Podcast appearances and mentions of Lisa Desjardins

Texas lawmakers are back in session after Democrats returned to the state after leaving to block partisan redistricting. Democrats came back because California is planning its own partisan map to counteract GOP gains in Texas. To discuss how the map battle could decide the next Congress, Lisa Desjardins spoke with Dr. Sam Wang of the Electoral Innovation Lab. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Members of the U.S. House have left Washington for their summer break, and Republicans are working to promote the tax and spending cuts President Trump recently signed into law. But concerns about cuts to Medicaid remain. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports from Louisiana, home to the top two House leaders, and the state with the greatest reliance on Medicaid in the country. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Members of the U.S. House have left Washington for their summer break, and Republicans are working to promote the tax and spending cuts President Trump recently signed into law. But concerns about cuts to Medicaid remain. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports from Louisiana, home to the top two House leaders, and the state with the greatest reliance on Medicaid in the country. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Members of the U.S. House have left Washington for their summer break, and Republicans are working to promote the tax and spending cuts President Trump recently signed into law. But concerns about cuts to Medicaid remain. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports from Louisiana, home to the top two House leaders, and the state with the greatest reliance on Medicaid in the country. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In Scotland on Sunday, Trump and the European Union announced a major trade deal between their two massive economies. The framework for the preliminary deal includes a 15% general tariff on most EU goods entering the U.S. while a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum remains in place. Lisa Desjardins speaks with David Lynch, global economics correspondent at The Washington Post, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As international outrage over starvation in Gaza grows, Israel’s military on Sunday ordered a daily “tactical pause” in fighting in three areas of the territory until further notice. Israel and nearby nations also resumed airdrops of food, though aid organizations say it’s a dangerous practice. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Gerry Shih, Jerusalem bureau chief for The Washington Post, for the latest. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In recent months, photos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents making arrests in public spaces have shown the officers wearing street clothes and face masks. There have also been a handful of arrests of people posing as ICE officers, in some cases carrying out assaults and robberies. Freelance investigative journalist Jose Olivares joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss the trend. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As international outrage over starvation in Gaza grows, Israel’s military on Sunday ordered a daily “tactical pause” in fighting in three areas of the territory until further notice. Israel and nearby nations also resumed airdrops of food, though aid organizations say it’s a dangerous practice. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Gerry Shih, Jerusalem bureau chief for The Washington Post, for the latest. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In Scotland on Sunday, Trump and the European Union announced a major trade deal between their two massive economies. The framework for the preliminary deal includes a 15% general tariff on most EU goods entering the U.S. while a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum remains in place. Lisa Desjardins speaks with David Lynch, global economics correspondent at The Washington Post, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

One of the oldest institutions in our young country, the U.S. Postal Service turned 250 on Saturday. The agency is deeply intertwined with the nation’s history and has been critical to its growth, but with annual net losses nearing $10 billion, this time of celebration is also one of concern. Lisa Desjardins speaks with NPR correspondent Hansi Lo Wang for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The world of K-pop has fresh new faces: the band 1VERSE with a debut album and lead single, “Shattered.” The boy band has an improbable origin story that includes two North Korean defectors. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As deaths from hunger rise in Gaza, the Israeli military announced Saturday that it will begin airdrops of aid and open more humanitarian corridors to bring in food. But the U.N. and aid groups have criticized airdrops as inadequate and dangerous. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Rachel Cummings with Save the Children, a leading aid worker in Gaza, about conditions on the ground. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The world of K-pop has fresh new faces: the band 1VERSE with a debut album and lead single, “Shattered.” The boy band has an improbable origin story that includes two North Korean defectors. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

As deaths from hunger rise in Gaza, the Israeli military announced Saturday that it will begin airdrops of aid and open more humanitarian corridors to bring in food. But the U.N. and aid groups have criticized airdrops as inadequate and dangerous. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Rachel Cummings with Save the Children, a leading aid worker in Gaza, about conditions on the ground. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The world of K-pop has fresh new faces: the band 1VERSE with a debut album and lead single, “Shattered.” The boy band has an improbable origin story that includes two North Korean defectors. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump signed an executive order that makes it easier for states to remove homeless encampments and force unhoused people into mental health or addiction treatment programs. Homeless rates have been steadily rising since 2017. A federal count found that more than 770,000 people are living in shelters or outside on a single night. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with David Ovalle. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Divisions inside the Republican Party over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation boiled over on Capitol Hill. Speaker Mike Johnson said the House won't take action before leaving town for the August recess at the end of the week. Lisa Desjardins reports and Geoff Bennett discusses the legal implications with former federal prosecutor Arlo Devlin-Brown. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Divisions inside the Republican Party over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation boiled over on Capitol Hill. Speaker Mike Johnson said the House won't take action before leaving town for the August recess at the end of the week. Lisa Desjardins reports and Geoff Bennett discusses the legal implications with former federal prosecutor Arlo Devlin-Brown. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The clock is ticking for Congress to claw back more than $9 billion of federal funding for programs, including foreign aid and public media. Friday night is the final deadline for the House to pass the so-called rescissions package, which is a priority for President Trump. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The clock is ticking for Congress to claw back more than $9 billion of federal funding for programs, including foreign aid and public media. Friday night is the final deadline for the House to pass the so-called rescissions package, which is a priority for President Trump. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congress is moving toward passing a series of bills that would be the first to regulate the crypto industry. The GENIUS Act regulates stablecoins while the Clarity Act regulates digital currency overall, splitting oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Lisa Desjardins discussed the legislation with Patrick McHenry and Hilary Allen. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congress is moving toward passing a series of bills that would be the first to regulate the crypto industry. The GENIUS Act regulates stablecoins while the Clarity Act regulates digital currency overall, splitting oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Lisa Desjardins discussed the legislation with Patrick McHenry and Hilary Allen. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House backed off $400 billion in immediate cuts it was proposing in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and potentially other high-profile health programs. It's part of the package of cuts facing the Senate over the next two days. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House backed off $400 million in immediate cuts it was proposing in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and potentially other high-profile health programs. It's part of the package of cuts facing the Senate over the next two days. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House backed off $400 million in immediate cuts it was proposing in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and potentially other high-profile health programs. It's part of the package of cuts facing the Senate over the next two days. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House effort to cut back $9.4 billion of already allocated government spending faces a critical vote in the Senate this week. Some Republicans have concerns about the cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting as the clock ticks to Friday’s deadline to approve or modify the Trump administration plan. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The White House effort to cut back $9.4 billion of already allocated government spending faces a critical vote in the Senate this week. Some Republicans have concerns about the cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting as the clock ticks to Friday’s deadline to approve or modify the Trump administration plan. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the green light to reorganize agencies and begin the process of mass firings of federal workers. The reductions in force had been on hold for months, but tens of thousands of employees at nearly 20 agencies could soon be out of work. Lisa Desjardins discussed where things stand with Everett Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the green light to reorganize agencies and begin the process of mass firings of federal workers. The reductions in force had been on hold for months, but tens of thousands of employees at nearly 20 agencies could soon be out of work. Lisa Desjardins discussed where things stand with Everett Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It has been a week since Congress passed the Republicans' major budget act. But what’s in it and how it will affect Americans' day-to-day lives remains a mystery to most. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins read the nearly 900-page law and joined Amna Nawaz to help make sense of it all. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It has been a week since Congress passed the Republicans' major budget act. But what’s in it and how it will affect Americans' day-to-day lives remains a mystery to most. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins read the nearly 900-page law and joined Amna Nawaz to help make sense of it all. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The so-called "One Big, Beautiful Bill" overcame thin Republican majorities and weeks of tense negotiations, just meeting the president's self-imposed Independence Day deadline. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins takes us through the policy and politics of the GOP's signature bill. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The so-called "One Big, Beautiful Bill" overcame thin Republican majorities and weeks of tense negotiations, just meeting the president's self-imposed Independence Day deadline. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins takes us through the policy and politics of the GOP's signature bill. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It was a dramatic day in the House, where President Trump's massive tax cut and budget bill is currently in limbo. Conservatives and others with concerns are not yet on board and the House has frozen proceedings as GOP leaders try to get enough votes to move forward. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It was a dramatic day in the House, where President Trump's massive tax cut and budget bill is currently in limbo. Conservatives and others with concerns are not yet on board and the House has frozen proceedings as GOP leaders try to get enough votes to move forward. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump's massive domestic policy bill overcame a major hurdle in the Senate. Vice President Vance broke a tie to pass the legislation after lawmakers worked through the night and made last-minute changes. The bill shrinks Medicaid, extends trillions in tax cuts and is the most expensive budget bill Congress has ever considered. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump's massive domestic policy bill overcame a major hurdle in the Senate. Vice President Vance broke a tie to pass the legislation after lawmakers worked through the night and made last-minute changes. The bill shrinks Medicaid, extends trillions in tax cuts and is the most expensive budget bill Congress has ever considered. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump's agenda, and one of the largest bills in U.S. history, is in the hands of the Senate. At stake is trillions in tax cuts, reshaping the country’s immigration system, energy future and the future of Medicaid. It’s unclear whether Republicans will have the votes. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the aftermath of the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, we welcome back Theodore Postol, Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy Emeritus at MIT to give his expert technical assessment on where that assault leaves the Iranian nuclear program. Then, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, gives us his analysis of the political side of the issue.Theodore Postol is Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy Emeritus in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. His expertise is in nuclear weapon systems, including submarine warfare, applications of nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defense, and ballistic missiles more generally.No one at that point after the attack could have known whether or not there was success of any kind, even if there was success. And I doubt there was any success.Theodore PostolThe Israelis have done everything in their power to create an internal argument among the political leadership in Iran to proceed to build a nuclear weapon so that this kind of thing won't happen again. So the Israeli grand strategy, if you want to call it that, shows no intelligence or thought of any kind.Theodore PostolTrita Parsi is the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and the co-founder and former President of the National Iranian American Council. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored three books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel— Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States, A Single Roll of the Dice – Obama's Diplomacy with Iran, and Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy.Israel is not enhancing American power in the Middle East. Israel is consuming it.Trita Parsi, Executive VP of the Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftIf the (Iranian regime) were to collapse it would most likely be because there would be an internal coup. And the next regime would be coming from the very same regime. It would just be a much more aggressive and hardline.Trita Parsi20 Worst Recent Trump Headlines1. Trump Administration Abruptly Cuts Billions From State Health Services (Apoorva Mandavilli, Margot Sanger-Katz and Jan Hoffman, New York Times, March 26, 2025)2. The EPA is canceling almost 800 environmental justice grants, court filing reveals (Maxine Joselow and Amudalat Ajasa, Washington Post, April 29, 2025)3. Trump's attack on federal unions a ‘test case' for broader assault, warn lawyers (Michael Sainato, The Guardian, 5/1/25)4. Trump fires all 3 Democrats on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 5/9/25)5. Federal employee unions fight for survival as Trump tries to eviscerate them (Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5/11/25)6. Trump's DOJ agrees to let Boeing escape guilty plea. It was a deal victims' families didn't want. (Alexis Keenan, Yahoo Finance, 5/23/25)7. Trump made a promise not to touch Medicare. His megabill just broke it. (Alan L. Cohen, NBC, 5/23/25)8. Trump's safety research cuts heighten workplace risks, federal workers warn (Michael Sainato, The Guardian, 5/27/25)9. Provision in GOP budget bill puts millions at risk of losing SNAP benefits (Lisa Desjardins and Jackson Hudgins, PBS, 5/29/25)10. White House proposes shutting down chemical safety agency (Maxine Joselow Washington Post, 6/3/25)11. Trump tax bill would add $550 billion in interest payments to national debt (Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 6/5/25)12. RFK Jr. boots all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee (Will Stone, NPR, 6/9/25)13. Vance, Rubio peddle fiction that 88 percent of foreign aid doesn't go overseas (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, 6/11/25)14. Trump's EPA plans to repeal climate pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants (Jeff Brady, NPR, 6/11/25)15. How Trump's assault on science is blinding America to climate change (Scott Waldman, E&E News, 6/16/2025)16. ‘Censorship:' See the National Park visitor responses after Trump requested help deleting ‘negative' signage (Government Executive Magazine, 6/18/25)17. Government drops cases against ‘predatory' financial firms (Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post, 6/20/25)18. 'Hell no, insane': A proposal for millions of acres of land under Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill sparks outrage (No Byline, Economic Times, 6/23/25)19. Under Trump's ‘Big, Beautiful Bill' child poverty will rise again (Arturo Baiocchi, Sacramento Bee, 6/23/25)20. Trump loves saying 'You're fired.' Now he's making it easier to fire federal workers (Andrea Hsu, NPR, 6/23/25)News 6/27/251. After a brutal initial barrage by the United States, followed by tit-for-tat exchanges between Israel and Iran, the U.S. is seeking to broker a ceasefire between the two states. On Truth Social, Trump posted “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Just hours after this however, Israel did in fact bomb targets in Tehran, per Reuters. Israel also claims to have intercepted missiles fired from Iran following the ceasefire agreement. In the wake of the initial attacks, journalist Séamus Malekafzali reported that the “Iranian communist party Tudeh and the Communist Party of Israel [Hadash] release[d] a joint statement condemning the Israeli war on Iran, saying Israel's intent is to make the region ‘bow down to [US] imperialism' and that the only solution is full nuclear disarmament in the Middle East.” Israel's nuclear capabilities are an open secret in Washington, with estimates that the country possess between 90 and 400 nuclear warheads.2. In Congress, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has put forth a War Powers resolution in an attempt to check Trump's unilateral escalation in Iran. According to Newsweek, he expects to get Republican votes in the Senate. In the House, the effort is led by Reps. Ro Khanna and maverick Republican Thomas Massie, whom Trump has become so enraged with that he recently launched a PAC to oust him from his seat, per Axios. Meanwhile, AOC issued a statement reading, “The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, asked about AOC's impeachment comments, replied “No, no, that's a big threshold to cross,” per David Weigel.3. The escalation in Iran has exposed fissures in Trump's orbit. PBS reports major MAGA figures like Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor-Greene are openly opposed, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has reportedly drawn Trump's ire for a string of comments out of step with the administration's messaging, starting with a video earlier this month in which she accused “political elites and warmongers [of] carelessly fomenting fear and tension between nuclear powers,” per the Independent. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been iced out completely, according to the Washington Post.4. In more news concerning the administration, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has published a new report, finding that “Stephen Miller…Trump's powerful deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor…has a personal financial stake…[of] up to a quarter million dollars of stock in Palantir.” POGO describes Palantir, the shadowy tech company founded by rightwing tech oligarch Peter Thiel, as “woven into the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used by other federal agencies such as the Pentagon.” POGO and other experts see this as a glaring potential conflict of interest. In an almost darkly comedic twist, “Democratic lawmakers have recently sought information from Palantir, [but] they are in the minority and cannot compel the company to produce records. A person who could is Representative James Comer (R-KY), the chairman of the [House] oversight committee...However, Comer bought…Palantir stock the day after Trump's inauguration…his only stock trade that day.” Palantir is the second-best-performing S&P 500 stock in 2025, with shares up 74% year-to-date, per Business Insider.5. In a rare case of corruption actually being prosecuted, the New York Times reports former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez reported for his eleven-year prison sentence on June 17th. “After a nine-week trial in Manhattan, Mr. Menendez…became the only U.S. senator ever to be convicted of acting as an agent of a foreign government,” after taking part in a “yearslong bribery conspiracy” that included payoffs in the form of “kilo bars of gold, a Mercedes-Benz convertible and more than $480,000 in cash.” Menendez is now incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, a medium-security federal prison in Minersville, Pennsylvania. He has been assigned the prisoner number 67277-050.6. In other news, POLITICO reports, “FICO plans to launch a suite of credit scores later this year that incorporate [Buy Now Pay Later or BNPL] data, providing lenders a window into…consumers' repayment behavior on these increasingly popular installment loans.” As BNPL data has not been included in credit reporting before, this has become known as “phantom debt…a gigantic black box…[and] largely unregulated.” This story notes that the Trump administration CFPB has “dropped planned enforcement of a Biden administration rule that would have treated BNPL providers like credit card companies,” subjecting this industry to daylight and financial regulation. The administration's abandonment of this rule mirrors their declassification of cryptocurrency as securities in order to skirt SEC oversight. Many questions remain over how exactly BNPL data will factor into consumers' credit scores, but many are bracing for this data to reveal a growing chasm of consumer debt underpinning the already shaky economic picture.7. Meanwhile Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student and activist abducted by ICE on the eve of his son's birth – despite being a legal permanent resident – has finally been freed. Khalil was held in federal immigration detention in Louisiana for 104 days, per AP. Following his release, Khalil said “Justice prevailed, but it's very long overdue.” Khalil's legal battle will continue. Khalil stated in an interview with NPR, “My release is just the first step. The legal fight is still very, very long. The administration appealed the decision about my release, but we will prove our case – that what happened…was textbook retaliation against the First Amendment, that I was targeted because of speech the government did not like, and that there was nothing wrong with the speech I was engaged in. I want to make sure that everyone who contributed to my arrest will be held accountable.”8. Backlash to Trump's immigration policies is not confined to the political and legal realms either. Newsweek reports that the new Pope, Leo XIV, has “called for priests, deacons and parish leaders to accompany migrants to court and stand in solidarity with them.” This is an encouraging sign for those who hoped Leo would follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis. It also puts the new Pope at odds with more conservative American Catholics, such as Vice-President JD Vance who converted in adulthood. In May, Leo's brother John Prevost told New York Times that the new Pope, “has great, great desire to help the downtrodden and the disenfranchised, the people who are ignored.”9. In another immigration flashpoint, “A gang of masked federal agents swarmed, manhandled, and detained New York City Comptroller Brad Lander…as he sought to assist a defendant out of immigration court,” according to the American Prospect. The Prospect notes this arrest is “the latest instance of political violence against opposition party members, which has included the arrests of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver…the arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan…and the brief detention of Sen. Alex Padilla.” Lander was released several hours after he was detained, when New York Governor Kathy Hochul showed up in person to demand his release. She called his arrest “b******t.” Later, in an interview with Joe Gallina, Lander said, “Courts tell undocumented immigrants their cases are ‘dismissed.' But what they really dismiss… is their asylum status. Then ICE grabs them. No lawyer. No warning.”10. Finally, 33-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani trounced disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, winning by a completely unforeseen seven-point landslide. Polls up to election day showed Cuomo winning, some by as much as 24 points. Mamdani, a state legislator since 2021, ran on a platform of affordability, including making city buses free, establishing city-owned grocery stores and freezing the rent for all stabilized tenants. This platform – paired with cogent messaging, an extraordinary grassroots organizing campaign and shrewd alliances with other progressive candidates like Brad Lander – won the day for Zohran. However, an air of uncertainty about November remains. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams still plans to run for reelection as an independent and Cuomo hasn't ruled out doing the same, per the Hill. While many who endorsed or donated to Cuomo in the primary – some now openly admitting they merely did so out of fear of reprisal – have switched their allegiance to Mamdani, some are maintaining a hostile posture towards the presumptive Democratic nominee. There is no doubt this story will proceed in dramatic fashion.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

A make-or-break weekend lies ahead for Trump’s big budget bill and his hope of passing it by July 4. Republican senators had not yet posted text of their proposal as of Friday afternoon, but PBS News Hour has learned that they hope to start voting Saturday. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins joins Amna Nawaz with the latest. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

President Trump’s big budget bill faces a significant test as the Senate prepares to start voting as soon as Friday. It comes as the Senate parliamentarian ruled that some major Medicaid changes in the bill do not qualify for the budget process Republicans are using. Lisa Desjardins reports on where the bill stands and who could gain or lose from it. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

On Capitol Hill, senators questioned President Trump’s budget director over the administration's request to claw back funds for foreign aid and public media. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Time is running short for Capitol Hill Republicans hoping to pass President Trump’s massive tax and spending plan by his self-imposed deadline. Republicans don't need a single Democratic vote if they can keep their side of the aisle united. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been reacting to news of the Iran strikes. Lisa Desjardins reports on the role of Congress and what members of both parties are saying. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A recent Wall Street Journal analysis reveals a surge in stock trading by lawmakers and their families in early April, as President Trump’s shifting stance on tariffs sent markets into turmoil. But while some members cashed in, others are looking to highlight lawmakers’ trades and bar Congress from betting on Wall Street. Lisa Desjardins has the story. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A historic and national $7.4 billion dollar settlement has been reached with Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid OxyContin that spurred a major start of the opioid epidemic. A prior settlement had been struck down by the Supreme Court. NPR'S national addiction correspondent, Brian Mann, joins Lisa Desjardins with more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

It’s crunch time in Congress as Republican Senate leaders try to shape the president’s so-called “big beautiful bill” into a compromise that can pass. Lisa Desjardins joins Amna Nawaz to unpack the latest proposed changes to health care, tax, and energy policy – and the political sticking points between the GOP and a legislative victory. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After a weekend of national protests over his immigration policy, President Trump says he wants a greater crackdown in some of the nation’s biggest cities. At the same time, the president is pulling back on ICE raids in some major industries. Jennie Murray, CEO of the center-right National Immigration Forum, which works on the economy and immigration, joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Members of Congress have been quick to react to news from across the country that one of their own, California Sen. Alex Padilla, was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference. Democrats pointed the blame at the Trump administration, while Republicans called out the senator. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Immigration raids and inspections continued on Wednesday in California, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, among other places. Chicago's mayor called the president an authoritarian, but the Trump administration defended his approach and warned guard troops could be deployed to other cities. Lisa Desjardins reports on how lawmakers are viewing the protests and the president's response. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders