Senate to start debate on ICE funding. And, Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire

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Senate Republicans are moving forward to attempt to pass funding for immigration enforcement through the end of President Trump's term. Senators left Washington last month without passing the GOP-backed measure over concerns about the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund . Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently told Congress that the administration had scrapped its plans for the fund. But Trump later avoided confirming Blanche's claim.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks during a news conference following a weekly policy luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on June 02, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Thune was joined by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

Israel and Lebanon agreed yesterday to renew a ceasefire that has struggled to effectively take hold. Their diplomats negotiated new terms during meetings in Washington. This week, Trump also spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president confirmed that he called Netanyahu "crazy" and used an expletive during a tense phone call about Netanyahu's planned attacks on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

Trump issued an executive order yesterday that transforms around 8,000 federal workers into at-will employees. This move will allow the government to fire them without providing a reason . It's the latest move in efforts Trump began in his first term to strip a vast number of federal employees of their civil service protections, which are designed to shield their work from political interference. These protections are designed to shield their work from political interference. Most of the 8,000 affected people are at the highest level of the civil service, GS-15. The Trump administration characterizes these roles as carrying significant influence over policy. They include leaders of policy offices, senior public affairs officers and heads of regional offices.

The men's soccer World Cup starts next week at 16 stadiums in North America, coinciding with the arrival of potentially dangerous summer weather in many host cities. An NPR analysis reveals that millions of fans, players and workers are at risk for potential exposure to harmful heat. NPR found that more than one-third of World Cup matches carry a high risk of dangerously hot and humid conditions. Many additional matches may also experience a moderate heat risk. The high-risk events include multiple high-profile games, including the match that determines which team takes home third place and the World Cup final.

Soprano Renée Fleming and banjo player Béla Fleck are touring together across the United States this year, performing American bluegrass and folk music, from Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles to Carnegie Hall in New York. Madison Thorn hide caption

Musicians Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck have joined forces for a project that took more than 20 years to finalize. Fleming, a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, is best known for her performances in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses. Her latest venture is an Appalachian bluegrass album, Fiddle and The Drum , with banjo player Béla Fleck. He has won 18 Grammys and a Latin Grammy. The album features mountain songs, ballads and folk hymns that celebrate traditional American music. The songs are loosely organized around themes of loss and war. Dolly Parton even makes an appearance in the soul-piercing duet, "In The Pines." In an interview with Morning Edition host Michel Martin, Fleming and Fleck discussed their new music, their initial meeting and Fleming's decision to resign from her position as artistic adviser at the Kennedy Center following Trump's takeover. Listen to the interview and snippets of the songs or read the article here .