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Chapter 1: What recent actions did President Trump take regarding housing legislation?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. President Trump is on Capitol Hill at this hour to meet with Senate Republicans. For a time this morning, it wasn't clear he would go. He was supposed to sign legislation designed to help make housing more affordable.
But then the president said he would not sign that bill until Congress passes a long-stalled package of national voting restrictions. He's been pressing Majority Leader John Thune on that issue. NPR's Sam Greenglass has more.
He says Republicans will never win another election without it. The reality is that there are just not the votes to pass it in the Senate. Trump has called on Thune to skirt the 60-vote threshold there by eliminating the filibuster.
Chapter 2: How did the primary elections impact Trump's endorsements in South Carolina?
Last week in a post that actually mentioned Thune, he called anyone against that idea a fool.
NPR's Sam Greenglass. Several states held primary elections yesterday, in advance of the midterm elections in the fall. In South Carolina, Attorney General Alan Wilson won the Republican nomination for governor. He had been endorsed by President Trump, but only after Trump had endorsed his opponent. South Carolina Public Radio's Gavin Jackson reports.
Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evatt received Trump's coveted endorsement in late May, before the primary, but it didn't land as expected. Wilson gained momentum during the two-week runoff period, fueled by support from former opponents like Congressman Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace.
With Trump's gubernatorial picks in Iowa and recently Georgia losing, and polling pointing to another loss, he made a dual endorsement last week for both candidates, saying in part, quote, with either one you can't go wrong, quote. Wilson, the four-term attorney general, was declared the winner roughly 30 minutes after polls closed.
Chapter 3: What is the current situation in Gaza according to Iranian officials?
He faces Democratic State Representative Jermaine Johnson in November. For NPR News, I'm Gavin Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina.
On the Democratic side, Nancy LaCour won the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina. She's a former Navy admiral who had been fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseff. Iran's foreign minister spoke with the leader of Hamas and said Iranian negotiators are raising Israel's attacks in Gaza in talks with the U.S. NPR's Ayat Betrawi reports.
While the world's attention has been on Iran and the war in the Gulf, Israel says its forces have taken over more of Gaza and now occupy nearly 70 percent of the Palestinian territory. Gaza's health ministry says more than a thousand people have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. between Israel and Hamas last year.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arakci spoke with Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader in exile on Tuesday, according to Hamas and reports in Iranian media.
Chapter 4: What settlement did the Justice Department reach with Chemours Company?
They say Arakci said Iran is raising Israel's continued aggression in Gaza and ongoing ceasefire violations in talks with the U.S. Iran, however, has not insisted on a complete halt to attacks in Gaza as it has in Lebanon, where its proxy Hezbollah was fighting Israel. Aya Batraoui, NPR News, Dubai.
This is NPR News. The Justice Department announced today it's reached agreement with chemical giant Chemours Company to settle a multi-state, multi-year dispute over so-called forever chemicals, known as PFAS. Scientific studies show the chemicals, used to make products resistant to water, grease and stains, may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
Under the settlement, the company will pay $450 million and install pollution controls in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. At Soccer's World Cup, there are several notable group games today, including one that might decide a future U.S. opponent in the knockout round. NPR's Russell Lewis reports from Los Angeles.
Chapter 5: What notable matches are happening in the Soccer World Cup today?
The game between Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the one U.S. fans will be watching most closely. If either country wins, they would likely face the U.S. in a round of 32 match on July 1st in Santa Clara, California. On the other side of Group B, co-host Canada goes up against Switzerland.
If Canada wins or draws against the Swiss, Canada would place first in its group and play its round of 32 game in Vancouver, a huge advantage. In Group C, there are two matches. Brazil takes on Scotland in their legion of fun fans, while Morocco goes up against Haiti.
Brazil and Morocco top the group now, but Scotland could advance to the knockout round in first, second, or third place, depending on several scenarios. Russell Lewis, NPR News, Los Angeles.
Chapter 6: What are the upcoming political events and discussions to watch for this week?
And I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News in Washington.
This week on Up First, President Trump dispatched J.D. Vance to peace talks in Switzerland. Now the U.S. and Iran say they have a roadmap for peace. We'll have the latest on any overnight developments. Plus, it's another week of primary elections. We'll discuss the results and what they mean for November.
Listen to Up First every morning for the top three stories you need to know to start your day on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.