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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The Trump administration is defending its plan for a $1.8 billion anti weaponization fund. As NPR's Tom Dreisbach reports, the administration says it'll consider giving financial restitution to defendants who assaulted police during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
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Trump administration officials say people who believe the government was weaponized against them should apply for taxpayer funded restitution through the Justice Department's upcoming anti weaponization fund. And officials would not rule out making payments to Trump supporters who violently assaulted police during the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Vice President J.D. vance told reporters they would evaluate applications on a case by case basis.
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We're trying to compensate people where the book was thrown at them. They were mistreated by the legal system.
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Democrats have condemned the initiative, calling it a slush fund for Trump's allies. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.
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Congress is considering a new annual fee for electric vehicle owners to help pay for the nation's highways. Their proposal is part of the House of Representatives surface transportation bill. As NPR's Camilla Domonosky reports, EV advocates object that the fee is unreasonably high.
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The current draft of the highway bill includes an annual EV registration fee of $130 to increase over time to $150. The nation's highway system is partly funded by a gasoline tax, although for many years that tax has not been high enough to cut cover costs. Because EVs do not need gasoline, EV drivers don't contribute toward highways at all, a small problem for now, but one that will grow as more EVs hit the road. EV advocates acknowledge the need for all drivers to pitch in toward highways, but protest that the House bill's proposed fee would be nearly twice what the average driver pays in gas taxes. Camila Domonosky, NPR News.
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The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 131, according to local health author. As NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports, more than 500 people are suspected to be sick because of the outbreak.
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On Tuesday, the head of the World Health Organization said he is deeply concerned about the scale and speed of this outbreak. A rarer species of the Ebola virus called Bundabuyo is behind it. Standard field tests often miss this virus, and it's likely that it's been spreading in the region for weeks under the radar. At least one American, a doctor who is working in drc, tested positive and is experiencing symptoms. The risk to the U.S. however, is low, as Ebola doesn't spread as easily as an airborne disease like Covid, but the risk to Central Africa is high because it's a rarer species. There are no approved treatments or vaccines for the virus that's spreading. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
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The NFL is taking the 2030 Super bowl to Nashville in the Tennessee Titans new Nissan Stadium. It'll be the first time the game will be held in Music City after a vote from team owners. This is NPR News. President Trump showed off the construction site of his new White House ballroom to a group of reporters today. It comes days after the Senate parliamentarian said a proposal to pay for $1 billion in security additions for the ballroom could not be included in a bill currently before Congress. Trump had previously said taxpayer money would not be used to pay for the ballroom. A coalition of 24 states and the District of Columbia are suing over a new rule that limits federal student loans for borrowers and some healthcare related federal fields. NPR's Cory Turner reports.
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Last year, Republicans passed new limits on graduate student loans. Previously, grad students could borrow as much as they needed. Soon they'll be capped at around $20,000 a year. There's one big exception to these caps, though. Borrowers earning what are called professional degrees, including law, medicine and dentistry, they can still borrow up to $50,000 a year. This new lawsuit is about a rule by the Trump administration that narrows the programs which qualify as profess. Healthcare related programs have been excluded, including advanced nursing degrees, which has drawn bipartisan criticism and raised fears of a worsening healthcare worker shortage. Cory Turner, NPR News.
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The annual Ratapalooza was held in Buenos Aires over the weekend promoting the adoption of rodents raised in animal facilities or used in research in science labs that are no longer wanted to attract adoptive families. The fair includes stalls selling keychains, mugs, stickers and hair clips in the shape of rats and mice. The money raised waste goes to veterinary and food expenses for the rodents. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.
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