White House tackles tranq; Jim Jordan sued; California 'superbloom'

Plus, the U.S. seeks its toughest-ever auto pollution limits

View this email online by Rachel Treisman April 12, 2023 Good morning. New inflation numbers out today are expected to show some slowing in the pace of price hikes in March, though the rising cost of services — like travel and restaurant meals — is still stretching peoples’ pocketbooks. For the first time, the federal government has declared a synthetic drug cocktail an “emergent threat” to U.S. public health. The veterinary tranquilizer xylazine, often mixed with fentanyl, has been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths across the country. White House drug czar Dr. Rahul Gupta said the administration will notify Congress today about the threat and roll out a plan to combat the crisis over the next 90 days. 🎧 NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann tells Up First that could involve increasing testing to determine where xylazine is most prevalent, funding research for medical treatments, further regulating the drug and potentially raising criminal penalties. Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The New York prosecutor pursuing charges against former President Donald Trump alleges that a GOP-led congressional committee is trying to interfere with the case. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is suing Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, for what Bragg calls "an unconstitutional attempt to undermine" his investigation, including demanding confidential documents. The two have been sparring since before Trump was indicted. 🎧 The House Judiciary Committee says it will hold a hearing next week on “victims” of Bragg’s policies, which his office calls a “political stunt.”  🎧 Does Jordan have the grounds to investigate Bragg’s prosecution of Trump? Adam Klasfeld, managing editor of Law & Crime, weighs in on Morning Edition.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing its most ambitious regulations yet for cutting emissions from vehicles. The new tailpipe emission standards are so strict that up to 67% of new vehicles sold in 2032 may have to be electric in order for carmakers to comply. A former EPA official calls this the Biden administration’s “single most important regulatory initiative … to really reduce the worst impacts of climate change." 🎧 Next up is a public comment period, and then a likely political fight and potential legal challenges. Texas is already leading red states in suing the EPA over its existing standards, as NPR’s Camila Domonoske tells Up First: “One that I’ll note that is interesting about that: The auto industry has actually chimed in to defend the EPA’s right to set these standards, and they called the shift toward electrification … inevitable.”  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images Brazil has seen a sharp increase in attacks on schools this past year, with nine attacks in the last eight months. The numbers, while not as high as those in the U.S., are still enough to prompt a national reckoning. ➡️ Experts want to understand the pattern to prevent future tragedies. They’ve identified contributing factors, including easier access to extremist communities online, pandemic isolation, ideological attacks on the education system, copycat mentality and lack of social and psychological support. ➡️ 12 of the 22 school attacks in the last roughly two decades involved firearms. One of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s first acts in office was to crack down on gun access, a marked reversal from his predecessor’s administration.  ➡️ Promises went unfulfilled after one of the country’s deadliest incidents. After a 2019 attack on a São Paulo school left ten dead, authorities pledged to introduce dozens of psychologists and social workers into the public school system — but that never happened.  ➡️ Advocates say a cultural shift is needed. Telma Vinha, an expert in educational psychology at the State University of Campinas, says there’s no evidence that having more police in schools would make them safer: “Instead of being a culture of supervision, it has to be a culture of care.” Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP California is experiencing a rare wildflower “superbloom,” thanks to a particularly wet last few months. State officials expect this year's blooms to range from "good" to "better-than-average.” Take a look for yourself.    Navy Media Content Services The U.S. Navy has finally shed the last two ship names honoring the Confederacy. It renamed one after Robert Smalls, a Black Union hero.  Police came to pull a Jeep out of a Texas lake, then discovered a woman inside — and alive. She had been reported missing hours earlier. A former auctioneer in California pleaded guilty to selling fake Jean Michel-Basquiat paintings. They made their way through the art industry and to an exhibit at the Orlando Museum of Art. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy