Israel Pushes Deeper Into Lebanon, Immigration Bill Stalled, Anti-Weaponization Fund
6/1/202613 min
Israeli forces captured a 900-year-old castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in 26 years, complicating U.S. efforts to reach a deal with Iran even as the two sides traded more strikes over the weekend.
Congress returns from its Memorial Day break facing a stalled immigration funding bill that has become tangled up with President Trump’s push for an anti-weaponization fund and possible payments to January 6 defendants.
And the Trump administration’s anti-weaponization fund is facing new legal hurdles after one judge temporarily blocked it and another judge raised questions about the settlement that created the nearly $1.8 billion settlement fund.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Anna Yukhananov, Mohamad ElBardicy and Lindsay Totty.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:57) Israel Pushes Deeper Into Lebanon
(05:37) Immigration Bill Stalled
(08:58) Anti-weaponization Fund
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSteve Inskeep· Host0:00
[gentle music] Israeli forces captured a medieval castle, their deepest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years.
A Martinez· Host0:09
Iran says any deal to end the war must include Lebanon, where Israel is ramping up its military operation. So where does this leave the talks?
Steve Inskeep· Host0:15
I'm Steve Inskeep with A Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. [gentle music] Congress is back in Washington facing a jammed up immigration bill. The president's anti-weaponization program that could pay January 6th defendants is holding everything up, and Trump keeps making enemies of Republicans he needs.
A Martinez· Host0:36
The anti-weaponization fund is also getting scrutiny in the courts. One judge temporarily blocked any payouts, and another is asking President Trump's personal lawyers to defend the settlement that created the fund in the first place. Stay with us, we've got all the news you need to start your day.
Speaker 20:50
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