A special education leader under George W. Bush says the dismantling of the Department of Education will impact students with disabilities. Stephanie Smith Lee talks about what's at stake for the federal law that helped people with disabilities go from institutionalization to institutions of higher education. Then, Medicaid helps lessen financial and logistical barriers that families face to get services for children with disabilities. We hear from policy expert Johanna Lister and mother of two Shiloh Creswell on what could happen if Republicans make cuts to Medicaid. And, artist Loryn Brantz aims to help parents feel seen through the moments of frustration, laughter and love that come with raising kids in her new book "Poems of Parenting." She joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A Tufts University student from Turkey was arrested by plainclothes agents from the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday in Somerville, Massachusetts. We speak with attorney Ramzi Kassen. Then, President Trump on Wednesday announced a 25% tariff on cars and car parts assembled outside the United States. Bloomberg's Keith Naughton explains what it means for consumers. And, writers and authors are in an uproar over Meta using LibGen, one of the largest online pirated libraries, to train its AI. We speak with author Victoria Aveyard, whose works appear on the database that may have been downloaded and utilized by Meta.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg talks with us about why he released nearly all of the transcript of the Signal group chat that he was included in, where administration officials planned a deadly military strike on Yemen earlier this month. Then, former deputy assistant secretary of defense Mick Mulroy talks about why he thinks the Signal chat was a "significant breach of security." And, mandolin orchestras were a big deal in the 1920s. They aren't so popular in the U.S. these days. But Jon Kalish tells us how one mandolin orchestra is continuing this musical legacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration has sent flights of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. NPR's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán shares what we know about them.Then, while Kansas voted overwhelmingly for President Trump, police are reticent to advance his deportation agenda. Kansas News Service's Zane Irwin talks about why the state is an outlier on immigration enforcement. And, 23andMe, the genetic testing company that helps people learn about their ancestry and health risks based on a DNA sample, is declaring bankruptcy and seeking buyers. Roben Farzad, host of the podcast "Full Disclosure," joins us to discuss what it means for users' data. Plus, attorney Erin Elmouji explains why she signed a letter criticizing the head of her former law firm Paul Weiss for making a deal with Trump to avoid being targeted by the White House.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Columbia University has agreed to overhaul its student protest policies to win back $400 million in federal research funding that the Trump administration pulled from the university. Columbia Professor Reinhold Martin joins us to discuss the implications of the university's decision. Then, we catch up with Mohammed Hatem, a young man in Gaza. He tells us what the situation is like on the ground, now that the war has resumed. And, the new book "Everything is Tuberculosis" traces the history of the disease, which for millennia was the world's deadliest infection. Author John Green argues that the global community could work to eliminate tuberculosis, but lacks the will.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, says he's eliminating environmental justice jobs that were largely focused on addressing pollution in low-income and minority communities. Grist's Lylla Younes explains the impact of these cuts. Then, more than 400 Fish and Wildlife Service workers — or about 5% of the agency's workforce — were let go last month. And more cuts to the agency could be on the horizon. Writer and photographer Mark Seth Lender shares concerns wildlife enthusiasts are feeling. And, the number of monarch butterflies overwintering this year in Mexico has nearly doubled, according to the annual census data from the World Wildlife Fund. Biologist Emma Pelton talks about this encouraging sign for the monarch population, as it continues to rebound from dangerously low levels this century.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

At the end of March, Social Security recipients will no longer be able to verify their identities over the phone. They'll have to go online or in-person to a Social Security office. AARP's Bill Sweeney explains what the change means for the 72 million Americans who rely on Social Security. And, President Trump is dismantling the Department of Education. The Washington Post's Laura Meckler talks about it means for schools and students. Then, Atlantic writer Derek Thompson joins us to discuss his new book "Abundance," written with the New York Times' Ezra Klein. In the book, they argue that to ensure a better future, America needs to invent more to combat issues like housing inaccessibility, climate change and food insecurity.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We look at two high-profile immigration cases under the Trump administration with Doris Meissner, senior fellow and director for the U.S. immigration policy program at Migration Policy Institute. Then, Democrats have struggled to reach a consensus on the best way to counter President Trump during his second term. Matt Bennett of Third Way, a Democratic centrist think tank, and Usamah Andrabi, communications director for the progressive group Justice Democrats, join us to explain how the party should take on Trump. And, Dr. Razan al-Nahhas, an American emergency room physician, is on her second medical mission to Gaza. She speaks to us from the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, where she's volunteering, about the impact of the latest Israeli airstrikes into Gaza.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israel launched a series of surprise airstrikes into Gaza on Tuesday, killing more than 400 people, according to Gaza health officials. NPR's Daniel Estrin shares the latest. And, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine. Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko explains the prospects of a peace agreement. Then, the Trump administration is accusing Maine of sex discrimination for allowing transgender girls to participate in girls' sports. ProPublica's Jennifer Smith Richards breaks down the target the federal government has put on Maine.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ranjani Srinivasan was an international Columbia University student finishing up her doctoral program in urban planning. But then ICE came knocking on her door, as a result of President Trump's recent crackdown on foreign nationals who took part in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. Srinivasan talks about the circumstances that led to her fleeing to Canada. Then, President of Mount Holyoke College Danielle Holley talks about the Trump administration's attempts to punish conduct, thinking and research at universities that the White House finds objectionable. And, the U.S. carried out strikes on targets controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen over the weekend, killing dozens. Security analyst Jim Walsh joins us to talk about what the strikes signal for U.S. relations with Iran. Plus, the March Madness college basketball tournament gets underway this week. The Gist's Lauren Tuiskula shares a preview.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy