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Today's top stories
Americans are deeply divided about President Trump's sweeping crackdown on immigration, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll. While the poll shows growing support for stronger immigration restrictions, many of the president's hardline policies are unpopular with large swaths of the public.
- 🎧 Republicans as a whole are generally united in their support of Trump's immigration crackdown, NPR's Joel Rose tells Up First. Four out of five Republicans see immigration at the southern border as an "invasion." Democrats, on the other hand, oppose nearly all of Trump's plans — especially his push to end birthright citizenship. Still, Americans have shifted on some issues since Trump's first term. In 2018, only 38% of Americans supported expanding a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Now, support is up to nearly 50%.
At least 112 unidentified migrants have been sent to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, this past week. Now, a group of immigrant rights and legal aid organizations, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, is demanding that the Trump administration give those migrants access to lawyers.
- 🎧 NPR's Sacha Pfieffer says that according to the lawsuit, the migrants have been held "incommunicado, without access to attorneys, family, or the outside world." ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt points out that even suspected foreign terrorists who have been held there for decades have access to lawyers. The lawsuit alleges that these migrants' isolation is not a coincidence and that the point of flying them to a remote island is to make it especially difficult for them to communicate with lawyers who could explain their legal rights and possibly challenge their detention.
Three senior federal prosecutors have resigned after they refused to drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, raising alarms about whether politics is influencing decisions at the Department of Justice under Trump. A former senior Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the fallout from the Adams case "the worst we've seen so far (from the new DOJ) and that's a high bar."
- 🎧 In just three weeks into Trump's second term, NPR's Carrie Johnson says we've seen firings of people who prosecuted Trump and Jan. 6 Capitol rioters, and FBI agents suing their bosses over fears their department will make their names public and fire them, too. "This is unheard of activity at the DOJ," Johnson says. In a letter to the DOJ, acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan Danielle Sassoon — one of the three who resigned — said there was no basis to dismiss the Adams case. She added that prosecutors were going to add a new obstruction charge against him for allegedly destroying evidence, but charges failed to materialize before their resignations. She also describes a meeting she attended with Adams' lawyers and a senior DOJ leader, where defense lawyers said they would help the DOJ with its tough immigration enforcement campaign if they dropped the criminal charges against him. Sassoon wrote that this was an illegal quid pro quo.
The NPR Politics team is recapping what you need to know every Friday morning for the first 100 days of the Trump administration. This week, catch up on everything Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team have done to reshape the government. Sign up for the NPR Politics newsletter for more updates and analysis.
From our hosts
This essay was written by Leila Fadel, Morning Edition and Up First host
You may know I have a lot of obsessions. Amazing meals. Middle East politics. Puzzles. AND a great TV binge. That's especially true if it's a matchmaking show. Apparently, I love LOVE.
There's something beautiful, escapist and kind of cringe about these shows and I'm totally here for all of that. This week, I'm binging Muslim Matchmaker. It's the latest from the creators of Indian Matchmaking and Jewish Matchmaking (Yes! I watched both).
The show debuted on Hulu just in time for Valentine's Day. I spoke with the matchmaking duo Hoda Abraham and Yasmin Elhady, who star in the show. When I asked if they're what people might think of when they hear Muslim Matchmaker, they said "Hell no!"
It's true. When I think of a Muslim matchmaker, I think of my most nosy aunt asking "Why aren't you married yet?"
That's not these two. The pair are witty, they know love and heartbreak in this age of dating apps and they're really trying to find the right match for each individual. Elhady has a golden dating rule: three months and 300 questions. Give the person a chance but move on when you know it's not right. It's also a window into American Muslim life that some have never seen. Yes, American Muslims are sick of dating apps and they're on the same sometimes totally disappointing look for love as everyone else. "It really showcases the panoply of who we are," Elhady said. "That we are part of this rich tapestry of the United States and that we go through the exact same things that you guys are going through out there in the world."
If you need an escape and some joy, listen here.
Weekend picks
Morgana O'Reilly, Arnas Fedaravičius, Christian Friedel, Dom Hetrakul and Lalisa Manobal play resort workers in Season 3 of The White Lotus.
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Movies: In his documentary SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), Questlove explores the alienation of success, particularly for Black artists, through the life and genius of funk trailblazer Sly Stone.
📺 TV: In the age of streaming and prestige TV, it can be easy to forget how many great shows air on old-school TV networks. Luckily, Pop Culture Happy Hour has your guide to network TV. If streaming's more your thing, though, don't forget to catch a new season of The White Lotus this weekend.
📚 Books: Bill Gates is used to envisioning what our future could look like. His newest memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, looks back in time. He sat down with All Things Considered to reflect on his youth and beginnings.
🎵 Music: On this week's list of songs our music editors can't stop playing, the tracks touch on themes of unity, resilience and the power of close connections.
❓Quiz: I've had fun this week filling in for newsletter writer Brittney Melton, until I got a "tolerable" 8/11 on this week's quiz. How will you do?
3 things to know before you go
- Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo, the bright green owl mascot that urges Duolingo app users to practice learning their foreign languages every day, is dead. What's behind this viral marketing campaign?
- Be careful if you're planning a grand romantic gesture today. Despite their best intentions, these NPR listeners ended up with a Valentine's Day fail.
- Eating yogurt regularly could lower your risk of certain types of aggressive colon cancer, according to a new study.
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.
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