1A - ‘If You Can Keep It’: The ICE Crackdowns in Chicago and Portland

President Donald Trump promised to crackdown on immigration in Democratic-led cities using aggressive tactics like detaining people based on their race and deploying the National Guard to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

He deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. this summer. He launched an ICE operation in Boston.

Now, he’s escalating his crackdowns in Chicago and Portland.ICE has made more than 1,000 arrests in Chicago according to the Department of Homeland Security since it began what it’s calling “Operation Midway Blitz” last month.

Nearly half of the FBI agents working in major U.S. offices have been reassigned to immigration enforcement, according to newly released bureau data. What does this radical shift in law enforcement priorities mean for the cities at the center of the president’s crackdown — and for the country more broadly?

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State of the World from NPR - The Ambitious Effort to Save New Zealand’s Iconic Bird

The kiwi, an adorable flightless bird from New Zealand, is disappearing, largely because of invasive species brought to the country’s islands by humans. So New Zealand has set a goal of exterminating rats, possums and other invasive animals that threaten the country’s biodiversity.  

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Up First from NPR - Hostages Released, Trump In The Middle East, Shutdown Layoffs

Phase one of the Gaza ceasefire is underway as Hamas releases Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinians held by Israel are being reunited with their families. President Trump addresses Israel's parliament ahead of his trip to Egypt to sign the deal he brokered. And the government shutdown enters its second week, with multiple agencies sending layoff notices and growing pressure on the military payroll.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kate Bartlett, Vincent Ni, Jason Breslow, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas

We get engineering support from David Greenburg. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.

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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Pick a Color’ is a novel that takes place over a single day at a nail salon

Ning is the manager of a nail salon where all of the workers wear a nametag with the same name – Susan. Pick A Color takes place over a single day at the salon and it’s the first novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa. In today’s episode, the poet and short story writer speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about Ning’s background as a prizefighter, what Thammavongsa has observed as a salon customer, and the author’s distinction between knowledge and intelligence.


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Short Wave - Synthetic Cells: The Next Bioengineering Frontier

There are more human cells in your body than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy! Cells are the fundamental building blocks of life but that doesn’t mean they are simple – biology still doesn’t have a full picture of how exactly a living cell works. Host Regina G. Barber talks with bioengineers Kate Adamala and Drew Endy about why scientists are trying to build a cell from scratch, piece by piece. They dive into what it would look like to be inside of a cell, why scientists are bothering with making a cell from scratch and how engineers are leading the field.


Want more bioengineering stories? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.


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Consider This from NPR - Hostage’s brother-in-law: we haven’t matured enough as a region to coexist peacefully

NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, who has been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Lavi explains the challenges ahead for Israelis and Palestinians in healing from the events of the past two years - and whether he thinks the peace brokered by President Trump is sustainable.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. 

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Up First from NPR - ICE Under Trump

President Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations. Since he took office in January, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, have been increasing detentions to try to meet that goal. Today on The Sunday Story, hear how ICE is changing under the Trump administration from two people who have been working inside the immigration system for decades. Listen to the full Throughline episode here.

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Up First from NPR - Israel, Hamas Peace Deal Latest; Federal Worker Layoffs; Health Care Subsidies

The peace deal between Israel and Hamas is entering its second day - we'll have the latest on how things are going on the ground. Also, As the shutdown rolls on, the Trump administration announces another series of layoffs among federal workers. Plus, look at subsidies for the Affordable Care Act and why they are at the center of the government shutdown. 

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NPR's Book of the Day - Introducing: Books We’ve Loved

Welcome to Books We've Loved, a new limited series from Book of The Day. Every episode, we will dig into some of our favorite books, to make the case for picking up a book from the past. Hosted by Book of the Day’s Andrew Limbong and Code Switch’s B.A. Parker, they will be your guides through these timeless stories. Bringing on NPR voices and book nerds far and wide, they will discuss titles by authors like Anthony Bourdain, James Baldwin, and Jane Austen, and asking their guests questions like — why can’t they get this book out of their head? How did this book shift a paradigm, shake the culture, or change their life? And, most importantly, why should you read it now? 

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