Title 42 expires; debt ceiling talks postponed; how COVID left students behind

Plus, Michel Martin remembers three mothers killed in a Cleveland, Texas, shooting.

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen May 12, 2023 Good morning. Check your Peloton before you do that morning workout! The company is recalling nearly 2.2 million bikes due to a seat hazard. Here's what else we're following today. Title 42 ended just before midnight last night, lifting a pandemic-era restriction that has limited migrants' access to asylum since March 2020. The Biden administration stresses that the expiration doesn't mean the border is now open. John Moore/Getty Images 🎧 NPR's Joel Rose was at the southern border when Title 42 expired. This morning, he tells the Up First podcast that immigrant advocates wasted no time challenging a new Biden administration rule. The rule makes it harder for migrants to get asylum if they cross the border illegally after passing through another country without seeking protection there first.  ➡️ Stay connected to what's happening at the border with live updates from NPR and member station reporters.   The pandemic has left America's students with a learning deficit that's "historic in magnitude," according to Harvard and Stanford researchers. Data from nearly 8,000 school districts reveals that the average third through eighth-grade student missed half a year of math and a quarter of a year in reading. 🎧 School closures are only a small part of the deficit, according to NPR's Cory Turner. Researchers said in their brief that living in a community where more people trust the government was an asset to children. Experts also warned schools and parents not to assume students will make up the lost ground, as that hasn't happened in the past. President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders have postponed their meeting to discuss the debt ceiling today. A source familiar with the meetings told NPR the leaders didn't want to interrupt their staff's progress. Their staff will continue to meet today, and McCarthy says he expects to meet with Biden next week. Daniel Penny, the man who choked Jordan Neely to death in a New York City subway car last week, is set to appear at an arraignment this morning. The Manhattan DA's office says he'll be charged with second-degree manslaughter. (via Gothamist) Newsletter continues after sponsor message  David. J Phillip / AP  From time to time, while I was hosting Tell Me More and Weekend All Things Considered, I'd share an essay whenever I had something on my mind. Old habits linger. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and there’s something I just cannot stop thinking about. Specifically, there are some people I can’t stop thinking about. Their names are Sonia Argentina Guzman, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, and Julisa Molina Rivera. They were three of five people murdered in Cleveland, Texas, last month by their neighbor. This man — who also killed Sonia's nine-year-old son — became enraged when her husband, Wilson Garcia, asked him to stop shooting his guns off near their home and scaring their children. Garcia told CNN that his wife put herself in the shooter's way when he came for them, thinking he wouldn’t shoot a woman. One of the other women helped push Garcia out of a window so his children would have one surviving parent. They threw clothing on top of Garcia’s other two children to hide them from the killer. Authorities said they were found on top of the kids, shielding them from almost certain death. Can I just tell you? We like to talk about heroes in this country — unfortunately, we seem to need a lot of them. But when we picture them, we often don't think of ordinary women like Sonia, Diana and Julisa. What happened to them shouldn't happen to anyone. But things would have been even worse without their quick thinking and courage. Every day, around the world, women do this. On Mother’s Day, we often exalt mothers for what they do without to make a better way for children: a new dress, enough sleep or career dreams. But maybe this year, we could exalt them for what they do: charge ahead, get in the way and be brave. — Michel Martin, Morning Edition Host Liam Daniel/Netflix Check out what our critics are watching, reading and listening to this weekend: 🍿 Movies: Tiger Lily's characterization in Disney's original Peter Pan is widely considered racist. She gets an updated depiction in Peter Pan & Wendy. 📺 TV: Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has all the swooning music and romantic scenes fans love. But the season's second half is more grim. 📚 Books: Claire Dederer's Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma examines the question: What happens when bad men make great art? 🎵 Music: NPR's Glen Weldon shares his Top 10 Eurovision 2023 performances ahead of tomorrow's finals.  🎮 Games: It's the moment Switch owners have all been waiting for. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for purchase.  Mandalit del Barco/NPR News Members of the WGA are doing more than striking: They're finding love. This week, writers flirted it up at a singles meetup event at the picket line Elon Musk says he's hired a new CEO for Twitter. He didn't name her but says she'll start in about six weeks. Do you miss getting your hotel room cleaned every day? Housekeepers also miss it, and the UNITE HERE union wants to bring back daily room cleanings. 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. 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