U.S. Airstrikes In Syria; Minimum Wage Setback; A Bad Year For Butterflies

Plus, get the skinny on Facebook's all-out war against Apple's upcoming iPhone update. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [ctivists are likely to be disappointed that the Senate parliamentarian ruled against the inclusion of a $15 minimum wage in the giant COVID relief bill. But the provision's omission likely means the measure will gain more support in the Senate.]( J. Scott Applewhite/AP Here's what we're following today. Senate Democrats were dealt a defeat on Thursday in their effort to force through a federal $15-an-hour minimum wage as part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The Senate Parliamentarian told lawmakers that the increase couldn’t be included in the complicated Senate legislative process. [Democrats say they’ll pursue different methods]( to get the minimum wage increase. The Biden administration carried out its first known offensive military operation, launching airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups in Syria. The White House said it was responding to [recent rocket attacks against Americans]( in Iraq. Former Team USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert died by suicide on Thursday, hours after being charged with sexual assault, human trafficking and other felonies. Geddert, a renowned figure in elite gymnastics who was head coach of the gold-winning 2012 U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics team, [had a close relationship with disgraced team physician Larry Nasser](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [Kris Bowers with Aretha Franklin.]( Courtesy of Kris Bowers Kris Bowers is one of the busiest composers in Hollywood. From Dear White People and Green Book to Bridgerton and an upcoming film about Billie Holiday, his music can be heard across screens big and small. But his film-scoring career was jumpstarted by a conversation with Aretha Franklin — a fact he says was with him while he scored an upcoming biopic about the late Queen of Soul. [Listen here]( or [read the story](. Experts say domestic violence has been growing amid the pandemic. NPR's Ari Shapiro spoke with Leigh Goodmark of the Gender Violence Clinic at the University of Maryland about how the legal system can better address these conditions. [Listen to their conversation](. [Facebook is pushing back on new Apple privacy rules for its mobile devices, this time saying the social media giant is standing up for small businesses in television and radio advertisements and full page newspaper ads.]( Eric Risberg/AP Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Apple's Tim Cook are fighting over iPhone privacy rules. At stake is the future of how iPhone users' data is used by data brokers and advertisers. [Listen here]( or [read about it](. More than 2 million Black men who pursued a higher education never reached graduation, according to the Census Bureau. Morehouse President David Thomas says a new, flexible online program aims to help them cross the finish line. [Listen]( or [read the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Lady Gaga. ]( Neilson Barnard/Getty Images - Lady Gaga is offering $500,000 for the return of her two French bulldogs after someone stole them and shot the dog walker in Hollywood on Wednesday. ([NBC News]( - President Biden has revoked a controversial classical architecture executive order signed in December by [former President Trump](. - 2020 was a bad year for butterflies. A new reports says the population of monarch butterflies that migrated south to Mexico this winter [fell 26% from 2019](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]( [NPR logo]