Inside Lebanon’s Refugee Crisis; Senate Moves Toward Funding DHS

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Here's the Scoop" – Inside Lebanon’s Refugee Crisis; Senate Moves Toward Funding DHS

Host: Christine Romans (filling in for Yasmin Vasugian)
Date: April 23, 2026
Podcast: Here's the Scoop (NBC News)

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Overview

This episode delivers frontline reporting on two major stories:

1. The deepening refugee crisis in Lebanon, driven by ongoing violence on the Lebanon-Israel border, with firsthand accounts from a displaced family's shelter in Beirut.
2. The latest political maneuvers in Washington aiming to resolve the nation’s longest-running partial government shutdown, focusing on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the political battles surrounding ICE and immigration enforcement.

Throughout, NBC correspondents provide on-the-ground perspectives and insider analysis of domestic and foreign policy implications.

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1. Lebanon’s Refugee Crisis: Human Toll of War

(00:00–11:44)

Conditions Inside a Refugee Center in Beirut

• Yasmin Vasugian, reporting from a former hospitality school turned refugee shelter, describes the stark overcrowding:

  • Families’ “areas” are demarcated by curtains, with each space “maybe twice the size of a regular bathroom,” often housing 8–10 people. (00:00; 04:47)
  • Basic amenities strained: communal kitchen serves over 2,000 people.
  • High stress—evident in spontaneous disputes, yet children try to maintain normalcy.

  Quote:
  “Each family area... is cordoned off by a curtain... There are over 2,000 people in this facility in Beirut. And literally, Christine, the size of each cordoned off curtain area is maybe twice the size of a regular bathroom.”
  — Yasmin Vasugian (00:00)

  Story Moment:
  Yasmin observes, “there was even a fight in the kitchen between two women... over whoever was going to get... a place in line to make food for their family. It just speaks to the high level of stress likely that the adults have taken on... but also the sense of normalcy they’re trying to maintain for their children.” (06:53)

Ongoing Violence and ‘Ceasefire’ Violations

• Region remains volatile despite nominal ceasefire; Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) occupy buffer zones, Hezbollah intermittently launches attacks.

• High civilian casualties, including journalists; recent example: Amal Khalil’s death inside the buffer zone:

  • “Amal Khalil was a journalist... she was in her car... when a strike hit right near her car... That home was then struck, burying both journalists under rubble.” (02:00–03:50)

  Quote:
  “These kind of small attacks have been happening repeatedly... creating subsequently a million plus humanitarian crisis here in that country.”
  — Yasmin Vasugian (02:51)

Voices from the Refugee Center

• Focus on Marwa Yazbek, a 21-year-old aspiring doctor, displaced with her extended family:

  • Marwa:

    “All of us know that we’re here because of the war, because Israel has been killing people, civilians in the area we are living. We just knew that we must go from there because of the bombs that are coming.” (08:19)

  • On uncertainty and hope:

    “We, we have a hope to, to go to home in the near future. But it’s hard to... not live now in our home. But we always have a hope in God that something that is right will continue and will happen because we are right. So everything is going to be okay in the future.” (08:43–09:11)

  Context:

  • Marwa’s story “is one of over a million people now that have been displaced because of this ongoing war in Lebanon.” (09:11)

Aid Crisis and Political Context

• UNICEF spokesperson James Elder: Lebanon is “less than one quarter funded” for water, sanitation, education, psychological support, and shelter needs. (09:38–09:54)

• US aid cuts following State Department and USAID reductions are worsening the crisis.

• Lebanon’s Prime Minister publicly calls for renewed US and international support, identifying aid and economic stability as prerequisites for peace.

  Quote:
  “The more disenfranchised people you have, the more people... out of work, the more people... without shelter, the more likely it is you are to have conflict.”
  — Yasmin Vasugian (11:20)

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2. Washington Update: DHS Shutdown and Political Maneuvers

(13:30–23:35)

Ending the DHS Shutdown

• Senate advances a budget resolution through reconciliation, enabling possible end to historic shutdown without requiring Democrats to directly vote for ICE funding. (13:30–15:08)

  • The deal would allow funding of ICE/Border Patrol and the broader DHS, but the House must still approve.
  • Funding solution tries to balance Republican desire to fund enforcement with Democratic demands for reforms (body cams, no mass ICE raids, judicial warrants).

  Quote:
  "Giving them both an exit valve. The Democrats do not want... to fund... ICE... without the serious reforms they've been begging for... Republicans just aren't interested in that."
  — Ryan Nobles (15:08)

• Risks remain: House may attach unrelated policy priorities (so-called "reconciliation bucket" risks). "Nothing's a guarantee until that package gets over the finish line." (16:52)

ICE Reforms and Political Implications

• NBC reporting: ICE agents now restricted from entering homes without a judicial warrant; not allowed to pick people up at court hearings in large numbers as before.

• These changes, seen as a response to backlash over perceived indiscriminate enforcement, make it easier for lawmakers to defend ICE.

• Trump administration’s shift—Tom Holman replaces Stephen Miller as lead on DHS policy—reflects strategy recalibration due to public relations failures from aggressive deportation tactics.

  Quote:
  “There was this idea, this feeling that it wasn’t just criminal immigrants that ICE was targeting. It was just basically anyone...”
  — Ryan Nobles (18:29)

  • Now, targeted removals, less visible enforcement to “actually get criminal, undocumented immigrants out of the country; this is a better way about doing it...” (19:19)

Redistricting Battles and Political Consequences

• Virginia voters approve a new redistricting plan, giving Democrats the chance to gain up to 4 House seats, responding to aggressive GOP gerrymandering in Texas. (19:31–22:02)

• Some Republicans express “buyer’s remorse”; this time, Democrats met Trump at his own “battlefield” and won:

  • The way lines are drawn may backfire on Republicans: diluting Democratic majorities can create more competitive (and potentially winnable) Democratic seats, especially in a possible “wave” election.

  Quote:
  “Democrats have met Donald Trump on a battlefield of his choosing and actually won that battle. For almost the balance of the Trump era... Democrats... said that they’re gonna take the higher ground. And Trump’s been happy to let them do that... This time around, he drew first blood in Texas. And then they went all in on states where they knew that they could draw maps that would work to their benefit.”
  — Ryan Nobles (20:05)

U.S.-Iran Conflict: Ceasefire and Legal Deadlines

• President Trump declares an “indefinite ceasefire with Iran,” but legal and funding deadlines loom; by early May, Congress must be consulted for constitutional approval to continue hostilities or provide funding.

• Failure to secure congressional support/funding before the midterms could strain the administration if Democrats win back either chamber.

  Quote:
  "The President has 60 days to engage in any sort of military activity before he has to come and get... congressional support... and we're fast approaching that deadline."
  — Ryan Nobles (22:17)

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3. Headlines and Notable Developments

(25:22–27:57)

• U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan Fired – Ousted following tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, surprising Pentagon insiders.

• Warner Bros. Discovery Sale Approved – Shareholders greenlight $110B merger with Paramount Skydance, pending regulatory review. Critics fear reduced competition.

• Medical Marijuana Rescheduling – DOJ to ease restrictions for state-licensed/FDA-approved medical marijuana, moving it from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3.

• Rectal Cancer Rising in Millennials – Research shows sharp increase in young adult rectal cancer mortality; highlights public health concern.

• NY Mets End 12-Game Losing Streak – Despite league-high payroll, the Mets finally secure a win.

  Quote:
  “No matter what your net worth, it’s still three strikes and you’re out.”
  — Christine Romans (27:56)

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Most Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Overcrowded Refugee Living:
  “The size of each cordoned off curtain area is maybe twice the size of a regular bathroom... squeezing around 8 to 10 people in each of these.”
  — Yasmin Vasugian (00:00; 04:47)

• On Resilience and Hope:
  “We always have a hope in God that something that is right will continue and will happen because we are right.”
  — Marwa Yazbek (08:43–09:11)

• On Political Strategy in Redistricting:
  “Democrats have met Donald Trump on a battlefield of his choosing and actually won that battle.”
  — Ryan Nobles (20:05)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:00–04:47: Yasmin describes conditions in Beirut refugee shelter
• 04:47–07:36: Day-to-day life, family structures in the center
• 07:36–09:11: Interview with Marwa Yazbek – refugee perspective
• 09:24–11:44: Aid shortfalls, US funding cuts, Lebanese government requests
• 13:30–16:52: Senate DHS funding maneuver and shutdown update
• 17:05–19:19: ICE reforms and political implications
• 19:31–22:02: Virginia redistricting and Democratic response to GOP gerrymandering
• 22:02–23:35: U.S.-Iran conflict, ceasefire status, congressional deadlines
• 25:22–27:57: Quick news headlines

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Tone & Language

The episode’s reporting is direct, compassionate, and conversational, emphasizing both the immense human suffering in Lebanon and the grinding nature of political negotiations in Washington. The episode gives voice to those affected by conflict while maintaining a “here’s what you need to know” clarity on domestic politics.

Transcript

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Each family area, familial area, is cordoned off by a curtain. There are over 2,000 people in this facility in Beirut. And literally, Christine, the size of each cordoned off curtain area is maybe twice the size of a regular bathroom.

[Christine Romans]

Hey, everybody, and welcome to here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Christine Romans filling in for Yasmin Vasugian on the show today, as the war in the Middle east stretches on, a growing humanitarian crisis for those displaced by the conflict. Yasmin reports from inside a refugee center in Beirut. Plus, the longest running partial government shutdown might soon be over. We'll check in with Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, in Washington today, Lebanon and Israel are back at the negotiating table discussing an extension to the ongoing ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese president has laid out his biggest objective, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from from southern Lebanon. But continued Israeli bombardment is complicating an already tense negotiation. The ongoing fighting there is also fueling a mounting humanitarian crisis in the region. UNICEF says over 1.1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon alone, including nearly 400,000 children. NBC News correspondent and your regular here's the Scoop host, Yasmin Vasugian is back in Beirut and visited with families in a refugee center there. Hi, Yasmin.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Good to see you again.

[Christine Romans]

Nice to see you, too. Another very busy day for you. Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Yasmin, yesterday while you were in southern Lebanon, a Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, was killed in the buffer zone by Israeli strikes. Meanwhile, the Israeli military says that Hezbollah members launched an anti tank missile toward IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon earlier today. So is there still a ceasefire happening here?

[Yasmin Vasugian]

The ceasefire is still in effect, I guess in literal terms, but in practice, there have been violations of the ceasefire since day one. And what I mean by that is we've talked about this buffer zone repeatedly over the last week, and the buffer zone was an ask or a demand of the Lebanese government that the IDF that Israelis pull out of the buffer zone when the ceasefire went into effect. They didn't do that. They have not pulled out. So the IDF even having that buffer zone now is technically a violation of the ceasefire. That's one. There's also the lobbying of missiles back and forth between Israel and Hezbollah, which have happened incrementally in the south. There was just a strike today in the southern region as well. That is technically a violation of the ceasefire. These kind of small attacks have been happening repeatedly where they are kind of targeting more of Hezbollah and Hezbollah is also launching on the buffer zone. So we've seen several instances in which Hezbollah has actually launched on Lebanon inside the buffer zone where the IDF is keeping that area secure and has pushed all Lebanese people to north of that, creating subsequently a million plus humanitarian crisis here in that country. So Amal Khalil was a journalist. She has been very active. She was very well known here. She was both a broadcast journalist and print journalist. She has been covering this war and many wars for quite some time. She was inside the buffer zone. She was in her car alongside her colleague when a strike hit right near her car. So Amal and her colleague exited the vehicle and they went into a home, again, all inside the buffer zone. That home was then struck, burying both journalists, both Amal and her colleague under rubble. When they were finally able to get to Amah Khalil, she was deceased. That was around midnight, local time here in Lebanon. The IDF is saying they do not target journalists. Amal Khalil was a journalist.

[Christine Romans]

As you mentioned, the fighting is largely happening in this buffer zone, primarily happening in the buffer zone on the border between Israel and Lebanon that is now occupied, as you said, by Israeli Defense Forces. It has forced people out of their homes. More than a million people have been displaced. And you visited a refugee center in Beirut. Think with these families who've left this buffer zone because they're so fearful. Tell us about what you saw there.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

So we pull up to this hospitality school and it says Le Cole Hospital, right? So they would normally be teaching people about how to run hotels and get into that type of business. So as you walk upstairs, you begin to see families, mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, children everywhere. I mean, everywhere. Everyone looks like they're kind of still in their pajamas and their slippers. And, you know, maybe they haven't showered in a few days. And then you begin to see all these curtains. So each area, each family area, familial area, is cordoned off by a curtain. There are over 2,000 people in this facility. In Beirut, there are about 1,000 families. So imagine how many children are amongst those 2,000 people. And literally, Christine, the size of each cordoned off curtain area is maybe twice the size of a regular bathroom. They are each squeezing around 8 to 10 people in each of these. When you walk inside these curtains, little curtained areas, curtain cordoned off areas, there's a mattress that has been pushed up against the wall. Because this is the middle of the day and it's not time for sleep. It's as if they've kind of created this little living area. Even inside these curtains there is pots and pans, there is a pile of pita bread. There's kids inside and the kids are running in and out. How old?

[Marwa Yazbek]

4?

[Yasmin Vasugian]

4?

[Ryan Nobles]

3?

[Christine Romans]

10.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Are you 10? 4? Show me 4. And I just thought it was so incredible to see because in light of all of this heartbreak, these little kids in a way had adjusted to just being kids again. There's this whole big kitchen area where everybody shares, you know, the stove. And Again, these are 2,000 people, so everybody's sharing the stove. It's a big kitchen area. There was even a fight in the kitchen between two women when we were there over whoever was going to get, you know, the place in line to make the food for their family. It just speaks to the high level of stress likely that the adults have taken on in understanding that they're having to bring their children here, but also to the sense of normalcy they're trying to maintain for their children.

[Christine Romans]

You spoke with a young woman, a 21 year old woman named Marwa. What did she tell you about what life is like for her and her family right now?

[Yasmin Vasugian]

So Marwa Yazbek is 21 years old and she lives in this refugee center with her mother, her father, her two sisters, one of whose name is Malik, their children and their husbands. And they're all in this tiny little area. And Marwa said that she wants to be a doctor. She's studying medicine. And I asked her if it's hard to study in a place like this. And she says essentially we make do. We figured out it's going to be okay. She had to go to a class even right after I had talked to her. And she told me that they have been there since almost the beginning of the war.

[Marwa Yazbek]

All of us know that we're here because of the war, because Israel has been killing people, civilians in the area we are living. We just knew that we must go from there because of the bombs that are coming.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

I asked her then what it feels like to not know when you're going to be able to go home.

[Marwa Yazbek]

We, we have a hope to, to go to home in the near future. But it's hard to not to not live now in our home. But we always have a hope in

[Ryan Nobles]

God that

[Marwa Yazbek]

something that is right will continue and will happen because we are right. So everything is going to be okay in the future.

[Yasmin Vasugian]

The problem is that Marwa's story is one of over a million people now that have been displaced because of this ongoing war in Lebanon.

[Christine Romans]

The situation so obviously so difficult for her and her family and so many other families. They're just not alone, as we've said. Here's the UNICEF spokesperson James Elder speaking to NBC News earlier this week in Lebanon, we're less than one quarter funded.

[Ryan Nobles]

So I talk about that work we're

[Christine Romans]

doing of water, of sanitation, of education,

[Ryan Nobles]

of psychological support, of shelter and 3/4 unfunded. That has day to day impacts in terms of the services, the support we can get to children and mothers.

[Christine Romans]

You know, this is all happening in the wake of dramatic cuts from the Trump administration last year. Aid cuts. The State Department dismantled usaid, massive reductions in global aid spending overall. So is the financial situation something the withdrawal of American support on the global stage, is it something you're seeing on the ground?

[Yasmin Vasugian]

Yeah, because Lebanon has had a history of a lot of economic instability in its past, which remains even into today. And the prime minister actually gave an interview to the Washington Post while he was in Paris a few days ago and he mentioned that while they are trying to disarm Hezbollah, they need aid, they need funding, they need money in order to do that, I. E. Build up their military, might build up the Lebanese military if they're going to disarm the military arm of Hezbollah. He also talked about the fact that they need aid from US Organizations to help rebuild. You talk about the million plus people that have been displaced and it's one of the reasons why the Lebanese prime minister is now asking the United States for help in rebuilding and he sees that as a path towards establishing peace with Israel because the more disenfranchised people you have, the more people that you have out of work, the more people that you have without shelter, the more likely it is you are to have conflict. And that is why it seems now the Lebanese government is trying to reverse course on that in helping re establish some of these refugees who have had to leave the south.

[Christine Romans]

Yaz, thank you. We'll see if the outcome from Today's talks in D.C. does anything to improve the situation there. In Lebanon, the ambassador level talks were moved from the State Department to the White House this afternoon so that President Trump could meet with the participants. We'll have more on the [e-mail]

[Marwa Yazbek]

all right.

[Christine Romans]

We're going to take a very quick break. When we're back, we check in on Capitol Hill, from rollbacks at ICE to redistricting battles. That's coming up. And hey, while you're waiting, why not pull that screen out right now, open up the podcast app where you're listening to us and hit subscribe. And if you already subscribe, do me a favor and rate and review us. Your input will help other listeners and watchers find us. Plus, we'd really appreciate it. Back in a minute.

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[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with red hot stand up comedian Nikki Glaser and to talk about the long career grind that has brought her to this starring moment, hosting the Golden Globes killing at the Tom Brady roast. And now with another hit special on Hulu. You can get our conversation now for free wherever you download your podcasts.

[Christine Romans]

Stay informed with the NBC News app

[Ryan Nobles]

Breaking news just coming in moments ago.

[Christine Romans]

Watch, read and listen throughout your day. And now unlock even more with a subscription. It's the best of NBC News with fewer ad interruptions, including ad free articles, podcasts and full NBC News shows, plus deeper access and exclusive content. Let's just take a step back. It's more context and clarity from the reporters you trust. Download the NBC News app now and subscribe for more. And we're back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Congressional Republicans are closer to ending the months long Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Early Thursday morning, in a mostly party line vote, the Senate narrowly passed a budget resolution that makes it possible to bypass the filibuster to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Meanwhile, Democrats got a key win earlier this week in Virginia, where voters narrowly approved a redistricting plan that could help the Democrats gain up to four House seats in the midterm elections. For more on how both parties are responding, I'm joined by NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles. Hi, Ryan.

[Ryan Nobles]

Hi, Christine.

[Christine Romans]

Okay, let's start with DHS funding here. We're still in the middle of the biggest, longest partial government shutdown in history. Democrats will not budge unless there are restrictions placed on ice. The resolution that the Senate Republicans passed, it doesn't actually fund ice. And Border Patrol. What exactly does it do and what needs to happen to get those agencies funded.

[Ryan Nobles]

So this is the path out of the end of this incredibly long, kind of senseless Department of Homeland Security shutdown. And basically what we see Republicans and Democrats doing is giving them both an exit valve. The Democrats do not want to be on board any sort of legislation that funds custom and Border Patrol, Immigration Customs Enforcement, ICE, as it's more commonly known. They don't wanna vote for any extension of that funding without the serious reforms that they've been begging for for quite some time, which include making sure that ICE agents are not wearing masks, that they have body cams, that there are judicial warrants, those things that we've talked about a million times. Republicans just aren't interested in that. So basically the way out of this is that they've gone through what's called the budget reconciliation process, which normally puts anyone that's not a congressional nerd to sleep as soon as you start talking about it. But the important part about it is, is that it would fund those two agencies basically through the balance of the administration, and it would prevent Democrats from having to vote for it. And they've already passed a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security outside of those two agencies long term in the Senate. And what the House has suggested is if you can pass this funding stream through the reconciliation process so Democrats don't have to vote for it, then we'll pass that separate sidecar legislation that would keep the Department of Homeland Security open for an extended period of time. So this seems to be the path out. I heavily emphasize the word seems because this still needs to go back to the House. And whenever the reconciliation bucket is open, people wanna pour all their additional projects into it to try and get it over the finish line, especially given the fact that you don't need Democrat votes to do that. That makes the process complicated. So we're as close as we've ever been to ending this shutdown. It's not gonna happen until next week, but nothing's a guarantee until that package gets over the finish line.

[Christine Romans]

Ryan, let's talk about this new reporting from NBC News that our colleagues have reported with several different sources revealing that supervisors are telling ICE agents they're no longer allowed to go into someone's home without a judicial warrant. They are not going to immigration court hearings and picking people up at immigration court hearings in big numbers like they had been before that had made Democrats so angry. People going to try to fulfill go through the legal process with their asylum claims, and then they just were disappeared. From court. Does this give, I guess, these different moves, does it make it easier for lawmakers to defend ICE back home?

[Ryan Nobles]

I think it absolutely does. And I also think it was a recognition by the Trump administration that they were really losing the PR battle when it came to this mass deportation program. Immigration was among President Trump's number one issues leading into the 2024 election. He had broad based support, not just from the MAGA base, but from independents and even a lot of Democrats. That might be one of the main reasons that in the economy that they won the 2024 election. And all of that goodwill evaporated at the beginning of the year, especially when you saw two American citizens lose their lives, when you saw children ripped away from their parents. These terrible stories. And there was this idea, this feeling that it wasn't just criminal immigrants that ICE was targeting. It was just basically anyone that came into country without the proper paperwork. And so the president kind of overhauled the DHS program. He put his border czar, Tom Holman, in charge of it, who's definitely used a much softer touch in trying to get this over the finish line. There's a feeling that Stephen Miller, who's been the hardline immigration warrior in the White House, has been sidelined a bit in this conversation. It's clearly a recognition that what they were doing wasn't working. And there are many people within the administration, Tom Homan among them, and many on Capitol Hill, that believe accomplishing their goals are actually much more successful doing it this way. If they actually do wanna get criminal, undocumented immigrants out of the country, this is a better way about doing it. Not just randomly knocking on doors, not just showing up at immigration court, not showing up at schools and picking parents off as they're dropping their kids off. It just doesn't work as well.

[Christine Romans]

Ryan, you've covered politics, Virginia politics, for a very long time. And in Virginia, some news. Voters dealt the GOP a big loss in this redistricting ballot measure that could give Democrats four additional seats in November. This was in response to Texas's GOP redistricting. How is the GOP responding now?

[Ryan Nobles]

Well, I think there is a lot. There are a number of House Republicans that are having buyer's remorse when it comes to the president's push to go through this redistricting war. In many ways. Chris. Christine, I feel like this is the first time that Democrats have met Donald Trump on a battlefield of his choosing and actually won that battle. For almost the balance of the Trump era of American politics, Democrats have kind of put their nose in the air and said that they're gonna take the higher ground. And Trump's been happy to let them do that, and as a result, has just amassed power as a result of their unwillingness to play his game. They just did not do that this time around. He drew first blood in Texas. And then they went all in on states where they knew that they could draw maps that would work to their benefit. And I think what's important about the way it's worked out in both California and Virginia, they had to put these measures in front of the voters to say, are you okay with this? And in both instances, the voters said yes. And that's an indication that there is support for Democrats to take Donald Trump on at his own game. And what was once an opportunity for Republicans to pick up five, maybe six seats could end up with a net benefit toward Democrats just in the way that the lines are drawn. And I have to tell you, Christine, the Democrats that I'm talking to, especially given where Donald Trump's polling is right now, the chances of this being a wave election, they actually believe that the way the Republicans have drawn these districts in the states that they were hoping to gain seats could actually benefit Democrats, because it's not as if you can create new Republican voters. You have to take the existing Democrat voters and put them somewhere else. So what you're doing is you're taking a Republican district that might be plus 20 in a previous election cycle and making it a plus 10 Republican seat to try and dilute a Democratic district. Well, there are Democrats that believe any district that's within a 15 point margin is up for grabs in this upcoming election cycle. So Republicans have really gotten themselves into a redistricting mess that is largely of their own making.

[Christine Romans]

And finally, President Trump has announced, we're in an indefinite ceasefire with Iran. Not clear really what the state of the war is here. Are there any deadlines coming up where the President, President Trump, has to go to Congress and get approval, permission, guidance?

[Ryan Nobles]

Yeah. So the Constitution clearly states that The President has 60 days to engage in any sort of military activity before he has to come and get some level of congressional support. And there has not been any sort of formal sign off by members of Congress for this action in Iran, and we're fast approaching that deadline. There's some disagreement as to the exact day when the Iran conflict started, but it is, by every measure, in the beginning of May. And there is a growing chorus of both Republicans and Democrats that believe that the White House needs to come to Congress and make the case for this conflict long term. And whether or not they pass something that is at least supportive or gives the sign off remains to be seen. Because the other part of this, Christine, is there's the explicit congressional approval, which is necessary, but there's also the funding of the war. The Pentagon and certainly has a lot of money. But if this conflict drags on for a certain amount of time, you can bet Donald Trump's gonna come to Congress looking for money. And he's not gonna get that money unless he gets Congress to buy in. And keep in mind, if he does it, he needs to do it before the midterm elections, because if Democrats take control of either the House or Senate, that task becomes even more difficult.

[Christine Romans]

Ryan Nobles. Thanks, Ryan.

[Ryan Nobles]

Thanks, guys.

[Christine Romans]

After the break, how clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may have led to the ouster of the U.S. navy Secretary. That's coming up in the headlines this week on MEET THE press. The war with Iran heads into its third month as gas prices spike. Is there any end in sight? Plus, we'll dig into the former FBI director's second indictment and the fallout over another assassination attempt this week on MEET THE press. Listen to the full episode now. Wherever you get your podcasts,

[Ryan Nobles]

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[Kate Snow]

Hi, it's Kate Snow, NBC News anchor, host of the podcast the Drink. This month, I'm grabbing a matcha latte with comedian Taylor Tomlinson. The drink is always about someone's journey to the top, and Taylor's story is remarkable. She tells us all about her unlikely path from performing in churches all the way to headlining her own Netflix specials like her latest Prodigal Daughter. And she opens up about her religious upbringing, what drew her to stand up and how she feels when she gets on that stage. Hope you'll listen and follow the Drink wherever you get your podcasts.

[Christine Romans]

And we're back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. U.S. navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired. The Pentagon didn't give a reason for his abrupt departure. Multiple officials tell NBC News that the move came after mounting tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett over a number of issues, including shipbuilding. But they told NBC News that it caught some Pentagon officials and members of Congress by surprise. NBC News could not immediately reach Phelan for comment. Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have voted to approve the $110 billion sale of the company to Paramount Skydance. The yes vote paves the way for one of the largest media mergers in years, combining two of Hollywood's biggest film studios. But the transaction still needs to be appro by antitrust regulators, and California AG Rob Bonta is also investigating that deal, and it has a lot of naysayers. Democratic lawmakers and high profile members of the entertainment community have spoken out against the merger, saying it could reduce competition. For its part, Paramount Skydance has argued the deal would strengthen consumer choice and create more opportunities for creators and audiences. The Justice Department is moving to ease restrictions on state licensed and FDA approved medical marijuana, opening the door for more research and treatment options. Acting AG Todd Blanche says he has signed an order to move it from Schedule 1, which includes highly regulated drugs like heroin, ecstasy and LSD to Schedule 3, drugs considered to be less dangerous. Blanche also ordered an expedited hearing to fully reschedule medical marijuana, which is likely to take place this summer. Any change will not apply to recreational use, A growing medical mystery New research shows that deaths from rectal cancer are rising rapidly among millennials, much faster than deaths from colon cancer, which is currently the top cause of cancer related deaths in that group. The new research, which has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal, is scheduled to be presented to an annual meeting of gastroenterologists. It backs up an earlier study from the American Cancer Society which showed that colorectal cancer among people under 50 has been increasing by 3% every year since the 1990s. And finally, the drought is over for the New York Mets. Last night, the Mets finally eked out a win against the Minnesota Twins. The victory ends a brutal 12 game losing streak that sent the team to the bottom of the standings at the start of the Major League Baseball season. It was also especially disappointing given how much the franchise had invested in this team. The Mets payroll tops $352 million, which by some measures makes it the highest in the league. So there's an important lesson to be learned here. No matter what your net worth, it's still three strikes and you're out. That's going to do it for us at here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Christine Romans filling in for Yasmin Vasugian. We'll be back tomorrow with with whatever the day may bring. If you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It's a deeper dive on the main stories of the day comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription@NBC news.com. Moms.

[Adriana Brock]

This one's for you. Hi, I'm Adriana Brock, Shop Today executive Editor. And we're celebrating the beautiful, messy, joyful chaos of motherhood at every stage, from the newborn days to the teen years and everything in between. Join us for an event in downtown LA with inspiring panels led by experts and special guests, hands on experiences with some of our most loved brands, and a seriously great gift bag filled with products you'll actually use and love that's worth more than 700 doll. Most importantly, you'll be surrounded by a community of moms who just get it. And it's all happening May 15th. Grab your tickets now at today.com stages and we can't wait to celebrate with you.