Senate Passes Party-Line Reconciliation Bill, Sidesteps Attempts to Kill ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund  —  The bill provides $70 billion for immigration and border agencies.  The House plans to take it up next week.  — Copy  —  The Senate voted mostly along party lines …

Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior  —  The Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine could be charming, women said in interviews, but some found his actions intimidating and disturbing.  —  TIMES EXCLUSIVE  —  The Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine could be charming …

Paramount's Weiss Woes … Over the last week, as Bari Weiss plunged CBS News into an unprecedented crisis by implementing her ill-advised overhaul of “60 Minutes,” other Paramount leaders have been left to deal with the fallout.  Indeed, Status has learned that the Weiss-induced turmoil …

Kennedy Center orders staff to begin removing Trump's name after ruling  —  The Kennedy Center's general counsel instructed staff members in a memo to strip all uses of President Donald Trump's name from signs, brochures, the website and other materials.  —  Summary

U.S. payrolls rose by 172,000 in May, much more than expected; unemployment at 4.3% … Job growth unexpectedly surged in May as the U.S. labor market continued a solid year of expansion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.  —  Nonfarm payrolls jumped a seasonally adjusted 172,000 …

Defense Department to drop atheists, pagans, 175 others from list of military faiths  —  (RNS) — The new list includes 31 recognized faiths, most of them Christian denominations.  —  The Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, in Washington.  (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia/Creative Commons)

Vanilla Ice Is In, Bret Michaels Is Out: Trump's Battle for Celebrity Validation  —  President Trump has pursued fame his entire adult life.  Now in his second term in the White House, he is finding how little power he has to force cultural figures to fall in line.

Trump officials planned to mark 2.7 million living people as dead, whistleblower says  —  A former Social Security executive said the plan, which was not carried out, would have used a death database to pressure immigrants to leave the country.  —  Summary

House bill rolls back food aid for pregnant women, children  —  Millions of WIC recipients would have less money for fruits and vegetables under the legislation, which funds the Agriculture Department and other agencies.  —  Summary  —  As grocery prices continue to rise nationally …

I wrote about George Santos.  Then he made a violent threat and lied about it  —  I was winding down my work day here in Los Angeles when my phone rang at 5:37 p.m. from a blocked number.  It was former Congressman George Santos.  He was boiling with rage.

ICE to stop reporting deaths of newly released detainees, internal memo says  —  The agency is facing pressure to improve medical care in its facilities after reporting the deaths of 18 detainees in the first five months of this year.  —  Summary  —  As the number of immigrants dying …

Move Fast, Surveil Things  —  Meta has deployed facial recognition code to millions of their always-on surveillance glasses, according to new reporting by Wired.  EFF's Threat Lab was able to confirm that the facial recognition code is present through static analysis of the application.

Ballroom donors won $50B in contracts after giving to Trump project, watchdog group finds  —  President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted the gifts as a boon to taxpayers, but critics of the project say the administration's refusal to release a full list of donors creates the potential for corruption.

It's No Wonder Grads Are Booing Their Commencement Speakers  —  Commencement address season hasn't been going well — for the commencement speakers.  —  I'm sure you've seen the videos on social media.  The big shots who have been brought in to inspire a next generation of graduates have used …

The Betrayal of Black Voters Threatens Our Democracy  —  Outside the blindingly white antebellum columns of the Alabama State Capitol on a recent Saturday, Martese Chism stood in the Southern heat with thousands of others, rallying for voting rights.  It was a show of defiance amid a sweeping attack on Black political power.

Why do so many Hollywood celebs have trans or non-binary kids?  —  See more of our coverage in your search results.  —  Add The New York Post on Google  —  Celebrity children identify as trans and non-binary at unbelievable rates.  Charlize Theron, Cynthia Nixon, Robert De Niro …

Redistricting redux  —  Presented by With additional help from Gelila Negesse  —  HAPPY FRIDAY.  This is Nick Reisman, eager to stress watch Game 2 of the NBA Finals.  Go Knicks.  Today we'll take a dive into the future of the just-passed amendment overhauling New York's redistricting process.

Pentagon likely to cancel missile deal with Germany over fears of Russia … Europe “can step up now and in the near term,” Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's top commander and the head of U.S. forces in Europe, told military leaders this week.  America, he said, will “refocus” equipment and forces elsewhere.

China Builds an Economic Fortress as Global Tensions Rise  —  Beijing says the changes are needed for national security, but they could complicate efforts by Chinese companies to find growth overseas.  —  China is erecting walls to prevent money, technology and companies from leaving the country.

Trump lawyers refuse to reveal financial information to BBC in $10bn lawsuit  —  Broadcaster has sought documents under subpoena in effort to identify impact of ‘Panorama’ documentary on US president  —  US President Donald Trump's legal team has refused to hand over financial information requested …

Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case: AP source  —  Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department …

Screwworm In Texas Cattle Could Drive Up Beef Prices—After DOGE Axed Prevention Efforts  —  Topline  —  A flesh-eating parasite that was largely eradicated from U.S. livestock in the 1960s has been found in a 3-week-old calf in a south Texas border town, the USDA confirmed …