly heading toward authoritarianism. NPR's Frank Langfitt reports on the findings of a benchmark survey by the group Bright Line Watch.
Chapter 6: What does the recent survey say about the state of American democracy?
The survey of more than 500 political scientists around the country found that ratings of American democracy plunged by 12 percentage points between the November election and early February. Stephen Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard, cites the Trump administration's attacks on law firms, universities, and the news media.
Chapter 7: What insights does Professor Stephen Levitsky provide on the decline of American democracy?
The degree of power that he has concentrated is really frightening. It should be frightening for anybody who believes in liberal democracy.
But some scholars disagree and say Trump is using legitimate presidential powers to solve longstanding problems, including illegal immigration and job loss from trade. Frank Lankford, NPR News.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average up 983 points or more than two and a half percent. This is NPR News. Republican Congressman Byron Donalds is the latest lawmaker to face voter anger over Trump's government-wide cuts under Doge, over Gaza, as well as DEI. During a town hall in Florida yesterday, Donalds was repeatedly shouted down as he tried to address the crowd.
An Idaho woman is suing for $5 million in damages after she was dragged out of a Republican town hall in February. Private security guards forcibly removed Teresa Bornpohl from her seat after She disrupted the town hall in Coeur d'Alene. The city attorney's office recently announced that several security guards are facing criminal charges.
Many people in the United States are celebrating Earth Day today. And PR's Alina Hartunian spoke with two online networks about their sustainable solutions to combat climate change.
Co-founder Lizelle Clark says the Buy Nothing Project started with a question. How do you curb plastic waste? Of the three R's, there's reduce, reuse, recycle. Okay, how about refuse? The group's millions of members share everything from bread tags to sofas. This circular economy stops people from buying new goods and keeps old stuff out of landfills.
Arizona-based GardenExchangeStands.org is a network of neighborhood plant stands. People can pick up and drop off plants, seeds, and other garden-related items. Founder Defane Weaver says that promotes both sustainability and community. It's nice to just be able to bike down to your neighborhood neighborhood stand, get your books, get your plants and seeds, and then share what you have.
As the group's website says, it's a lifestyle. Alina Hartunian, NPR News.
Major market indices are up roughly 2.5% to 2.7%. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
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