Cecilia Ley (2:26)

The answer, I believe, relies on careful, deliberate use of Congressional power. And this is where I think we're falling short because we are approaching the 60 day mark under the War Powers Act. Burgess Everett is the Congressional Bureau Chief for semafor, who has been talking to Republicans on the Hill.

Burgess Everett (2:45)

The leadership is now fully on board, so we're really talking about a bunch of rank and file Republicans who kind of lean towards Congress needs to authorize conflicts. And there's not really a through line of ideology. It's moderates like Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, it's more populous folks like Josh Hawley, and it's more libertarian leading folks as well.

Cecilia Ley (3:05)

Yesterday, Collins broke with her GOP colleagues by voting to halt the Iran war, but it failed on Thursday by a vote of 47 to 50. It was the sixth failed attempt. Other Republicans have suggested compromises like barring ground troops or authorizing troops for a year with review periods.

Burgess Everett (3:23)

It's not like these guys all want to vote against the war, but they want Congress to vote on it. And as of now, all they've been able to vote on are these Democratic resolutions that if enacted, would pull the United States President's from the region immediately. They kind of view that as unworkable because you would need that withdrawal period.

Cecilia Ley (3:41)

But a vote triggered by the 60 day deadline could carry more political risk for Republicans.

Burgess Everett (3:46)

When you vote to authorize a conflict, you kind of take on the baggage for however that conflict plays out over time. And so there's a lot of political risk to voting affirmatively for a war. And so I think Republicans mostly, especially leadership, would like to see this come to an end before they have to vote on it.

Cecilia Ley (4:07)

Everett said today might not deliver very much if the Trump administration chooses to do nothing. ABC reports that some Republicans have started to suggest that the War Powers Resolution gives Trump another month before requiring authorization. But that doesn't mean the White House can sidestep today entirely and Congress could eventually start withdrawing funding.

Burgess Everett (4:27)

I think if the Trump administration ignores it or if they give a 30 day withdrawal notice, that kind of sets off another clock. So to me, I think the shoe would drop up in June, essentially, which is 30 days from Friday. And I think if the Trump administration has not sought to wind down the war by then, I think you're going to see more Republicans having an issue with it.

Cecilia Ley (4:55)

The longest partial shutdown in American history drew to a close yesterday after the House backed a vote to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security. DHS has not been properly funded for 76 days over a stalemate in Congress, with Democrats refusing to support any package unless their demands were met on reforms to immigration enforcement. But yesterday's legislation kicks that problem to another day. The bill, backed by both parties, funds every DHS agency until September 30th except ice and parts of Customs and Border Protection. Those departments had already received a massive influx of cash last year through Trump's tax and spending bill, which means they're not facing any immediate crises. House Republicans had initially rejected this plan but were facing pressure from the White House, who warned that the money staving off massive TSA lines would soon run out. The assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents Dinner had also put a spotlight on Secret Service pay, which comes under dhs. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said they had delivered without conceding to the Democrats.

Burgess Everett (6:00)

In spite of our razor thin, historically small majority, House Republicans continue to deliver for the American people. We will continue to do that for the remainder of the year, and that is a large reason why we are going to win the midterms so that the grownups can stay in charge here.

Cecilia Ley (6:14)

The Democratic leadership secured rounds of negotiations for possible reforms earlier this year, but no agreement came from talks on Capitol Hill or the White House.

Eric Watson (6:23)

If you look at the shutdown, Democrats did not get what they wanted out of the shutdown directly.

Cecilia Ley (6:28)

Eric Watson is a congressional reporter for Bloomberg.

Eric Watson (6:31)

They wanted ICE to start using judicial warrants to enter people's homes. They wanted officers to stop masking. They wanted to require the use of body cameras. Those were their objectives when they went into the shutdown. They're going to get none of that, bawasan said.

Cecilia Ley (6:45)

Some in the party still see it as a political win, given the cards they had to play.

Eric Watson (6:50)

If you talk to Democrats, they also say, okay, you're going out there and bragging about the fact that you're not reforming ICE. But the majority of voters are uneasy with ICE's tactics. They were upset by the killings of Alex Brady and the other protester, and this just puts you in a political problematic spot. So they believe they have a campaign issue. But as far as the policy, I would say Republicans did win.

Cecilia Ley (7:15)

Republicans will now turn their attention to passing new funding, about $70 billion for immigration enforcement through a cumbersome and time consuming process known as reconciliation that would allow the Senate to pass legislation with a simple majority. It gives Republicans the ability to skirt any filibuster attempts by Democrats. Trump has given Republicans a June 1 deadline to have legislation on his desk. Wasson told us Republicans could secure a win if they keep their tiny majority united and pass that measure. He says the GOP will likely remain cohesive on their border strategy. But with looming midterms and Trump's low approval ratings, the debate over ICE could have a big impact moving forward.

Eric Watson (7:58)

Democrats say they're going to have a guns versus butter type of campaign where they're saying Republicans are only interested in, you know, enforcement and weapons where Democrats would do more for social services and we'll see how that plays out in the campaign.

Cecilia Ley (8:19)

It was an announcement that happened in Maine but was heard all over Capitol Hill.

Eric Watson (8:24)

We're just Learning moments ago Governor Mills announcing that she is suspending her campaign

Burgess Everett (8:30)

for US Senate after campaigning for the last six months.

Cecilia Ley (8:33)

That was a local ABC affiliate reporting that 78 year old Governor Janet Mills said she no longer had the financial resources to compete in the primary. Her exit effectively ensures that 41 year old political newcomer and oyster farmer Graham Plattner will be the Democratic nominee to run against incumbent Republican Susan Collins. It's a massive race and many analysts say if Democrats want any shot at taking back the Senate, they have to win Maine. Now all eyes are on how Platner will step up.

Patrick Whittle (9:03)

He in the last few months just has kind of emerged as the front runner and the governor, despite being a veteran public servant, has taken on a role of kind of more of an underdog.

Cecilia Ley (9:15)

Patrick Whittle is a reporter with Associated Press who has been covering the race in Maine. Mills exit marks another setback for Democratic establishment leaders and underscores a growing demand among voters for younger candidates. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had considered Mills to be a top recruit in the party's years long effort to unseat Collins and he personally compelled her to join the race. Platner's campaign performance could be the difference in who holds power in the Senate, but he carries some baggage which could come under more scrutiny.

Patrick Whittle (9:46)

He until some months ago had a tattoo that was recognized as Nazi symbol, which he has since covered up. And there's also his online behavior, his history of inflammatory rhetoric online, which is again something that he's owned and been public about, but is still something he's faced a lot of criticism for.

Cecilia Ley (10:05)

The tattoo in question was a skull and crossbones that Platner said he got in 2007 while he was out drinking with members of his Marine Corps unit. He said that he was unaware of its affiliations. Annie's had to apologize for Reddit posts from his 20s and 30s in which he used homophobic slurs and downplayed sexual assault. Speaking to a local CBS affiliate, he said he had changed.

Burgess Everett (10:29)

I'm proud of the person I am today. I'm not proud of the person I always was. But I also don't get to be

Eric Watson (10:35)

who I am today without that journey.

Cecilia Ley (10:37)

Whittle said that despite the controversies, voters have been energized by Platner's platform, which was supported with key endorsements from senators like Ruben Gallego, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

Patrick Whittle (10:48)

They tend to talk about his focus on affordability, health care, housing, fighting the oligarchy, as he likes to call it, and the billionaires. I think those are the things that really kind of galvanized his support. It's pretty similar to what we saw from Bernie Sanders in 2016, except it's coming from someone who a year ago, most people had never heard of.

Cecilia Ley (11:13)

Both Platner and Collins expressed gratitude for Mills years of public service, Whittle says. Now the question is whether Platner can convert grassroots enthusiasm into a defeat of Collins in a state where candidates often are more moderate and have more experience in public office.

Patrick Whittle (11:29)

Graham Platner has formed a different kind of campaign, a different kind of coalition than we're used to seeing from high level candidates in Maine. And he also has a much shorter resume in public service than most. So this is a different kind of Democratic candidate in Maine for sure, and it'll be interesting to see how that shakes out.

Cecilia Ley (11:49)

The state's primary is in June, And finally, a few other stories were following. President Trump announced he was dropping another one of his picks for surgeon general. Wellness influencer Casey Means was a favorite of the Make America Healthy Again movement, but she faced an especially tough confirmation process. Means had faced scrutiny for not finishing her surgical residency program and for not having an active medical license, and she expressed some hesitancy in fully supporting vaccines. Trump blamed Republican senator and physician Bill Cassidy for standing in the way of her appointment. Means is the second US Surgeon general pick whose nomination has been withdrawn in Trump's second term. Now he's turned to Nicole Safire, a radiologist and Fox News Channel contributor who shares some commonalities with Maha, including an interest in personal wellness and skepticism of vaccine mandates. Camp mystic announced yesterday that it will not reopen this summer after all. Dozens of girls died at the site when floods hit Texas last year, but its owners have maintained a desire to open it back up at a different location in time for the summer. A joint Texas House and Senate committee met this week to investigate the deadly flooding, which killed 28 people. A majority of them were children whose ages ranged from 8 to 10 years old. Operators of the All Girls Christian camp were interrogated by lawmakers about emergency preparedness and other deficiencies state officials say did not meet health and safety requirements. The camp operators had been given time to correct the shortcomings, but said in a statement that, quote, no administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue. The idea of reopening the camp had divided the community. It angered parents of the victims, while other families were eager to return. More than 850 children had already locked their spots at the camp, which was set to reopen on May 30th. And finally, London has its fair share of statues. Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria and even Paddington Bear, to name a few. But its latest, apparently from the artist Banksy, is causing a stir. A sculpture suddenly appeared at Waterloo Station overnight this week, depicting a man marching off a column holding a billowing flag that covers his face. Banksy's signature can be seen at the base of the structure, and his representatives confirmed to the BBC he was behind it. Some have since taken it as on blindly following extreme nationalism. Getting a statue commissioned and erected can be a complicated and grueling bureaucratic process. But Banksy, true to form, appears to have sidestepped the red tape. Barriers have gone up to protect it, and the Westminster City Council said they're happy to see the public enjoy it, at least for now. Banksy made other recent headlines when Reuters published a report claiming to have found the true identity of the infamously secretive artist. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app, stick around for the latest episode of Apple News. In conversation this week, guest host Sam Sanders talks to journalist Jordan Ritter Khan about what he learned reporting on men in America for the past five years and the gap between who men are told to be and who they actually are. If you're listening in the podcast app, you can follow Apple News and Conversation to find that episode. Enjoy the weekend and I'll be back with the news on Monday.