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Today’s top news
The Democratic-led Senate will kick off the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas today. He’s only the second Cabinet secretary to be impeached in U.S. history. Mayorkas is accused of allegedly failing to enforce immigration laws. Many Democrats have called for a motion to dismiss the trial. Senators could reach an agreement to debate the articles of impeachment tomorrow.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in roughly 150 years. As House Republicans targeted him he was involved in Senate negotiations on a bipartisan bill to change administration border policies.
Go Nakamura/Getty Images
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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in roughly 150 years. As House Republicans targeted him he was involved in Senate negotiations on a bipartisan bill to change administration border policies.
Go Nakamura/Getty Images
- Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney tells NPR’s Claudia Grisales that he would “far prefer having a debate and discussion” and that a “motion to table sets a very unfortunate constitutional precedent.” Grisales says Democrats are watching moderate Republicans like Romney closely because he’s one of their key swing votes to wrap this up as quickly as possible ahead of next week’s congressional recess.
The U.S. is reaching out to China, hoping Beijing will use its influence on Tehran as global leaders try to avert a broader conflict in the Middle East following Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel over the weekend. But with today’s announcement that the U.S. wants to triple tariffs on Chinese steel, it’s unclear how far China will be willing to go along with the request from the Biden administration.
- China offers diplomatic support and an economic lifeline to Iran as one of the only countries buying Iranian oil, NPR’s Jackie Northam tells Up First. China’s past actions, such as when it helped broker a deal to re-establish relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, indicate the country wants to position itself as a critical player in the region. But a specialist in China studies tells Northam that Beijing likes the idea of being a great player in the region, but it doesn’t want to get involved in other countries’ domestic issues that might require difficult decisions.
Record levels of ocean heat are causing a second worldwide mass bleaching event on coral reefs in this decade. Corals are some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, and bleaching can kill them. Coral death would impact thousands of marine species as well as human communities. With mass bleaching expected to get worse as the climate keeps warming, scientists are looking for ways to help them survive.
- Some scientists have developed “super corals” that can handle heat better, NPR’s Lauren Sommer reports. They want to use these corals to restore reefs hit by climate change. But they warn that this isn’t a “get out of jail free” card, and these corals can only buy a little more time for reefs to hang on until humans can slow climate change.
We, the voters
A “Stop. Shooting. People.” flyer by Philadelphia Ceasefire is posted in East Germantown in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 25, 2024.
Hannah Yoon for NPR
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Hannah Yoon for NPR
A “Stop. Shooting. People.” flyer by Philadelphia Ceasefire is posted in East Germantown in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 25, 2024.
Hannah Yoon for NPR
As part of the We, The Voters series, NPR is bringing you…
Read More: Mayorkas impeachment trial; coral reef mass bleaching : NPR