Harvard rejects demands; DOGE whistleblower : NPR

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Today’s top stories

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, may have taken sensitive data from the National Labor Relations Board and hid its tracksaccording to a whistleblower disclosure obtained by NPR. DOGE has aggressively sought access to government data and computer systems since the start of President Trump’s second term. The NLRB is a small independent agency that investigates unfair labor practice complaints.

• 🎧 The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, says that DOGE requested the highest-level access when they arrived. After that, he saw a big spike in data leaving the agency. Berulis tells NPR’s Jenna McLaughlin that security monitoring tools were cut off and records were deleted. Some ongoing NLRB cases involve Musk’s companies, which has worried legal experts. Musk has said he would recuse himself from anything involving his companies. If he obtained access to NLRB information, it could give him a leg up in court. McLaughlin says there have been over a dozen work cases of government witnesses outlining DOGE’s mishandling of sensitive data at agencies like the Treasury Department and the IRS.
• ➡️ Check out these five takeaways from NPR’s findings about the whistleblower’s report.

The Trump administration yesterday froze over $2.2 billion in multiyear grants and contracts to Harvard University. The move came quickly after Harvard President Alan Garber wrote a letter to faculty rejecting the administration’s demands to eliminate DEI programs, screen international students who are “supportive of terrorism or anti-Semitism,” ensure “viewpoint diversity” in hiring and more. Garber stated that most of the demands were trying to regulate intellectual conditions at the institution and threaten free speech.

• 🎧 On Up FirstNPR’s Jonaki Mehta emphasized a portion of Garber’s letter that said the government’s “retreat from these partnerships now risks not only the health and well-being of individuals, but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.” Mehta says much of the money that has been frozen goes towards research and helps pay for innovations in engineering and medicine. The administration has threatened billions of dollars of funding for other universities, and some have said they would cooperate with demands.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said yesterday that he has no plans to release Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the U.S. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who lived in Maryland for around 15 years, was deported to El Salvador despite being granted protections by a U.S. immigration judge. During Bukele’s Oval Office visit, Trump and his team said it was up to the Salvadoran government to decide whether to return him.

• 🎧 Trump’s team is downplaying the facilitation of Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. as a paperwork issue and insists he has ties to the MS-13 gangNPR’s Franco Ordoñez explains. Abrego Garcia’s lawyer says he isn’t connected to the gang. The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Abrego Garcia. ACLU’s attorney Lee Gelernt tells Ordoñez that the case goes beyond one person and could have big implications on all other cases. Gelernt argues the U.S. shouldn’t be using a system where people don’t have due process, especially if it isn’t willing to correct its mistakes.

Deep dive

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act has passed the House and is now headed to the Senate. Lawmakers introduced the SAVE Act, which aims to implement significant reforms in voter registration, in response to concerns about voter fraud. The bill requires individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, including acceptable documents such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization paperwork, and specific versions of the Real ID, before they can register to vote. Here’s why some lawmakers argue the Act could make it harder for married women to vote:

• 🗳️ Approximately 69 million American women have adopted their spouse’s last name. This means their birth certificates don’t match their current names. Meanwhile, more than half of all Americans don’t have a passport.
• 🗳️ Legal experts told NPR that states could simplify the process by accepting secondary documents like a name change decree or marriage certificate, though this may not help all married individuals. Marriage certificates are more common than court decrees but some women may no longer have one readily available.
• 🗳️ The bill’s ambiguity could lead to uneven policies across the country, meaning some states and municipalities will enforce stricter document requirements than others.

Life advice

Most people use cards or cash to purchase items. But bartering can be a resourceful, cash-free way to get what you want while nurturing a community. If doing away with cash sounds ideal to you, barterers have shared tips on how to get a fair deal with Life Kit.

• 🛍️ Think about desirable items you own or skills you have that you could trade. This could be homemade goods, artwork, food, songwriting lessons and more.
• 🛍️ Consider bartering with neighbors, friends, coworkers and religious or community organizations.
• 🛍️ Don’t be afraid to turn a purchase into a swap. The answer could be no. However, the goal is to open the door to the possibility of bartering.
• 🛍️ Both parties should know about the work that goes into the barter in order to be respectful and reciprocal of time, energy and effort.

For more guidance on how to start bartering in your community, listen to this episode of NPR’s Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

3 things to know before you go

1. Paige Bueckers was the first overall pick in last night’s WNBA Draft. The Dallas Wings’ choice to select the 23-year-old combo guard could transform the franchise.
2. When Ashley Blas was 7, her mom passed away. Nearly 30 years later, she visited her grave for the first time since the funeral. The car service driver who took her to the cemetery noticed her mom’s gravestone was covered by grass and, kneeling in his suit, cleaned it for her. Blas says she’ll never forget the unsung hero’s moment of kindness.
3. For five years and counting, the Coral City Camera has given millions of viewers a live look at endangered corals thriving in Miami’s busy port.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.