NPR is reporting that the Justice Department will abide by a federal court order that puts funds for the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization program on hold. The administration said the fund would compensate individuals who allege they were targeted by the federal government. The program has faced bipartisan backlash and concerns that it would be used to pay people convicted for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. NPR's Elena Moore tells Up First that the issue has elicited rare Republican pushback, with some Senate Republicans continuing to push for the White House to end the fund, viewing it as a distraction ahead of the upcoming midterms.
Six states — California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico — are holding primaries today. California and Iowa are drawing particular attention due to competitive gubernatorial primaries in each state. In California, the top two candidates will advance regardless of party. In both states, the Democratic Party sees a potential road map to control of Congress in the fall. Scott Shafer of the NPR network station KQED says that while California voters approved new district lines designed to weaken and potentially oust five current Republican House members, Democrats face tough fights in two of those races.
President Trump said he secured pledges from Israel and Hezbollah to pause fighting after Iran announced it would suspend peace talks with the U.S. over Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran's announcement followed Israel's military warning residents in southern Beirut to leave ahead of planned airstrikes. NPR's Aya Batrawy says it is increasingly clear that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched the war together, are at odds on how to get out of it, with both men facing elections this year. Hezbollah says it wants a complete end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal, though Lebanon's embassy in Washington says the group has accepted the partial ceasefire for now.
NPR is also examining the debate around closed, single-party primaries, where only registered voters of a particular party can cast a ballot. Critics say this system limits voter choice and rewards party loyalty. It said closed primaries exclude independent voters and see less participation than general elections. Because more than 90% of House seats are now considered safe for one party, primaries determine nearly all U.S. House members. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., says closed primaries drag members of Congress away from compromise due to fears of being ousted by more extreme opponents. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., lost his Senate seat primary to a Trump-backed candidate, partly because Louisiana's semi-closed system prevented Democratic or unaffiliated voters from supporting him. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, remains the only Republican senator who backed Trump's impeachment to win reelection, with Alaska using a single ballot where the top four candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
In its "Healthy or Hype?" series, NPR is helping readers sort truth from fiction regarding online health claims, specifically focusing on bovine colostrum. Wellness influencers are touting this first milk cows make after giving birth as a supplement for gut health. Preliminary human studies suggest colostrum may improve certain forms of inflammatory bowel syndrome, gastroenteritis and upper respiratory tract infections. However, research is still in its early stages, with some scientists cautioning it is too early to definitively confirm effectiveness, while others find early findings promising. Health professionals recommend prioritizing overall lifestyle improvements, such as regular physical activity, a wholesome diet, sufficient sleep and stress management, before introducing supplements. People who are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy should avoid colostrum.
In other news, Serena Williams announced she will return to competitive tennis this month, nearly four years after her retirement. More than 1,000 Marilyn Monroe lookalikes gathered in Palm Springs, California, to break a Guinness World Record for the most Monroes in one place for the actress' 100th birthday. Additionally, AI company Anthropic is preparing to go public, having filed paperwork for its proposed initial public offering.