Issues
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Saturday. Here’s what to watch for
One top seed has never won a Stanley Cup. The other wasn't expected to make the playoffs at all. And a pair of brothers who burned bright for Team USA in February are set to return to the ice.
How tariffs could impact the availability of baby products
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Steven Dunn founder and CEO of Munchkin a U.S.-based company selling lifestyle products for mothers, babies and children. Dunn has written an open letter to President Trump and Congress about how tariffs could harm his business and American families.
Will Alabama legislators ban delta-8 this session? It’s coming down to the wire
Several bills currently working their way through the Alabama legislature would effectively ban hemp-derived THC products. Opponents of the bill say it’ll be prohibition all over again.
LA schools superintendent says he’ll protect undocumented students ‘to the very end’
DHS said it was conducting wellness checks on students who arrived unaccompanied to the border. The head of the Los Angeles Unified School District has a different account.
With federal funding on the line, school leaders weigh Trump DEI order
The Trump administration has told states they have until April 24 to promise to end DEI programs in K-12 schools, or risk losing federal dollars.
How neighborhoods in New Orleans are addressing urban flooding
Urban flooding has long plagued Treme, a historically Black neighborhood in New Orleans. Residents are getting creative to find solutions to the issue.
Trump calls for Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s ‘termination’ in blistering attack
President Trump lashed out at Powell for not acting sooner to lower interest rates. The president's own tariffs make that more difficult, by putting upward pressure on prices.
Birmingham legend Odetta to be celebrated in tribute concert
Gina Coleman and her band Misty Blues will bring Odetta back home, performing a live tribute to the Birmingham legend at the historic Carver Theatre on Saturday, April 19.
Tariffs make sour grapes for American winemakers
American winemakers tell us why tariffs hurt their industry.
Destroying endangered species’ habitat wouldn’t count as ‘harm’ under proposed Trump rule
The Trump administration is reinterpreting a key word in the Endangered Species Act that could have big consequences for the habitats of species at risk.
Trump administration says it is suing Maine over transgender athletes in girls’ sports
The DOJ says Maine is violating Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools that receive federal funding. Gov. Janet Mills has promised to "vigorously defend" the state.
Retail sales jump as people rush to buy cars ahead of tariffs
The key driver of the economy saw the biggest increase in over two years in March, as car buyers tried to get ahead of President Trump's tariffs on imported autos and auto parts.
Harvard professor gives perspective on the Trump administration clash with university
What does the clash between Harvard and the Trump administration look like from the perspective of its faculty? NPR's Michel Martin akss Harvard Law School professor Nikolas Bowie.
Review of decision not to award Space Command to Alabama inconclusive, with Trump reversal expected
The inspector general's report, issued Friday, said this was in part due to a lack of access to senior defense officials during the Biden administration, when the review began.
Why is Alabama’s workforce participation rate so low? And what’s being done to improve it?
While Alabama boasts an unemployment rate that is among the lowest in the country, its workforce participation rate consistently lags the national average, meaning a large portion of Alabamians are neither employed nor actively seeking work. This has raised concerns both about barriers to employment for individuals and about the state’s economic future.
Families say school civil rights investigations have stalled after federal cuts
The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights investigates discrimination in schools. It recently lost more than 40% of its staff.
Hong Kong post office will stop shipping parcels to the U.S. over tariffs
Hong Kong is caught in the middle of the trade disputes between the U.S. and China despite being a free port. The former British colony has trade and customs policies different from mainland China's.
Trump signs executive action to lower drug prices
The action is intended to build upon the existing program for Medicare drug price negotiations, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act that passed during the Biden administration.
Higher ed war heats up as Trump threatens Harvard’s tax-exempt status
The president's comments came after the administration froze $2 billion in federal grants for Harvard after the university rejected what it saw as illegal government demands.
Bill would give give non-violent, aging prisoners a chance at freedom
Should the Second Chance Act be enacted, judges could review certain cases where an individual was sentenced to life without parole under the Habitual Offenders Act for potential resentencing.
As special ed students are integrated more at school, teacher training is evolving
General education teachers are more likely than ever to be working with students who have special needs.
Climate activists were hacked. There was a link between the victims and an alleged attacker
Prosecutors say the operation was aimed at gathering information to foil lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry over damage communities have faced from climate change.
Federal funding freeze halts key infrastructure projects in tribal communities
Riverbank stabilization, lead and asbestos contamination are just some of the projects tribes planned to address before the Trump administration froze funds.
Hot off her NCAA title, Paige Bueckers cruises for 1st pick in the WNBA draft
Monday's WNBA Draft is expected to be the latest jewel in the crown of Bueckers, the 6-foot guard who barely a week ago led her UConn Huskies to their first national championship in a decade.
Harvard rejects Trump administration’s demands for deep changes
The university refused to make changes it said would "dictate what private universities can teach" and "whom they can admit and hire," among other things.
New drag venue to open in Five Points South
The Opulence Drag Lounge and Taqueria will bring Birmingham’s Five Points South neighborhood both dine-and-go taco cuisine and performance this summer. The new business is planned for the former Hush Lounge location which closed after a mass shooting last year.
Millions watch as underwater camera documents daily life on a Miami coral reef
For five years, the Coral City Camera has given viewers a live look at aquatic reef life near Miami. It's documented the declining conditions and shown a surprising vitality among some coral species.
DOGE abruptly cut a program for teens with disabilities. This student is ‘devastated’
The program, Charting My Path for Future Success, aimed to help teens with disabilities transition from high school to the real world. It abruptly ended when DOGE terminated its federal contract.
The 2025 Masters final round is underway, featuring a showdown between two greats
On Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, all eyes are on Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau — both of whom are vying for their first green jacket.
DOJ ends environmental justice agreement in Alabama county citing Trump
Justice Department officials said they were ending the agreement reached with the state regarding wastewater issues in Lowndes County. Federal officials said the decision follows President Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding federal agencies from pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Federal judge orders USDA to unfreeze funds to Maine
The funds had been initially withheld following President Trump's clash with Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the issue of transgender athletes.
China put steep tariffs on U.S. exports. Farmers are worried
The first Trump administration spent $28 billion bailing out farmers during a trade war with China. The White House has said it's starting to look at how to help this time around.
