The Actual News

Key Facts:

• An assemblyman, who was not well known, is now likely to become the Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City.
• The assemblyman's rise in the political race was unexpected.
• NPR's A Martinez interviewed Bob Hardt, a political director at NY1 news, for insights.
• The discussion explores the steps and events leading to the assemblyman's prominent position.
• The radio segment aired on NPR, a national media organization.

Key Facts:

• Closing arguments in Sean Combs' trial are scheduled for June 26, 2025.
• The prosecution presented witnesses for six weeks.
• Sean Combs has a defense team.
• The defense team presented their case in only 30 minutes.
• The trial has progressed to its final stage.

Key Facts:

Key Facts:

• Jose Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito," led the Los Choneros gang and was arrested after 18 months on the run.
• He escaped from Guayaquil prison in January 2024, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for drug-related crimes and murder.
• After his recapture, Macias will be sent to the United States, where he faces charges for drug trafficking and firearms smuggling.
• President Daniel Noboa used social media to announce Macias’s capture and had earlier offered a $1 million reward for help in finding him.
• Following the escape, Ecuador experienced riots, bombings, and violence, leading to a 60-day state of emergency.
• President Noboa labeled 22 gangs, including Los Choneros, as terrorist groups.
• The US Department of the Treasury sanctioned Macias and Los Choneros in February 2024 for their involvement in drug trafficking and violence.
• Ecuador, once peaceful, is now a target for gangs due to its location near major cocaine-producing countries, leading to increased violence.

Key Facts:

• Richard Gerald Jordan was executed on Wednesday by lethal injection.
• He was sentenced to death in 1976 for kidnapping and murdering Edwina Marter.
• Jordan was a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder.
• The U.S. Supreme Court denied Jordan's final appeals without comment.
• His execution began at 6 p.m., and the time of death was recorded at 6:16 p.m.
• Jordan had sued the state, arguing the execution method was inhumane.
• This execution was Mississippi's third in the last 10 years.
• Jordan was among 22 people sentenced in the 1970s who were still on death row.

Key Facts:

• The Supreme Court is releasing its final decisions for the term this month.
• Since January, the court has handled many emergency applications from the Trump administration.
• These requests ask the court to make fast decisions on important matters.
• The term "shadow docket" refers to this quick decision-making process.
• The shadow docket is increasingly affecting people's everyday lives.
• The information is shared in a podcast episode featuring Steve Vladeck, a law professor.
• The episode was originally published in 2023 and has now been updated.

Key Facts:

• The lawsuit targets 15 federal judges in Maryland.
• The disputed order prevents the U.S. from deporting migrants until a certain time after they file requests to review their detention.
• The Trump administration believes this order goes against a Supreme Court ruling and limits the president's authority.
• Attorney General Pamela Bondi says judges are stopping the president's agenda with too many legal blocks.
• Chief Judge George L. Russell III issued the order in May to protect migrants' rights to legal processes.
• A federal judge, Paula Xinis, and others were named in the lawsuit for their rulings on deportations.
• Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts previously stated impeachment is not appropriate for judicial disagreements.

Key Facts:

• President Trump supports a budget bill that may cut funding for SNAP.
• SNAP helps low-income people buy food, including families, the elderly, and disabled individuals.
• About 16% of people in West Virginia rely on SNAP benefits.
• The proposed bill aims to reduce spending, affecting SNAP and similar programs.
• Republicans control both houses of Congress, making it easier to pass the bill.
• Some Republicans are concerned that cutting SNAP could harm their chances in future elections.

Key Facts:

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held in Nashville, Tennessee, on charges of human smuggling.
• He was previously deported by mistake under the Trump administration but now risks a second deportation.
• U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw allowed his release, but concerns about deportation have delayed it.
• Lawyers are worried that deportation will prevent Abrego from defending himself and affect the government's case.
• Abrego Garcia fled El Salvador to escape gang violence and has lived in Maryland with his family for over a decade.
• In 2019, a judge ordered that he could not be removed from the U.S., but he was deported during an immigration raid in 2020.
• The government admitted his removal was due to an "administrative error."
• The Trump administration labeled certain Latin American gangs as terrorist organizations.

Key Facts:

• The detention center is being built on the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades, about 43 miles from Miami.
• The project started following an executive order by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to address undocumented immigration.
• The new facility will have space for around 1,000 detainees and is expected to open in July or August.
• The area is known for wildlife like alligators and pythons, which contributes to its nickname "Alligator Alcatraz."
• Human rights and environmental groups worry about overcrowding and impact on the environment and detainees' conditions.
• As of now, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is holding 59,000 detainees, which is 140% above its capacity.
• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has criticized the detention centers for issues like medical neglect and lack of legal access.

Key Facts:

• Luis Rubiales was fined $12,600 for kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
• The incident occurred at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and caused global outrage.
• A court cleared Rubiales and others of a separate charge of coercion.
• Rubiales plans to appeal the sexual assault conviction at the Supreme Court.
• The court maintained a restraining order, banning Rubiales from contacting Hermoso for one year.
• Rubiales resigned from his position and faces a three-year ban from football activities.
• Jenni Hermoso became a symbol for efforts against sexism in sports.
• Rubiales is also under investigation for alleged financial misconduct linked to the Spanish Super Cup's move to Saudi Arabia.

Key Facts:

• A judge in San Francisco ruled in favor of AI company Anthropic in a copyright case involving authors.
• The ruling allows AI companies to use legally obtained copyrighted works for training purposes.
• The case marks the first major decision on fair use laws applied to AI systems.
• Fair use lets copyrighted works be used without permission in certain situations, like teaching or news reporting.
• Authors claimed Anthropic used millions of copyright-protected digital books without permission.
• Judge Alsup concluded that the use of purchased books was a "fair use" and transformative.
• Anthropic allegedly also obtained books from pirate sites, which will be addressed in a trial.
• The outcome highlights differing views on the scope of fair use within AI training.

Key Facts:

• An American Airlines flight returned to Las Vegas shortly after taking off.
• Smoke was seen coming from the plane's left engine.
• Maintenance teams found no fire in the engine after inspection.
• The aircraft was removed from service for further checks.
• No passengers or crew members were injured.
• The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the incident.

Key Facts:

• Zohran Mamdani is a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Astoria, Queens.
• He used social media to share his campaign journey, including a walk across Manhattan, to connect with voters.
• Mamdani's campaign resonated with young and disillusioned voters, leading to a strong grassroots support base.
• He focused on policies such as free public transportation and city-operated grocery stores.
• Nearly 50,000 volunteers helped his campaign outreach through door-to-door canvassing.
• Mamdani is an immigrant and openly discusses his Muslim faith, which appealed to many voters.
• New York's current mayor, Eric Adams, acknowledged Mamdani's authenticity but criticized him after the primary win.

Key Facts:

• Religious leaders from Christian and Muslim faiths filed the lawsuit.
• The Ten Commandments are biblical rules found in the Old Testament.
• Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed the new law.
• The law requires public classrooms in Texas to display the Ten Commandments.
• The lawsuit argues the law imposes religious rules on students daily.
• The US Constitution protects freedom of religion and the idea of separating church and state.
• Other states like Louisiana and Arkansas have tried similar laws, facing legal challenges.
• Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union plan to challenge the Texas law.

Key Facts:

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary.
• Kennedy stated the U.S. will halt funding to Gavi over vaccine safety concerns.
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is an international group that helps provide vaccines worldwide.
• Gavi claims to have vaccinated 1.1 billion children and saved 20 million lives since 2000.
• The U.S. has been a significant donor to Gavi, contributing about 13% of its budget.
• Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. pledged $2.53 billion to Gavi until 2030.
• Gavi asserts its practices align with guidelines from independent experts and the World Health Organization.
• Concerns exist that cutting funding could affect vaccine distribution in low-resource countries.

Key Facts:

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
• He was sent to a prison there.
• A federal judge in Tennessee ruled for his release.
• Garcia's release is until his trial in the U.S.
• The trial is on federal charges.

Key Facts:

• More than a thousand schools in Peru are receiving threats from gangs.
• The threats include blowing up schools and harming teachers.
• The gangs are demanding extortion payments, which means they want money in exchange for not carrying out their threats.
• This situation is affecting schools in the South American country of Peru.
• The threats and demands are causing fear and safety concerns among school staff and students.

Key Facts:

• LaMonica McIver is a U.S. Representative from New Jersey.
• She pleaded not guilty to charges from an incident at an immigration center.
• The charges include assaulting and resisting federal officers.
• The incident happened during a congressional visit on May 9.
• Two charges carry up to eight years in prison, while a third is a misdemeanor with a one-year maximum.
• Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, linked to the Trump administration, charged McIver.
• A video shows McIver in a crowd with officers, but it's unclear if her actions were intentional.
• Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, arrested at the protest, has filed a lawsuit after charges against him were dropped.

Key Facts:

• The plan includes $150 billion for immigration enforcement over four years.
• The annual budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is currently about $10 billion.
• The bill proposes $46.5 billion for border wall and barrier construction along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• It allocates $45 billion to expand detention facilities for immigrants.
• The Senate is reviewing a version of the bill similar to the House's proposal.
• Some Republicans argue the bill is necessary for border security.
• The bill's details on spending are unclear, according to some analysts.