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CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard appeared before U.S. senators yesterday to answer tough questions about how the security breach that led to secret war plans being shared with a journalist could have happened. They were both included in a group chat on the app Signal, along with The Atlantic‘s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. Other officials in the chat discussed the U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen. The messaging app isn’t a secure U.S. government communications system.
As federal employees return to the office under the Trump administration’s orders, some have found shortages of desks, Wi-Fi, toilet paper and more. One remote employee of the Department of Agriculture was given a list of possible locations they would have to work from. One was described as a storage unit. Confused, the employee drove to the location and it turned out to be just that — a storage facility.
After three days of negotiations in Saudi Arabia, the White House announced yesterday that Ukraine and Russia have made new progress toward a peace deal. Both countries tentatively agreed to stop fighting in the Black Sea, ensuring that free commercial shipping can resume in that region.
Rising harpist Ashley Jackson embraces African American spirituals, jazz and West African rhythms in her sophomore album, Take Me to The Water. Jackson was captivated by the use of water as a symbol of freedom and hope for her ancestors in the lyrics of the spirituals. That ideology became a focal point of her album. On the song “Troubled Water,” originally written by Margaret Bonds for the piano, Jackson developed a technique for the harp to mimic movement on water. Hint: It requires socks. Listen to Jackson break down her methods with Morning Edition‘s Michel Martin and play the harp in the NPR studio. Read the interview highlights here.
Changing from gas to climate-friendly electric appliances can often be costly. You may have to hire an electrician or upgrade your electrical service. A growing number of companies have begun to offer appliances that make the switch easier and cheaper. If you are considering the switch, NPR’s climate correspondent Jeff Brady has information on three appliances that are easy to install:
Source: www.npr.org