What to know today
- The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to let it move forward with layoffs across a broad swath of government agencies that were blocked by a federal judge.
- The Supreme Court this morning declined to hear two major gun cases: a challenge to a Maryland gun law that bans assault-style weapons and a Rhode Island restriction on large-capacity magazines.
- The Senate is preparing to take up work on a House-passed bill to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda as Congress returns from a weeklong recess.
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, faces a primary challenge from her No. 2: Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.
White House says tariffs are here to stay amid legal battles
With the future of Trump’s major tariffs in question because of legal battles in the courts, the White House said tariffs will continue no matter what. Meanwhile, Trump announced new plans to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. NBC News’ Christine Romans reports for "TODAY."
DHS says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn't aware of hurricane season
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was joking when he said in a meeting today that he was not aware of the upcoming hurricane season.
"Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this Hurricane Season. FEMA is laser focused on disaster response, and protecting the American people,” a spokesperson for DHS said. “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, and the efforts of Acting Administrator Richardson FEMA is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.”
Reuters reported that at a briefing earlier today, acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson said he was not aware the United States has a hurricane season, confusing staffers. The report cited four sources familiar with the situation.
FEMA is responsible for coordinating the government’s emergency response to areas affected by natural disasters, such as hurricanes. Hurricane season runs from June through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there is a 60% chance of an above-normal season this year, during which the United States could get six to 10 hurricanes, three to five of which could be “major.”
Joni Ernst says she is 'very compassionate' after telling a protester that 'we all are going to die'
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she is “very compassionate” when she was asked to clarify her comments Friday, when she told a protester objecting to Medicaid cuts, “Well, we all are going to die.”
“I’m very compassionate, and you need to listen to the entire conversation,” Ernst said while rushing into an elevator to avoid reporters. “We want to protect the most vulnerable.”
Then the elevator doors closed.
Ernst posted a video over the weekend mocking the outrage over the comments, saying: “I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth. So I apologize, and I’m really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy, as well.”
Iowa Democrat announces run against Ernst after her 'we are all going to die' remark
Democrat J.D. Scholten announced today that he’s launching a campaign for the Senate against Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
Scholten, an Iowa House member, said he decided to move forward with his candidacy after Ernst, asked at a town hall last week about the impact of the reconciliation package on Medicaid recipients, responded: “We all are going to die.”
Scholten rose to prominence in Iowa when he nearly ousted controversial U.S. Rep. Steve King in the 2018 general election in the solidly conservative 4th Congressional District, losing by just 3 percentage points. In 2020, he lost, however, by 24 points to Rep. Randy Feenstra, a Republican.
Scholten, 45, lives in Sioux City and is on the active roster coming out of the bullpen for the Sioux City Explorers, a minor league team associated with the American Association of Professional Baseball.
N.Y. lieutenant governor launches Democratic primary challenge against the governor
Antonio Delgado, the lieutenant governor of New York, launched a primary challenge against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul today.
Hochul selected Delgado as the lieutenant governor and her running mate in May 2022 after the Lieutenant governor at the time, Brian Benjamin, was arrested on corruption charges. Delgado fueled speculation he could challenge Hochul when he announced in February that he would not be her running mate as she runs for re-election next year.
Delgado, a former congressman, launched his run for governor with a video announcement that did not mention Hochul by name. In an interview with The New York Times, he said the state “deserves better leadership.”
Thune says Senate on track to pass GOP megabill by July 4
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he hopes the Senate is on track to pass the GOP megabill by July 4.
“I think we’re on track. I hope, at least, to be able to produce something that we can pass through the Senate, send back to the House, have them pass and put on the president’s desk by the Fourth of July,” Thune said.
Thune also said the Senate could take up the Russia sanctions bill this month but again said it’s waiting for the White House to give it the go-ahead.
“I think right now they’re still hopeful they’ll be able to strike some sort of a deal,” he said of the White House’s hopes regarding talks with Russia. “But as you might expect, there’s a high level of interest here in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle and moving on it, and it very well could be something that we would take up in this work period."
Rep. Jerry Nadler calls for investigation into incident that resulted in DHS handcuffing his staffer
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., today called for an investigation into a confrontation at his Manhattan office between one of his staffers and agents from the Department of Homeland Security, which he said ended in the agents’ handcuffing the staffer.
Nadler discussed new video of the confrontation on CNN today, calling the encounter “totally unacceptable.”
Nadler said his staffers had been observing DHS agents “grab immigrants emerging from an immigration court in the same building”; the agents became “upset” that Nadler’s staff invited some observers to his office and subsequently demanded entrance.
“One of my staff members said, ‘You can’t come in here; you need a warrant.’ They said, ‘No, we don’t need a warrant,’ which is incorrect. This is — and they barged in. And, in barging in, one of the offices, a very big, heavyset fellow pushed my aide, a very petite young woman, and they then said that she pushed back and they shackled her and took her downstairs. And she was obviously traumatized,” Nadler said.
The staffer was not arrested, DHS said in a statement on X, which said agents had suspected protesters were inside Nadler’s office and were “concerned about the safety of federal employees in the office.”
Nadler said he will ask Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, to investigate the incident and Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics more broadly.
Jordan’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ashley Biden calls book about her father's health issues 'fake news'
Former President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley Biden appeared to denounce the recently published book about her father, calling it “DAMN disrespectful and untrue,” and suggesting it was “fake news.”
The book, "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," claims the former president's team was more concerned about his health than previously known.
Ashley Biden posted a picture on Instagram with the former president and first lady in beach attire, writing in the caption: “The ONLY coverup of this family is a BEACH coverup.”
She acknowledged that her father had aged and that “the stress of the presidency accelerates” that process but insisted he had not lost the ability to execute his responsibilities.
“The noise is so DAMN disrespectful and untrue …AND, it’s just that- noise/static- created by those committed to perpetuating and profiting from some real BS. Get lost with your anonymous sources and fake news,” she added.
A spokesperson for the Bidens did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ashley Biden’s post.
Democrats ponder the ‘manosphere’
Democrats know they have a problem with men, particularly the young men who have drifted away from them in recent years.
But six months after the gender gap contributed to the party’s disappointing showing in last year’s election, top Democrats are still throwing spaghetti at the wall, lacking a unified theory about how to win these voters back.
Trump administration renews call for Supreme Court to allow mass layoffs
The Trump administration has again asked the Supreme Court to allow it to move forward with a broad "reduction in force" plan for federal agencies that was blocked by a federal judge.
The administration had filed an essentially identical request last month, but withdrew it after additional lower court rulings in the case, which meant the justices never had a chance to weigh in.
In the new filing, Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the district court ruling covers "most of the federal government — and even restricts the Executive in planning personnel actions pursuant to presidential direction.”
California-based U.S. District Judge Susan Illston had ruled that while the president can make changes, major reorganizations have to be done with the cooperation of Congress.
In total, the ruling affects 22 government departments and agencies, according to Sauer.
Trump says Boulder attack highlights need for his border policies
Trump wrote on Truth Social that yesterday's attack on people who were shining a light on the hostages still held in Gaza "will not be tolerated."
"He came in through Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under 'TRUMP' Policy," Trump said about the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who could face two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the attack in Boulder, Colorado.
"Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law," Trump wrote. "This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland. My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!"
Soliman used a makeshift flamethrower to attack the peaceful demonstrators, the FBI said, resulting in eight people’s being hospitalized.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Soliman had an asylum claim pending since September 2022. He entered the country on a B2 visa, which allows temporary visits, in August 2022, but that expired in February 2023, she said.
A representative for former President Joe Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's post.
Sen. Murphy launches PAC to mobilize people against Trump's agenda
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., launched a political action committee today to "invest directly in organizations that are mobilizing people to fight back" against Trump and the Republicans’ agenda.
An announcement about the launch of the American Mobilization PAC said Murphy will spend millions of dollars to support grassroots efforts. The first investment, of $400,000, will go to the Committee to Protection Health Care's work organizing doctors and nurses in Michigan, Louisiana and Utah to support protecting Medicaid from cuts, as well as to the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action and Project 26 Pennsylvania, which aim to organize students, the announcement said.
"Elections are important, but if we don’t stop Trump’s attempts to destroy our democracy right now, there won’t be a free and fair election for Democrats to run in next fall," Murphy, a prominent Trump critic who has been speculated about as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, said in a statement. "That’s why I’m focusing my fundraising efforts into supporting citizen groups all over the country that are fighting against Trump’s corruption and attacks on our democracy."
Trump administration continues to target international students. What to know and what could be next.
Lawsuits, next-day countersuits, backtracking and mass confusion. International students find themselves at the center of a dizzying legal landscape as the Trump administration continues to crack down on immigration.
Here’s what to know as the Trump administration keeps trying to put up legal barriers to international students’ ability to study in the United States.
Supreme Court denies challenges to bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines
The Supreme Court this morning declined to hear two major gun cases challenging a Maryland gun law that bans assault-style weapons and a Rhode Island restriction on large-capacity magazines.
As a result, the two laws remain in effect. Litigation over similar bans across the country is ongoing, and the issue is likely to return to the justices.
China hits back at Trump, saying U.S. actions ‘severely undermine’ trade truce
Reporting from Hong Kong
China today accused the United States of breaching the 90-day trade truce agreed to by the world’s two largest economies, after Trump said it was Beijing that had “totally violated” the agreement.
The statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry capped a contentious weekend in U.S.-China relations that also included a speech by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in which he said China “seeks to become a hegemonic power in Asia.”
Trump shares unfounded conspiracy theory claiming Biden was ‘executed’ in 2020
Trump on Saturday night reposted a baseless claim on Truth Social that then-President Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced with clones or robots.
The original post, made by an anonymous Truth Social user who often spreads outlandish claims, suggested that Biden was replaced with “clones, doubles” and “robotic engineered soulless mindless entities.”
Trump published a link to the post to his nearly 10 million followers without adding any context or explanation. The original poster’s account has a little more than 5,000 followers.
Schumer and other lawmakers condemn 'antisemitic act of terror' in Boulder
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., condemned the violent attack in Boulder, Colorado, on a group of people protesting the holding of hostages in Gaza as an “antisemitic act of terror."
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., said in a statement last night that "the Jewish community is once again shattered by pain and heartbreak" less than two weeks after two Israeli Embassy staff members were gunned down in Washington, D.C., outside a Jewish museum.
“Tonight, a peaceful demonstration was targeted in a vile, antisemitic act of terror. Once again, Jews are left reeling from repeated acts of violence and terror," Schumer said. “When antisemitism is allowed to fester, when it spreads unchecked, and when too many look the other way, history has shown us where it leads: to hatred, to violence, to terror."
Schumer noted that last night marked the start of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which he called "a sacred holiday of learning, renewal, and unity."
“Antisemitism, plain and simple, has no place in America. I am praying for the victims’ recovery and am in touch with the FBI as we closely monitor the situation," he said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also denounced the attack, calling it "unconscionable act of terror," saying in a statement that as Boulder residents "gathered on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot to raise awareness for the hostages still being held captive in Gaza, the peacefulness of their assembly was shattered."
"Antisemitism has no place in our nation or anywhere throughout the world. It must be crushed. We stand with the Jewish community today and always," he said.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., another Jewish lawmaker, said that the latest attacks happen "when antisemitic hate is normalized."
"This is what happens when too many remain silent in response to antisemitic hate," he said.
Trump overshadows Supreme Court as ruling season begins
The beginning of June marks the start of the traditional monthlong ruling season at the Supreme Court, when the justices hand down decisions in their biggest and most contentious cases.
But this year is different.
Trump’s second term has disrupted the court calendar, with the nine justices now spending as much time, if not more, juggling consequential emergency cases that need to be handled quickly as they do on the regular docket of cases that have gotten months of attention and deliberation.
Johnson says some Medicaid recipients will ‘choose’ whether to lose health care under House spending bill
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., yesterday defended cuts to Medicaid in the budget bill House Republicans passed last month, saying that “4.8 million people will not lose their Medicaid unless they choose to do so.”
Johnson told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that the bill imposes “commonsense” work requirements for some Medicaid recipients and added that he’s “not buying” the argument that the work requirements, which would require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work, participate in job training programs or volunteer for 80 hours a month, are too “cumbersome.”
Republicans face new pressure to extend expiring Obamacare tax credits
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
Kenny Capps was diagnosed with multiple myeloma a decade ago. A 53-year-old father of three children who lives in North Carolina, he was on the brink of losing his health insurance coverage due to rising costs — until Democrats passed an Obamacare funding boost four years ago.
Capps makes too much money to qualify for Medicaid. He falls outside the subsidy range originally set by Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act. And his income hasn’t been keeping up with the ever-rising cost of health care. “Like a lot of Americans,” he said, “I’m stuck in the middle.”
His fortunes changed when Congress capped premiums for a “benchmark” plan to 8.5% of income. But there’s a catch: That funding expires at the end of 2025, and the Democrats who passed it along party lines (first in early 2021, before extending it the following year) have since been swept out of power. The new Republican-led Congress has made clear it won’t extend the money in the “big beautiful bill” it’s using as a vehicle for Trump’s domestic agenda.