0:01

Now, live from NPR News in

0:03

Washington, I'm Jack Speer. The

0:06

Supreme Court appears to be skeptical

0:08

of claims by former President Donald

0:11

Trump that he has absolute immunity

0:13

from prosecution. Chief Justice

0:15

John Roberts among at least five members

0:17

of the court, who seem to be inclined

0:20

to reject the concept of total immunity

0:22

on the part of the sitting president, a

0:24

position that crossed ideological lines and echoed here

0:26

by fellow Justice Katanji Brown Jackson. Let

0:28

me put this worry on the table. If

0:30

the potential for criminal liability is taken off

0:32

the table, wouldn't there

0:34

be a significant risk that

0:36

future presidents would be emboldened

0:39

to commit crimes with abandon

0:41

while they're in office? However,

0:43

it also appears the court's conservative majority could

0:45

be ready to limit the scope of the

0:47

case against Trump, possibly sending the matter back

0:49

to a lower court to sort out that

0:52

has the potential to delay a trial on

0:54

charges of election interference until after the

0:56

November election. Seventeen Republican

0:59

led states filed a federal lawsuit

1:01

today challenging a recent Biden administration

1:03

rule that related to pregnant workers.

1:06

NPR's Selina Simmons-Duffin reports the lawsuit asserts

1:08

the rule would force employers to provide

1:10

leave for workers to get abortions. The

1:13

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act passed Congress with

1:15

bipartisan support in 2022 and took effect

1:18

last year. Last week, the

1:20

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published a final

1:22

rule with details on how to implement

1:24

that law, which is set to take

1:26

effect in June. But a

1:28

group of Republican attorneys general in 17

1:30

states have sued in federal court to

1:32

stop it. They point to

1:35

a list of conditions that could

1:37

be encompassed by the phrase pregnancy,

1:39

childbirth, or related medical conditions, which

1:41

includes miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.

1:44

They say that amounts to a

1:46

quote, abortion accommodation mandate, unquote, and

1:48

are asking for a hold on

1:50

the rule pending judicial review. Selina

1:53

Simmons-Duffin, NPR News. I

2:00

voted on steps that could end

2:02

the churches ban on the Lgbtq

2:05

clergy and same sex weddings and

2:07

be are stationed arose reports the

2:09

move involves restructuring one of the

2:11

largest protestant denominations. The proposal called

2:13

regionalization essentially would allow different geographic

2:16

regions north America, Europe, Africa, and

2:18

the Philippines to make their own

2:20

rules about ministry. It passed by

2:22

seventy eight percent and still needs

2:25

to be ratified by local annual

2:27

conferences in the coming year by

2:29

breaking. Apart the Methodist church. In this

2:31

way, it's far more likely. That it's

2:34

ban on same sex. Marriage and Lgbtq

2:36

clergy could be listed in the

2:38

Us and possibly Europe. Meanwhile, a

2:40

separate proposal to remove restrictive language

2:43

globally is on the agenda for

2:45

this United Methodist Conference next week.

2:47

Chastened Rose and Tr news source

2:49

close lower today's investors worried about

2:52

a potentially toxic combination of slowing

2:54

economic growth and rising inflation. The

2:56

Dow: Three Hundred and seventy Five

2:58

points. This is Npr. New

3:02

role some the Environmental Protection Agency

3:04

or aimed at making it more

3:06

costly for coal or gas fired

3:08

power plants to pollute. The rules

3:10

on Valle de De require such

3:12

plans caps or smokestack my sins

3:14

or shut down. The page guidelines

3:16

are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas

3:18

emissions from the burning of fossil

3:21

fuels are key part the by

3:23

the administration's placed eliminate carbon pollution

3:25

from electricity generation by Twenty Thirty

3:27

Five, the European Union as approved

3:29

a resolution calling for more safeguards

3:31

against Russian influence. On It's Democracy

3:33

Story shows reports it comes amid

3:35

multiple claims of lawmakers taking task

3:37

bribes to promote pro Kremlin views.

3:39

in. The last voting session of this

3:41

you parliament's five year mandate, lawmakers approved

3:43

a lengthy resolution criticizing Russian efforts to

3:45

interfere in the blocks political process as

3:48

ahead of your apply to lessons that

3:50

would choose a new legislature in June

3:52

spells and as the primary seat of

3:54

the parliament has already opened an investigation

3:56

into allegations that some members had colluded

3:58

with the Kenyan. Accepting cash payments

4:01

to for example, give interviews praising Moscow

4:03

and suggesting Ukraine's and lose the war.

4:05

The resolution calls for more security training

4:07

for the more than seven hundred lawmakers

4:10

who will be elected and for their

4:12

staff, including background checks on anyone who'll

4:14

have access to sensitive information for Npr

4:17

news. I'm Terry. In Brussels or

4:19

Us lawmakers approving of Azure that would

4:21

acquired Tic Toc Strike Zone as to

4:23

sell the popular video sharing app or

4:26

facie was ban. The company appears to

4:28

be prepared for legal battle. Tic Tacs

4:30

chinese parent company by Dance indicating it

4:32

has no intention of selling name server

4:35

say Chinese authorities are unlikely to allow

4:37

the sale. I'm Jack Spear Npr News

4:39

in Washington. Support. For this

4:41

podcast and the following message come

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from Humana employees or the heartbeat

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Manner offers group cancel Vision, Life

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