What to know today
- trump APPLAUDS BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP RULING: President Donald trump spoke to reporters at the White House to praise the Supreme Court for curbing national injunctions on his effort to end automatic birthright citizenship. The high court also issued an opinion this morning backing parents who sought to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed books in elementary schools.
- SENATE SNAGS: Republican senators are scrambling after the chamber's parliamentarian ruled against several health care-related provisions in the trump-backed domestic policy bill that lawmakers are trying to pass by July Fourth.
- WAR POWERS RESOLUTION FAILS: The Senate voted against a war powers resolution, 47-53, that would have mandated congressional consent for additional military action in Iran. The measure was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat.
- TRADE TALKS WITH CANADA END: trump halted trade discussions with Canada due to a tech company tax imposed by the northern U.S. neighbor.
Virginia Democrats target trump in race to replace Gerry Connolly in Congress
Democrats vying to succeed the late Rep. Gerry Connolly in a deep-blue northern Virginia district are zeroing in on one issue: who can best take on trump.
In his announcement video, former Connolly chief of staff and Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw said trump officials threatened to throw him in jail, referring to letters sent to local officials in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions last December that threatened jail time for supporting and enforcing sanctuary laws.
State Sen. Stella Pekarsky’s launch video touts her Greek heritage, which she said helps her “stand up to Donald trump.” And state Del. Irene Shin said Democrats are running the “same old tired plays” while trump is “dismembering and defunding our government.”
trump has played a key role in the race as Democrats go on the offensive over his mass deportation program and Department of Government Efficiency initiative to cut the size of the federal government — in a district full of federal workers, where then-Vice President Kamala Harris beat trump by 34 points last fall.
War powers resolution fails to pass in the Senate
The Senate today voted against a war powers resolution that would've required congressional approval before further military action in Iran, roughly a week after the U.S. bombed nuclear sites there. The vote was 47-53.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., both affirmed that Congress has the sole power to declare war, as outlined in the Constitution, and barred trump from taking any military action against Iran without congressional authorization, aside from defending the country against imminent attacks.
“There is no war without a declaration of Congress,” Kaine said on the Senate floor today. “The president, as commander in chief, can defend the United States against imminent attacks, but there was no such imminent threat posed by the Iranian nuclear program, as the president’s own national security advisor testified to Congress shortly before this strike.”
Support for the resolution among Democrats grew this week as many criticized trump for skirting Congress as he authorized military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend. Some framed the strikes as the start of a potential war.
Republicans opposed the resolution, several maintaining their view that trump has the authority to pursue certain military actions, like the recent strikes on Iran, without congressional authorization, though noting trump would need the support of Congress to declare war, which he has not.
“[trump] is the civilian in charge of the military, and it’s his decision to use military force,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said. “This country cannot be put in a legal state of war unless the Congress decides to do that. But to suggest that means the commander in chief can’t do anything without our approval, makes all of us commander in chiefs.”
Biden attended late Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman’s lie in state
Former President Joe Biden paid his respects today to the late Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman at the Minnesota Capitol.
Hortman, who was a Democrat, is the first woman to lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol rotunda. She was killed this month along with her husband, Mark Hortman, at their home, in what officials have called a “politically motivated assassination." Authorities have charged Vance Boelter in connection with the Hortmans' deaths, and the injuries of Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman. Boelter has pleaded not guilty.
NBC News reported earlier today that former Vice President Kamala Harris was also expected to appear at the funeral services for the Hortmans, according to a source familiar with her plans.
Senate Democrats considering forcing clerks to read entire Republican megabill on Senate floor
Senate Democrats are considering forcing the Senate clerks to read the entire Republican megabill when it eventually comes to the Senate floor, a source familiar with their thinking tells NBC News, a delay tactic that could add hours to the process.
The move by Democrats mirrors what Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., did to Democrats when they passed a COVID relief package in 2021. Johnson forced the clerks to read the entire bill, a process that took 10 hours and 43 minutes to zip through the 628-page document.
The dilatory tactic can be used for any piece of legislation that is brought to the Senate floor, but typically the reading of a piece of legislation is waived by unanimous consent, meaning all 100 senators agree to skip it.
But if any one senator objects, the bill will have to be read in its entirety by the clerks (not the senators). It's unclear how many pages this bill will have, so it’s not yet possible to predict how long that would take.
The reading of the bill would happen after the Senate voted on the motion to proceed with the bill, the simple majority vote to start floor consideration of the bill. And then only after the reading would the up to 20 hours of debate begin.
Congress set to hand trump billions to recruit more ICE agents
trump is on the verge of getting billions of dollars from Congress to recruit and retain agents to carry out the mass deportation campaign that was one of the central promises of his campaign.
trump has been on a roll in his efforts to combat illegal immigration and remove undocumented immigrants from the country, and both advocates and critics of his plans say that bolstering border security and interior enforcement will make it easier for him to execute on his vision.
The issue, a key tenet of his MAGA movement for a decade, helped him win back the White House in 2024. It remains his strongest issue, with 51% of adults approving of his handling of immigration and 49% disapproving, according to an NBC News Decision Desk poll powered by SurveyMonkey that was released this month.
At least two more Jan. 6 prosecutors fired by Pam Bondi
At least two federal prosecutors who previously worked Jan. 6 cases were fired by the Justice Department today, numerous former officials tell NBC News.
NBC News has seen a Notice of Removal from Federal Service for one of the prosecutors which was signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. One of the fired prosecutors was based overseas.
While probationary employees who worked Jan. 6 cases had been fired and others who worked Jan. 6 cases were demoted, these are the first known firings of non-probationary prosecutors who worked Jan. 6 cases. Prosecutors who worked for Jack Smith were also fired in the early days of the administration.
trump on canceled trade talks with Canada: 'We have such power over Canada'
During an event in the Oval Office, trump spoke out against Canada after he announced earlier today that he was terminating trade talks with the nation because of their digital services tax on American tech companies.
"We have all the cards," trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We have all —every single one. We don’t want to do anything bad, but they have, economically — we have such power over Canada."
The president added that he'd "rather not use" power over Canada,"but they did something with our tech companies today, trying to copy Europe."
trump said the digital services tax, which has been in place since 2024 but hasn't collected payments until next week, is "not going to work out well."
"They were foolish to do it. So I said, we’re going to stop all negotiations with Canada right now until they straighten out their act," the president added.
trump says a ceasefire in Gaza could come 'within the next week'
Asked in the Oval Office about the potential of a ceasefire deal between Israel and leaders in Gaza, trump said that one could go into effect "within the next week."
"It’s a terrible situation," he said, adding, "We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire."
The president also told reporters, "I just spoke with some of the people involved," but didn't specify who he spoke with.
trump invites leaders of Rwanda and Congo to the White House after peace deal
In the Oval Office, trump signed invitations for the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to visit the U.S. after foreign representatives from the two nations signed a peace deal today.
"I want to express my gratitude and congratulations to the representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda who signed his pivotal agreement a short time ago," trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke about the agreement, with Vance saying that the trump administration is "committed to the pathway of peace."
Rubio added that from the start of trump's term, "you made it very clear that what the priority of this administration, under your leadership, is going to be the pursuit of peace."
He added, "Today we see this come to fruition. It’s sad. Wars get a lot more attention than peace, but peace is harder than war, a lot harder."
trump meets with representatives of Rwanda and Congo
trump is in the Oval Office alongside the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda.
House Republicans call for former Biden aides to sit for transcribed interviews
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is calling on four aides to former President Joe Biden to sit for transcribed interviews as part of their investigation into Biden’s “cognitive decline.”
They are former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, and press aides Ian Sams and Andrew Bates, according to letters sent to them today by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky.
“President Biden’s inner circle repeatedly told the American people that he was ‘sharp as ever,’ dismissing any commentary about his obvious mental decline as ‘gratuitous,’" Comer said.
"They fed these false talking points to progressive allies and the media, who helped perpetuate that President Biden was fit to serve," he continued. "As part of our aggressive investigation into the cover-up of his cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions, we must hear from those who aided and abetted this farce."
The chairman issued subpoenas to Dr. Kevin O’Connor in early June and to Anthony Bernal just yesterday for not voluntarily interviewing with the committee.
trump terminates trade talks with Canada
President Donald trump said today he had terminated trade discussions with Canada, citing an incoming Canadian tax on tech companies including ones based in the U.S.
In a post on Truth Social, trump referred to Canada as “a very difficult country to trade with” and said that its levy on tech firms — the first payment for which is due Monday — “is a direct and blatant attack on our Country.”
“Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately,” he wrote. “We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period.”
Canada is the second-largest U.S. trading partner. Currently, the U.S. has a tariff rate of 25% applied to non-USMCA goods that are imported from Canada. That excludes energy products, to which trump has applied a 10% tariff rate. It also bears much of the brunt of trump’s 50% tax on steel and aluminum imports — Canada is the largest foreign supplier of those materials to the U.S.
Plaintiffs in birthright citizenship case file motion seeking to block executive order in another way
In a press conference with representatives from several of the organizations that sued to block trump's executive order dismantling birthright citizenship, the groups announced that they have filed a class action lawsuit and a motion for a temporary restraining order that would continue to block the executive order.
"As of about an hour ago, we have filed a class action and motion for a TRO to stop the executive order on birthright citizenship from going into effect," Conchita Cruz, the co-founder and co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, told reporters. "We are now awaiting a decision from the district court judge in our case."
William Powell, senior counsel for the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, explained the plaintiffs' decision to file a new motion and a class action, telling reporters, "What the Supreme Court’s decision means is that we have to get that order struck down using different procedures."
Earlier during the call, Cruz called the Supreme Court's decision "confusing," adding that it was a "sad day" for immigrant families.
"Today is a sad day for all of those who care about the U.S. Constitution and the constitutional rights of children born in the United States. Each and every day, it is a confusing moment for immigrant families as they see the news and are not necessarily sure what it means. or how it could impact them," she added.
Both Cruz and Powell continuously made clear that the Supreme Court's decision today would not affect families with children for at least 30 days. They also clarified that the court's decision was not striking down birthright citizenship, but simply striking down a procedural mechanism courts were using to block trump's executive order from going into effect immediately.
"The Supreme Court’s majority opinion did not do anything whatsoever to call into question the unanimous holding of all lower courts that have decided the question that the birthright citizenship executive order is unconstitutional," Powell told reporters, adding later, "The Supreme Court’s decision is procedural. It talks about universal injunctions, but nothing in the majority opinion suggests in any way that the Supreme Court thinks that the president’s executive order is legal."
President Donald trump says Iran is not thinking about rebuilding secret nuclear sites after being "beat to hell" following U.S. strikes on three of its facilities. trump called on Iran's supreme leader to "tell the truth" and concede defeat in the conflict.
trump says U.S. will send out tariff rate letters to some countries
trump said at the press briefing that the U.S. has reached trade deals with several countries, though it's not clear what all of them are or when they'll be announced and that trade rate letters would go out to others. He also lashed out at the chair of the Federal Reserve.
"We've made a deal with China. We've made a deal with probably four or five different countries. With the U.K., was a great deal for both, and we're in the process of making some others," trump said.
He said, "Over the next week and a half or so, or maybe before, we're going to send out a letter, we talked to many of the countries, and we're just going to tell them what they have to pay to do business in the United States."
trump said he thinks the U.S. will strike a deal with India and said, "We're going to be trading in China. That's going to come a little bit down the road, but we're going to be trading in China."
He also slammed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. "The only problem we have is we have a Fed guy that doesn't understand what's happening, and it would be great if he'd lower the rate, because we'd be able to borrow a lot cheaper."
trump says 'time will tell' on Iran nuclear ambitions
Asked about whether he believes Iran has given up its nuclear ambitions after last week's strike and ahead of Iran's meeting with U.S. officials, trump told reporters, "Time will tell."
"But I don't believe that they're going to go back into nuclear anytime soon. They spent over a trillion dollars on nuclear, and they never got it together," he added.
Bondi inaccurately says Supreme Court will decide constitutionality of birthright citizenship in October
Bondi said during the press briefing at the White House that the Supreme Court will decide the constitutionality of birthright citizenship in the next term that starts this fall.
But the high court hasn't agreed yet to consider a birthright citizenship case in October as it hasn't yet announced or published its argument schedule for the fall.
In order for the Supreme Court to “take up” a birthright citizenship-related case, parties involved in a case ripe for Supreme Court review would have to submit an application to that effect. That has not been done in any birthright citizenship-related case thus far.
The attorney general told reporters after being asked how today’s decision on nationwide injunctions will affect trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, "Birthright citizenship will be decided in October, in the next session by the Supreme Court, unless it comes down in the next few minutes."
Bondi, however, said, "If there's a birthright citizenship case in Oregon, it will only affect the plaintiff in Oregon, not the entire country."
Running of the interns: Journalists rush to cover flurry of rulings
The last day of the Supreme Court's term produces a barrage of rulings and in a tradition often referred to as “the running of the interns,” journalists can be seen rushing out of the court building carrying the day's opinions.
trump holds press event after Supreme Court rulings
trump is holding a press event in the White House briefing room after the final Supreme Court rulings of the term, celebrating several decisions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is also speaking.
It's unclear if trump will take questions afterward.
Vance celebrates Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship injunctions
Vice President JD Vance just posted a celebratory post on X in response to the Supreme Court ruling on the birthright citizenship case.
Vance posted an image of trump’s earlier Truth Social post and added: “A huge ruling by the Supreme Court, smacking down the ridiculous process of nationwide injunctions. Under our system, everyone has to follow the law —including judges!”
Supreme Court upholds Texas adult website age-verification law
Reporting from Washington
The Supreme Court today upheld a Texas law aimed at restricting young people’s access to pornographic content online.
The justices in a 6-3 vote rejected a challenge brought by a pornography interest group called the Free Speech Coalition that said the measure violates the free speech rights of adults who want to access the content.
The law requires users of websites that host adult content to verify their age before they can access it. This requires the operator to view a government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license.
House passes resolution to condemn 'the violent June 2025 riots' in Los Angeles
The GOP-led House passed a resolution to condemn “the violent June 2025 riots” in Los Angeles. The vote was 215-195, with seven Democrats joining with all Republicans present in support.
The seven Democrats who voted for the resolution are: Reps. Jim Costa of California, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Laura Gillen of New York, Jared Golden of Maine, Adam Gray of California and Tom Suozzi of New York.
Supreme Court backs parents seeking to opt their kids out of LGBTQ books in elementary schools
Reporting from Washington
The Supreme Court today bolstered religious rights as it ruled in favor of parents who objected to LGBTQ-themed books that a Maryland county approved for use in elementary school classrooms.
In a 6-3 vote, the court backed the parents’ claim that the Montgomery County Board of Education’s decision not to allow an opt-out option for their children violated their religious rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment, which protects religious expression.
"The board’s introduction of the 'LGBTQ+ inclusive' storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt-outs, places an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court.
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority that is often receptive to religious claims. The liberal justices dissented.
“The result will be chaos for this nation’s public schools,” liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion.
Gov. Newsom sues Fox News for $787 million
California Gov. Gavin Newsom today sued Fox News for defamation for $787 million, alleging that anchor Jesse Watters and reporter John Roberts "willfully distorted the facts" about the timeline of phone calls between trump and Newsom this month.
The dispute centers around protests by Californians against mass deportations in the Los Angeles area. trump activated the state's National Guard and sent Marines to the state to quash the protests. Newsom agreed that the two spoke over the phone on June 6, before the president sent the military into Los Angeles.
On June 10, trump said that he had spoken to Newsom "a day ago," according to Newsom's lawsuit, a phone call that Newsom says never took place. Roberts and Watters each reported on trump's remarks, with Watters' program using the chyron "Gavin lied about trump's call."
"Rather than leave the matter alone, or simply provide the facts, Fox News chose to defame Governor Newsom, branding him a liar," the lawsuit says. "Recognizing that President trump was not correct, yet wanting to curry favor with the President, Fox News willfully distorted the facts."
The lawsuit also claims that Watters' show misleadingly edited trump's remarks to misidentify the day he said he had spoken with Newsom.
"Mr. Watters aired a clip of President trump’s statement, but edited out President trump stating that he spoke to Governor Newsom 'a day ago,'" the lawsuit said.
It adds, "Only by misrepresenting President trump’s own stated timeline of the call could Mr. Watters then show the call logs and assert that Governor Newsom was lying when he responded to President trump’s assertion, on June 10, that the two had spoken '[a] day ago.'"
In a statement about the lawsuit, Newsom said, “If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald trump’s behalf, it should face consequences."
"I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet. Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine," he added.
Fox News responded in a statement saying: “Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed."
The damages sought by Newsom is similar to the $787.5 million settlement Fox News reached with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 over the company's defamation lawsuit against the network.
Supreme Court upholds phone and internet subsidy program for underserved areas
Reporting from Washington
The Supreme Court today rejected a challenge to a Federal Communications Commission program that subsidizes phone and internet services in underserved parts of the country.
In a decision written by Justice Elena Kagan, the court ruled that Congress did not exceed its authority when it enacted a 1996 law that set up the Universal Service Fund, which requires telecommunications services to submit payments to subsidize “universal service.”
The court also said the FCC could delegate its authority to a private corporation called the Universal Service Administrative Company to administer the fund.
“Nothing in these arrangements, either separately or together, violates the Constitution,” Kagan wrote.
The justices were divided 6-3, with three conservative justices dissenting.
Attorney General Bondi reacts to Supreme Court ruling on nationwide injunctions
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the Supreme Court today "instructed district courts to STOP the endless barrage of nationwide injunctions against President trump."
"This would not have been possible without tireless work from our excellent lawyers @TheJusticeDept and our Solicitor General John Sauer," she wrote. "This Department of Justice will continue to zealously defend @POTUS’s policies and his authority to implement them."
The decision opens a path for the trump administration to take steps to implement its proposal to end automatic birthright citizenship.
Supreme Court endorses Obamacare panel that requires free preventive care
The Supreme Court today rejected a challenge to an Affordable Care Act provision that set up a panel to recommend preventive care services that insurers must provide at no cost to patients.
The court, split 6-3, ruled in favor of the trump administration, which was defending the law, saying the task force members are lawfully appointed under the Constitution’s appointments clause.
The task force members are under the supervision of the health and human services secretary, a position held by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which addresses any concerns that it is not accountable to the executive branch, the court found in an opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The task force members’ appointment is “fully consistent” with the appointments clause, Kavanaugh said. He also noted that Kennedy can fire the task force members at any time and has the authority to review their recommendations.
Three conservative justices dissented.
Supreme Court curbs injunctions that blocked trump’s birthright citizenship plan
Reporting from Washington
The Supreme Court today allowed the trump administration to take steps to implement its proposal to end automatic birthright citizenship.
The court granted a request by the trump administration to narrow the scope of nationwide injunctions imposed by judges so that they apply only to groups and individuals that sued. That means the birthright citizenship proposal can move forward in the states that challenged it as well as those that did not.
The court was divided on ideological lines, with conservatives in the majority and liberals in dissent.
“When a court concludes that the executive branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the majority.
In dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that the decision was “an existential threat to the rule of law.”
The policy remains blocked for now in one additional state, New Hampshire, as a result of a separate lawsuit that is not before the Supreme Court.
trump-allied super PAC books TV ads in dissident Republican's district
Amid an escalating feud between trump and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a trump-allied super PAC has put down a TV ad reservation in Massie's district. The ads are set to begin running tomorrow.
The content of the ads isn't yet clear but trump has lashed out at Massie in recent weeks, calling him "weak" and "ineffective" in a post on Truth Social. Massie has opposed the trump-backed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" and also backed a plan to vote on a war powers resolution that could limit trump's ability to authorize U.S. military involvement in Iran.
Earlier this week, two key advisers to trump said they would launch a super PAC aimed at unseating Massie.
Former VP Kamala Harris to attend funeral of slain Minnesota lawmaker and her husband
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Minnesota to attend tomorrow’s funeral services for Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, according to a source familiar with her plans.
Harris spoke to the Hortmans' children in the past week to express her condolences and offer her support, according to the source. The Hortmans were shot and killed at their home this month in a "politically motivated" shooting, authorities have said.
The former vice president also spoke with her 2024 vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who extended an invitation on behalf of the family.
Harris is expected to announce her decision on whether to run for governor of California at some point this summer.
trump to stay in D.C. this weekend to help get GOP tax bill over the finish line
trump will stay in Washington this weekend, instead of going to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, as he had planned, to help get his "One Big Beautiful Bill" over the finish line, an administration official told NBC News.
When asked about what the president’s posture will be in the final push, this official tells NBC News, “he’s always in contact with members,” an indication he’ll continue to work the phones this weekend.
Republican senators propose slashing size of intel office led by Tulsi Gabbard
A top Republican senator is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, slashing the workforce of an organization that has expanded since it was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Under a bill by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the chair of the Intelligence Committee, the ODNI’s staff of about 1,600 would be capped at 650, according to a senior Senate aide familiar with the proposed legislation.
trump to host Rwanda and Congo foreign minsters at the White House following peace deal signing
trump will host foreign ministers from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Oval Office today.
Earlier in the afternoon at the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between the two countries.
The deal comes after a conflict in the eastern part of Congo that first erupted in 2021.
House to receive Iran briefing; Senate to vote on war powers resolution
The House will receive a classified briefing this morning from top administration officials on the U.S. strikes on three major nuclear facilities in Iran last weekend.
The Senate received its briefing yesterday. While Republicans came out of that meeting reinforcing trump's claim that Iran's nuclear program was "obliterated," Democrats emerged saying otherwise; many were dissatisfied with the information they received, and some said it was clear that the program was only set back by months, not years.
The Senate will vote this evening on a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would seek to stop any further military action against Iran without congressional authorization.
The measure needs only a simple majority for approval, but it would have to pass both chambers and would likely be vetoed by trump.
Canadian citizen dies in ICE custody at Florida detention center
Canada is seeking more information on the death this week of one of its citizens while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a detention center in Florida.
Johnny Noviello, 49, was found unresponsive Monday while being held at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center pending removal proceedings, ICE said in a statement Wednesday. The cause of death is still under investigation, it said.
Noviello entered the U.S. legally in 1988 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1991, the agency said. In October 2023, he was convicted in Volusia County, Florida, on charges of racketeering and drug trafficking and sentenced to 12 months in prison.
He was arrested by ICE agents May 15 at the Florida Department of Corrections probation office, with the agency seeking his removal because he had violated U.S. drug laws.
Anita Anand, the Canadian foreign affairs minister, said in a post on X that the Canadian government was notified yesterday and that its consular officials were “urgently seeking more information from U.S. officials.”
ICE had reported seven deaths in its custody this year as of May 5, according to its website.
China and U.S. confirm details of their trade deal, Beijing says
The U.S. and China have confirmed details of a trade framework that seeks to allow rare earth exports and easing of tech restrictions, according to a statement released today by China’s Commerce Ministry.
China will review and approve export applications for items subject to export control rules, while the U.S. will cancel a range of existing restrictive measures imposed against Beijing, a spokesperson for the ministry said in the statement, without elaborating.
The statement comes after trump said yesterday at an event in the White House that “we just signed with China yesterday.” A White House official later clarified that the administration and China had agreed to “an additional understanding of a framework to implement the Geneva agreement.”
Republicans are dealt a setback on their big bill as Senate referee disqualifies key provisions
Republicans suffered a blow yesterday after the Senate referee ruled that a series of health care cuts and savings in their sweeping domestic policy bill are ineligible for the party-line path they’re using to get around the chamber’s 60-vote threshold.
Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who adjudicates procedural disputes between the two parties, has disqualified several provisions, including Medicaid rules prohibiting funds without verification of immigration status, reimbursement changes to contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), provider tax restrictions aimed at saving federal dollars, and new limitations surrounding eligibility for Affordable Care Act funding.
Supreme Court is set to issue rulings on birthright citizenship and five other cases on term’s final day
Reporting from Washington
The Supreme Court is set to conclude its nine-month term today with a flurry of rulings, including a closely watched case concerning trump’s attempt to end automatic birthright citizenship.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has six cases left to decide of those in which it heard oral arguments in the current term, which began in October.
Other cases are on such issues as voting rights, religious rights and health care.