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Today's top stories
The House narrowly voted yesterday to claw back two years of funding worth $1.1 billion for public media outlets. The measure passed largely along party lines, 214 to 212. Two Republicans switched their "no" votes to "yes." Trump requested the legislation, accusing NPR and PBS of bias against conservative viewpoints. The bill includes a list of cuts totaling $9.4 billion, the bulk of which goes to foreign aid programs addressing global public health, international disaster assistance and hunger relief. The Senate still has to approve the measure.
- ๐ง NPR's David Folkenflik tells Up First that, while it seems like a modest amount of money for NPR, the loss of funding "could be huge" for public radio and television stations. NPR CEO Katherine Maher warned of stations "going dark," leaving Americans without access to noncommercial media and putting them at risk of living in a news desert. Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, one of the rare Republicans who voted against the measure, said he agreed that the government must make meaningful cuts to shrink the federal deficit, but he would be "doing a disservice to the thousands of rural constituents" in his district if he didn't "fight to keep their access to the rest of the world and news on the air."
Thousands of California National Guard Troops remain under Trump's control โ for now. Hours after a federal judge said the president violated the U.S. Constitution and ordered Trump to relinquish control of the troops deployed in LA, an appeals court put the order on hold. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he planned to return the 4,000 Guard today to their duties, such as border protection and wildfire prevention. Instead, they'll continue to face off with demonstrators protesting a series of recent ICE raids.
- ๐ง Meanwhile in LA, federal agents handcuffed and forcibly removed Sen. Alex Padilla from a Homeland Security press conference held by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. A statement on the department's X account accuses Padilla of "disrespectful political theatre." NPR's Claudia Grisales says Democrats are furious. She adds that some have said this was a defining moment for the U.S, and Padilla's removal is part of a series of actions by the administration signaling a new era of authoritarian rule.
Israel has struck dozens of sites in Iran, killing three of the country's top military leaders. An Israeli military official said the Israeli air force was targeting Iran's nuclear sites and accused Tehran of running a secret nuclear bomb program. Iranian state television reported that one of the strikes killed Brig. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, who was the commander-in-chief of Iran's military. He was the second-highest commander after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The U.S. State Department said Israel carried out the attacks unilaterally, and the U.S. was not involved.
- ๐ง Khamenei said Israel should expect "harsh punishment," according to NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi. The U.S. and Iran have been holding talks for weeks now to try to strike a deal for Iran to scale back on its nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting sanctions that have severely weakened Iran's economy. Al-Shalchi says Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been adamant that war is the only way to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Until yesterday, Trump had signaled that an attack from Israel was possible but not imminent, and said he didn't want Israel to attack because it would affect diplomatic solutions.
Climate Solutions Week
NPR is dedicating this entire week to stories and conversations about the search for climate solutions for living and building on a hotter planet and how climate change affects decisions on where and how people live.
The deconstruction industry is a growing movement that seeks to tear apart old buildings piece by piece to recycle their building materials. The process keeps waste out of landfills and shrinks the carbon footprint of buildings and infrastructure. The movement has grown in the past five to 10 years in cities like Portland, Ore., and Boulder, Colo., where aging housing stock is being replaced to suit modern tastes. See photos of deconstruction specialists "unbuild" a structure, and read about why some communities may not have the infrastructure needed to keep up with the demand for this kind of business.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
๐ฟ Movies: In Wes Anderson's new film, The Phoenician Scheme, Benicio del Toro plays an amoral industrialist who travels with his daughter and a tutor to convince his business partners to fund his latest venture.
๐บ TV: Matthew Goode stars as an Edinburgh police detective in Dept. Q, who brings together a team of misfits to help search for a woman who vanished several years earlier. Critic John Powers says the crime series is less about the mystery and more about the characters.
๐ Books: Sometimes, reminding yourself of just how dark life could be can paradoxically bring a little brightness to your day. This week's selection of new titles features themes of murder, manslaughter, addiction, prison, and retribution.
๐ต Music: Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers is on a roll. This spring, she released three albums in three months, featuring mostly music she's commissioned herself. Meyers stopped by NPR's Culver City, Calif., studios for a performance with her special violin.
๐ฒ Food: Perpetual stew is having a moment on social media. It's a dish you stew for days, weeks and maybe even years, replenishing ingredients as you eat them. While it is not advised to attempt cooking one at home, if you do decide to try it, keep these safety tips in mind.
๐ฎ Games: The Nintendo Switch 2 has improved on the first generation in (almost) every way, from a bigger screen to updated Joy-Cons. Here's everything you need to know about the device, including a review of the launch games by NPR's James Perkins Mastromarino.
โ Quiz: Test your knowledge, and then test us on ours! Submit your own bonus question after you finish the quiz and see if you can best us.
Before you go
- Peaches, a flamingo from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, has found his way home after he was blown off course to Florida by Hurricane Idalia in 2023.
- The FIFA Club World Cup begins on Saturday with a controversial, revamped 32-game format. Here's everything you need to know.
- Disney and Universal are suing AI firm Midjourney in a first-of-its-kind copyright infringement lawsuit.
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.
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