Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
Box 870370
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
205-348-6644

© 2026 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Free performance tickets! Sponsored by our partners. Click here to see active APR Giveaways.

Author Elliot Ackerman defends Afghan refugees after Trump calls for removal following D.C. shooting

Flowers and an American flag, placed at the scene a day after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Cliff Owen/AP)
Cliff Owen/AP
Flowers and an American flag, placed at the scene a day after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Cliff Owen/AP)

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Friday said the man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday will face first-degree murder charges after one of the soldiers, Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries on Thursday.

The Trump administration says it also plans to vet every Afghan refugee admitted after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

Author and Marine Corps veteran Elliot Ackerman raced to bring Afghans who worked with the U.S. out of the country as the Taliban took over in 2021. He joins us to discuss what that community is facing.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

Tags
Here & Now Newsroom
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.