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Today's top stories
Federal prosecutors have charged Cole Allen, the alleged gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, with attempting to assassinate President Trump. Allen made his first public appearance in federal court yesterday. He also faces other charges for allegedly transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce for use in a felony and for the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Allen could face more charges as the investigation progresses, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. If convicted, Allen could face life in prison.
- 🎧 Prosecutors said that Allen emailed family and friends to outline his reasoning for the attack minutes before he left his hotel room to execute his plan. The letter stated he didn't want to be represented by someone he called "a pedophile, rapist, and traitor," presumably targeting Trump, NPR's Jaclyn Diaz tells Up First. Allen listed administration officials as his targets, prioritizing them from highest to lowest rank. Allen's next hearing is on Thursday. Trump has talked about rescheduling the dinner.
- ➡️ The Washington Hilton hosts the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in part because of its unique design that is specifically intended for presidential security. The venue includes a special entrance and a dedicated holding room behind the stage with a presidential seal engraved on the floor. Here's a look inside security at the correspondents' dinner.
King Charles III is set to address Congress today as part of a four-day state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S.' independence from the U.K. It's only the second time a British monarch will give such an address. Charles' mother, Elizabeth II, stressed the importance of democracy, international cooperation and multilateral organizations such as the UN and NATO during her 1991 address to Congress. She also highlighted the U.S. and U.K.'s cooperation during the Gulf War. In contrast, Charles' address comes at a time when Trump frequently attacks allies and criticizes NATO, and as tensions grow between the U.S. and the U.K over the war in Iran.
- 🎧 NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben says NPR has learned from the palace that Charles' speech will focus on reconciliation while also addressing points of disagreement between the two countries, including NATO, Ukraine and the Middle East. The king is supposed to remain politically neutral, which could mean he may not debate important topics, Kurtzleben says. Even without policy conversations, the visit could still help ease tensions between the two nations.
The Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in Russia yesterday, where President Vladimir Putin expressed strong support for Iran in its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. The visit followed a whirlwind week of diplomacy for Iran as it seeks political leverage and foreign backing. Talks with the U.S. remain on hold. Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched strikes in Lebanon yesterday, causing many Lebanese to question the ceasefire in Lebanon to pause the fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
- 🎧 NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben says NPR has learned from the palace that Charles' speech will focus on reconciliation while also addressing points of disagreement between the two countries, including NATO, Ukraine and the Middle East. The king is supposed to remain politically neutral, which could mean he may not debate important topics, Kurtzleben says. Even without policy conversations, the visit could still help ease tensions between the two nations.
The Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in Russia yesterday, where President Vladimir Putin expressed strong support for Iran in its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. The visit followed a whirlwind week of diplomacy for Iran as it seeks political leverage and foreign backing. Talks with the U.S. remain on hold. Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched strikes in Lebanon yesterday, causing many Lebanese to question the ceasefire in Lebanon to pause the fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
- 🎧 Diplomatically, the ceasefire agreement is holding steady, meaning none of the involved parties — Israel, Lebanon or Hezbollah — have officially declared it over, NPR's Kat Lonsdorf says. But Israel is conducting multiple airstrikes daily against what it identifies as Hezbollah targets, primarily in the south. Lonsdorf was in southern Lebanon speaking to residents, and says the region does not feel like it's under a ceasefire. The sporadic air strikes taking place while she was there a few days ago have since intensified. Israel has also issued new evacuation orders for several communities beyond the zone it occupies. Many people are reevacuating after trying to go back to their homes. Abed Ammar, 35, said to Lonsdorf in a voice note, "If this was a ceasefire, we could be at home. This is not a ceasefire."
Hundreds of lawsuits nationwide allege that State Farm has been running a scheme to avoid paying what it owes for hail damage. A significant number of these cases are centered in Oklahoma, where more than 600 lawsuits were pending against the U.S.' largest home insurer as of this spring, according to a law firm involved in some of the cases. The litigation comes as homeowners face rising insurance costs, driven in part by climate change threats. NPR analyzed nearly two dozen lawsuits involving insurance claims following hailstorms as part of our ongoing coverage of extreme weather's effects on the home insurance industry. The litigation sheds light on the specific strategies State Farm allegedly employs to deny coverage. When asked about the accusations that it runs a wide-ranging program to reduce insurance payouts for hail and wind damage, State Farm said in a statement to NPR that it pays claims according to the terms of each individual policy and the specific facts of each case.
Deep dive
The average salary for public school teachers in the U.S. is up 3.5% from the previous year. However, when adjusted for inflation, today's teachers are estimated to earn less than they did in 2017, according to a new review of school-related data from the National Education Association. Here are some key findings:
- 🧑🏫 The average salary for new teachers in the U.S. is $46,112. Among the locations with the highest salaries are the District of Columbia ($64,640), and Washington ($60,658). The states with the lowest starting salaries are Montana ($36,682) and Nebraska ($39,561).
- 🧑🏫 The beginning of the 2024-25 school year saw a 0.3% drop in student enrollment from the previous fall. Since 2016, schools have experienced a roughly 3.6% decline in enrollment.
- 🧑🏫 States with collective bargaining laws have higher average starting salaries and top salaries than states without them.
- 🧑🏫 Washington stands out among the 11 states that have seen an inflation-adjusted increase in teacher pay since 2017. Teacher pay in the state has increased 36%. The rise came after the state's supreme court put the state on notice and imposed a $100,000-a-day fine to ensure better funding and support for public schools.
Living better
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
Millions of Americans use smartwatches and smart rings to track their various health-related data points, including sleep, body temperature and heart rate. But the statistics from these devices can be hard to interpret. Wearable data can help healthcare providers see beyond how the patients present during an office visit, according to Dr. Sarah Benish, a neurologist with M Health Fairview in Minnesota. Wearables can also flag some serious conditions, like cardiac arrhythmia, which is an irregular heart rhythm that can increase the risk of a serious medical incident. But Dr. Lucy McBride, a physician in Washington, D.C., warns that arriving at an appointment with your healthcare provider armed with weeks of raw data and no context is not helpful. Here's how users can make the most of their wearable data:
- ⌚ Familiarize yourself with how your device works, especially when a new software update rolls out. Updates can change how your device tracks or displays data.
- ⌚ Ask your doctors about data you may have noticed but don't understand or want more information on. For instance, if your heart rate variability is trending lower, you can ask if that is normal.
- ⌚ Not everything that's important to your health can be measured by wearable technology. McBride emphasizes that the most important health data reside in your biography, personal story, stress levels and relationship with food and alcohol.
3 things to know before you go
- An artificial intelligence art museum opens in Los Angeles in June. Co-founder Refik Anadol has billed Dataland as "the world's first museum of AI arts." The opening comes as AI art is provoking widespread criticism for its lack of true human agency.
- South Carolina public health officials yesterday declared an end to the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. since 1991. This announcement was made after the state reached the 42-day mark on Sunday with no new cases connected to the outbreak.
- First lady Melania Trump is urging the ABC network to take action against late night host Jimmy Kimmel. She called his recent joke about her "hateful and violent."
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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