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Today’s top stories

Over 1,400 NPR/PBS News/Marist poll respondents graded President Trump on how he has handled his first 100 days in office. Nearly half gave him a failing mark, and 23% awarded him an A.

• 🎧 NPR’s Domenico Montanaro tells Up First that the low marks appear to have much to do with tariffs and the economy. Trump’s 39% approval rating for his handling of the economy is his worst score ever, including during his first term. The majority of respondents disapprove of how Trump is handling most aspects of his job, including foreign policy and immigration. Montanaro says Trump’s approval rating could change. However, these are polarized times, and Montanaro doesn’t expect much to change many people’s minds.

Trump has moved aggressively to fulfill his promise of “retribution” in the first 100 days of his second term by taking action against over 100 people and institutions, according to an NPR review. He has used the government to target political opponents, news organizations, law firms, universities and more. Some of the harshest actions he has taken against people he has targeted include ordering multiple Justice Department investigations.

• 🎧 Trump is also effectively telling investigators what he believes the outcomes of the investigations should be, NPR’s Tom Dreisbach says. The Trump administration uses over 10 agencies in various ways to get payback. Secret Service protection has been pulled for President Biden’s children, media companies that Trump dislikes, including NPR, face FCC investigations, and universities face investigation from the Department of Education unless they agree to sweeping government demands.

Detained Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi has given the media his first interview since being taken to Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Vt. Morning Edition‘s Leila Fadel is the first journalist to speak with any of the students held there. The Trump administration is trying to deport them for advocating on behalf of Palestinian rights amid the Israel-Hamas war. Mahdawi, a green card holder, was detained at what he thought would be his naturalization interview, which is his final step to becoming an American citizen.

• 🎧 Mahdawi tells Fadel that even though he knows he is facing a level of injustice, he still has faith that justice will prevail. Mahdawi has lived in the U.S. for 10 years and was on track to graduate next month with a bachelor’s degree. He grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He says living in the U.S. taught him to understand the concept of freedom of speech without retaliation. Mahdawi told Fadel he wants others to see he is “doing everything legally,” he has “prepared and studied for the Constitution,” and that he “respected the law.” He has not been charged with a crime. Just like most students in the facility, the government invoked a rarely used immigration act with court filings that allege their presence has adverse consequences for foreign policy.

Today’s listen

Violinist Esther Abrami realized when she was 25 that none of the hundreds of pieces she had played were composed by women. The results of her journey to change that are on her new album, Women.

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Violinist Esther Abrami’s new album, Women, features music by female composers, spotlighting many names that are not often as recognized as their male counterparts. Abrami said that when she came out of university, it hit her that within all those years, none of the hundreds of pieces she learned had been written by women. This acknowledgement sparked her journey and research, which she says “was like opening the door of, like, a hidden treasure.” Her album features the world-premiere studio recording of Irish composer Ina Boyle’s Violin Concerto. The music also uncovers what women have to say from the Middle Ages to today, dipping into Brazilian dances and pop. Listen to snippets from the album and read the story here.

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Durham, N.C. – April 26th, 2025: Attendees watch and dance as New Dangerfield performs during the Biscuit and Banjos festival. (Cornell Watson for NPR)

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Biscuits & Banjos is a new music festival dedicated to reclaiming and exploring Black music. The festival, curated by Grammy-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens, took place this past weekend in Durham, N.C., and featured artists like Taj Mahal, Infinity Song and a Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion. The event also incorporated Durham’s Black history with a walking tour of Black Wall Street, panel discussions, square and line dancing, and a juke joint-themed party. Durham-based photojournalist Cornell Watson photographed the festival and shared his experience.

3 things to know before you go

A transfer truck arrives at a DHL facility in Ludwigsfelde near Berlin, Germany, in May 2022. The company said this week it would resume shipping packages over $800 to individual U.S. customers.

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1. The global shipping company DHL has resumed shipping packages over $800 in value to people in the U.S. The reversal comes one week after it said it was halting such shipments due to new U.S. customs regulations.
2. The TAKE IT DOWN Act is now headed to Trump’s desk. The bill, which first lady Melania Trump backs, aims to implement strict penalties and guidelines for those who publish and promote revenge porn.
3. The 2025 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert celebrated its inductees on Saturday at the Kennedy Center. A prevailing theme throughout the event was jazz’s foundation in freedom and its push to transcendence.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.