News
U.S. plans to cut ties with Boy Scouts. And, Comey and James’ criminal cases dismissed
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Today’s top stories
A federal judge yesterday dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both were indicted by a lawyer who was willing to follow President Trump’s demand to pursue criminal charges after other prosecutors found no reason for a case. The judge found that Lindsey Halligan, the top prosecutor, was unlawfully appointed, marking a significant setback to the president’s efforts to go after his perceived political enemies.
James Comey speaks onstage during Former FBI Director James Comey In Conversation With MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace at 92NY on May 30, 2023, in New York City.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
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Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
- 🎧 Judge Cameron Currie wrote that the actions that came from Halligan’s defective appointment are unlawful exercises of executive power and should be set aside, NPR’s Carrie Johnson tells Up First. The judge dismissed Comey and James’ cases because Halligan was the only prosecutor in the grand jury room for the indictments and the only one who signed them. The Justice Department retains the right to appeal the judge’s decision. Comey says he believes Trump could target him again, but he has faith in the federal court system. Johnson says four times this year, different courts have ruled that U.S. attorneys have not been appointed legally, highlighting that the president’s power to appoint prosecutors has some limits.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to cut all ties with Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts. According to documents reviewed by NPR, Hegseth claims the organization is no longer a meritocracy and has become an organization designed to “attack boy-friendly spaces.” In a draft memo to Congress, he criticizes Scouting for being “genderless” and for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The military has supported the Scouts for over 100 years, and formalized their relationship in 1937.
The 28-point peace plan that the U.S. proposed to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine appears to be off the table. Ukraine and Europeans say the plan was a wish list for the Kremlin. Now, European leaders have put their own proposal forth for consideration.
- 🎧 The European proposal closely resembles the one presented in April 2022, NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley says. Though the plan didn’t work out then, Beardsley says the key difference now is the exhaustion and heavy losses felt after four years of conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the European plan is a constructive one that could actually end the war. An adviser to the Kremlin has already rejected the plan, saying it wouldn’t work. Throughout negotiations, Russia has not abandoned any of its maximalist goals.
The Trump administration has designated the Cartel de los Soles, which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro leads, a foreign terrorist organization. This is the latest move in a pressure campaign to prevent drug traffickers from entering the U.S. The Federal Register published the designation yesterday, after months of deadly strikes on boats leaving Venezuela and as Trump weighs whether to take military action against the country.
- 🎧 NPR’s Franco Ordoñez says an increasing number of foreign officials and international experts he speaks with can see the administration potentially gearing up for some type of military strike in Venezuela. There are political implications that Trump must weigh when it comes to military actions against the country, including whether the decision aligns with his America First agenda. The White House says stopping drug boats and saving American lives fits its campaign. However, Ordoñez points out that these actions carry a risk of longer-term responsibilities.
Deep dive
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
Tech companies are investing billions of dollars in the artificial intelligence industry, as business executives and investors proclaim that an AI boom is underway. To avoid depleting cash reserves too quickly, large Silicon Valley companies such as Meta are tapping into private equity and debt to finance a data center building spree. But financial analysts are concerned that instead of an AI boom, there may be an AI bubble — and it could burst soon.
- ➡️ A growing body of research suggests that AI chatbots are not impacting most tech firms’ bottom lines. Only 3% of people pay for AI, yet companies are heavily investing in it.
- ➡️ Morgan Stanley analysts predict that Big Tech will invest around $3 trillion in AI infrastructure by 2028, with only half of the funding coming from their own cash flows. If AI market growth stabilizes, oversupply could lead to worthless debt and financial losses for institutions.
- ➡️ Some analysts argue that the circular nature of investments, such as when chip giant Nvidia subsidizes one of its largest customers, artificially inflates the actual demand for AI technology.
Picture show
Four African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia in the 1890s taken by the photographer Thomas E. Askew is one of the hundreds of photos that comprise the book ‘Reflections in Black’, written and edited by scholar and New York University professor Deborah Willis.
Library of Congress
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Library of Congress
Deborah Willis, the author of Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the Present, has devoted her career to uncovering, cataloging, and showcasing the work of Black photographers and photographs of Black people. Now, 25 years after its publication, a new edition of Reflections in Black is out, with 130 new images and an accompanying gallery show inspired by the book. In this expanded edition, Willis examines the impact of migration and highlights the importance of images for those who have been forced to leave their homes. Take a look at some photos from the book.
3 things to know before you go
A new study finds that the bowhead whales produce loads of a protein that repairs the DNA in cells before they can become precancerous.
Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images
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Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images
- Scientists exploring innovative ways to fight cancer have discovered a promising new lead in bowhead whale DNA, according to findings published in the journal Nature.
- In 2007, an expensive divorce left Jolena Rothwell short on cash. When she asked her coworker Steven Green if she could borrow $20, he surprised her the next day with $200 and a note saying that she didn’t have to pay it back. Instead, he asked her to pay it forward. Her unsung hero’s action created a chain of kindness.
- Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican musician and actor who helped bring reggae into the international spotlight, has died at 81. He was known for hits such as “Many Rivers to Cross.”
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
News
Reigning champion Argentina escapes with remarkable World Cup victory over Egypt
Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during their World Cup match against Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.
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Elsa/Getty Images
They looked beaten. And out. Argentina, the defending World Cup champion and No. 1-ranked team, was down 2-0 late against Egypt.

Then, in a span of 13 remarkable minutes, Argentina scored not once, not twice, but three times, capping a comeback for the ages and leaving Egypt stunned and shellshocked.
For much of the game in Atlanta, Egypt was in control, hobbling Argentina early. The Egyptian attack began almost immediately with a stunning header goal delivered by Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute. After that, Egypt’s defense closed ranks, making it practically impossible for Argentina to equalize.
It was downhill from there for the Argentines: team captain Lionel Messi failed to convert a penalty kick, and in the 67th minute, Egypt got a second goal from Mostafa Ziko (after an earlier Egyptian goal had been disallowed after a video review). It looked like Argentina was finished. On the brink of elimination.
But no one told the Argentine players that.
In the 79th minute, Lionel Messi began doing his thing. He fired a cross near the Egyptian goal, and Cristian Romero headed it in. Messi was not done. Four minutes later, he powered a shot past the Egyptian keeper. It was his eighth goal of this tournament, the most of any player. The score was 2-2.
Then, in stoppage time, yet another Argentina header and another goal, this time from Enzo Fernandez.
“This is the World Cup for you,” said Messi after the game. “It wasn’t easy to come back from two goals down. But as I always say, this group never gives up. We always try to fight until the end.”
French referee François Letexier speaks with Egypt forward Mohamed Salah during the World Cup Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
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Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
Afterward, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan complained about the French referee and the officiating. “I am not convinced. I am not convinced with this outcome. I’m not convinced with the way things unfolded during this match,” said Hassan in a post-match news conference. “We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.”
“We would have deserved to earn this win, but we are leaving with honor, with pride, regardless of this defeat,” said Hossan.
African soccer teams have been the stars of this World Cup. Morocco has yet to lose a game. Cape Verde qualified for the first time in its history and stymied Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Argentina barely beat them in a nail-biter of a match.
For Egypt, getting this far in the tournament is historic in itself: it’s the first time the team has made it this far. For Argentina, it was a terrifying yet relieving victory: several players, including Messi himself, cried after the game.
Next, they move to the quarterfinals and will play the winner of today’s Switzerland-Colombia match.
News
Top Senate Democrats push Trump-affiliated companies for answers about IRS settlement
Top Senate Democrats are pushing for answers on whether a provision in a controversial settlement agreement between President Trump and his own administration applies to companies co-founded by or affiliated with the Trump family.
As part of a deal struck in May by the Justice Department to resolve a lawsuit brought by Mr. Trump, the Internal Revenue Service is permanently barred from pursuing claims against Mr. Trump, his oldest sons Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization based on prior tax returns.
In a one-page document signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and dated May 19, the Justice Department said the defendants in the president’s lawsuit — the IRS and the Treasury Department — are “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED” from “prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims” arising from tax returns filed before the settlement took effect. Blanche also wrote that the settlement applies to “parties including trusts, parent, sister, or related companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries.”
Now, Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden of Oregon are pushing 11 businesses and organizations with ties to the Trump family to get answers for the “significant questions” the settlement raises relating to the tax audit provision, and whether the companies are included in the deal.
“Under the guise of a so-called legal settlement, the Trump administration has attempted to decree that the President, his family, and their entire business empire — potentially including entities with even the vaguest ‘affiliation’ to the family — are to face zero consequences if they have committed a range of financial crimes or misdeeds — regardless of the severity of the violation,” the senators wrote in letters transmitted to the companies Monday night.
The letters were sent to mining company Kaz Resources, defense firm Powerus, cryptocurrency companies World Liberty Financial and American Bitcoin, robotics startup Foundation Future Industries, investment firm 1789 Capital, private aviation company Tag Air, and prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi.
All of the companies either were founded by Mr. Trump and his two adult sons, or list members of the Trump family as advisers, board members, or partial owners. Donald Trump Jr. sits on Polymarket’s advisory board and 1789 Capital, where he’s a partner, has invested in Polymarket. Days before Mr. Trump took office for his second term, Kalshi also announced Trump Jr. would be a strategic adviser.
The Democrats, who are in the minority, lack subpoena power, so Mr. Trump, his children and his companies can’t be forced to answer the questions posed by the senators.
According to recent financial disclosures, the president earned more than a billion dollars from cryptocurrency ventures alone last year, including from his meme coin business and World Liberty Financial, his family’s cryptocurrency firm.
Separately, the senators also asked the Trump Organization in a separate letter if it believes it has “immunity from all audits, civil penalties or federal prosecution” for any crimes that could have occurred before the settlement.
Trump Media and Technology Group, which is majority owned by a trust that lists Mr. Trump as the sole beneficiary and operates the Truth Social platform he uses daily, also received a letter from the Democratic senators.
“The public deserves transparency about the scope of this get-out-of-jail free card for Trump-aligned businesses, and about whether you intend to rely on this settlement as a free pass for any possible violations of the law,” the senators continued in their letter, which also seeks any communications that executives at the companies have had with the Justice Department and White House leading up to or after the settlement was signed.
The settlement was announced months after Mr. Trump and two of his sons and the Trump Organization accused the IRS and Treasury Department of unlawfully allowing a government contractor to leak tax returns to media outlets in 2020.
In a statement, a Justice Department spokesperson said “the IRS routinely provides releases as part of resolving taxpayer reviews and audits. This settlement follows that same standard practice.”
The spokesperson did not provide specific information about which companies are covered by the audit provision, or whether the Trump Organization and Trump family are the only entities covered by that addendum.
News
The U.S. men’s run at the World Cup ends with a 4-1 Round of 16 loss to Belgium
Charles De Ketelaere #17 of Belgium celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the World Cup Round of 16 match against the United States on Monday in Seattle.
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Alex Grimm/Getty Images
SEATTLE — This time was supposed to be different.
The U.S. men’s national team came into this FIFA World Cup with a lineup full of players with key roles in Europe’s top leagues. They had the name-brand coach — Mauricio Pochettino, of Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea fame. And they had homefield advantage, with every game on U.S. soil for the first time in three decades.

For weeks, the hype seemed like it might be real: The team’s three wins over Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were the most ever by a U.S. men’s squad in a World Cup. A new generation of American fans filled stadiums by the tens of thousands and tuned in on TV by the tens of millions.
But in the end, the Americans’ exit was the same as it ever was: Eliminated yet again in the Round of 16 at the hands of a European team — this time, Belgium, by a score of 4-1.
From the moment they stepped onto the Seattle field, the U.S. was outclassed by their opponent, No. 9-ranked Belgium. Countless turnovers and defensive lapses were seized on by the Belgians, who needed only nine minutes to take a 1-0 lead.

Then, once the Americans equalized on a free kick by midfielder Malik Tillman, Belgium scored yet again in barely a minute of play. Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere scored both his team’s first-half goals.
After halftime, came an embarrassing nail in the coffin that silenced the Seattle sellout crowd for good — a 57th minute roll-in by Hans Vanaken after a slip-up by goalkeeper Matt Freese outside of the penalty area left the goal unguarded. Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time goal to seal the final score at 4-1.
Malik Tillman #17 of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s only goal during their World Cup match against Belgium. In what was one of the few bright spots of the game, the U.S. pulled even with Belgium at 1-1. The tie lasted less than two minutes before Belgium scored again.
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Luke Hales/Getty Images
“It stinks,” said U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams. “Tonight was not a good performance overall. It’s not what we look to achieve. There [were] a lot of things that we could have done better.”
The U.S. had entered Monday’s game under a cloud of controversy around their striker Folarin Balogun, who was shown a red card in last week’s Round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. An automatic one-game suspension was set to sideline Balogun, the Americans’ leading scorer at the World Cup, for Monday’s game.
Then, the day before the game, a FIFA disciplinary panel took the highly unusual step of delaying Balogun’s suspension by a year to allow him to participate. Then, news broke that President Trump had personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to encourage him to review the red card.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said it would protest Balogun’s inclusion in the lineup. But even at full strength, the U.S. were never real contenders in Monday’s game.
U.S. defender and team captain Tim Ream said the controversy swirling around the team had no impact. “We were fully focused on us as a group and as a team and fully focused on the game and not really worrying about what was being said or debated in the outside world.”
Belgium will advance to the quarterfinals for the third time in the past four World Cups, where it will face Spain on Friday in Los Angeles.
Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach of the United States, walks down the touchline during the Round of 16 World Cup match between the USA and Belgium in Seattle on Monday.
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Carl Recine/Getty Images
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