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NPR Host
Climate change is drying up some water supplies and making others undrinkable. That's why Here and Now ANYTIME is covering the hunt for fresh water, from a pipeline in the Great Lakes to the science of desalination to extreme recycling that turns sewage into clean drinking water. That's Here and Now Anytime. A podcast from NPR and wbur.
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Lakshmi Singh
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 the 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.
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Elena Moore
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. 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.
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Lakshmi Singh
Hegseth's job may be at risk. A US 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 Levitt says President Trump stands behind Hegseth.
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Caroline Levitt
The secretary of defense is doing a tremendous job and he is bringing monumental change to the Pentagon. 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.
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Lakshmi Singh
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 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 Langfit reports on the findings of a benchmark survey by the group Bright Line Watch.
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Frank Langfit
The survey of more than 500 political scientists around the country found that ratings of American Democracy plunged by 12 percentage points pre between the November election and early February. Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard, cites the Trump administration's attacks on law firms, universities and the news media.
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Steven Levitsky
The degree of power that he has concentrated is really frightening. It should be frightening for anybody who believes in liberal democracy.
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Frank Langfit
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 Langfit, NPR News.
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Lakshmi Singh
The Dow Jones industrial average up 983 points, or more than 2.5%. 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. NPR's Alina Hartunian spoke with two online networks about their sustainable solutions to combat climate.
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Lizelle Clark
Climate change co founder Lizelle Clark says the Buy Nothing project started with a question. How do you curb plastic waste of the three Rs?
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NPR Host
There's reduce, reuse, recycle.
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Defane Weaver
Okay, how about refuse?
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Lizelle Clark
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. Arizonabased GardenExchange stands.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.
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Defane Weaver
It's nice to just be able to bike down to your neighborhood stand, get your books, get your plants and seeds, and then share what you have.
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Lizelle Clark
As the group's website says, it's a lifestyle. Alina Hartunian, NPR News.
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Lakshmi Singh
Major market indices are up roughly 2.5% to 2.7%. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
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NPR Sponsor
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