The end of Title 42; George Santos' federal charges; new EPA carbon emission rules

Plus, FDA advisors recommend the approval of an over-the-counter birth control pill.

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen May 11, 2023 Good morning. It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a weirdly shiny, mini-Neptune. The James Webb telescope has revealed the secrets of planet GJ 1214b. Here's what else we're following today.  Border Patrol facilities in parts of the U.S.-Mexico border are well above capacity as Title 42 expires tonight. The pandemic-era border restrictions made it easier to expel migrants at the border. Yesterday the Biden administration released a new rule making it harder for migrants to get asylum if they've crossed the border illegally.  John Moore/Getty Images 🎧 NPR's Joel Rose is in El Paso, Texas, where he talked to a migrant named Lizabeth Ramirez. She told him her family was watching the situation at the border and decided to cross before Title 42 ended. This morning, he tells the Up First podcast that other migrants he talked to were confused about what the end of Title 42 means. New York Republican Rep. George Santos has pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of criminal wrongdoing, including fraud, money laundering and theft of funds. Federal prosecutors say he allegedly "devised and executed a scheme" to defraud donors to his 2022 campaign. Santos says he won't resign and will seek a second term. 🎧 NPR's Brian Mann explains that Santos is a "key vote" in the narrowly divided Congress and was instrumental in helping Kevin McCarthy win the Speaker position. Still, Mann notes, "this scandal has the potential to drag down other Republicans" in New York.    The EPA released a sweeping new proposal this morning requiring coal and gas-fired power plants to eliminate nearly all carbon dioxide emissions within the next decade. The regulations are based on how effective current carbon capture technology is. 🎧 The new emission limits are stricter than what the Obama administration proposed a decade ago, according to NPR's Jeff Brady. He reports that the EPA thinks the new rules will withstand legal scrutiny, as opposed to the Obama-era ones, which didn't because they told plant owners to switch from fossil fuels to cleaner energy. A panel of 17 advisors to the FDA has voted unanimously to recommend that the agency approve Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill. The medication only contains a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone and doesn't include estrogen, like most other birth control pills. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Carlina Teteris/Getty Images The Pew Research Center has released information from the first-of-its-kind poll looking at how Asian Americans see themselves and others. Here's what it found about the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S.: ➡️ Most prefer to identify with their specific ethnicities rather than with the term Asian American. ➡️ They don't see themselves as a monolithic group but believe others do. One in five have hidden part of their heritage from non-Asians out of fear of discrimination. ➡️ Asian immigrants were less likely to hide their heritage, less likely to see themselves as a "typical American," and more likely to have Asian friends than those born in the U.S.  Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Palestinian American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed a year ago today while reporting in the occupied West Bank. A new report from the Committee to Protect Journalists shows that her death was part of a pattern: At least 20 journalists have been killed while reporting in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military since 2001.  🎧  On Morning Edition, Robert Mahoney, CPJ's director of special projects, tells Michel Martin that no one has been held accountable for the deaths because the committee believes the Israeli armed forces set up a system of investigation "designed to evade responsibility and protect its soldiers." The committee has recommended the Israelis open investigations and cooperate with the FBI, but Mahoney says, "No one in the Israeli government has agreed to meet with us." Joshua Leung/Golden State Warriors These Golden State Warriors dancers are hitting their golden years. The beloved Hardwood Classics are a team of sashaying, strutting dancers aged 55 to 77. What two things would you bring if you were stranded in the woods? A woman who went missing in the Australian wilderness says she survived for five days on just wine and candy. Electronic music duo Tvorchi will represent Ukraine at Eurovision this weekend with their song "Heart of Steel," about Ukrainian fighters defending a steel plant. 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