Legislation, Natural Disasters, and Spelling Bee Triumphs

Elon Musk has left the government building, but DOGE remains. The Washington Post’s William Wan reports on what he learned speaking to federal-government employees who lost their jobs amid cuts. 

Some Republican senators have concerns about elements of the GOP megabill, such as what cuts to Medicaid could mean for election prospects in 2026. NBC’s Sahil Kapur breaks their objections down. 

David Armstrong with ProPublica speaks to In Conversation about how a life-saving pill’s eye-popping price tag tells the story of prescription-drug pricing in America — and why it’s so difficult to change.

Plus, how a glacier broke off and engulfed an Alpine village, Texas legislators passed a bill defining what it means to be a man or woman, and a new Scripps National Spelling Bee winner was crowned.

Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.