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Aisha Rascoe
The migrant at the center of a legal storm is back in the US.
Debbie Elliott
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador. He now faces criminal charges. This is what American justice looks like. I'm Debbie Elliott.
Aisha Rascoe
I'm Aisha Rascoe. And this is up first from NPR News.
Debbie Elliott
World Pride is wrapping up in Washington, D.C. this weekend.
Aisha Rascoe
Thousands are expected to attend a march celebrating LGBTQ rights later, but the event.
Debbie Elliott
Is taking place with the Trump administration targeting diversity programs. So how's that affected the party mood?
Aisha Rascoe
And it's the business end of the season for the NBA. And as hockey fans know, we've got a thrilling Stanley cup on our hands.
Debbie Elliott
Stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend. Public media is facing the most serious threat in its history. Congress is considering a White House proposal that would eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund local NPR stations. This move would immediately threaten many stations ability to serve their communities and could force some to close. Take a stand for public media today@goacpr.org this message comes from square. You probably know Square from your favorite local spots, but you might not know that there's a lot more to square than meets the eye. What started as a little white card reader is now being used to rapidly.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Scale, build loyal followings, cover cash flow.
Debbie Elliott
Gaps and expand to new locations. Wherever your business is growing, Square meets you there. Go to square.com go NPR to learn more. These days there is a lot of news.
Jimena Bustillo
It can be hard to keep up.
Debbie Elliott
With what it means for you, your family and your community. Consider this from NPR as a podcast that helps you make sense of the news.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Six days a week, we bring you.
Debbie Elliott
A deep dive on a story and provide the context, the backstory and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Listen to the Consider this podcast from npr.
Aisha Rascoe
The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is at the center of a bitter legal and political fight.
Debbie Elliott
For nearly two months, the Trump administration said the migrant would not be brought back to the US after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
Aisha Rascoe
But in a surprise move yesterday, Abrego Garcia arrived back in the country after an arrest warrant was issued.
Debbie Elliott
NPR immigration reporter Jimena Bustillo has been following the case and joins us now. Hi there.
Michelle Steele
Good morning.
Debbie Elliott
So why did the administration say he could come back?
Michelle Steele
Well, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a press conference yesterday that a grand jury in Tennessee had charged Abrego Garcia of federal crimes. The indictment has one count of alien smuggling and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling she said that the grand jury found that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring. The indictment alleges that he made over 100 trips transporting people without legal status between Texas and Maryland and other states. NPR has not independently confirmed the smuggling accusations.
Debbie Elliott
So what has been the response from Borrego Garcia's legal team?
Michelle Steele
His lawyer, Simon Sandoval Moishenburg, told me that after months of delay in secrecy, authorities were bringing his client back to, quote, not correct their error, but to prosecute him. You know, as you mentioned, Abrego Garcia had been deported to El Salvador by mistake. In 2019, he served. He received a protection from deportation to his native El Salvador because he successfully argued before an immigration judge that he could face gang violence if he was sent there. A federal judge in Maryland ordered that the Trump administration facilitate Abrego Garcia's release and return, and this order was upheld unanimously by the US Supreme Court. But until the indictment, the administration had not been able to communicate its progress in doing this, and Trump officials even said that they would not bring him back.
Debbie Elliott
Abrego Garcia has been accused of committing various crimes. As we said, how does this fit into President Trump's broader immigration strategy?
Michelle Steele
Right. Abrego Garcia has been accused of being a member of the Salvadoran Ms. 13 gang. Trump officials used that allegation as a justification for removing him in the first place and then not returning him. His lawyers and wife have disputed those claims in court, and now he's being indicted by the DOJ and is being returned under. Under that context, President Trump has long campaigned and created policy aimed at making a connection between immigration and criminality beyond Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration has both said that they want to arrest and remove, quote, the worst of the worst. But they have also vowed to arrest and remove anyone without legal status. Blurring that line, Abrego Garcia's case really challenged how far the administration was willing to double down on its claims in the face of even the highest court's orders. And now the administration is willing to push this into a new sphere of litigation.
Debbie Elliott
Right. And now the administration is seeking to expand the kind of resources it has to make these arrests and removals. What's happening on that front?
Michelle Steele
The Department of Homeland security has requested 20,000 National Guard troops to help with immigration enforcement. The move comes as the White House is increasing pressure on immigration officers to arrest more people. My colleague Tom Bowman obtained the official request from DHS to the Pentagon for the guards use. Their duties would really vary. Some would be placed in detention centers. Others would help with the transportation and finding those to arrest, but ultimately used for interior enforcement within the country.
Debbie Elliott
How unprecedented is this?
Michelle Steele
You know, fairly. The National Guard of each state is typically deployed at the discretion of each governor. There are different examples of how individual states have already done this within their own borders. But being able to use this across state lines might potentially be unprecedented. Multiple U.S. officials tell NPR that the Pentagon is still working with state governors to determine what states might be able to provide troops.
Debbie Elliott
NPR immigration reporter Jimeno Bestillo. Thank you.
Michelle Steele
Thank you.
Aisha Rascoe
Just down the street from the White House today, Pennsylvania avenue in Washington, D.C. will be closed for traffic for a parade. The Pride parade, that is.
Debbie Elliott
Thousands of people are expected. Gay, transgender, queer, young, old, of all races and religions. And this year, especially from all over the world. NPR's Selena Simmons Duffin is here to give us a preview of the parade. Thanks for being with us.
Jimena Bustillo
Hi, Debbie.
Debbie Elliott
So D.C. is usually pretty lit up for pride every June, but this year it seems to be a different level. Why is that?
Jimena Bustillo
Yeah. So this year World Pride is being celebrated here in the District, and that is a roving international version of the Pride parades that happen all over the place in the summer months. The first One was in 2000 in Rome. It's been in Madrid and Toronto, and this year it's in dc. So later today is the parade, but it's really a festival. It's been going on for several weeks with concerts and sporting events, art shows, lectures, and more.
Debbie Elliott
Tell us what it's like in the city. There seems to be a lot going on politically with gay and trans people in America.
Jimena Bustillo
Yeah, that's true. I mean, from its earliest moments, the second Trump administration has passed all sorts of executive orders affecting LGBTQ people, from the anti diversity, equity and inclusion DEI ideology efforts that has affected LGBTQ people. The White House has declared there are only two sexes and they cannot change. Transgender people cannot compete in sports. There are limits to health care, access, military service. And then there's here, Washington, D.C. which has a higher percentage of LGBTQ residents than any state in the nation. There's tension between the federal government and the D.C. government over its local budget. And that tension really ratcheted up this week when the National Park Service decided to close Dupont Circle, which is basically the heart of DC's historic gay neighborhood. The reason given was public safety and because of past vandalism, but local leaders had asked to keep it open. I should say the closure doesn't affect the parade route or any official events.
Debbie Elliott
Well, has this tension affected the mood, the feeling in the city leading up to the parade.
Jimena Bustillo
I would say yes, there is a sense of nervousness I don't remember from past years. All of those Trump administration policies we talked about have led some places to warn transgender people against traveling to D.C. this year. Here is Zach, who asked NPR to only use his first name because he's a federal worker and fears retaliation for criticizing the Trump administration.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Anti trans and anti queer policies made a lot of people, especially those in foreign countries, feel like they weren't welcome here.
Debbie Elliott
What about the businesses that have traditionally supported the parade?
Jimena Bustillo
Yeah, corporate sponsorships are down this year, not just when it comes to world pride in D.C. but across the country. Gravity Research just did a survey of 200 corporations on their participation in Pride events and found a third were scaling back this year. Some companies are nervous about being called out by President Trump, so they're trying to lay low in terms of public support while reassuring their employees that they still care. And that's a difficult needle to thread.
Debbie Elliott
So with this tension, how is that affecting the sense of celebration?
Jimena Bustillo
Well, you're hearing a saying a lot this year. The first Pride was a riot, and that's a reference to Stonewall, where transgender people fought back against a police raid in New York City in 1969. So Pride didn't start because rainbows are pretty. It started because discriminatory laws and societal intolerance pushed queer people to the breaking point, and they decided to fight back. So I think this political moment has LGBTQ people thinking about that history and how fighting back when the odds seem stacked against you is something this community knows how to do.
Debbie Elliott
That's NPR's Selena Simmons. Duffin, thank you so much.
Jimena Bustillo
Thanks for having me.
Aisha Rascoe
I don't get to say this often, but it's time for sports, and there's a lot going on. More than a century of college amateurism is over. And then there's the tennis. The women's final of the French Open is taking place today.
Debbie Elliott
Throw in a thrilling Stanley cup and surprising NBA Finals, and you have a lot to Talk about with ESPN's Michelle Steele. Thanks for being here, Michelle.
NPR Reporter
Good morning, Deb.
Debbie Elliott
It's a busy morning, so last night, a federal judge signed off on a $2.8 billion settlement, now paving the way for colleges to actually pay athletes directly. This is a remarkable moment in college sports. It's ending more than a century of the amateur model. What is it going to look like?
NPR Reporter
Yeah. So what's going to happen, Deb? Is that starting as early as July, schools will pay their athletes around $20 million annually as part of what's being framed as a revenue sharing deal. This is not salaries, which would kick in all sorts of other implications. Right. So I guess the question here is, who's going to get the money? Football and basketball, they're the biggest revenue generators. They're going to be the biggest beneficiaries. I think what's interesting to a lot of college football fans is now every Nil deal, these are name, image and likeness sort of endorsement deals. If they're over 600 bucks, they're going to have to go through a clearinghouse to make sure it's a real endorsement deal and not just, you know, Crazy Eddie's car dealership paying a guy to go to Alabama. So we'll see how strict the enforcement is going to be around that. After a few years of the Wild west in the Nil.
Debbie Elliott
Deb, you know, my husband mentioned it's we're going from the hundred dollar handshake to the million dollar deal, right? Yeah.
NPR Reporter
We're not going to have duffel bags of cash, you know, lying around anymore. This is going to be a regulated industry because college sports is a big business now.
Debbie Elliott
So. The French Open women's final is underway. Number one, Irina Sabalenka of Belarus versus number two, Coco Gauff of the United States. Goff would become the first American to win a women's single title in Paris in a decade. Does she have a shot?
NPR Reporter
She's definitely got a shot. She's won a Grand Slam before. In fact, she beat Sabalenka the one time that they met in a Grand Slam final. But a lot of experts around tennis are putting their money on Sabalenka. You know, I spoke to a coach this week who coached the last American woman to reach a French final, Sloan Stevens. His name is Kamau Murray. And he told me that Sabalenka has the hot hand. She's seen as dominant as Martina Navratilova was in her prime. So we'll see if Coco can defy those expectations. And like you said, the match is just about to get underway on the.
Debbie Elliott
Ice now, the Stanley cup tied after two games. The defending champs, the Florida Panthers, even things up with a double overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers. Has this cup final rematch from last year been everything you've expected?
NPR Reporter
This series has everything, Deb. You've got the revenge factor for the Oilers. Huge stars on both sides. Andrew Marchand, who's now joined the Panthers after a storied career with the Bruins. He had the double OT winner last night. Great matchup. Both of these games have gone to overtime. You know, I have friends who are covering the series who are going to be ping ponging between Edmonton and Miami, but I hope this series goes seven games. And you know what? They'll get a lot of frequent flyer miles, so it's okay.
Debbie Elliott
And basketball. Right. So the Indiana Pacers are the surprise leaders. They're up one over Oklahoma City Thunder after the first game in the NBA Finals thanks to yet another buzzer be winning shot by Tyrese Halliburton. That makes four stunning late game comebacks for the Pacers in these playoffs. I guess at some point we should stop calling them stunning. The Pacers were underdogs heading into Oklahoma City for that game. Few expected the Pacers to have a chance. Were we wrong about this team?
NPR Reporter
The short answer, Deb, is yes. You know, I think I can confirm the Pacers are not a fluke. They just refuse to give up. They play at such a high pace. They're so aggressive even in the face of big deficits. You know, you mentioned this is their fourth late game comeback in the postseason. And Tyrese Halliburton is him. He hit a game winner in every round of the playoffs. It's wild.
Debbie Elliott
He is so fun to watch.
NPR Reporter
Oh, he is so fun. And you know what? One of his best friends, Deb in Indy, Caitlin Clark, she told me recently that they've got a group text after games. They can just chat about, you know, the challenges and of course, the fun of their high pressure job. So that's pretty cool. You might see them around India at your local coffee shop. Who knows?
Debbie Elliott
That is cool. Thank you so much. That's ESPN's Michelle Steele. Glad you were with us.
NPR Reporter
You bet. See you next time.
Debbie Elliott
And that's up first for Saturday, June 7, 2020. Hi, I'm Debbie Elliott.
Aisha Rascoe
And I'm Aisha Roscoe. But wait, we've got one more thing for you. Today.
Debbie Elliott
Here at Upfirst, we take keeping you informed seriously. Meanwhile, our friends at NPR's Wait, Wait, don't tell me. They take making fun of the news very seriously.
Aisha Rascoe
Each week they create a news quiz and we want to give up first listeners the chance to play along.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Now onto our final game. Lightning, fill in the blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer. Now we're worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? I can indeed. McGeen has three. Zach and Adam each have two. That means Zach and Adam are tied for second, and I'm going to arbitrarily pick Adam to go first. So the clock will start when they begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, Adam. President Trump announced a blank ban targeting 12 countries. Travel. Right. According to a new report, the net worth of the 10 blankest people in America increased $365 billion last year. Richest? Yes, wealthiest. This week, U.S. blanks on steel increased to 50%. Tariffs. Right. On Tuesday, a judge ordered the White House to continue offering blank affirming care to inmates in federal prisons. Gender. Right. This week, the US beat out Australia to become the country that blanks the most in the entire world. Sleeps no. Swears. On Thursday, a Japanese spacecraft attempting to land on the blank crashed during its descent moon. Right. On Thursday, the Switch 2, the newest gaming console from blank was released. Nintendo. Right. This week, officials in Washington state had to release a warning to drivers after a truck tipped over on the highway while carrying blank.
Debbie Elliott
I heard about this.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Was it a bunch of coins? No, it was millions of bees. According to the local sheriff, millions of bees escaped from a cargo truck after it tipped over near the Canadian border. Fortunately, less than 24 hours later, a group of volunteer beekeepers helped recover most of them. And they swear they're definitely the escaped bees, not just a bunch of new ones. You can tell because they're still wearing their tiny orange jumpsuits. Bill, how did Adam do in our quiz? Very well. Six. Right. 12 more points. Total of 14 puts him in the lead. All right, so Zach, you are up next. Here we go. Fill in the blank. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the so called big beautiful blank would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit. Bill. Right. On Wednesday, the U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Blank. Gaza. Right. On Tuesday, flash floods hit parts of Kansas after over a month's worth of blank fell in just one day.
Debbie Elliott
Rainfall, right?
Selena Simmons Duffin
Yes. This week a dedicated doordash driver in Chicago drove onto Blank while trying to deliver an order. Lakeshore Drive. No, that would be scary. He drove onto the tarmac at o' Hare airport on Tuesday. Food safety insp. Some ground beef sold at Whole Foods may be contaminated with blank.
Debbie Elliott
E. Coli.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Right. After their playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, the New York Blanks fired their head coach mix. That doesn't seem nice. Yes. This week a man in Norway was shocked when he woke up and discovered that he had slept through blank.
Debbie Elliott
The pandemic?
Selena Simmons Duffin
No. A 450 foot long cargo ship crashing into his front yard. Same same. Which happened to be on the ocean. Authorities have determined that the ship's watch officer fell asleep while on duty, leading to the vessel veering off course and right into the guy's front yard. Also asleep, the house owner, who did not wake up when the ship, which was very large, crashed right there. Call it a disaster if you want, but I think it's a touching story of two men miles apart, napping. Bill, how did Zach do on our quiz? Well, he did very well. Five. Right. Ten more points total to 12. He's in second place. All right. Also known as last. We're encouraging here. All right, then, so how many does Nagin need to take it? Six to win?
Aisha Rascoe
Nagin.
Selena Simmons Duffin
Here we go. Negin. Okay, this is for the game. Fill in the blank. Following a series of surprise drone attacks from Ukraine, Trump and blank had a 75 minute phone call. Putin. Right. This week, the White House said it was suspending international visas for new students at Blank University, Harvard. Right. On Wednesday, the mayor of Baltimore confirmed that a Blank spill had stained part of the waterfront red oil. Right. This week, a woman in China who said she cried for three days after her boyfriend broke up with her finally got her revenge by blanking.
Aisha Rascoe
Getting rid of his Twitter account.
Selena Simmons Duffin
No. Sending £2,000 of onions to his house. In order to avoid spreading outbreaks overseas, the CDC suggested travelers get the Blank vaccine before flying. The foot and mouth vaccine, the measles vaccine. On Wednesday, the trailer for the second part of the film adaptation of the musical Blank was released.
Aisha Rascoe
The musical Once Upon a Mattress.
Selena Simmons Duffin
No. Although deep pull. Thank you. The musical, Wicked. Wicked for good. This week, a man in Colorado escaped with just minor injuries after he was hit by a car while he was in a blank.
Aisha Rascoe
Doing ketamine.
Selena Simmons Duffin
No, he was in a porta Potty. Apparently the driver who had veered off the road and ran straight into this Porta Potty. And you know, okay, we've all been there. You have an emergency, you're desperate. You see an old, uncared for Porta Potty and you're sitting in there and you think, well, at least this couldn't get any worse. Bill, did Nagin do well enough to win? Well, she got three right for six more points. Total of nine goes to the Irishman. He's our champion. Adam Burke. Yay.
Aisha Rascoe
See how closely you follow the week's news and have some fun by listening to the podcast. Wait, wait, don't tell me. The NPR News quiz every Saturday. It's available in the NPR app and wherever you get your podcast.
Debbie Elliott
This message comes from Saatva. Getting quality sleep can improve athletic abilities, increase energy, and boost memory and learning. Saatva mattresses are designed to promote that kind of sleep. Save $200 on $1,000 or more at saatva.com NPR Congress is considering a rescissions package from the White House that would claw back more than $1 billion of public media funding. Federal funding for all of public media amounts to about $1.60. That helps bring you the news and podcasts you rely on from NPR. Please take a stand for public media today@goacpr.org like the climate, Our idea of home is constantly changing. So NPR is devoting an entire week to rethinking home with stories and conversations about the search for solutions, from planting trees to reducing energy use to disaster proofing your house. Explore stories that hit close to home during this year's Climate Solutions Week. Visit npr.org climateweek.
Up First from NPR – June 7, 2025
NPR's Up First delivers the essential news to kickstart your day. In this episode, hosts Debbie Elliott and Aisha Rascoe delve into three major stories: the return of a deported migrant to the U.S., the culmination of World Pride in Washington, D.C., and the excitement surrounding the ongoing sports finals. Below is a comprehensive summary capturing all key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.
Overview: The episode opens with a gripping story about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a migrant who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration. After nearly two months in El Salvador, Garcia has been returned to the United States following an arrest warrant related to criminal charges.
Key Details:
Quotes:
Implications: This case underscores the complexities and challenges within the Trump administration’s broader immigration strategy, particularly the blurring lines between accusations of criminality and immigration enforcement. The administration's recent request for 20,000 National Guard troops to aid in immigration enforcement further intensifies the situation, marking a potentially unprecedented federal intervention in state-controlled National Guard deployments (05:26).
Event Highlights: World Pride is concluding in Washington, D.C., drawing thousands to a parade celebrating LGBTQ+ rights. This year's event is particularly significant given the backdrop of the Trump administration's policies targeting diversity programs.
Key Details:
Quotes:
Insights: The current political environment has introduced a palpable sense of tension and nervousness among participants and attendees. Corporate sponsorships for Pride events have declined, with many companies choosing to downplay their support to avoid backlash from the administration (09:13). Despite these challenges, the LGBTQ+ community remains resilient, drawing strength from historical struggles and the enduring spirit of Pride.
A. College Sports – End of Amateurism: A landmark $2.8 billion settlement has been approved, allowing colleges to begin paying athletes directly. This pivotal change marks the end of over a century of the amateurism model in college sports.
Key Details:
Quotes:
B. French Open Women's Final: The French Open women's final features Belarus's Irina Sabalenka against the United States' Coco Gauff. Gauff aims to become the first American to win the title in a decade, though experts favor Sabalenka’s chances.
Key Details:
C. Stanley Cup Finals: The Stanley Cup finals are heating up with the defending champions, the Florida Panthers, tying the series against the Edmonton Oilers after a dramatic double-overtime victory (13:28).
Key Details:
D. NBA Finals: Indiana Pacers’ Resurgence: The Indiana Pacers have emerged as surprise leaders in the NBA Finals, overcoming the Oklahoma City Thunder with a buzzer-beating shot by Tyrese Halliburton.
Key Details:
Quotes:
Insights: The transformation in college sports financial structures will likely have far-reaching impacts on athlete compensation and the overall collegiate athletic landscape. In professional sports, the finals across different leagues are delivering nail-biting performances and unexpected outcomes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
While the main focus was on the deported migrant, World Pride, and sports finals, the episode also featured an interactive quiz segment inspired by NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me! However, adhering to the instructions, non-content sections such as advertisements and the quiz details have been omitted from this summary.
Support NPR: The episode concluded with a call to support public media amid threats to federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, emphasizing the importance of NPR’s role in delivering reliable news and fostering informed communities.
Final Thoughts: This episode of Up First effectively weaves together pressing social issues and the latest in sports, providing listeners with a well-rounded view of current events. From the complexities of immigration policies and the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community to transformative changes in college sports and exhilarating professional sports finales, the episode underscores NPR's commitment to comprehensive and insightful journalism.
For those who missed the episode, subscribing to Up First ensures you stay informed with the three biggest stories of the day, delivered with depth and clarity.
Knowledge Cutoff: October 2023
Timestamps:
This summary aims to provide a detailed and engaging overview of the Up First episode for those who have not yet listened, capturing all essential discussions and insights.