Immigration funding; John Bolton; AI; ATF sued : NPR

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Today’s top stories

After weeks of delays, the Senate passed a $70 billion bill early this morning to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years. It took lawmakers 18 hours to pass the bill. Senators voted along party lines, with only one Republican opposing the funding package. The bill was delayed over concerns about the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Despite outrage from Democrats and many Republicans, GOP lawmakers ultimately voted overnight to block many amendments that would displease the president.

• 🎧 Three Republicans voted with Democrats on a proposal from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to prevent the fund’s creation altogether — leaving the amendment just shy of passing, NPR’s Barbara Sprunt tells Up First. Another proposal to redirect the fund’s money to fraud enforcement had more GOP support, but also failed to pass. Sprunt says the increasing tension and conflict between Congress and the White House doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
• ➡️ The SAVE America Act was another amendment that failed to pass in the Senate overnight. President Trump has emphasized that the election overhaul bill should be a top priority for his congressional allies.

John Bolton, who previously served as Trump’s national security adviser, has agreed to plead guilty to mishandling classified information. Bolton was indicted in October on 18 criminal counts for the retention and transmission of national defense information. Prosecutors say that during his time as national security adviser under Trump’s first term, Bolton regularly took handwritten notes about his daily activities, including information he received during meetings with U.S. intelligence officials and discussions with foreign leaders. Prosecutors say he would then send some of this sensitive information to two family members, either through a messaging app or via email.

• 🎧 The plea deal is tentative and still requires approval from a federal judge, NPR’s Ryan Lucas says. Bolton has said that he believes he is being targeted for political reasons due to his outspoken criticism of Trump. Former senior intelligence officials say there are valid legal grounds for the case against him. The investigation started under the Biden administration and continued into Trump’s presidency. The indictment is also 26 pages long with detailed allegations. Lucas says the list of the president’s perceived enemies targeted by the DOJ is long, and as a result, the public could perceive a legitimate investigation as being driven by politics and revenge, threatening the DOJ’s legitimacy.

A new NPR/Ipsos poll of K-12 teachers reveals that nearly three-quarters believe artificial intelligence has greater implications for education than past innovations, such as the internet or computers. This nationally representative poll surveyed 545 respondents. Many educators say they are using AI to save time and enhance their teaching materials. A majority are concerned that AI may hinder students’ ability to think for themselves. The poll shows that students are not yet widely using AI in the classroom. Meanwhile, 60% of the teachers surveyed reported using AI for work-related tasks. While most of these teachers believe AI helps them save time, 63% estimate they save two hours or fewer per week.

The nonprofit gun control advocacy group Brady is suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Justice over their refusal to release documents about who the largest sellers of crime guns in the U.S. are. In a lawsuit filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Brady is requesting that the court compel the ATF to release information related to what the agency refers to as Demand Letter 2s. These letters are sent by the ATF to gun dealers and other sellers who have been identified as selling at least 25 firearms recovered at crime scenes in a calendar year. The ATF said it has withheld these letters because releasing this information could inadvertently reveal personal details, confidential trade secrets and commercial or financial information, potentially leading to an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Brady says it has collected this information from the ATF before and has compiled the data into tracking databases and reports that it posts on its website.

Watch this

Go face-to-face with the person of the moment. NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast brings the biggest names in politics, business, sports, arts, and culture out of the headlines and into the interview chair to discuss the mark they’re making on the world. Follow the Newsmakers podcast or subscribe to NPR’s YouTube channel to get new episodes as soon as they’re available.

Former first lady Jill Biden says President Biden changed his mind on pardoning his son Hunter following the election of Trump. Hunter was convicted on federal gun and tax charges in 2024. After the conviction, the former president said publicly that he would not pardon his son. Then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly told the press that a pardon or commutation was off the table. But in the final weeks of his presidency, Biden signed a full and unconditional pardon for his son.

On NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast, Jill discusses with All Things Considered host Scott Detrow how then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding Hunter’s cases ultimately influenced her husband to reconsider the pardon. She also shares her experiences in the White House, her reaction to her husband’s poor debate performance and the reasons behind his decision to run for a second term.

Watch or listen to the interview or read the article about their discussion.

Weekend picks

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿 Movies: In Power Ballad, wedding singer Rick collaborates on a song he wrote a few years ago with Danny, a former boy band member. Rick later discovers that Danny is trying to pass off the song as his own.

📺 TV: In Spider-Noir, Nicolas Cage plays a down-on-his-luck private detective who used to be New York’s only superhero. He hung up his mask after a tragedy, but a case involving noir-inspired Spider-Man characters pulls him back into action.

📚 Books: From Los Angeles to Ireland, your dream summer destinations are in reach with these new releases.

🎵 Music: Many artists across the musical spectrum released music today, including Vince Staples, Death Cab For Cutie, Evanescence and Lee Brice. Check out the New Music Friday playlist to catch up on some of the best songs that came out.

🎭 Theater: Actor André De Shields is nominated for a Tony for his role in CATS: The Jellicle Ball. Ahead of the awards show on Sunday, the 80-year-old spoke with Morning Edition about the nomination and life in the theatre.

❓Quiz: This week, NPR takes a look at Trump’s victories and setbacks in the quiz’s very first question. Plus, news about Serena Williams, Peabo Bryson, Kalshi and United Airlines make their way into this test. Have you been paying attention? Test out your memory.

3 things to know before you go

1. As the French Open rolls on, there’s no better time for the latest installment of NPR’s Word of the Week, which discusses how “love” became the term for zero points.
2. The USS Gerald R. Ford has returned to Virginia after an 11-month deployment. The $13 billion aircraft carrier can now receive much-needed repairs and an upgrade to its troubled sewage system.
3. Marjane Satrapi, the author of the graphic novel Persepolis and a prominent advocate for women’s rights in Iran, died yesterday. She was 56.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.