Live updates: Trump says he might send federal forces to New Orleans to tackle crime

As residents of Chicago prepare to mark Mexican Independence Day with parades and events starting this weekend, immigration advocates, as well as state and city officials, are bracing for the celebrations to potentially coincide with a surge of immigration enforcement.

“We have reason to believe that Stephen Miller chose the month of September to come to Chicago because of celebrations around Mexican Independence Day that happen here every year,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference yesterday, referring to the senior White House aide who has been credited with driving Trump’s immigration crackdown. Pritzker added that he’s “deeply concerned” that officials will specifically target the celebrations and Latino communities.

Officials and advocates in Boston are also preparing for any attempt by Trump to ramp up immigration enforcement after Politico published a report Friday indicating he was preparing for an immigration crackdown in the city. NBC News hasn’t independently verified the report, which cites an unnamed current and a former administration official.

Read the full story here.

The father of a child who was shot by an attacker who opened fire on kids at a Mass at their Minneapolis Catholic school last week asked Vice President JD Vance to take action on guns.

Harry Kaiser, whose daughter Lydia is still hospitalized, said he read a note to Vance asking him to “earnestly support the study of what is wrong with our culture, that we are the country that has the worst mass shooter problem.”

“Will you please promise to pursue, despite powerful lobbies, some common sense, bipartisan legislation as a starting point so we can come out of our corners and find the values that we share — so that this time, some progress is made?” said Kaiser, who is a gym teacher at Annunciation School.

“Thoughts and prayers haven’t been enough,” he added.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters in Minneapolis today that the Trump administration has “no immediate plans” to send National Guard troops to Chicago.

"I’ll let the president speak to that. I mean, look, there are no immediate plans," Vance said in response to a question about the timing and number of troops who could be deployed in the city.

"But the president has said he has the legal authority to protect American citizens, whether that’s in Chicago or Washington, D.C.," he added.

Asked at the White House yesterday whether he’d be sending National Guard troops to Chicago, Trump said "we’re going in," without specifying when. Today he suggested that he could send federal troops to New Orleans as he ramps up efforts to send federal forces to Democratic-run cities.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heads to Capitol Hill for testimony tomorrow, a week after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez was fired and a series of vaccine-related decisions drew criticism from lawmakers, including Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy, R-La.

Monarez’s firing led several senior CDC officials to resign and fueled a staff protest outside the agency’s Atlanta headquarters last week. In a scathing editorial in The New York Times on Monday, nine former CDC directors called Kennedy “dangerous” and said his actions are “unlike anything our country has ever experienced.”

“My hope during the hearing is that he’s asked tough questions,” Dr. Richard Besser, who was acting CDC director in 2009 and was among the former directors who signed the Times editorial, said in an interview. “How is the country healthier and safer by firing the CDC director?”

Among his recent actions, Kennedy fired all the members of an influential CDC panel that makes recommendations about vaccinations and replaced them with his own handpicked members, some of whom are known anti-vaccine activists. He slashed $500 million in mRNA vaccine research and announced that the Food and Drug Administration had limited this fall’s Covid shot approval to people 65 and up and those with underlying medical conditions.

Read the full story here.

The Missouri-chapter of the NAACP sued Republican state leaders today to block a legislative special session to redraw new congressional maps that further favor the GOP.

Gov. Mike Kehoe issued a proclamation last week convening the General Assembly to update the state's congressional boundaries, joining Texas and California in a tit-for-tat partisan gerrymandering fight. The NAACP sued Texas last week over its redistricting push.

In the Missouri suit, the NAACP questioned the constitutionality of Kehoe's proclamation, noting that state law allows the governor to convene special sessions only for extraordinary occasions, a category it argues does not include partisan redistricting.

The suit also argues that the legal statute Kehoe cited does not “expressly grant the Governor the authority to request a new Congressional Map from the General Assembly without action from Congress.”

Speaking at a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the audience, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the Trump administration’s decision to revert the names of Army bases that were changed during under the Biden administration because of their associations with the Confederacy.

Specifically, Schumer said it was a “mistake” to change Fort Johnson in Louisiana back to Fort Polk. The Army installation was originally named for Leonidas Polk, a Confederate general. In 2023, it was renamed for Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black World War I hero.

Johnson was a member of the “Harlem Hellfighters,” an infantry regiment being honored at the Capitol today with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Trump announced this year that the names of several bases renamed during Biden’s tenure would revert, including Fort Johnson, which is now Fort Polk again, though it is now named for James Polk, a World War II general.

“I hope today shows what a mistake that was,” Schumer said to applause at the ceremony. “And why a base deserves to bear the name of one of Harlem Hellfighters’ finest.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is keeping the door open to a potential extension of tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that are scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

The issue has divided Republicans, with some calling for extending the funds to avoid insurance premium hikes next year, an idea that numerous conservatives in the party oppose.

Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday that the onus is on Democrats to propose a solution that the Republican-controlled Congress can accept but that it’s a legitimate issue for some in his party.

NBC News asked Thune at his news conference whether he could support an extension of the ACA enhanced subsidies, either as part of a government funding package or as a separate vehicle.

Read the full story here.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said today that the state will work to eliminate all vaccine mandates.

“All of them. All of them,” he said at a news conference as the crowd stood and erupted in applause. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.” He said the state Health Department will work in partnership with Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Read the full story here.

A federal judge in Boston ordered the Trump administration today to unfreeze nearly $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University.

U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in part granted Harvard’s motion with respect to the freeze orders.

“All freezes and terminations of funding to Harvard made pursuant to the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters on or after April 14, 2025 are vacated and set aside,” the order said.

The 84-page order conceded that Harvard has been “plagued by antisemitism” in recent years and should “have done a better job of dealing with the issue,” but it said that “there is, in reality, little connection between the research affected by the grant terminations and antisemitism.”

Read the full story here.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said on social media that he backs Trump's suggestion that he could send federal troops to New Orleans in an expansion of his efforts to send federal forces to Democrat-run cities.

"I fully support @POTUS’s call to send the National Guard to New Orleans. D.C. proved that a stronger uniformed presence makes communities safer," he wrote on X this afternoon.

Trump told reporters at the Oval Office today that "we’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana" and specifically named New Orleans, which he said has a "crime problem."

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, responded on X that he would welcome Trump's "help from New Orleans to Shreveport!"

The House voted down a measure today to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver, R-N.J., and remove her from a committee assignment over her role in a tense confrontation with law enforcement at a New Jersey immigration detention center in May.

Five Republican members defected and joined all Democrats to kill the resolution. Two other Republicans voted present. That was enough to table the measure.

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is calling on the panel’s Republican chairman to hold a hearing on Trump’s threats to deploy military forces to Chicago and other cities.

“Domestic deployment of the military into American communities raises serious issues within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee that warrant an immediate hearing,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wrote in a letter today to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

“Of particular relevance for this Committee is that the men and women serving in our Armed Forces are trained primarily for warfighting, not community policing and safeguarding civil liberties. Unlawfully and unnecessarily deploying troops to engage in law enforcement in local communities, instead of the duties they are trained for, undermines military readiness and endangers American communities,” he said.

Durbin contended that police power to ensure residents’ safety is a duty that rests with state and local officials, not the federal government.

Read the full story here.

In a radio interview that aired today on “The Scott Jennings Show,” Trump criticized Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a longtime political foe.

“Like this guy, Massie, he’s going to be taken out. He’s no good. He never votes. He never votes for anything," Trump said.

"You know, it’s like, he’s from Kentucky. He’s always a no vote. It’s like automatic if it’s good or bad. He thinks he gets publicity by voting no," Trump added. "Some of these guys, so sometimes you have to take them out, and they do, and I win."

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, visited Minneapolis' Annunciation Catholic Church, the site of a mass shooting last week that killed two children and injured 18 other people.

The Vances looked at messages addressing the two young victims, Harper and Fletcher, written in chalk outside the building, such as "Angels" and "We miss and love you!"

They then held hands in front of the church for a few moments before they entered.

The vice president's office said they were expected to hold a series of private meetings to convey condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy.

During a House Democratic news conference opposing Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C., the district's delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, seemed to struggle walking on her own, especially as she departed.

Norton, 88, did not stay for questions and left right after reading her remarks. Norton, a Democrat who serves as D.C.'s sole representative in the House, and her staff have given conflicting statements on whether she’s running for re-election next year.

The House today adopted a procedural rule for legislation this week that also automatically adopts two other measures, one that directs the Oversight Committee to continue its investigation into the Epstein case and one that creates a new Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding January 6, 2021.

There are no further votes on these matters. The rule language says both are “hereby adopted.”

The White House has responded to an appeals court ruling temporarily blocking it from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members, and predicted it would ultimately prevail in the case.

“The authority to conduct national security operations in defense of the United States and to remove terrorists from the United States rests solely with the President. President Trump exercised this lawful authority and employed the Alien Enemies Act to remove enemies of the United States, including vicious TdA gang members, from the country," said a statement from White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.

She added that we "expect to be vindicated on the merits in this case."

Missouri lawmakers are kicking off a special session on redistricting today, the latest effort by Republicans to create friendlier congressional districts for their party ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Democrats, like others in GOP-led states pursuing new maps mid-decade, are loudly opposing the move. But there’s little they can do to stop it.

Unlike in Texas, where Democrats were able to band together to grind the state House to a halt and delay redistricting attempts, Missouri Democrats lack the numbers needed to mount a similar quorum break. While two-thirds of the Texas Legislature must be in session to conduct business, Missouri’s quorum requirement is a simple majority of members. And Missouri Republicans have about a two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers.

Read the full story here.

After Trump demanded Monday that pharmaceutical companies release data pertaining to the success rates of their Covid “drugs,” Pfizer said today that it welcomed the president's call for transparency.

Pfizer was the only company Trump called out by name. Trump claimed that he had seen “extraordinary” information “from Pfizer, and others” that has never been released to the public.

During Trump’s first term, Pfizer had the first authorized Covid vaccine in the U.S. and developed Paxlovid, an antiviral medication used to treat mild to moderate Covid.

In its statement, Pfizer shared a link to its website, which shows press releases on published studies and safety and efficacy data on the Covid vaccine. It also noted that, to date, information on its Covid shot has appeared in more than 600 peer-reviewed journals. The company said it will post additional information and studies by the end of the month.

Trump said in his Oval Office remarks this afternoon that the case challenging his tariffs will be "one of the most important cases I’ve ever seen go before the Supreme Court of the U.S."

"Tariffs are vital to our country, and just so you know, other countries use them on us, but I just used them a lot better," Trump said. "We’re in a much better position. We have trillions of dollars coming into our country. If we didn’t have tariffs, we would be a very poor nation, and we would be taken advantage of by every other nation in the world, friend and foe."

He continued, "We have a very, very big case in the Supreme Court," and predicted he will have "a big victory."

Trump said yesterday that he will ask the Supreme Court to rule quickly in the case challenging his tariffs. A federal appeals court said late last week that Trump misused his authority by imposing the tariffs unilaterally, but the judge left them in effect as the case makes its way through the courts.

Trump’s move to unilaterally cancel another $5 billion in congressionally approved spending is drawing pushback from some Republicans, who warn that it is illegal and could increase the likelihood of a government shutdown.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, said her team is “reviewing” its options to fight back against the Trump administration’s decision to use an uncommon tactic, known as a “pocket rescission,” to cancel the funding.

Read the full story here.

Ninety-two people were arrested in Washington, D.C., overnight as a result of Trump's crime crackdown in the city, including two people who were wanted for homicide, a White House official said.

Further details on the operation were not provided, but the official said one person was arrested on a warrant in Ward 7 for homicide, and that the suspect had previously been convicted of two murders and sentenced to 36 years in prison. Another person was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder, first-degree assault, the use of a firearm in a violent crime and second-degree assault, while a third was arrested on a warrant for attempted first-degree murder.

Among the 92 were also 40 undocumented immigrants, including some with prior criminal histories for attempted first-degree murder, burglary, assault and attempted second-degree murder. The official did not disclose how many of those arrested had criminal records or the status of their cases.

In all, there have 1,761 arrests since the operation was started Aug. 7, the official said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner filed to run for governor of Florida today, making him the second big-name Republican to jump into the race to replace term-limited Ron DeSantis.

“Many called it the two most conservative years in Florida history,” Renner said of his time as speaker from 2022 to 2024 in an interview yesterday. “I led a chamber of great men and women ... that made Florida what it is today.”

Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is seen as the front-runner. Not only has he been endorsed by Trump and has been on the campaign trail for months, but he has also already socked away $25 million in campaign funds. Donalds announced his bid for governor in March. 

Read the full story here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that he was ready to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy if the Ukrainian president came to Moscow, while casting doubt on whether such talks would be useful.

Zelenskyy has pressed to meet Putin, a summit backed by Trump, to discuss the terms of a possible deal that could bring an end to the war. But a summit in the capital of a country that has invaded his and sought to kill him would be a nonstarter for Zelenskyy.

At the end of his trip to Beijing, Putin said he had “never ruled out” the possibility of a meeting. “But is there any point? Let’s see,” he added.

The Russian leader said that such a meeting had to be well-prepared in advance. He made the remarks after Trump said he was “very disappointed” in him for Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine.

Answering reporters' questions, Trump floated sending federal enforcement to New Orleans.

“We’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks. It’ll take us two weeks, easier than D.C.," Trump said, likely referring to the deployment of the National Guard to try to help quell crime as he has done in the nation's capital and Los Angeles.

Trump has previously floated sending troops to Chicago and Baltimore.

Trump, during a bilateral meeting with Poland's president in the Oval Office today, was asked about a U.S. military strike on a boat that he said departed from Venezuela and was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang and narcotics.

“On the boat, you had massive amounts of drugs … coming into our country to kill a lot of people," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

"They were hit, obviously, and they won’t be doing it again," the president added, also saying, "We have to protect our country, and we’re going to."

The president continued, highlighting his agenda to improve border security, telling reporters, "Venezuela’s been very bad both in terms of drugs and sending the worst criminals from anywhere in the world into our country."

Trump suggested in his remarks in the Oval Office that his administration could take action against Russia if Vladimir Putin doesn't continue to cooperate in negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump said he didn't have a message for Putin.

"Putin knows where I stand, and he'll make a decision one way or the other," he said. "Whatever his decision is, we'll either be happy about it, or unhappy, and if we're unhappy about it, you'll see things happen."

Trump has implied for months that the U.S. could ramp up pressure on Russia with additional sanctions, for example, but his administration hasn't followed through on those threats.

Trump said in remarks to reporters in the Oval Office that China's military parade yesterday that involved the leaders of Russia, North Korea and Iran was "beautiful."

"I thought it was a beautiful ceremony. I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching," Trump said ahead of a bilateral meeting with the Polish president when asked if he'd consider slapping secondary sanctions on Russia if it's conspiring against the U.S., as Trump claimed in a social media post.

"My relationship with all of them is very good. We’re going to find out how good it is over the next week or two," he added.

Trump, during a bilateral meeting with the president of Poland in the Oval Office, said that calls to release more files related to Jeffrey Epstein are "a Democrat hoax that never ends."

Responding to a question about the news conference featuring Epstein accusers that was happening just across town, the president added: “From what I understand, thousands of pages of documents have been given. But it’s really a Democrat hoax. Because they’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success we’ve had as a nation since I’ve been president.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene emphasized to reporters at the Capitol that women were scared to name people who abused them because they were afraid of retaliation, including lawsuits.

"It's a scary thing to name names, but I will tell you, I'm not afraid to name names," she said. "And so if they want to give me a list, I will walk in that Capitol on the House floor, and I'll say every damn name that abused these women."

"I can do that for them," she added. "And I'd be proud to do it."

Chauntae Davies, one of the Epstein accusers present at Khanna and Massie's press conference this morning, said that Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, often bragged about their close relationship with Trump.

"Jeffrey and Ghislaine were always very boastful about their friends, their famous or powerful friends," Davies told reporters. "And his biggest brag forever was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump."

She added, "[Epstein] had an 8-by-10 framed picture of [Trump] on his desk with the two of them, like, they were very close."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the woman's remarks.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has arrived at the White House for a bilateral meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.

Lisa Phillips, who said she was brought to Epstein's island, said that she and other survivors will compile a list of people in Epstein's orbit.

"I would like to announce here today, us Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list. We know the names. Many of us were abused by them. Now together as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names we all know, who were regularly in the Epstein world," she said.

"It will be done by survivors and for survivors," she added. "No one else is involved."

Sky Roberts, the brother of Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein accuser who died by suicide earlier this year, pleaded with lawmakers to support Khanna and Massie's bill.

“Let’s be clear, this is not a political issue. This is not about left or right. This is about humanity," Roberts told reporters outside the Capitol.

“Our plea to you, whether you’re a dad, a mom, a brother, or a sister — look your young ones in the face. Look them in the eye and tell them you didn’t stand against the very people who raped, molested and preyed upon children and young women," Roberts added, becoming emotional as he directed his comments to lawmakers who have not yet come out in support of Massie and Khanna's proposal.

“The survivors of this horrific abuse are watching. The American people are watching and history is watching. Which side will you be on?" Roberts said at the conclusion of his remarks.

One of Epstein's victims, Marina Lacerda, 37, told reporters that today is her first time speaking publicly about what happened to her when she was a teenager in New York City.

Lacerda said she dropped out of high school while she was forced to massage grown men at Epstein's Manhattan mansion.

"There are many pieces of my story that I can't remember no matter how hard I try," Lacerda told reporters. "The constant state of wonder causes me so much fear and so much confusion. My therapist says that my brain is just trying to protect itself, but it's so hard to begin to heal knowing that there are people out there who know more about my abuse than I do."

"The worst part is that the government is still in possession right now of the documents and information ... that could help me remember and get over all of this," she said, adding later, "But I don’t have any of it, and I know the same is true for many of these women."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called out her own party in her introductory remarks at the news conference on her and others' push to get more Epstein files released.

"It's grieved me to watch the arguments and debates take place among my colleagues and even the administration," she said. "I think this is something that's worth fighting for."

Bradley Edwards, the attorney for women who allege abuse by Epstein, praised the discharge petition, saying, "When you see the documents, you're going to be appalled."

"The American people deserve to see everything," he said.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called on his colleagues to "be one of the next two who sponsors this discharge petition."

Massie continued, alleging that perpetrators were being protected. When he introduced Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to speak next, he called her "the bravest woman in Congress."

"I think she deserves all of our gratitude for breaking that barrier and leading the way for the other Republicans," Massie said. "Hopefully they can find their spines as well."

Women accusing Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking rallied at Capitol Hill ahead of the news conference, calling for the release of all files related to the Epstein investigation, a commitment “to the truth” without political bias, and a promise by Trump not to pardon Maxwell.

Supporters held up signs that read “Trust the victims, not the felon,” referring to Maxwell and “Stand Up for Survivors.”

“The justice system was not designed to serve the powerful, it was meant to protect the people — and it’s time it started doing just that,” said Sky Roberts, the brother of prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide in April.

Theresa Helm, who alleges she was 22 in 2002 when Maxwell groomed her and she was sexually abused by Epstein, said Maxwell belongs in prison.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., emphasized in his opening remarks that the push for transparency over the Epstein case is bipartisan.

"We're here not as partisans, we're here as patriots," Khanna said. "We begin the work of bringing this country together. Progressives, independents, moderates, and yes, MAGA supporters, to demand truth and justice."

Khanna said the lawmakers only need two more signatures from colleagues in order to move to the next steps for forcing a vote on the release of more files related to Epstein.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is kicking off a press event featuring women who allege abuse by Epstein.

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., will speak first, followed by several women.

The event comes as lawmakers have been pushing for the Trump administration to release more information related to Epstein.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has filed a discharge petition that could force a House vote ordering the Justice Department to release all files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Massie’s push has faced opposition from GOP leadership, and comes as Epstein survivors and their families will speak at Capitol Hill.

The White House is blasting any support from members of Congress for an effort by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to force a floor vote to require the Trump administration to release more Jeffrey Epstein files.

A White House official said helping Massie and Democrats "with their attention-seeking, while the DOJ is fully supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration."

The petition, which needs 218 signatures to force the floor vote in the House, has already earned the backing of three other House Republicans: Reps. Nancy Mace, of South Carolina; Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia; and Lauren Boebert, of Colorado.

Massie responded to the White House in a post on X this morning, "They’re threatening anyone who helps bring true transparency and justice for the survivors. This is a tacit admission the Oversight Committee data release is woefully incomplete."

China held a massive military parade in Beijing today where President Xi Jinping was joined by the leaders of Russia, North Korea, Iran and 23 other countries in a dramatic show of strength and unity. It’s the first time that Xi, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin have appeared together. NBC’s Janis Mackey Frayer reports for "TODAY" on what it could mean for U.S. national security and its standing in the world.

The House is scheduled to vote today on a resolution that would censure Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., and remove her from the House Homeland Security Committee over her confrontation with law enforcement at an immigration detention center in New Jersey in May.

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., introduced the measure as a privileged matter last night, a fast-track process that forces a vote within two legislative days. The resolution is currently on the agenda for the House today, but it is unclear whether a vote will take in early afternoon or later tonight. 

The last member censured by the House was Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, in March after he interrupted Trump’s address to Congress. 

The House has voted to strip several members of committee assignments in recent years. When Democrats were in the majority in 2021 they voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., from committees. In 2023, Republicans voted to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee. 

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance will travel to Minneapolis today to pay respects to victims in the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, according to the vice president's office.

"They will hold a series of private meetings to convey condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy," the office said.

Two children were killed and 15 others, as well as three adult parishioners, were injured in the shooting.

More than 30,000 pages related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation were released yesterday, but Democrats say the vast majority of it is not new information. Republicans are divided, with some pushing for more information by trying to force a vote in the House. It comes as nine survivors and family members, including the siblings of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, are speaking out in an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Hallie Jackson.

A federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration yesterday from using an 18th century wartime law to remove people alleged to be Venezuelan gang members from the United States.

A panel of the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to block Trump’s deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, ruling the administration’s claim that members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang are part of a warlike invasion is not true.

Read the full story here.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner said yesterday that he is being blocked from a scheduled oversight meeting after interference from far-right activist Laura Loomer.

Warner, D-Va., said the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency meeting scheduled for Friday was called off after Loomer launched public attacks on him and the NGA’s director, Vice Adm. Trey Whitworth.

Read the full story here.

Trump will host Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the White House this morning. 

Nawrocki won his race this year, and Trump had expressed his support for the conservative ahead of the election. Trump previously met with him at the White House in May when Nawrocki was still a candidate. 

The meeting is expected to focus on the war in Ukraine and energy security, according to Reuters. 

Dan Kleban is betting that something is brewing in Maine, and he’s not talking about his company’s latest pale ale.

Kleban, a Democrat who is a co-founder of Maine Beer Co., says Mainers have lost confidence in Republican Sen. Susan Collins ahead of her re-election race next year, so he’s jumping into the race to defeat her.

Read the full story here.

Trump sent his warmest regards to the leaders of China, Russia, and North Korea today.

The pleasantries, though, came with a twist — in the very same breath, he accused Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un of conspiring against the United States as the trio gathered at a massive military parade in Beijing.

Though the grand display of missiles and marching troops may have been capped by the release of 80,000 doves into the skies of the Chinese capital, the American president suggested he saw something altogether more sinister behind the spectacle.

“May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.”

Read the full story here.

Trump said yesterday the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean on a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

The president said in a social media posting that 11 people were killed in the rare U.S. military operation in the Americas, a dramatic escalation in the Republican administration’s effort to stem the flow of narcotics from Latin America. Trump also posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames.

Read the full story here.

Democrat Scott Colom, a district attorney, launched a campaign for Senate in Mississippi today, arguing that he could put the deep-red state in play next year and suggesting that GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith” puts D.C. politics above what’s best for us.”

Colom told NBC News in an interview yesterday ahead of his launch that Hyde-Smith’s vote for Trump’s sweeping tax cut and spending law, known as the “big beautiful bill,” was the “final betrayal.” Colom said that tax cuts for ultra-wealthy Americans would not benefit most Mississippians, and cuts to Medicaid could threaten health care for tens of thousands of residents. 

The race is an uphill climb and not one of the main campaigns in the spotlight for Democrats, who need to net four seats in 2026 to take control of the Senate. Trump won Mississippi by 23 points last year, and Hyde-Smith won her first full term in 2020 by 10 points. Attorney Ty Pinkins, who ran for Senate unsuccessfully last year as a Democrat, is challenging Hyde-Smith as an independent. 

But The New York Times reported in May that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had discussed Colom’s potential Senate bid as a potential opportunity for his party. Colom acknowledged that he has spoken with Schumer and other Democrats like Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., but said he speaks most frequently with Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

”I’m focused on Mississippi,” Colom said. “I’m not focused on D.C. politics. I don’t care what Mitch McConnell thinks. I’m not going to D.C. based on what Chuck Schumer thinks. I’m more concerned about what the people in my community think.”