Student loan forgiveness skeptics at the Supreme Court; pandemic SNAP benefits end; the union boom paradox

Plus, what science says about how the COVID pandemic began.

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen Good morning. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has lost her bid for re-election. In California, residents are being hit by the second winter storm in a week. Here's what else we're following today: 🥇 First up Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Millions of Americans' grocery budgets will shrink this month even as prices remain high due to inflation. The pandemic era boost to SNAP benefits has ended, and individuals will get on average $90 less this month. The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday over challenges to the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan. A majority of the court's conservatives indicated great skepticism, and it seems the Republican-led state challengers could be on the verge of invalidating the plan. A final decision on the case is expected this summer. 🎧 NPR's Nina Totenberg summarizes the justices' arguments. Are doctors afraid to talk about abortion? A vaguely written anti-abortion law that allows people to take civil action against anyone who "aids or abets" abortion has left some doctors in Texas worried to say the "A" word. 🎧 Listen to how some of them try to hint at options to their patients with pregnancy complications. If there's one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on, it's China. A newly created House committee focused on the country held a hearing last night on strategic competition between the U.S. and China. 🎧 Republican Mike Gallagher called the relationship an "existential struggle over what life will look like in the 21st century."  ➡️ NPR's John Ruwitch discussed China's response to the hearing on Up First this morning. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged the U.S. to abandon their "ideological bias." Newsletter continues after sponsor message 🥪 Food for thought Drew Angerer/Getty Images It seemed like 2022 was the year of the union. Employees from all over — including Starbucks and Amazon — were organizing, and even the White House said organized labor was "having a moment." In reality, the share of American union workers is the lowest on record, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ➡️ The hype was partially real. The absolute number of workers in unions did grow last year. But non-union jobs grew faster. ➡️ U.S. labor law is a huge barrier. Creating a union is a difficult and time-intensive process, and the laws make it relatively easy for employers to short-circuit organizing efforts. ➡️ Other countries have more successful models for organizing. Countries like France, Iceland, Belgium, and Austria conduct collective bargaining differently from the U.S., and they have higher rates of union membership to show for it. ➡️ Solidarity and trust is key. Because it's so difficult to form a union, workers who want to start one need a lot of what social scientists call "social capital" with their colleagues. But social capital has been declining in America since the mid-20th century, according to researchers. Get more analysis on the state of our economy on NPR's Planet Money.   🎧Today’s listen Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images Two U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly support, with low confidence, the theory that COVID was caused by a lab leak. But what does the science say? 🎧 Listen to the strong evidence scientists have of how animal spillover at a market caused the pandemic, or read the story. 🛑 Before you go Maquita Peters/NPR NPR is mourning the death of veteran copy editor Patricia Cole, who died last week at 46. Patricia's colleagues celebrated how she strove to make every story she touched better. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dealt another blow to Walt Disney World's autonomy by signing a bill yesterday to take control of the company's development board.  Good luck finding a tomato in the U.K. right now. Frost, floods, energy prices and Brexit are among the possible culprits of the shortage. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy