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Today's top story
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady yesterday as it warned that President Trump's new tariffs could hurt the U.S. economy. The Fed cut its economic growth forecast and raised its expectations for inflation. Trump stated later on social media that the Fed should lower rates as tariffs set in.
- 🎧 The Fed signaled that it's still on track to cut interest rates twice later this year, NPR's Maria Aspan tells Up First. With Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs against some of the U.S.'s largest trading partners, the Fed says it's dealing with some uncertainty around the economic outlook. The economy is expected to grow more slowly this year than previously projected, and inflation is expected to grow faster, according to the Fed.
A federal judge denied a request to block the Department of Government Efficiency's takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace. She made the decision despite having concerns about the tactics DOGE used to force its way into USIP.
- 🎧 U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell pointed out that the temporary restraining order USIP members requested yesterday didn't meet several thresholds for a court to agree to step in. Howell said there was confusion in the complaint and expressed concern over the likelihood that the lawsuit would succeed, NPR's Ryan Lucas says. DOGE will be allowed to retain control of USIP for the time being as the court continues to consider the lawsuit. Howell said she was "very offended" by how DOGE treated those working at USIP and added that the actions were probably terrorizing employees.
Israel has launched a new ground invasion into Gaza after breaking the nearly two month ceasefire with Hamas. Israel says it is expanding a new offensive in the enclave.
- 🎧 The Israeli military says it aims to expand the security perimeter that separates Gaza from southern Israel with this operation. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf says Palestinians are worried and scared. Many of them had just started to pick up their lives during the eight weeks of relative calm, and now they are shocked to be returning to war. Israel has also been blocking all aid and electricity into Gaza for over two weeks now in an attempt to pressure Hamas into accepting a new ceasefire deal.
Today's listen
Since 2000, music has evolved tremendously. Within the first quarter of this century, technology has changed how we listen to our favorite songs. CDs used to rule the world. NSYNC broke a record when it sold 2.4 million copies of No Strings Attached during its first week. Then … dun, dunn, dunnnn … piracy happened. This was just the beginning of how young tech masters worked on ways to share music across the internet. NPR Music's Ann Powers joins Morning Edition to discuss the depth of changes in the music industry over the last 25 years.
Life advice
Today is the spring equinox. Maximize the season in several ways, from taking advantage of the lovely weather to appreciating the birds, bees and flowers. Check out some of Life Kit's ideas for activities you can try in the next few weeks:
- 🍃 Spend time in the forest in a Japanese act called shinrin-yoku, which means "bathing in the forest atmosphere." Benefits of this activity include reducing stress hormones and increasing white blood cell levels.
- 🍃 If you visit the same nature spot regularly, you can "patch bird," where you try to spot migratory birds. This will allow you to become familiar with the birds that reside there year-round.
- 🍃 Learn how to build a professional-looking floral arrangement using flowers from the supermarket or freshly picked options from your yard.
Here are additional nature-inspired ideas to bring joy this spring. Sign up for the Life Kit newsletter for more advice from experts and Life Kit editors.
3 things to know before you go
- Around 1.1 million Americans have an estimated $1 billion in unclaimed refunds for the 2021 tax year, including some pandemic-era stimulus payments. To claim them, they must file their tax returns by April 15.
- A jury in North Dakota awarded Energy Transfer, the company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline, hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The case found Greenpeace liable for defamation and trespassing.
- Jack Fischer spent over 100 days aboard the International Space Station in 2017. He described to Morning Edition's A Martínez what the extended stay in space does to the body and what it feels like to return home.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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