Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.
During a Senate hearing today, Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin wouldn't commit
“to following court orders that find his department is violating the law.”
"If we didn't think courts were politicized, then I would probably be able to answer that, but we see courts over and over again that use their bench for their political opinion, not just the rule of law." Both Democratic and Republican appointed judges have sent DHS violated almost 100 court orders this year, the Senate is weighing legislation that would fund DHS's immigration operations
through the end of President Trump's term in a maneuver that would bypass the need for support from Democrats. After a bipartisan political backlash, acting Attorney General Todd Blanch says the Trump administration
is scrapping plans to create a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate President Trump's
allies. The fund was created as part of a settlement with the IRS for leaking President Trump's tax returns. Republicans wanted the plans to be off the table before they would move forward with funding Trump's immigration enforcement agencies. Blanch also said that administration is not abandoning part of the settlement that gives
“Trump and his family immunity from tax audits.”
President Trump has signed a long-awaited executive order on AI, and PR's Deepa Shiver on Reports, it asks AI companies to voluntarily address AI security. The executive order was expected to come out last month after the Trump administration decided to reverse course and tackle some safety measures around AI, which they were staunchly opposed to at first.
But then, at the last minute, Trump pulled back on his plans to sign it, saying he had concerns it would stifle the U.S. as lead in the global AI race. The order he did sign sets out to design a voluntary framework with AI developers, and asks that the company's share frontier AI models with the federal government up to 30 days before they get released, any actual regulations or mandates around the technology would
have to come from Congress. Deepa Shiver on and PR news the White House. Doctors examined former president Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance against then candidate Trump in 2024, according to former First Lady Jill Biden who told NPR Scott Detro, she was worried Biden had suffered a stroke.
Jill Biden says doctors evaluated the president after he walked off the stage. As they cleared him, Joe and Jill Biden went on to multiple campaign stops.
The former First Lady says she never saw her husband like that any other time before or
since. That's despite reports quoting former White House staffers claiming they saw the president that tired and adult at other moments. Never. Never.
And you know what, Scott? No one came to me and said, Jill, I have seen this moment at, you know, blankety blank. No one came to me and said that. Biden is promoting a new memoir called View from the East Wing. Scott Detro and PR news, Washington.
You're listening to NPR news from Washington. Businesses big and small have started receiving refunds after the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump improperly imposed some tariffs on imported goods, but the Trump administration says it would appeal a federal judge's order making all companies that pay the duties eligible for refunds, not just the ones that filed lawsuits.
The government owes about $166 billion to more than $330,000 companies.
To help ensure fans' health and safety during the World Cup, host cities have been prepping for common hazards and PR's ping-hoong reports. Los Angeles is hosting eight games, including the U.S. teams opening match against Paraguay. Dr. Barbara Ferrer is LA County's public health director. There will be hundreds of events, all of them will need to have a visit by one of our environmental
health inspectors if they're serving food and don't need to be permitted. They're looking out for spikes and infectious diseases and screening for biological and chemical threats, also providing tips to the public on celebrating safely and staying healthy for long outdoor stretches in the sun. It's a lot of work and it's happening at a time when federal funding for public health
is strapped. Ferrer says her staff is working overtime and for going some of their usual responsibilities. Ping-hoong and PR news. Archaeologists are digging beneath Notre-Dame Cathedral to explore as far back as Roman Paris from 2,000 years ago.
The excavation started after the cathedral was rebuilt following the 2019 fire. The dig has uncovered hundreds of objects, including a 4th-century coin and a medieval jug with undecifered markings. The excavation is part of a project to beautify the area which should be completed by 2028.
This is NPR. This week on NPR's newsmakers main Senate candidate Graham Platner, a working-class Democrat leaning into one message that the political system is rigged to favor the wealthy. There's only one direction we need to be pointing fingers and that is up. It's not left and right.
“Can that message help Democrats take the Senate in this year's midterms?”
Graham Platner, this week on NPR's newsmakers, watch or listen wherever you get podcasts.
