Transcript
Feeding America Representative (0:00)
This podcast is supported by Feeding America. Food banks are stretched thin and communities across the country are feeling it. Grocery prices are rising. Congress is considering budget cuts to food aid, and hunger is surging to levels not seen in over a decade. Your emergency gift to Feeding America's community response campaign will help food banks meet this moment. Let's come together and help neighbors facing hunger. Give now@feedingamerica.org communityresponse.
Tracy Mumford (0:34)
From the new York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Thursday, May 29th. Here's what we're covering.
Donald Trump (0:46)
I'm ecstatic. President Trump's order that I got states I hereby designate, direct and empower the Attorney General as my representative.
Tracy Mumford (0:57)
President Trump has issued a flurry of pardons and commutations this week, granting clemency to more than two dozen people who'd been convicted of a wide range of crimes, from theft to murder to tax fraud.
Donald Trump (1:09)
The president himself called me to let me know that my family was coming back together.
Tracy Mumford (1:14)
Among the most high profile were pardons for real estate moguls Julie and Todd Chrisley, who starred in the reality TV show Chrisley Knows Best. They'd been convicted of evading taxes and defrauding banks of more than $30 million to support their lavish lifestyle. Their daughter Savannah, who celebrated their release from prison yesterday, had championed their case at the Republican National Convention last year, framing it as political persecution.
Donald Trump (1:40)
I'll never forget what the prosecutor said before an Obama appointed judge. He called us the Trumps of the South.
Tracy Mumford (1:50)
The Chrisley's case underscores how Trump has redefined the presidential pardon power, turning it from a formal vetted process into a tool to reward his supporters and incentivized loyalty. One of Trump's advisors leading the pardon process posted this week, quote, no MAGA left behind. The White House has not released a full list of its latest pardons, but the Times has identified a number of them, including a former Republican state senator from Arkansas who was convicted of accepting bribes, and a major Republican donor from the 2016 campaign who violated lobbying and campaign finance laws. Also on the list, Larry Hoover, who used to run one of Chicago's most notorious gangs, the Gangster Disciples, which raked in more than $100 million a year in drug sales. Hoover had been sentenced to over 200 years in prison for murder, but after years of lobbying from his supporters, including celebrities like Kanye west, his federal sentence is now commuted, though he's expected to remain in prison for the rest of his life since he was also convicted at the state level. In another twist in President Trump's tariffs, many of which were rolled out only for the president to suspend them days later, a panel of federal judges has now ruled that some of them are illegal. The ruling applies to some of the steepest tariffs Trump issued, including ones on China, Canada and Mexico. To put them in place, Trump invoked an economic emergency law from the 1970s. He argued that the US trade deficit is an emergency, giving him the power to act. That was a novel interpretation, since the law doesn't even mention tariffs. Yesterday, the US Court of International Trade said the surcharges, quote, exceed any authority granted to the president. It's not exactly clear if or when tariff collection will grind to a halt. The ruling gave the White House 10 days to comply. The Trump administration has already said it will appeal. And a White House spokesman criticized the court saying, quote, it is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency. Now, two other quick updates on the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last night that the administration will, quote, aggressively revoke the visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or who are studying in what he called critical fields. The short announcement, with little detail, could upend the lives of some of the quarter million Chinese students in the US they're the second largest international student group after India. Until now, family members of even the most high ranking Chinese Communist Party officials could attend American universities. The daughter of China's President Xi Jinping, graduated from Harvard in 2014 under a pseudonym. And American universities have long benefited from enrolling Chinese students, both financially from their tuition and at research laboratories, where they've been able to recruit some of China's most talented students. Also, Elon Musk, who once called himself President Trump's first buddy, officially confirmed his time as a government employee is ending. For the first few months of Trump's term, Musk had so much influence with the president that White House aides told the Times they felt he was basically holding the administration captive as he carried out a slash and burn campaign on federal programs. Eventually, though, complaints from lawmakers and cabinet members about Musk became too much for Trump to tune out, and the two have been operating at a distance. Musk has also faced backlash from the public, which hurt profits at his electric car company, Tesla. He said he'll now go back to focusing on his companies. As Musk announced his exit, he also took a swipe at Trump's signature domestic policy legislation.