"Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor-Johnston.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement revived a contract with a company known for making
“spyware that can remotely hack into phones.”
The most last year, race concerns among privacy and civil liberties advocates. But as NPR's due joffy block reports, the Department of Homeland Security now says ICE has no relationship with the Israeli-founded company. Paragon Solutions makes a spyware tool that can remotely hack into devices without the target clicking a link.
ICE's $2 million contract with the company for an unspecified product was first signed
in 2024, but the Biden administration swiftly put the contract on hold. The Trump administration revived it last year, but the contract was closed out in January, according to a notice on a procurement website. DHS told NPR in a statement that ICE has no new contract with Paragon Solutions and no relationship with the company or the company that acquired it.
DHS declined to clarify whether ICE still has access to Paragon developed tools, such as through a third party. Jude Jaffee Block and Pira News.
“"Stox on Wall Street rose this week on the back of solid corporate earnings, but”
as NPR's God-Horsely reports, the bond market flashed some morning signs." All the major stock indexes gain ground during the week with the Dow Jones Industrial Roberts closing at a record high. Some of the nation's major retailers reported encouraging sales gains, even as consumers are feeling stretched by rising gas prices. A survey by the University of Michigan shows consumer sentiment falling to its lowest level
in decades. The bond market is also showing signs of stress with the yield on 30-year treasureies hovering above 5%. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage also rose topping 6.5% adding another headwind to the already sluggish housing market.
For the week that I'll jump 2.4%, the S&P 500-clod 1.1% and then as deck inched up about 1/2%. It's got Horsely and Pira News, Washington.
“"A pair of explosions rocked a shipyard on Staten Island Friday afternoon, authorities”
in New York say one person was killed and dozens of others were injured. Bruce Conviser reports an investigation into the blast is underway." A mid-afternoon explosion sparked a fire on a commercial shipyard, dozens of firefighters and emergency workers responded to the call, but shortly after their arrival, a second blast tore through the facility.
One person was killed, more than 30 first responders were heard in the blast, including a fire marshal who was seriously injured. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but an investigation is underway. Mayor Zoran Mamdoni praised the first responders during an afternoon press conference.
He said they do what they always do, which is to run towards danger so that others can
flee to safety. For NPR News, I'm Bruce Conviser in New York. This is NPR News in Washington. The Trump administration says it's changing the way some immigrants apply for green cards. Under the new policy, applicants would have to return to their home countries to complete
the process, even if they lived and worked legally in the United States for years. For decades, many immigrants have been allowed to apply for permanent residency while remaining in the U.S., including spouses of American citizens and people with work or student visas, an estimated 600,000 people apply for green cards each year. A parody political party is taking the Indian social media by storm with a cockroach
as its mascot.
India has blocked its exit count after the party got more than a million followers in a
week. NPR's own car, Khandikar, has more. The U.S. based official dipk created the cockroach jantar party after India stopped supreme god judge, compared unemployed youth criticizing the system to parasites. On its website, the 30 year old founder said that anyone could join his party.
As long as they were unemployed, chronically online and had the ability to rant professionally, analysts say its popularity reflects the genesis frustration with the ruling in the nationalist party. The Indian Express newspaper reports that Indian officials blocked its ex account citing threats to national security.
But within hours, the party respawned on ex, announcing that cockroaches don't die. This is NPR News. On consider this NPR's afternoon news podcast, we cover everything from politics to the economy to the world, but every story starts with a question. NPR, we stand for your right to be curious to make sense of the biggest story of the day
and what it means for you.
