NPR News: 05-31-2026 4PM EDT

Nora Raum· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rom. The Israeli military said today its troops have captured a strategic mountain in the south of the country, including a castle built by the Crusaders. This follows days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby villages between Israeli and Hezbollah troops. This is Israel's deepest ground invasion into Lebanon since two thousand. The war with Iran is now in its fourth month with no clear indication it will be resolved anytime soon. NPR's Tamara Keith has more.

Tamara Keith0:32

On Friday, President Trump announced he was heading into the Situation Room for a high-level meeting about the potential deal, quote, "To make a final determination." He was there for two hours, and we still don't know what he decided. Over the past two months, there have been many threats from President Trump and claims of a deal being near. Then last week, he said he might not even sign the deal unless Gulf Arab states like Qatar sign the Abraham Accord normalizing relations with Israel.

Nora Raum· Host1:01

NPR's Tamara Keith. Last week, a federal judge reopened President Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over a leak of his tax returns for further investigation. She had questions about a settlement that, among other aspects, created a fund to compensate people who say they were wrongly targeted in the federal judicial system. Today, Mike Pence, the vice president in the first Trump administration, said it was a bad idea from the start.

Mike Pence· Soundbite1:26

Let's get rid of this fund. I mean, I mean, it's, it's deeply