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Trump urges GOP to end shutdown. And, SCOTUS skeptical of reasoning behind tariffs

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Trump urges GOP to end shutdown. And, SCOTUS skeptical of reasoning behind tariffs

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Today’s top stories

The government shutdown is now in its 37th day, and President Trump has been urging Republicans to end it by eliminating the Senate filibuster. Earlier this week, some Democrats expressed their interest in finding a way to resolve the shutdown, but their victories at the ballot box on Tuesday have emboldened many to hold firm. Meanwhile, the president acknowledged that the shutdown hurt Republicans on election night.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters during a news conference on Nov. 5, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The record for the longest shutdown in the U.S. Government was broken on Wednesday as it entered its 36th day.

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  • 🎧 Most Republicans are not in favor of ditching the filibuster, as Trump has sought, but some bipartisan talks appear to have picked up steam this week, NPR’s Sam Gringlas tells Up First. The solution that Senate Democrats and Republicans could be discussing is a short-term funding measure until December or later, along with votes on a small package of regular appropriations bills. Republicans would need eight Democrats to sign onto a deal to reopen the government. However, the expiring health care subsidies remain a sticking point during these talks.

The Supreme Court has heard arguments in a case about Trump’s tariffs, but has not yet issued a major ruling. Trump utilized a 1977 law, known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to impose the tariffs. The central question of the case is whether the law gives the president the authority to impose tariffs on products from countries worldwide. The justices’ opinions are not yet known, but their questions yesterday indicate that they were skeptical of Trump’s position.

  • 🎧 If the court rules against Trump, the ultimate impact on tariffs is unclear. NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben says the ruling would make a bunch of his tariffs illegal. Tariffs like the ones he’s imposed on goods like steel and aluminum, however, would remain in place. The president has stated that this is the most important Supreme Court case ever. If the high court ruled against the president, it would be the first time they have tried to rein in his power.

In Chicago this week, the Trump administration has been taken to court by city residents who oppose the aggressive immigration campaign there. Judge Sara Ellis has listened to hours of testimony from citizens’ accounts of jarring encounters with federal agents. Another judge, Robert Gettleman, presided over a hearing on Tuesday on the conditions inside an immigration holding facility in a Chicago suburb.

  • 🎧 Ellis is preparing to hand down her ruling today in the preliminary injunction, according to Jon Seidel with Chicago Public Media and the Chicago Sun-Times. It would essentially extend the order she issued last month, limiting the use of force by federal agents against protesters. During yesterday’s eight-hour hearing, Ellis heard from a woman who found herself staring down the barrel of a gun for filming the arrest of day laborers. She also listened to the video testimony of U.S. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who stated that the use of force has been “more than exemplary.”

Deep dive

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Tax season is approaching. The tax breaks extended under President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” primarily benefit high-net-worth individuals and high-income earners. While middle-income households may experience modest relief, the majority of benefits will be allocated to those with substantial earnings, investment income, or large estates. Here are some provisions in the bill that favor upper-income individuals and families:

  • 💰 Starting next year, Americans will have a permanent lifetime exemption for estate and gift taxes set at $15 million per individual and $30 million per married couple, up from $13.99 million and $27.98 million limits.
  • 💰 The exclusion for capital gains from sold qualified small business stock issued after July 4, 2025, has increased from $10 million to $15 million for companies with assets up to $75 million.
  • 💰 Bonus depreciation has been extended. This tax incentive enables businesses to immediately deduct 100% of the cost of qualifying assets, such as machinery and vehicles, rather than spreading the deduction over several years.

Read about three other tax changes that will benefit the wealthy here.

Today’s listen

Misty Copeland was the first Black female principal dancer in the history of American Ballet Theatre. She took a final bow at Lincoln Center on Oct. 22, 2025

Misty Copeland was the first Black female principal dancer in the history of American Ballet Theatre. She took a final bow at Lincoln Center on Oct. 22, 2025

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Misty Copeland, who made history as the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, took her final bow last month. For Copeland, it had been over five years since she last performed on stage. To prepare for her farewell performance with ABT, she began getting her body back in shape a year ago. She says the performance was a way to express gratitude to the communities that supported her throughout her journey. At the end of her dance, Copeland was greeted with a 15-minute standing ovation. NPR’s Fresh Air caught up with Copeland to discuss the farewell show and what comes next for her. Listen to what she had to say or read highlights from the interview.

3 things to know before you go

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters during a press briefing at the White House in June 2025.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters during a press briefing at the White House in June 2025.

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  1. A federal judge has ordered the White House to immediately start providing American Sign Language interpretation at its briefings held by the press secretary or the president.
  2. In October, Johannesburg, South Africa, is bursting with violet Jacaranda blooms for the country’s spring season. This week, NPR’s Far-Flung Postcard series provides a peek at the beautiful plant.
  3. From whether brain rot is real to why female politicians might underperform in elections, check out these five recent economic papers that Planet Money says are worth examining.

This newsletter was edited by Yvonne Dennis.

News

Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote

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Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote

A federal judge on Wednesday permanently barred President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing most of his first executive order on elections, part of which sought to require people to show documentary proof of citizenship when they register to vote.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper in Boston effectively converts a preliminary injunction she issued a year ago, in which she temporarily blocked many of Trump’s efforts to overhaul elections, into a permanent ban.

Casper rejected the Republican administration’s argument that the lawsuit to block the changes brought by Democratic state attorneys general was premature because the rules had yet to be put in place. Instead, she agreed that the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to regulate elections, and that Trump’s requirements violated the separation of powers.

The Constitution “does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” wrote Casper.

Among other proposed changes, Trump’s order would have required people to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote, prevented mail ballots from being counted if they arrive after Election Day, even if they were postmarked by then, and punished states that failed to comply by withholding certain federal money.

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In a statement, New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was grateful the court had blocked Trump’s “unconstitutional attempt to seize control of our elections” and would continue to defend voting rights in this year’s midterm elections.

“Generations of Americans fought tirelessly for the right to vote, and we honor their legacy by protecting that right against anyone who tries to undermine it,” said James, a Democrat.

A voter casts a ballot during New York’s primary election on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose state was the lead plaintiff in the case, said the ruling reaffirmed the constitutional principle that it s up to the states and Congress to set election rules.

“While we are proud of this result, we are clear-eyed that President Trump’s attacks on voting rights and our elections show no signs of slowing down,” Bonta, a Democrat, said in a statement. “So let me be clear: we will keep fighting back every step of the way.”

Requests for comment sent to the White House and he U.S. Department of Justice were not immediately returned.

The ruling was the latest in a series against the elections executive order Trump signed just months after taking office for his second term. The Republican president has since signed another executive order on elections that seeks to create a national voter list and limit mail balloting. That directive also faces multiple legal challenges.

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Last fall, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., overseeing a separate challenge to the first election executive order by civil rights and Democratic Party-aligned groups blocked the government from taking steps to include the proof-of-citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form. That judge later barred Trump’s defense secretary from requiring documentary proof of citizenship when military personnel register to vote or request ballots.

In an apparent nod to the difficulty of implementing a proof-of-citizen requirement by executive order, Trump is pushing legislation in the Republican-controlled Congress to create such a mandate. The SAVE America Act has passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, leading Trump to advocate for eliminating the filibuster that is blocking the legislation.

On Wednesday, he abruptly canceled the expected signing of a bipartisan housing bill, saying he would not sign legislation until Congress passes his proof of citizenship requirement for voting.

The president and many of his Republican allies have been promoting the narrative that voting by noncitizens is a major problem, when in fact it’s quite rare. The federal voter registration form already requires people to attest that they are U.S. citizens. Violating that is punishable as a felony that can lead to prison or deportation.

In another major voting case, the U.S. Supreme Court is due to issue an opinion soon on whether mail ballots must arrive by Election Day. That could immediately change the rules in 14 states that allow grace periods ranging from days to weeks if the ballots are postmarked by Election Day.

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Casper, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, is the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

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Video: Mamdani Allies Sweep New York Primaries

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Video: Mamdani Allies Sweep New York Primaries

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Mamdani Allies Sweep New York Primaries

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s progressive coalition had a big night on Tuesday. Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez won their Democratic House primaries.

“I see a New York that we can all afford. I see a New York that truly invests in its babies, not bombs.” Reporter: “What’s the first thing you’re looking forward to doing in Congress?” “Well, tomorrow — thank you — I mean, tomorrow morning, you know, I’m going to be back at 26 Federal Plaza doing court watching, and we want to carry that into Congress as well.”

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s progressive coalition had a big night on Tuesday. Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez won their Democratic House primaries.

By Julie Yoon

June 24, 2026

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Appeals court allows Trump administration expanded use of speedy deportations

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Appeals court allows Trump administration expanded use of speedy deportations

A massive 826,780-square-foot warehouse sits illuminated Feb. 12, 2026, in the El Paso suburb of Socorro, Texas, that was recently purchased by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $122.8 million.

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to resume carrying out speedy deportations of undocumented migrants throughout the United States, not just near the border.

A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out a lower court decision that temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s expanded use of expedited removal. The ruling was a big victory for the Republican administration, which views the expansion of so-called expedited removal as a key tool for carrying out its mass deportation policy.

Expedited removal — quick deportation without a chance to appear before a judge — has previously been applied to migrants arriving by sea or caught at or near the border shortly after crossing.

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In January, Trump expanded its use to undocumented migrants all over the United States. Immigration agents began whisking migrants away from courthouses where they had gone for immigration proceedings and then removing them from the country within days.

“The Trump administration’s push for fast-track deportations will subject people to an unfair and error-prone system,” Anand Balakrishnan, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said in a statement.

Balakrishnan represented plaintiffs in arguments before the appellate panel and said its ruling “undermines the fundamental principle that people receive due process when the government seeks to deport them.”

DC Circuit Judge Justin R. Walker, one of the judges on the panel, said the plaintiffs had not shown the expanded use of expedited removal violated due process rights. Immigrants received notice of removal proceedings and were given a chance to respond, he wrote in his opinion.

Walker and the second judge in the majority, Neomi Rao, were appointed by Trump. The third judge on the panel was appointed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

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Walker said there was no requirement that the administration inform immigrants that they can avoid expedited removal if they can show they have been in the United States for more than two years.

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