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Welcome back! It’s nearly the weekend and I’m planning to spend part of it catching up on reading. In the meantime, I’ve been browsing this interesting map of bookstores owned by authors.In the headlines today: The Senate passes legislation to fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies without limits on his $1.8 billion settlement fund; Democratic candidate Graham Platner deals with new controversies rocking the Senate race; and what to know about the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal. Also, if you’re in need of a weekend culinary challenge, a story about making your own sushi.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pauses for questions from reporters before votes on the immigration enforcement funding package, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Senate passes $70B immigration enforcement bill without limits on Trump settlement fundJust before 5 a.m. Friday, Senators voted 52-47 for legislation to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the next three years. It came after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that resolves President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Read more.Why this matters:The final vote came after Republicans narrowly defeated multiple attempts by Democrats and Republicans to add language to the bill that would permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund for political allies who believe they have been politically persecuted. Republicans defeated an amendment proposed by one of their own members, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, that would have redirected payments from Trump’s settlement to members of law enforcement who were injured in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.The amendments were a test of party unity that complicated what should have been an easy vote for Republicans who wanted to keep the focus on immigration enforcement in an election year. Instead, they spent almost a full day haggling among themselves over whether to block the settlement fund, even after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had said earlier this week that it would not go forward.Related coverage →Trump says Pulte won’t be his nominee for director of national intelligenceEx-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case: AP sourceSenate blocks extending key surveillance program following backlash over Trump pick to lead intelUS employers likely added 105,000 jobs in May with labor market stable despite costly Iran warTrump announces $700 million in new support for struggling coal industryHouse passes bill to aid Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia
