Senate passes $70 billion measure to fund ICE and Border Patrol
This version of Trump Congress Ice Border Patrol Fisa Anti Weaponization Live Updates Rcna348554 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
Bipartisan backlash over President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund threatened to derail the GOP bill.
What to know today
- IRAN WAR: President Donald Trump said in an interview with "Meet the Press," set to air Sunday, that Iranian leaders have not yet reached a deal with the U.S. to end the war because they’re “strong” and “proud,” but ultimately, he added, “they’ve got no choice” except to reach an agreement.
- CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election in the California governor’s race, NBC News projects. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat, will compete in a runoff to challenge Becerra.
- ICE FUNDING PASSES: The Senate passed legislation this morning to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies after bipartisan backlash over a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund threatened to derail the bill. The Republican-backed measure, which does not include any limits on how the fund would be used, now goes to the House for consideration.
- JOBS REPORT: The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, a sign that the labor market remained resilient despite a growing energy and inflation crisis triggered by the war with Iran. Major stock indexes fell sharply on concerns that the report might prompt the Federal Reserve to raise rates.
‘Maine had my back’: Graham Platner hits the campaign trail amid latest turmoil
As he returned to the campaign trail tonight, Graham Platner took a moment to indirectly address new allegations of “toxic” and “unsettling” behavior three women from his past relationships leveled against him.
At the same time, hundreds of supporters signaled to Platner that they were still with him, despite a torrent of negative attention. They gave him several standing ovations and at one point chanted the name of his wife, Amy Gertner, when he singled her out for support.
In his remarks, the Democratic Senate candidate spoke of Maine as a state that has given him personal strength to build himself back from the brink.
“Since the beginning, Maine, you had my back. When hurtful things I said on the Internet a decade ago came out into the public as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth — Maine had my back,” he said to cheers.
Platner supporter Ro Khanna says he should apologize to women who alleged disturbing behavior
Rep. Ro Khanna of California today said that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner should apologize to the women who recently came forward describing disturbing behavior they experienced with him.
In a brief interview with NBC News, Khanna — here to rally on behalf of Platner and other Democratic candidates before Tuesday’s primary — said that he rejected the behavior Platner allegedly displayed against three women who described their past relationships with Platner to The New York Times.
Khanna said that Platner has shown redemption. When asked whether Platner should go further and apologize to the women, Khanna agreed.
“I think he should apologize. I believe what he did was wrong, was misogynistic, was toxic or volatile,” he said in a brief interview with NBC News. “I know he’s ashamed of it and I certainly think it would be appropriate to apologize and say how he now understands why it’s important to stand up to a misogynistic culture.”
DOJ office says ‘multiple’ probes of California elections underway after Trump cries foul
A federal prosecutor in California said today that authorities have launched investigations tied to the state’s recent elections following President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of fraud.
Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said Friday morning on X that his office was pursuing “multiple election fraud investigations” alongside the FBI, without providing details.
“We will follow the evidence wherever it leads and prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent,” said Essayli, who criticized California’s mail voting — a frequent target of Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in California governor’s race
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has advanced to the general election in the California governor’s race, NBC News projects.
His opponent in November has yet to be determined. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat are the leading candidates for second place in the all-party primary.
Becerra, a former California attorney general and 12-term congressman, campaigned on his extensive experience in government in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, portraying himself as a mainstream and moderate Democrat.
Becerra was mired low single digits in the polls for much of the campaign. But he rapidly rose to the top of a muddled field of candidates following former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s abrupt exit from the race in April in the wake of sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
Janet Mills shows no sign of reigniting her Maine Senate bid amid Graham Platner’s troubles
Some of Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ most ardent supporters are encouraging her to reactivate her suspended Senate campaign as fellow Democrat Graham Platner faces new allegations of “toxic” behavior toward three ex-girlfriends, which he has denied.
But while the latest allegations about Platner’s past have jolted uneasy members of the party, that encouragement hasn’t amounted to an organized effort to promote her in Tuesday’s primary, according to conversations with more than a dozen Democrats in state and national politics.
Former state Sen. Lynn Bromley told NBC News that she directly encouraged Mills, whose name remains on the ballot, to jump back into the race. She wanted to let Mills know “there’s still a cheering section out here.”
Asked how Mills responded to that outreach, and if the governor might be re-engaging in the race, Bromley said in a Friday phone interview, “She’s out of money, so there’s — how much re-engaging can you do? So I don’t want to characterize it as that.”
DOJ urges judge not to block ‘anti-weaponization’ fund despite already pledging not to pursue it
The Justice Department told a federal judge that even though the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund is “not going forward,” it still opposes the court taking any action to block the initiative on a more permanent basis.
In a filing today, Justice Department attorney Andrew Block and other DOJ representatives said that no money had been transferred to the fund and that no members of the five-person panel tasked with making decisions about distributing the funds had been appointed.
“This is a rare case that is simultaneously moot and premature,” they wrote. “One of the reasons Plaintiffs were forced to speculate so much about how the Fund would operate is because so little had happened when they sued.”
The Trump administration argued that the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit — including a fired Jan. 6 prosecutor — lacked standing to bring the case because they can’t show they were injured by the fund’s existence.
Trump says Iran has not agreed to a U.S. deal because ‘they’re strong, they’re proud’
President Donald Trump today said Iranian leaders have not yet reached a deal with the U.S. to end the ongoing war because they’re “strong” and “proud,” but ultimately, he added, “they’ve got no choice” except to reach an agreement.
“They’re strong, they’re proud, there are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do. They’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while,” the president told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker during a sit-down interview in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Trump’s remarks come as U.S. and Iranian leaders have been negotiating to end the war, which entered its fourth month last week.
The two nations agreed to a ceasefire in April that has been extended several times, though tensions flared in recent days when the U.S. and Iran traded strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump promises farmers fertilizer prices will drop 'way down' after Iran war
Trump said this evening that fertilizer, oil and energy prices will come "way down" after the war in Iran while speaking at a roundtable on American agriculture in Wisconsin.
"The midterms are coming up, and I hope you people are really spiritized, because we’re at a point we’re going to come out of Iran very quickly, and it’s going to be very strong one way or the other, whether it’s a piece of paper or the very tough way," Trump said.
"We’re going to come out and your fertilizer prices are going to go way down, just like they were four months ago. Your fertilizer is down, your energy is down, your oil, your gas is all coming way down," the president continued.
Trump's promise to deliver lower prices comes as farmers have felt the weight of the war for months. Prior to the conflict, about a third of the world's fertilizer ingredients and a fifth of its oil supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz — which remains blocked by Iranian forces.
Prices for fertilizer and diesel fuel, which most of the agricultural equipment used by U.S. farmers relies on, have skyrocketed globally amid the strait's closure.
Trump reiterates support for GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin governor race
Trump touted Rep. Tom Tiffany's candidacy for Wisconsin governor while speaking at a roundtable on American agriculture this evening.
"Tom Tiffany, is one of the best congressmen in our country," Trump said. "Tom Tiffany is running for governor, he's a winner, and he's going to do a great job."
The president endorsed Tiffany, who has served in Congress since 2020, in a social media post in January.
Trump took a jab at Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat who announced he would not seek re-election last summer, during his remarks today.
"I don't want to knock him, because he's finished after this, but you have a very sleepy governor too," Trump said at the roundtable.
The primary race for governor of Wisconsin is scheduled for August 11.
House Democrat says Platner 'has disqualified himself' from Senate race
Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., said this afternoon that she does not believe Graham Platner is qualified to be a senator after more allegations about his behavior surfaced this week.
"I think it’s so distressing, all of the stories that are coming out, and they’re more and more, it seems, by the hour," Dean said in an interview on CNN this afternoon. "I’m not a voter in Maine, but he has disqualified himself in my eyes."
Platner's campaign had already been clouded by controversy on multiple occasions when The New York Times published a report yesterday afternoon with allegations from several women who dated the Democratic candidate. NBC News has not confirmed the details in the Times’ report.
"We'll see what Maine does about it," Dean said. "But he has disqualified himself."
Majority of 3-judge panel appears skeptical about Trump argument defending ballroom construction
The majority of a three-judge appeals court panel appeared skeptical today of the Trump administration's argument to continue ballroom construction without congressional approval.
The judges heard oral arguments today in a case challenging the Trump administration's construction of the White House ballroom.
Two of the judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit who questioned the administration's position, Patricia Millet and Brad Garcia, were Obama and Biden appointees, respectively.
Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth defended the administration while National Trust for Historic Preservation attorney Tad Heuer represented the plaintiffs who originally brought the case.
Millet questioned whether the government believed the ballroom could not be stopped by the courts and only halted by Congress.
"I think that's right," Roth said.
Garcia questioned Roth, saying that the statute that "says you need express authority to, from Congress, to construct within the District of Columbia — I think you need an argument that that statute does not apply, right?”
Meanwhile, Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, was more sympathetic toward the administration and suggested to the plaintiffs' attorney that they rely on a "generalized feeling" in bringing the challenge against the ballroom.
Joggers pause to admire water returning to Washington reflecting pool
John McDonnell / AP
Joggers stopped this morning to watch as the reflecting pool on the National Mall was refilled with water. It had been empty for several months as workers performed repairs and repainted it "American Flag Blue."
A worker drives his utility vehicle through the pool today. John McDonnell / AP
The Lincoln Memorial is at one end of the pool. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to suspend tax breaks offered to data centers
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday plans to temporarily halt offering tax breaks to data centers that apply to build in the state and intends to call on lawmakers and other groups to hash out a framework in the fall veto session for how the centers should be developed.
In a plan first shared with NBC News, Pritzker will announce he will pause the processing of any applications to the tax incentive program handled by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity beginning July 1.
Pritzker called on state lawmakers this year to suspend incentives for two years while they hammer out a comprehensive review of the impact centers are having on communities.
Anti-Trump former Republicans are running in Democratic primaries. They’re off to a rocky start.
Anti-Trump Republicans have carved out a huge niche on the political left since President Donald Trump’s first campaign — generating large fundraising hauls, seemingly endless cable news bookings and persistent, public sniping from the president himself.
Some of these onetime Republicans have taken their political journey one step further: running for office as full-fledged Democrats. But so far in 2026, their new party’s primary voters haven’t shown much appetite for their candidacies.
Missing congressman and his staff paint a picture of business as usual
In recent weeks, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. launched a new “Hometown Heroes” program honoring first responders in his district. He’s said he’s joining the Congressional Crypto Caucus. And he announced he co-sponsored a bill to combat discrimination against Sikh Americans.
Looking at those social media posts, you’d have no idea that Kean, a 57-year-old New Jersey Republican, hasn’t voted or been seen in public for more than three months.
Lawsuit accuses Pentagon of censoring military newspaper Stars and Stripes
Two members of the advisory board for Stars and Stripes are suing the Defense Department over a memo that they say undermines the military newspaper’s long-standing editorial independence.
The lawsuit, filed this week in federal district court in Washington, asks the court to deem the March memo illegal and prohibit the Trump administration from moving forward with proposed changes. It was filed by advisory board members Susan Dardarian and William Church, two Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalists who say the Pentagon is trying to exert direct control over coverage in violation of its own regulations and the First Amendment.
“Unlawfully censoring ‘the soldiers’ paper’ is an insult to the dedicated members of the armed forces and an attack on the freedom of speech — a foundational constitutional principle for which those brave servicepeople dedicate their lives,” said Paul Wolfson, senior legal adviser at Democracy Forward, which is representing Dardarian and Church.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who is named as a defendant, said in a post on X that the lawsuit was “without merit” and that the department is “committed to a Stars and Stripes that is modern, mission-focused, and worthy of the servicemembers it serves.”
In January, Parnell had said the Pentagon planned to overhaul Stars and Stripes, which has reported on the U.S. military since 1861, refocusing it on “warfighting” instead of “woke distractions.” The publication’s ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, who was fired by Parnell in April, said she believed it was because she opposed the changes.
Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon has imposed new restrictions on media coverage, drawing protests from media outlets including NBC News. This week, journalists were banned from the Pentagon press office after the department designated it a classified space.
Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez rejected suggestions that it was an attempt to further limit media access, saying this was the “most transparent” Defense Department in history.
DOJ could still pay Jan. 6 rioters even without ‘anti-weaponization fund’
Even without the “anti-weaponization” fund, the Trump administration has the ability to give payouts to Jan. 6 rioters though an already existing mechanism: the Judgment Fund.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress this week that the Justice Department was “not moving forward” with the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, after congressional Republicans balked over it.
U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May, even as inflation squeezes consumers
The U.S. economy added a robust 172,000 jobs in May, a sign that the labor market remained resilient even despite a growing energy and inflation crisis triggered by the ongoing war with Iran.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%. Average hourly earnings rose 3.4% from a year ago, which puts wage growth below inflation. In April, inflation sharply jumped to a 3.8%, its highest level in three years, due to the surging price of gasoline and the resulting economic ripple effect.
Democrats navigate a new Graham Platner controversy in Maine’s battleground Senate race
For the Democratic Party, the road to Maine’s Senate primary is paved in dread.
All Graham Platner had to do was glide into Tuesday’s election to clinch the state’s Democratic Senate nomination, since Gov. Janet Mills abruptly suspended her campaign in late April. But with each passing day, the divisions inside the party have grown as some lawmakers and activists say they are increasingly alarmed over the breadth and depth of controversies and scandals facing the military veteran.
Graham Platner greets supporters at an event hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders in Orono, Maine, last weekend. Robert F. Bukaty / AP file
House passes Ukraine aid bill in another GOP rebuke of Trump’s foreign policy
The House passed bipartisan legislation last night that would provide new aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions against Russia, largely clashing with the Trump administration’s approach to the war.
The 226-195 vote included support from 18 Republicans, who joined all but one Democrat in approving the measure.
May jobs report expected to show growth in an economy squeezed by inflation
The jobs report for May, set to be released this morning, is expected to show that hiring has remained steady despite growing inflation and energy prices triggered by the ongoing war in Iran.
Economists polled by Dow Jones believe that the U.S. economy will have added 80,000 positions in May and that the unemployment rate will be unchanged, at a low 4.3%. Average hourly earnings, which fell below the rate of inflation in April, are expected to rise 0.3%. Wages are expected to rise 3.4% from a year ago.
Senators block consideration of FISA surveillance reauthorization
Senators blocked a vote to start consideration of an extension of the authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct warrantless surveillance of noncitizens outside the country — a controversial issue because of the potential for Americans' communications to get swept up in the activity.
The effort to proceed to the measure failed after Senate Democrats raised concerns about Trump’s appointment of top housing official and close ally Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. As director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Pulte had sought probes into several of Trump’s perceived political enemies.
A vote to proceed to the bill failed in a 47-52 vote with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., being the only Democrat to vote to proceed to the bill. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama voted against proceeding to the measure.
Senate passes $70B bill to fund immigration enforcement, without limits on Trump ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
The Senate passed legislation this morning to fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies after intense bipartisan backlash over a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund threatened to derail the bill.
Republicans managed to push through the $70 billion legislation, which would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol through the end of Trump’s term, on a 52-47 vote after weeks of delays.
