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Episode Date: June 13, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Scaffolding and white tarps now cover part of the Kennedy Center's facade as a legal battle over the removal of President Trump's name from the building continues. The developments follow a series of setbacks for the administration, including its latest failed attempt to keep the signage in place. NPR's Frank Langford was outside of the venue when Washington, D.C., well into the night, where crowds of protesters also gathered. People have been out here in front of the Kennedy Center for many, many hours waiting to see the name Donald J. Trump taken down from the facade. And right now it's well past midnight, so it's past the deadline that the court set. And there's a huge piece of scaffolding up there and a lot of workers, but they have yet to touch any of the letters. And the crowd is beginning to thin out.

People have gotten very tired, and they've also gotten very frustrated. It's NPR's Frank Langford reporting. The Kennedy Center filed a motion shortly before midnight requesting a 12-hour extension, saying that evening thunderstorms had delayed the process. A judge last month gave the venue a two-week deadline to remove Trump's name from the building, ruling that a change must be approved by Congress. Oil settled at its lowest prices in months on Friday amid the war in Iran. NPR's Camilla Dominovsky reports.

crude oil prices were north of $100 a barrel for much of this conflict. The global benchmark for crude is now well under $90 and lower than it's been at any point since early March. That's largely because of hopes for a deal. The U.S. also says it's been helping some tankers move covertly through the Strait of Hormuz. Lower crude prices have helped ease pressure at the gas pump. The national average for regular gasoline is now $4.11 per gallon, down more than 40 cents from a month ago. Camila Domenoski. NPR News. The Justice Department has approved Paramount's acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery. MPR's Emma Bowman reports the merger is raising questions about creative and editorial independence. Paramount owns CBS, including CBS News. It's swallowing the

much larger Warner, which includes HBO and CNN. The antitrust investigation into the proposed $110 billion merger found no threat. to competition or consumers of film, broadcast television, or streaming. But several states, including California, still have antitrust concerns. And industry unions fear the loss of thousands of jobs. In a statement after the decision, Paramount said the deal would result in a stronger company, better position to compete against dominant technology platforms and ultimately benefit both consumers and creators. Emma Bowman, NPR News. This is N. PR News in Washington.

Shares of SpaceX jumped 19% in their Wall Street debut on Friday, pushing the company's market value to about $2.1 trillion. The surge also made founder Elon Musk, the world's first trillionaire. Forbes estimates his net worth now stands at about $1.1 trillion. The Department of Corrections in Oregon is facing a class action lawsuit and solitary confinement. Oregon public Broadcasting's Conrad Wilson reports a group of prisoners say the state has violated the law. Oregon's Constitution prohibits the quote harsh degrading or dehumanizing treatment of prisoners. Yet according to the lawsuit, hundreds of adults in the state's prisons are held alone inside small windowless rooms often for months. The state limits disciplinary segregation to 90 consecutive

days. That's far longer than neighboring states, says Ben Hale, an attorney with the Oregon Justice Resource Center, which is representing the adults in custody. Oregon has certainly become an outlier in the use of disciplinary solitary confinement, which in some ways is the most punitive. State data show a recent upward trend of adults in custody held in solitary. The Oregon Department of Corrections says it's committed to safe and humane operations. For NPR News, I'm Conrad Wilson in Portland. The U.S. men's national team opened its World Cup campaign with a four-to-one win over Paraguay last night.

Forward, Ricardo Pepey scored twice as the Americans took control early in the game. The victory gives the U.S. an early boost in the tournament. The Americans face Australia next week. I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.