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Today's top stories
President Trump announced yesterday that Pam Bondi is out as attorney general. Her exit comes amid frustration over her leadership and handling of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a social media post, the president called Bondi "a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend." Bondi served in the role for a little more than a year. The president said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is Trump's former personal attorney, will serve as acting attorney general.
- 🎧 The White House believes Bondi mishandled law enforcement files related to Epstein, NPR's Carrie Johnson tells Up First. Last year, Bondi said in an interview that a list of Epstein's clients was on her desk. The Justice Department later said no such list existed, sparking conspiracy theories. Eventually, the department made some files public, but lawmakers say a lot of information remains hidden. Trump also wanted Bondi to be more aggressive in prosecuting people he dislikes. Even though she tried to advance those criminal cases, judges and grand juries didn't appear to support them. Johnson says there may have been a lack of evidence to execute some of these cases. During Bondi's time as attorney general, there was a massive exodus at the DOJ. Hundreds of prosecutors and FBI agents are now gone, reshaping the institution.
- ➡️ Amid the leadership shakeup, the DOJ is working to acquire sensitive voter registration data from states and plans to share it with the Department of Homeland Security. A key privacy officer in the DOJ's division tasked with enforcing civil and voting rights laws has resigned.
Iran is formalizing a system that will require ships to pay transit fees to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This move is part of a broader action by Iran to assert its control over the vital waterway, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes.
- 🎧 Shipping analysts and crisis management groups that NPR's Jackie Northam spoke with say that the process begins with government-to-government negotiations. A senior Iranian lawmaker suggested that fees could reach $2 million per vessel. Some ships, including those from India, Pakistan and China, have negotiated diplomatic deals. Iran will not allow any ship with links to the U.S. or Israel to pass through the waterway. Analysts tell Northam that they expect to see some movement in the energy crisis, but it will be slow, and the situation remains precarious.
- 🎧 U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted a virtual call with international leaders from more than 40 countries to explore ways to reopen the Strait. The meeting followed Trump's recent remarks urging other countries to take more action to unblock the vital shipping route. The U.S. and Israel were not involved. Officials discussed both diplomatic and economic measures their countries could implement now and after the fighting ceases to help secure the shipping route, according to NPR's Fatima Al-Kassab. The meeting focused on strategies like applying more United Nations pressure on Iran and rejecting Iran's attempts to impose tolls on passing ships.
- ➡️ Hundreds of sailors have been evacuated from their base in Bahrain back to the U.S. after Iranian missiles and drones attacked the location, NPR has learned. There have been evacuations at other U.S. military bases in the region, though exact details are unknown.
- ➡️ As Trump's focus remains on the war, his approval rating has dipped on the issue voters say they care about most: the economy. These are the takeaways from the president's last seven days.
NASA's Artemis II mission has completed its much-anticipated "translunar injection burn," which broke it out of Earth's orbit and sent it on a historic journey to the moon. Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch's journey serves as a critical test flight for the Orion spacecraft. The capsule is scheduled to fly by the moon on Monday. Here's what to expect over the course of the mission.
- ➡️ The Apollo 17 mission in December 1972 marked the last time humans traveled to the moon. From geopolitics to pop culture, this is what life was like then.
Picture show
Hatshepsut is widely regarded as one of ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs. But her legacy was erased and forgotten for more than 3,000 years. Although Cleopatra and Nefertiti are more well-known, Hatshepsut stands out as one of the most skilled and successful female rulers of the ancient world. Her excellence may be the key to explaining why her legacy was concealed for so long. She is one of the earliest known people to change their gender. To tell the pharaoh's story in depth, NPR art director Jackie Lay lays out Hatshepsut's history through illustrations.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach as they go on an outer space adventure to rescue Princess Rosalina. Pop Culture Happy Hour host Stephen Thompson calls the film "the ultimate piece of Nintendo fan service."
📺 TV: The Comeback has returned for a third and final season. The comedy stars Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish, a sitcom star who is in a new show written by AI.
📚 Books: In Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945, historian Ian Buruma chronicles the lives of his father and other ordinary Berliners during World War II through diaries, memoirs and personal interviews.
🎵 Music: More than 6,000 artists entered this year's Tiny Desk Contest. The winner will be announced soon, but in the meantime, check out NPR Music's favorite entries, including riff-rock group Pump Action, soul singer Les Greene and more.
🍲 Food: Ditch the traditional roast lamb or brisket and celebrate Easter or Passover with these recipes for baked feta with Za'atar, chicken braised with dried fruits and olives and delightful Italian almond cookies.
3 things to know before you go
- For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency flagged microplastics and pharmaceuticals as potentially concerning contaminants in drinking water.
- Yesterday, the Trump administration filed lawsuits against Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona, arguing that the federal government, not state gambling commissions, should solely regulate the prediction market industry.
- The Trump administration announced that the U.S. Forest Service is moving its headquarters out of Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of a "sweeping restructuring" of the agency. (via KUNC)
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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