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Today's top stories
People in Los Angeles took to the streets for the fourth consecutive night to protest ICE immigration raids. In response, President Trump is deploying hundreds of active-duty Marines to the city, along with an additional 2,000 National Guard troops on top of the 2,000 he mobilized over the weekend. The Pentagon says it will work with troops to protect federal buildings and agents. Trump claims this latest deployment is intended to control the protests. However, California's Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are calling this move an unnecessary escalation.
- 🎧 Federal law generally prohibits active-duty military forces from participating in domestic law enforcement unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act, NPR's Adrian Florido tells Up First. Trump has not yet invoked this act, but he has suggested he might. Newsom has filed a lawsuit challenging the president's decision to take control of the state National Guard without his authorization. The governor also plans to sue regarding the deployment of Marines. Recently, Trump endorsed the idea of arresting Newsom, which is an extraordinary statement to make about a sitting governor, Florido says. Many people are concerned that deploying troops will escalate tensions on the streets. Sandra Martinez, a protester, expressed her worries, stating, "They're gonna make it worse."
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced yesterday that he is removing all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is a vital vaccine committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kennedy has the authority to replace anyone on the committee, as his department oversees the CDC. The possibility of Kennedy replacing everyone on the committee worried some politicians and public health experts when Kennedy was first nominated.
- 🎧 Kennedy claimed the committee was rubber-stamping recommendations and had conflicts of interest, NPR's Will Stone reports. NPR has investigated Kennedy's allegations and found that a government report Kennedy cites doesn't back up his claim. "ACIP has been across the entire world, the paragon of good, solid, well-thought-out, evidence-based vaccine policy," Dr. Jonathan Temte, who used to serve as chair of ACIP from 2012 to 2015, said. "I hate to say this. We are heading in the direction of U.S. vaccine policy becoming the laughingstock of the globe."
U.S. drug-related deaths among young people are finally declining after a decade in which over 230,000 people under the age of 35 died from overdoses. In 2021, fentanyl and other drugs led to over 31,000 fatalities in this age group. By last year, that number had dropped significantly to approximately 16,690 fatal overdoses, according to provisional data from the CDC.
- 🎧 Researchers have a lot of theories behind the cause of this significant decline, including better health care, NPR's Brian Mann says. Narcan, also known as naloxone, a medication that reverses fentanyl overdoses, is widely distributed. There is increasing evidence that young people are being more cautious and using fewer hard drugs that might be laced or contaminated with fentanyl. Mann says he hears concerns from experts and families that the Republican budget passed by the House would cut billions of dollars from Medicaid and public health and science agencies. The fear is that grants for fentanyl and other addiction programs will dry up, and this recovery would unravel.
Climate solutions week
NPR is dedicating this entire week to stories and conversations about the search for climate solutions for living and building on a hotter planet and how climate change affects decisions on where and how people live.
In late September, Hurricane Helene caused devastating damage across North Carolina, resulting in over 100 deaths and billions of dollars in property losses. Earthaven Ecovillage, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and home to about 100 full-time residents, remained relatively unscathed compared to other areas like Asheville, N.C. When their hydroelectric system was damaged, the community quickly activated their backup solar power system. Additionally, the residents were prepared with food supplies and had the skills to collaborate effectively during a crisis. This ability to work together is crucial in a world of worsening climate disasters. See photos of Earthaven Ecovillage and its residents, and read more about how collectivity can be a climate solution.
🌎 Check out all of NPR's Climate Solutions Week stories, including five cheap and easy ways to reduce your home energy consumption and how climate change is changing life in Mississippi.
Today's listen
A new study confirmed that singing to babies can help boost their health and happiness. Morning Edition wanted to further "investigate" the matter by asking listeners and readers what they sing to their little ones. Over 1,000 responses came in, with varying songs and reasons behind them. Some parents pull out the guitar for a full jam session, while others sing the songs their parents sang to them. Listen to these parents sing songs to their children or read the full transcript here.
3 things to know before you go
- Sly Stone, the eccentric frontman, singer, songwriter and producer of his family group, Sly & the Family Stone, died in Los Angeles yesterday at age 82. Stone had been battling lung disease.
- A federal judge has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against his It Ends With Us co-star, Blake Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times.
- The Smithsonian has issued a statement affirming its status as an "independent entity" and supporting Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch after Trump's claim that he fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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