NPR News: 06-06-2025 6PM EDT

Summary

NPR News: June 6, 2025, 6PM EDT

Funding for Public Media

The episode opens with a discussion on Congress's consideration of a rescissions package proposed by the White House, which aims to retract over $1 billion from public media funding. Currently, federal funding for public media is approximately $1.60 per person annually, essential for delivering news and podcasts from NPR. The unknown speaker emphasizes the importance of public media, urging listeners to “take a stand for public media today” (00:00).

Indictment of Gilmar Abrego Garcia

Host: Jeanine Herbst introduces the main story:

"Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported by mistake to El Salvador almost three months ago, is en route back to the US where he's now been indicted. He's accused of conspiring to transport migrants illegally." (00:25)

Reporter: Sergio Martinez Beltran elaborates on the case: Gilmar Abrego Garcia has been indicted by the Department of Justice for allegedly making money by transporting migrants without legal status from Texas to various parts of the United States over nine years, starting in 2016. Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March despite a 2019 court order preventing his removal to his home country. His indictment has ignited tensions between the Trump administration's immigration policies and immigrant rights advocates. Abrego Garcia's lawyer criticized the DOJ's actions as “an abuse of power, not justice” (00:45).

Trump Administration and Department of Education Dismantling

Jeanine Herbst transitions to the next topic:

"The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to step in and allow it to continue dismantling the Department of Education." (01:25)

Reporter: Cory Turner provides further details: The administration seeks the Supreme Court's intervention after a federal judge in Massachusetts mandated the reinstatement of nearly 1,400 Department of Education employees who were placed on leave amidst intentions to reduce the department's workforce by half. The judge expressed concern that the diminished department was "failing to perform important duties." The Trump administration contends that “the Constitution vests the executive branch, not district courts, with the authority to make judgments about how many employees are needed to carry out an agency's statutory functions.” The outcome and timeline of the Supreme Court's decision remain uncertain (01:36).

Veterans Protest Against VA Staff Cuts

Jeanine Herbst introduces a report from the National Mall:

"Veterans groups opposed to the Trump administration's plans to cut staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs gathered today on the National Mall in Washington, D.C." (02:19)

Reporter: Quill Lawrence describes the demonstration: Thousands of veterans participated in the "Unite for Veterans, Unite for America" rally, expressing concerns over the proposed staff reductions at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The protestors highlighted the potential negative impacts on veterans' healthcare and benefits. Additionally, they voiced opposition to the administration's policies regarding visas for Afghan allies who assisted American service members. While the crowd exhibited partisan elements, the veterans emphasized that their issues transcend party lines, focusing solely on improving veterans' health care and benefits (02:32).

Crude Oil Prices and MPOX Outbreak in Sierra Leone

Economic Update: Crude oil prices saw a significant increase, rising by 2.2% to close at $64.77 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange by the end of the trading day (03:08).

Health Crisis: The episode highlights the ongoing MPOX (formerly known as monkeypox) outbreak across several African nations, with over 64,000 suspected cases reported. The situation is most critical in Sierra Leone, where healthcare facilities are overwhelmed.

Reporter: Jonathan Lambert provides an in-depth look: More than half of the new MPOX cases reported last week are concentrated in Sierra Leone, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country has recorded at least 15 fatalities, and hospitals are struggling to accommodate patients suffering from severe symptoms such as painful lesions and high fever. The outbreak is primarily transmitted through sexual contact. Although vaccines are available that could help mitigate the spread, Sierra Leone has only received a minimal portion of the vaccines distributed to Africa since the outbreak began last year, impeding efforts to control the virus (03:44).

Rising Measles Cases in the United States

The number of measles cases in the U.S. has surged, quadrupling this year compared to the previous year and approaching a 30-year high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1,168 confirmed measles cases across 33 states, up from 285 cases last year. A significant 95% of these cases involve individuals who are either unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination statuses. Tragically, an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico has succumbed to the disease. The spike in measles cases underscores the critical importance of vaccination and public health measures to prevent further outbreaks (04:20).

Conclusion

Jeanine Herbst wraps up the updates, highlighting the pressing issues covered, from public media funding and immigration law enforcement to healthcare challenges faced by veterans and public health crises both domestically and internationally.

Note: Advertisements, introductions, and outros have been omitted as per the summary guidelines.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

Congress is considering a rescissions package from the White House that would claw back more than $1 billion of public media funding. Federal funding for all of public media amounts to about $1.60 per person per year. That helps bring you the news and podcasts you rely on from NPR. Please take a stand for public media [e-mail].

[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was dep by mistake to El Salvador almost three months ago, is en route back to the US where he's now been indicted. He's accused of conspiring to transport migrants illegally. NPR Serio Martinez Beltran has more.

[Sergio Martinez Beltran]

According to the Department of Justice, Gilmar Abrego Garcia made money transporting migrants without legal status from Texas to other parts of the US this over a span of nine years, starting in 2016. The news comes as Abrego Garcia returns to the US after being deported to El Salvador in March, despite a 2019 court order shielding him from removal to his home country. His case has become a flashpoint for both the Trump administration and immigrant rights advocates, as a push to streamline deportations clashes with the requirements of due process. In a statement, Abrego Garcias lawyer says the DOJ's move is an abuse of power, not justice. Sergio Martinez Beltran, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to step in and allow it to continue dismantling the Department of Education. NPR's Cory Turner has more.

[Cory Turner]

The administration needs the Supreme Court's help after a federal judge in Massachusetts told the administration to reinstate the nearly 1400 employees it has already put on leave on the way to firing them. The judge's concern was that the department, at roughly half its former size, was failing to perform important duties. In its request for the Supreme Court to intervene, the Trump administration argued, quote, the Constitution vests the executive branch, not district courts, with the authority to make judgments about how many employees are needed to carry out an agency's statutory functions. It's not clear how quickly the court will move or what it will decide. Cory Turner, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Veterans groups opposed to the Trump administration's plans to cut staff at the Department of Veterans affairs gathered today on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. nPR's Quill Lawrence has more from the scene.

[Quill Lawrence]

Hundreds, maybe thousands of veterans are out here on the mall at a demonstration they're calling Unite for Veterans, Unite for America. There have been a lot of people talking about threatened cuts to the VA and how that could affect veterans health care. People have been mentioning the changes in the Trump administration's policies on letting Afghan allies who worked with American service members overseas on letting them get visas. And it's probably something of a partisan crowd. But if you ask them, they'll say that these issues are nonpartisan and these are just about veterans health care and veterans benefits.

[Jeanine Herbst]

NPR's Quill Lawrence reporting from the National Mall. Crude oil prices higher by the close, gaining 2.2% today to end the day at $64.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. This is NPR News. MPOX cases, previously known as monkeypox, continue to rise across many African countries. Over 64,000 suspected cases have been reported. This NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports. The outbreak is now the most severe in Sierra Leone, where hospitals are struggling to keep up.

[Jonathan Lambert]

More than half of all new MPOX cases reported last week were in Sierra Leone. That's according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and prevention. At least 15 people have died, and there aren't enough hospital beds where patients with painful lesions and severe fever can be treated. The outbreak seems to be driven primarily through sexual contact. Vaccines could help get cases under control, but Sierra Leone has so far received a tiny fraction of the vaccines shipped to Africa since the outbreak took off last year, nowhere near enough to slow the spread. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

The number of measles cases in the US has quadrupled this year so far. That's compared to last year and it's nearing a 30 year high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been 1,100, 168 confirmed measles cases across 33 states. Last year, there were just 285 measles cases in the U.S. among the nationally confirmed cases, the CDC says 95% are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. A third measles case, death in New Mexico, happened to an unvaccinated adult. I'm Jeanine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

[Cory Turner]

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