What to know today
- President Donald Trump said on Truth Social this afternoon that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia’s war with Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear program. Trump said Putin told him "very strongly" that he would respond to Ukraine's recent airfield attacks.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Trump was “not delighted” about Elon Musk’s criticisms of the Republican bill to enact Trump's agenda.
- The Congressional Budget Office projected that the Republican bill for Trump’s domestic agenda would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt.
- Candidates for mayor of New York are debating the issues this evening — and taking turns attacking front-runner Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo doesn't cite any of his own actions when asked about biggest regret
Reporting from New York, NY
Cuomo's biggest political regret? "The state of the Democratic party."
The former governor's answer to the question about his biggest regret did not acknowledge the allegations of sexual harassment that led to his resignation from the governor's mansion in 2021 or his handling of the pandemic.
His opponents saw that as a chance to pile on.
Adrienne Adams, speaker of the New York City Council, delivered Cuomo's harshest rebuke. "No regrets when it comes to slow walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of Covid to black and brown communities? Really, no regrets?" asked Adams.
Cuomo, Mamdani spar at first NYC Democratic primary debate
Reporting from New York, NY
The knives are out early at the first New York Democratic mayoral primary debate.
Front-runner Andrew Cuomo and his opponent Zohran Mamdani sparred from the outset. After Mamdani, 33, a Democratic socialist, confidently declared, "I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare," Cuomo snapped back that Trump would go through him like a "hot knife through butter."
Mamdani threw the first dagger just eight minutes into the debate, claiming Cuomo was at the behest of billionaires while he was governor.
"In my first year in the state Legislature, I came to Albany, where we had a governor then who didn't want to raise taxes on billionaires and corporations," Mamdani said. "That was then-Gov. Cuomo."
Senate Republican leader says he feels 'good about where we are' on reconciliation bill despite criticism from Musk and others
Senate Republican leaders spoke with reporters about the reconciliation bill outside the White House after their meeting with Trump this evening, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., saying he feels “good about where we are” despite criticism from Elon Musk and others.
"We had a very positive discussion about the path forward on the big, beautiful bill, on the reconciliation bill, and I think it was a reminder that we are all in this together," Thune told reporters. "Everybody is going to be rowing in the same direction to get this across the finish line. Failure is not an option."
Senate Republicans are aiming to pass a revised version of the bill by July 4.
Asked about Musk's criticism of the bill, Thune said: "I think that what he stated was that he thought it was something that would add to the deficit. We believe the opposite."
Musk condemned the bill yesterday as a “disgusting abomination” over its anticipated impact on the national debt.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the package would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
Kari Lake outlines plan to cut staff at Voice of America, U.S. Agency for Global Media
Kari Lake, senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, outlined the Trump administration's plans to dramatically slash more than 90% of the workforce at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees the Voice of America and several other global broadcast networks.
In a letter to Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Lake notified Congress of the administration's plans to reduce the agency's workforce from at least 1,300 full-time staff members and contractors to 81 positions, a roughly 94% drop in staffing.
Lake said the cuts were necessary to comply with a March executive order by Trump directing “the non-statutory components and functions of [the United States Agency for Global Media] shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
"A plan was developed by senior career USAGM leadership who assessed what the statutory minimum is and signed-off on it," Lake wrote in the letter.
The staffing minimum, according to Lake, is to maintain 33 positions in Florida to support the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and an 48 more positions to support the agency's remaining functions. Only 11 positions would go toward supporting the Voice of America. All other positions would be terminated.
Senior reporters at the agency bashed the planned cuts, writing in statements that they would amount to the United States' abdicating its "voice and influence in the world."
“It is absurd to slash an agency with a staff of over 1300 down to 80 and say it can still function according to what’s mandated by law," said Patsy Widakuswara, Voice of America's White House bureau chief. "It’s comical if it weren’t so tragic — we’re not just losing our jobs and journalism, we are abdicating our voice and influence in the world.”
Lake's planned cuts come after much litigation over the administration's effort to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration in April to restore the agency's workforce, programming and funding to what it was before Trump's March executive order, criticizing the administration for its "hasty, indiscriminate approach" and noting that funds for the agency had already been appropriated by Congress.
But weeks later, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., blocked the ruling, arguing that the judge did not have the jurisdiction to make the decision and clearing way for cuts at the agency to continue.
Trump administration awaits Iranian response to nuclear proposal
The Trump administration has proposed an interim arrangement that would permit Iran to continue to enrich uranium at low levels while negotiations over a comprehensive agreement are hammered out among the United States, Iran and other countries, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter and two foreign diplomats.
The United States outlined the proposal in recent indirect negotiations with Iran in Oman led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, the sources said.
Axios first reported the proposal.
The American proposal would effectively buy time for more diplomacy without requiring drastic concessions from either Tehran or Washington. It also attempts to finesse the West’s goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons while accommodating Tehran’s demand to retain a civilian nuclear program. The same issue dominated previous nuclear negotiations with Iran.
The Trump administration’s proposal shares some similarities with the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which Trump heavily criticized. He pulled the United States out of that agreement during his first term. At the time, Trump said the 2015 accord failed to address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its support of proxy forces in the region. But it appears his administration’s proposal to Iran does not address those issues, either.
The interim arrangement would require Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment to a much lower level associated with civilian energy production, instead of the near weapons-grade level of 60% it has been pursuing, the sources said. At the same time, the United States would ease some of the sanctions that have squeezed Iran’s economy.
Under the proposal, the United States would negotiate the construction of nuclear power reactors and enrichment plants for Iran, which would be overseen by a consortium of regional countries.
Once the nuclear facilities were in place and operating, Iran would be required to halt all uranium enrichment, the sources said. The precise timelines for such a plan have yet to be determined; analysts say it could take years to be implemented.
Iran has yet to formally respond to the proposal.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today that Iran will not give up enriching uranium on its territory. Khamenei, however, did not reject the indirect talks with the United States and also did not say what specific level of uranium enrichment Iran would insist on.
Asked about the U.S. proposal, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email: “President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb. Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it. Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the Administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media.”
Trump said today on his social media site that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that they discussed “the fact that time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!”
Trump added that he told Putin that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement.”
Trump administration claims Columbia violated Title VI, threatening school’s accreditation
The Trump administration said it has notified the accreditor for Columbia University that the school violated Title IV, threatening the university’s accreditation status by saying it “no longer appears to meet the Commissions accreditation standards.”
Graham says he will add exceptions to Russia sanctions bill for countries supporting Ukraine
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he will make an addition to his Russia sanctions bill to exempt countries providing assistance to Ukraine from the high import tariffs proposed in the legislation.
The sanctions bill, called the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, seeks to impose a 500% tariff on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products.
The carve-out announced today, Graham said, is intended to encourage countries to “help Ukraine and stop helping Putin.” It would do so by making tariff exceptions for countries supporting Ukraine’s military and economy.
“A lot of countries still buy Russian oil and gas, but less, some European countries still have relationships with Russia, but they’ve been very helpful to Ukraine, so I want to carve them out now,” Graham told reporters this afternoon. “Tell China if you don’t want to have a 500% tariff, help Ukraine.”
With more than 80 co-sponsors, the bill is expected to pass in the Senate overwhelmingly if it is brought to the floor for a vote. But opponents have said the tariffs would result in “devastation” for world trade.
Graham, who did not provide an updated timeline for when the bill would come to the floor, said he has been “in constant contact” with Trump about the issue.
Asked whether Trump needs to give the green light before the bill can be brought to the Senate floor, Graham said, “I think we are separate entities here coordinating with each other.”
Biden White House press secretary leaves Democratic Party
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent.
Jean-Pierre made the announcement while she was promoting her forthcoming book, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines."
The book is described as Jean-Pierre's "urgent, timely analysis that urges all Americans to vote their values and maintain individuality within party lines,” according to promotional materials released by Hachette Book Group’s Legacy Lit, which is schedule to publish the book in October.
Jean-Pierre became President Joe Biden's White House press secretary in 2022. She also worked in senior communications roles during the Obama administration and both of Obama’s presidential campaigns.
"We need to be clear-eyed and questioning, rather than blindly loyal and obedient as we may have been in the past," she said in a news release. "And freeing ourselves of boxes is truly at the heart and soul of my new book, Independent.”
Biden's personal office and the Democratic National Committee did not respond to requests for comment.
A sweeping new ICE operation shows how Trump’s focus on immigration is reshaping federal law enforcement
In mid-May, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, frustrated over what he saw as numbers of arrests and deportations of unauthorized immigrants that were too low, berated and threatened to fire senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials if they did not begin detaining 3,000 migrants a day, according to two sources who spoke to attendees.
Miller also threatened to fire leaders of field offices posting the bottom 10% of arrest numbers monthly, the two sources said.
Weeks later, ICE is launching the Trump administration’s largest immigration crackdown.
White House says FEMA head was joking when he said he wasn’t aware of hurricane season
Trump administration officials say acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson was joking when he said he was not aware of the upcoming hurricane season. NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell reports on how White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to questions about the remarks.
House Republicans expand investigation into Biden’s alleged decline in office
House Republicans are ramping up their investigation into President Joe Biden’s mental acuity in office by expanding their request for former White House officials to appear before them.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has sent letters demanding that five former Biden administration staffers appear for transcribed interviews before the panel.
Comer and his team have followed Trump’s lead and opened a probe into Biden’s alleged cognitive decline. Comer specifically has focused on Biden's use of an autopen to sign official government documents as an example of his not being in control of the White House.
Comer has sent letters to former White House advisers who were considered members of Biden’s inner circle: Michael Donilon, Anita Dunn, Ronald Klain, Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti.
The Oversight Committee has also pushed for four other former White House staffers and the former White House physician to appear for transcribed interviews. Comer has warned Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams, Neera Tanden and Dr. Kevin O’Conner that if they don’t comply with the request, they will be subpoenaed.
A committee spokesperson said Comer plans to issue dates for the interviews as soon as this week.
Trump says call with Putin was 'not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace'
Trump revealed on Truth Social this afternoon that he had just spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine war and Iran's nuclear program.
"The call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," Trump wrote.
"President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," Trump wrote.
Trump said they also discussed Iran and negotiations over its nuclear program.
"I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement," Trump wrote. "President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion. It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!"
Ukraine said yesterday that it struck a bridge from the Russian mainland to the occupied territory of Crimea with explosives, and several days ago, it launched a comprehensive drone attack on Russian air bases.
Johnson says Trump is 'not delighted' with Musk's '180' on the GOP policy bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this morning that he spoke to Trump about Elon Musk's comments yesterday bashing the Republican tax bill and that the president isn't happy about them.
"I talked to President Trump, you know, all the time, multiple times a day. Obviously, we’ve talked about this," Johnson told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference with other GOP leaders. "He’s not delighted that Elon did a 180 on that. But I don’t know what happened in 24 hours. Everybody can draw their own conclusions about that, OK, but I look forward to talking to my friend about it again."
Johnson said that Musk didn't pick up when he called last night and that he hopes to speak to him today.
“Elon and I left on a great note. We were texting one another, you know, happy texts, Monday, and then yesterday, 24 hours later, he does a 180 and he comes out and opposed the bill," Johnson said.
"It surprised me, frankly, and I don’t take it personal. We don’t take it personal," he said, adding, "Policy differences are not personal."
N.Y. Democrats describe party as leaderless and messageless
Reporting from New York, NY
NBC News spoke to several self-identifying Democrats in Manhattan ahead of tonight's New York City mayoral debate. Several of them had harsh words for their party, describing it as rudderless.
Asked what the Democratic Party's message is these days, Carmen Perez, who is 55 and runs a center for seniors, said, "Honestly speaking, I don't know." As for who is the party's leader, Perez was also at a loss. "There’s really no standout as far as I can see," she said. "We had one, but no one voted for her," she said in reference to Kamala Harris.
Esther Yang, a yoga teacher, shared Perez's sentiment that the party is leaderless. "We don't have one that can carry the same message as Barack Obama ... that can persuade the younger generations," Yang said. "The Democratic Party needs to self-reflect and figure out what just happened and look at their own playbook," she added, referring to the presidential election.
Jake Wolff, 48, an engineer, said the party is trying to appeal to too many voters. "The Democratic Party is a big tent. We don’t have an autocratic leader who can gather everybody," said Wolff, a self-described progressive, who said he wants a politician from his wing to lead the party. Asked for the name of whom he'd want that to be, Wolff drew a blank.
"I don't have a name, sorry," he said.
GOP bill for Trump’s agenda would add $2.4 trillion to the debt, budget office says
The sweeping Republican bill for Trump’s domestic agenda is projected to add $2.4 trillion to the national debt, according to a new estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
It is slightly higher than an earlier version of the bill, which the CBO projected to add $2.3 trillion in new debt.
China's Xi is 'extremely hard to make a deal with,' Trump says
Reporting from Hong Kong
Chinese President Xi Jinping is “very tough and extremely hard to make a deal with,” Trump wrote in all-caps in a late-night Truth Social post.
The U.S. and China have each accused the other of violating a trade truce they reached in Geneva last month, an impasse that White House aides say can only be resolved by a call between the two leaders that they say is imminent.
Trump also said in the post that he liked Xi, “always have, and always will.”
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not directly address Trump’s comments when asked about them by reporters, saying only that “China’s position on developing China-U.S. relations has been consistent.”
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told David Perdue, the new U.S. ambassador to China, that U.S.-China relations were at a “critical juncture” and that the U.S. should create the necessary conditions to get them “back on track,” according to a ministry readout.
Perdue said in a post on X that he emphasized Trump’s priorities on trade, fentanyl and illegal immigration in his meeting with Wang and that communication was “vital” to the U.S.-China relationship.
Kornacki: New Jersey voters kick off busiest election month since November
NBC News national political correspondent Steve Kornacki joins "Meet the Press NOW" to explain the state of primary elections in June as early voting starts in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race.
New Jersey primary sets up the first major fight for the Democratic Party’s future
Reporting from Cranford, New Jersey
Steve Fulop was almost done answering questions about his campaign for governor Saturday afternoon when he decided to pose a question of his own.
“How many of you think about electability?” Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City, asked the few dozen voters gathered at the Cranford Community Center. Almost every hand went up.
It’s the same question Democrats have been grappling with nationally: How does the party win again after a stunning loss to Trump last year, when Trump made gains across the country — including in blue states like New Jersey?
Deadline arrives for best offers from U.S. trading partners
Today is the deadline for countries to make their best offers in trade negotiations with the U.S. to avoid being hit with steep tariffs in July.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at yesterday's briefing with reporters that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative sent a letter to trading partners this week asking them to present their best trade offers by today.
“This letter was simply to remind these countries that the deadline is approaching and the president expects good deals, and we are on track for that,” Leavitt said.
Reuters first reported the letter.
Almost 1 million Russian troops killed or wounded in Ukraine war, study says
Russia will likely surpass 1 million casualties in its war on Ukraine this summer, according to one of the world’s leading think tanks, reflecting the staggering human toll of President Vladimir Putin’s assault on his neighbor.
Around 250,000 of these Russian soldiers have died, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report yesterday.
Ukraine has also suffered heavy losses, with 400,000 casualties including between 60,000 and 100,000 killed, it said.
Trump ratchets up steel tariffs to 50%
One of America’s most storied industries is getting a massive boost from Trump’s latest tariffs push — at the potential cost of a broader slowdown elsewhere in the U.S. economy.
Trump signed an executive order increasing the already substantial 25% duties on steel imports he first set in March to 50%. He signaled last week that the tariff rate hike was coming. It went into effect at midnight.
Musk calls Trump-backed spending bill ‘disgusting’ days after White House send-off
Elon Musk issued a blistering criticism of the Republican spending bill for Trump’s agenda, posting on X that it is a “disgusting abomination.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote yesteray. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”