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Today's top stories
The Trump administration has replaced Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol official who was the public face of immigration operations in Minnesota, with Border Czar Tom Homan. Bovino returns to his previous job in California. President Trump yesterday called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to discuss the ongoing immigration crackdown in the state. Walz described the president's tone as appearing earnest and more collaborative. Frey said Trump agreed that the present situation in the state cannot continue.
- 🎧 As protests and vigils grow for Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, mourning Minneapolis residents are demanding justice, Matt Sepic of Minnesota Public Radio tells Up First. Thousands of masked federal agents remain in the streets. Residents are pressing for some assurance that the killings will get a proper investigation. Sepic says there is no indication that the state police and their federal counterparts are working together to investigate the fatal shootings by federal agents.
Trump is expected to hold a rally in Iowa today, where he will preview his administration's campaign message ahead of the midterm elections. The event comes as some Republicans criticize his immigration crackdown, which has led to widespread chaos and death. The president expects to shift the focus by discussing the economy and energy prices.
- 🎧 The ongoing crises at home and abroad are overshadowing Trump's economic agenda, says NPR's Franco Ordoñez. The turmoil in Minneapolis has made it harder for the president to discuss his preferred talking points. Ryan Williams, a veteran Republican strategist, told Ordoñez that the president can attempt to focus on the economy, but Trump will remain stuck talking about the ICE-related conflict for a significant period. Not only is the president's party calling for more investigations into Pretti's death, but the controversy fueled by the immigration crackdown now risks a partial government shutdown.
A jury will hear arguments today as social media giants like YouTube, Meta and TikTok stand trial over allegations that their platforms are designed to hook young users. The landmark case probes whether the companies contributed to the youth mental health crisis. The jury's verdict could potentially reshape the tech industry.
- 🎧 The trial will provide a rare look at how these social media platforms operate, according to NPR's Shannon Bond. The jurors will receive thousands of internal documents, including the companies' research on children. The plaintiffs accuse the tech companies of developing features, like autoplay videos, that make the apps nearly impossible for children to put down. In some cases, this has led to depression, eating disorders and more. The tech giants dispute these claims and have said that there's no clinical diagnosis of addiction to social media.
Today's listen
Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, who has always seemed to have a dark edge to her stories, has an even darker evolution in her new album, World's Gone Wrong. In 1992, she released Sweet Old World. Now, 34 years later, her new album is offering a more somber assessment with a collection of protest songs. Listen to snippets of Williams' new music and her discussion with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep about her point of view on the current state of U.S. politics. You can also read the transcript here.
Life advice
Bad haircuts can take forever to grow out. In the meantime, you are left having to figure out how to cover it up. To help avoid these bad haircuts, Life Kit enlisted hair stylists to guide you on how to ask for what you want and what to do if your stylist is doing something you don't like. Check out this comic that pulls together their advice:
- 💇♀️ Before a new haircut, ask yourself: Is there a particular reason why you want it? Are you ready for change?
- 💇♀️ Make sure the stylist you plan to book cuts hair in the style you are looking to get, and that they have done these styles in your hair texture.
- 💇♀️ Show your stylist photos of what you don't want, as well as inspiration pics of what you do want.
For more guidance on how to get a great haircut, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you go
- Veteran U.S. sled racer Katie Uhlaender, who claims she was unfairly denied a sixth Winter Olympic Games spot, asked the International Olympic Committee to create an additional "wild card" berth so she can race in Milan Cortina.
- A private plane crashed in Bangor, Maine, during Sunday night's winter storm, killing at least six people. (via Maine Public)
- Jackie and Shadow, California's famous Big Bear bald eagle couple, welcomed their second egg of the season yesterday. (via LAist)
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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