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The Labor Department says the U.S. economy lost more than a half-million jobs in November. It was the steepest drop in nearly a quarter-century. Figures show that 533,000 jobs were lost last month, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent. That's a 15-year high. It's proof that the recession, already a year old, is getting deeper.

The 71-year-old man accused in the fatal stabbing of the 6-year-old boy in Illinois, which also seriously wounded his mother, was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war, officials say.

Two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its decision to withhold about $6 billion in federal education grants. And the Supreme Court says the administration can go ahead with layoffs at the Department of Education. We discuss the impacts these developments have on local school districts. This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, education reporter Sequoia Carrillo and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

The total fertility rate is a small number with big consequences. It measures how many babies, on average, each woman will have over her lifetime. And for a population to remain stable - flat, no growth, no decline - women, on average, have to have 2.1 kids. In the U.S., that number is 1.6, and dropping. It's driving a new political debate about what – if anything – can be done about it. The thing is, beneath that demographic data point are millions of families making intimate decisions about kids. NPR's Sarah McCammon and Brian Mann dug into the politics and personal stories behind America's shrinking birthrate. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

President Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon of January 6 rioters within hours of taking office. The move came among dozens of other executive actions concerning things like remote work and immigration. Trump took time to talk about those orders in his inauguration remarks, saying, "With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense." The president is making good on repeated promises for what aides called "shock and awe" on his first day. We break down what this slew of orders means for the U.S. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

European leaders are meeting for an emergency summit to find ways to raise billions for defense and aid to Ukraine after after the U.S. cut military support. President Trump has granted a one-month exemption on new auto tariffs for Canadian and Mexican imports. And, a federal board has ordered the USDA to reinstate nearly 6,000 fired workers, ruling their dismissals were likely unlawful. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Nick Spicer, Kara Platoni, Padma Rama, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

Meta agreed to pay President Trump $25 million to settle a 2021 federal lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations after his suspension from Facebook and Instagram in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack.

The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs declined to $5.12 last month after reaching a record $6.23 in March. It was the first month-to-month drop in egg prices since October 2024.

U.S. employers added 128,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate inched up to 3.6%. The drop in job creation reflects a slowing economy, but a strike at General Motors was also a factor.

Food allergies have risen in the United States over the last few decades. Research suggests that 40 years ago the prevalence of food allergies was less than 1%. But today that number is closer to 6%. But this trend is not present in all countries — and what people are allergic to varies globally. Today, we dive into the complex world of food allergies with Dr. Waheeda Samady. She's the director of clinical research at Northwestern University's Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research. Have a food science question? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.