Israel Pushes Deeper Into Lebanon, Immigration Bill Stalled, Anti-Weaponization Fund

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Up First from NPR

Episode: Israel Pushes Deeper Into Lebanon, Immigration Bill Stalled, Anti-Weaponization Fund
Date: June 1, 2026
Hosts: Steve Inskeep, Amy Walter, Eric McDaniel, A Martinez
Reporters: Greg Myhre, Jacqueline Diaz

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles three of the day's biggest news stories:

• Israel’s dramatic expansion of military operations into Lebanon amid ongoing regional conflicts.
• Congressional gridlock over immigration enforcement funding, complicated by President Trump’s controversial anti-weaponization fund.
• Mounting legal and political scrutiny of the anti-weaponization fund, designed to pay individuals (including January 6th defendants) who claim government targeting.

The Up First team reports with on-the-ground and Capitol Hill analysis, interviews with NPR correspondents, and key political context for each issue.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Israel’s Deepest Incursion Into Lebanon in Decades

[00:02–05:44]

• Israeli military action: Israeli forces captured a 900-year-old hilltop castle (Beaufort Castle) in southern Lebanon — Israel’s deepest penetration into Lebanon since 2000.
  • "An Israeli flag is now flying over the Beaufort Castle. And from this site, the Israelis have a commanding view over southern Lebanon." — Greg Myhre (04:21)
• Symbolism and history: The castle has deep historical and symbolic meaning, previously key during the 1982 Lebanese invasion.
• Regional escalation: These advances come amidst declared ceasefires in both the Iran and Lebanon conflicts, but both sides report renewed fighting.
• Link to Iran talks: Ongoing violence in Lebanon is closely tied to the fragile Iran ceasefire and complicates peace negotiations.
  • "Fighting in Lebanon certainly complicates the Iran talks and could potentially undermine them." — Greg Myhre (05:14)
• Iran’s position: Iran insists any deal to end the war must include Lebanon. Iran and Israel have exchanged strikes and rhetoric escalates.

Notable Quote

• President Trump on Iran talks (via Truth Social):
  • "Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA... just sit back and relax. It will all work out well in the end. It always does." — Read by Greg Myhre (03:28)

Timestamps:

• [02:41] U.S. and Iranian military strikes, Strait of Hormuz
• [04:18] Capture and significance of Beaufort Castle
• [05:14] Lebanon fighting and Iran negotiations

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2. Congressional Deadlock: Immigration Bill and the Anti-Weaponization Fund

[05:57–09:11]

• Immigration enforcement stalled: Republicans seek robust immigration enforcement funding, particularly as insurance before possible power shifts.
• Complications from Trump's fund: The near-$2 billion anti-weaponization fund, created by President Trump to reimburse individuals claiming government targeting (including January 6th participants), now holds up the immigration funding bill.
• Senate procedural hurdles: To pass on a party-line vote, Democrats get to propose amendments. They intend to force Republicans to take a public stand on the fund, which some may oppose.
  • "It became clear... an amendment outlawing the fund could get like 30 Republican votes, probably, which would be embarrassing for Republicans." — Eric McDaniel (06:54)
• Partisan tensions: Intraparty strife grows as Trump targets moderate Republicans, complicating party unity.
• War powers and Iran: Congress is pressing for votes to end U.S. involvement in Iran, frustrated with the costs and unpopularity of the conflict. Trump veto power and constitutional ambiguity fuel continued tension.

Timestamps:

• [06:02] Congressional to-do list and the origins of the deadlock
• [06:37] The anti-weaponization fund’s role in the legislative impasse
• [07:30] War powers resolution and Senate dynamics
• [08:25] Political dynamics intensifying ahead of the general election

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3. Legal and Political Challenges to the Anti-Weaponization Fund

[09:17–12:51]

• Court orders: Two federal judges blocked payouts from the fund and raised concerns about the legitimacy of a settlement between Trump and government agencies he controls.
  • "First, a judge temporarily blocked the government from establishing the president's settlement fund to reimburse people who claimed the federal government targeted them." — Steve Inskeep (09:23)
• Background: The fund originated from a DOJ settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over past tax return leaks.
  • "This anti weaponization fund was created by the DOJ and it was part of a settlement of President Trump's civil lawsuit against the IRS." — Jacqueline Diaz (09:51)
• Bipartisan opposition: Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and especially Democrats, criticize the fund and another settlement clause barring prosecutions related to Trump’s taxes.
  • "Some top Democrats are really concerned with another part of the settlement that is one that bars the US Government from taking action over past tax returns filed by Trump, his companies, and his family." — Jacqueline Diaz (11:33)
• Administration’s response: Trump and the administration deny any personal benefit. DOJ is defending the fund’s legality as Trump supporters begin applying for compensation.

Notable Quotes:

• Judge Williams: Concerned that the settlement was not adversarial and that the “court itself might be a, quote, 'victim of fraud.'” — Jacqueline Diaz reporting (10:41)
• Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD): “Congress should not have to wait for the courts and has the power to act itself.” — Paraphrased, Jacqueline Diaz (12:03)

Timestamps:

• [09:51] Foundation and purpose of the fund
• [10:41] Judicial scrutiny and quotes from the bench
• [11:33] Congressional response and political fallout
• [12:09] Administration’s defense and upcoming hearings

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Memorable Moments & Key Quotes

• “It became clear... an amendment outlawing the fund could get like 30 Republican votes, probably, which would be embarrassing for Republicans.” — Eric McDaniel (06:54)
• “All of this, of course, is mostly symbolic. The president can veto any of these resolutions that reach his desk. But I should also say the Constitution does give Congress the power to declare war and regulate military conflicts. And Trump is legally required to get their approval in order to continue his war. That has not happened.” — Eric McDaniel (08:00)
• “President Trump and other folks in the White House have said repeatedly that he does not get any personal benefit from this fund.” — Jacqueline Diaz (12:09)

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Summary Table of Topics & Timestamps

| Segment | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------| | Israel pushes into Lebanon, Iran conflict | Greg Myhre | 02:41–05:44 | | Immigration bill gridlock and weaponization | Eric McDaniel | 05:57–09:11 | | Legal scrutiny of anti-weaponization fund | Jacqueline Diaz | 09:17–12:51 |

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Final Thoughts

Today’s Up First delivers a concise but comprehensive look at the American and Middle Eastern political landscape, marked by intensifying conflict, legislative gridlock, and a potent intersection of courtrooms and campaign politics. The reporting weaves together war, congressional drama, executive power, and judicial review with clear implications for the months leading up to the general election.

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Transcript

[Steve Inskeep]

Israeli forces captured a medieval castle. Their deepest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years.

[Amy Walter]

Iran says any deal to end the war must include Lebanon, where Israel is ramping up its military operations. So where does this leave the talks?

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm Steve Inskeep with a Martinez, and this is up first from NPR News. Congress is back in Washington facing a jammed up immigration bill. The president's anti weaponization program that could pay January 6th defendants is holding everything up. And Trump keeps making enemies of Republicans he needs.

[Amy Walter]

The anti weaponization fund is also getting scrutiny in the courts. One judge temporarily blocked any payouts, and another is asking President Trump's personal lawyers to defend the settlement that created the fund in the first place. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need

[Eric McDaniel]

to start your day.

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[Amy Walter]

there are ceasefires in both the Iran war and the Lebanon war, yet we have reports this morning of fighting on both fronts.

[Steve Inskeep]

The United States and Iran have been trading long distance fire, Israel is expanding ground operations in southern Lebanon, and Israeli troops have captured a medieval castle.

[Amy Walter]

For more on this, we're joined by NPR's Greg Myhre in Tel Aviv. Greg, let's start off with the fighting in Iran.

[Greg Myhre]

Yeah. The U.S. military says American Aircraft fired on a number of Iranian sites over the weekend. Now, they include a radar station, some drones, and a command center for drones. And this included an attack on Kesham island in the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the US Says it acted because Iran had earned shot down a US Predator drone. The US Military says this US Drone was flying over international waters. And just this morning, Iran says it's fired on a US Military base in the region. It didn't say which one. However, Kuwait's military says the country has come under attack from missiles and drones and defended itself, and the US does have a number of bases in Kuwait.

[Amy Walter]

Okay, so where does this leave talks to end the war in Iran?

[Greg Myhre]

Well, President Trump remains confident. He took to Truth Social this morning and said, quote, iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the usa. And then he went on to say, just sit back and relax. It will all work out well in the end. It always does. Yet, Abe, we're seeing today just how volatile conditions remain and how fragile the ceasefire is. You know, Trump met with top advisers at the White House Friday afternoon, said he would make a final determination on the proposal to bring the war to an end. But that meeting broke up with no decision. And even if the president does come out in support for a plan, that isn't necessarily enough. The Iranians keep saying that the deal is not finalized and that the details keep shifting.

[Amy Walter]

All right, so that's Iran. Let's now turn to Lebanon. That's where Israel claimed military advances over the weekend.

[Greg Myhre]

Yeah. Israeli forces captured this 900-year-old hilltop castle in southern Lebanon, and it's part of Israel's deepest push into that country in decades. An Israeli flag is now flying over the Beaufort Castle. And from this site, the Israelis have a commanding view over southern Lebanon. The Israelis say Hezbollah was using this area to fire on nearby northern Israel. And this is a historic castle that carries a huge amount of symbolism. It was the scene of battles ever since the Crusaders built it back in the 12th century. And more recently, Israel captured it in a bloody battle during a 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Israel remained there until it withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. So this ra memories of that long Israeli occupation and certainly questions about how long Israel plans to stay this time.

[Amy Walter]

How much is the fighting in Lebanon tied to efforts to end the Iran war?

[Greg Myhre]

Yeah, they're very closely related. Fighting in Lebanon certainly complicates the Iran talks and could potentially undermine them. Iran issues almost daily statements supporting Hezbollah, and it says peace efforts must address the wars in both Iran and Lebanon. Yet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps saying he wants Israeli for to keep going in Lebanon. Just this morning, he issued a statement saying he's ordered the military to attack Hezbollah's strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

[Amy Walter]

That's NPR's Greg Myhre in Tel Aviv. Greg, thanks.

[Greg Myhre]

Sure thing. Eh.

[Amy Walter]

Congress returns to Washington from a Memorial Day break with a very long to do list.

[Steve Inskeep]

Republicans want to approve funding for immigration enforcement. For the rest of Trump's that would be insurance against Republicans losing power to Democrats in Congress who would not vote for so much money. But the funding measure that Trump wants is stuck because of something Trump did. He claimed the power to give taxpayer money to people who claim the federal government targeted them, including Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol.

[Amy Walter]

Eric McDaniel reports on Congress for us. So, Eric, how did immigration funding and The President's nearly $2 billion anti weaponization fund get all mixed together like this?

[Eric McDaniel]

Well, in order to pass something on a party line vote in the Senate, procedurally you've got to let the minority party, in this case Democrats, propose a lot of amendments to the bill. And those amendments can be on. Well, I guess whatever Democrats want. So for the three year immigration enforcement bill, Democrats are going to propose amendments that put their Republican peers on the record about this anti weaponization fund. It became clear, though, that an amendment outlawing the fund could get like 30 Republican votes, probably, which would be embarrassing for Republicans. So GOP leaders pushed the vote on the package to this week. But President Trump hasn't backed down on the fund in the time they were at home. And I'm just going to say it doesn't seem like waiting has made things any easier. Some lawmakers are also angry that the president allocated this money in the first place. He did it unilaterally, even though it is of course, Congress's job to decide how taxpayer dollars are spent.

[Amy Walter]

And then, Eric, there's another sticking point, and that's been votes over the Iran war, right?

[Eric McDaniel]

Folks might remember the Senate actually advanced a measure that would force an end to the conflict, which is driving up the cost of living and very unpopular among the American public. In part, that's because the president keeps making enemies of Senate Republicans. Trump backed a primary opponent against Louisiana's Bill Cassidy. And after Cassidy lost his re election race, he joined with Democrats in their effort to force an end to the war. The House of Representatives actually delayed a vote on a Democratic war powers resolution after it looked like Republican absences meant it would have passed. But all of this, of course, is mostly symbolic. The president can veto any of these resolutions that reach his desk. But I should also say the Constitution does give Congress the power to declare war and regulate military conflicts. And Trump is legally required to get their approval in order to continue his war. That has not happened.

[Amy Walter]

And just a guess, I imagine the political dynamics only get a lot more difficult as we get closer to November in the general election.

[Eric McDaniel]

You know, a, that's a good guess. For one, the president's GOP lawmaker enemies list continues to swell. He pushed out not just Cassidy, but also Senator John Cornyn, Representative Thomas Massie out of their seats. So for speaker of the House, House Mike Johnson, who has effectively a one vote majority because of what we're told is a long term medical absence among one of his members, that means Massie could decide to sink any vote he chooses. And as we move out of primary races where party voters matter the most and into general election season where all voters matter, midterm headwinds are only going to blow stronger. There are so few races, though, that are actually competitive, maybe 25. But with majorities this narrow, you only need a few seats to flip for Capitol Hill to just be turned upside down.

[Amy Walter]

That's NPR's Eric McDaniel. Eric, thanks.

[Eric McDaniel]

Thank you.

[Amy Walter]

President Trump's anti weaponization fund isn't just getting pushed back in Congress. It's also facing scrutiny in the courts.

[Steve Inskeep]

Judges issued two orders in one day at the end of last week. First, a judge temporarily blocked the government from establishing the president's settlement fund to reimburse people who claimed the federal government targeted them. Then another judge said she would investigate Trump's settlement with himself. The president arranged the payoffs in a deal with agencies he controls.

[Amy Walter]

NPR's Jacqueline Diaz is with us to break all of this down. So, Jacqueline, remind us where we are with this fund.

[Jacqueline Diaz]

So there were a few developments on Friday. This anti weaponization fund was created by the doj and it was part of a settlement of President Trump's civil lawsuit against the irs. Trump sued his own government back in January for the leak of his tax returns. In 2019, the DOJ set aside almost $1.8 billion for this fund. People who feel like they were targeted by the federal government can apply for this fund and get payouts for damages. Groups like the non profit Democracy Forward sued the government over this whole program. And on Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the DOJ from moving forward with the fund. That means no payouts right now. She's now thinking about whether to grant a longer term pause. Trump's lawyers have about two weeks to respond.

[Amy Walter]

All right, so Steve earlier mentioned another judge. What about that other judge?

[Jacqueline Diaz]

Yeah. So the original federal judge who oversaw Trump's lawsuit over his tax return leaks also weighed in on Friday. That judge, Judge Kathleen Williams, had earlier dismissed the case after the government and Trump settled. Before dismissing it, she expressed some concerns. She said she was worried that Trump and the irs, which is obviously a part of his government, weren't really on opposite sides and that the court itself might be a, quote, victim of fraud. 35 retired federal judges weighed in and urged Judge Williams to take another look and stay with me here. Judge Williams said she's going to consider that she's giving Trump's lawyers until June 12 to respond. Trump supporters have really wanted something like this to exist, but there's a lot of legal obstacles here for the president to get his fund up and running.

[Greg Myhre]

Yeah.

[Amy Walter]

Now you say some supporters wanted this. How have some lawmakers responded to the fund?

[Jacqueline Diaz]

Well, there's some serious bipartisan pushback to this whole program. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said previously that he is not a big fan of this fund. But the loudest critics have been, naturally, Democrats. Some top Democrats are really concerned with another part of the settlement that is one that bars the US Government from taking action over past tax returns filed by Trump, his companies, and his family. One Democrat, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, said on Friday that Congress should not have to wait for the courts and has the power to act itself.

[Amy Walter]

How has the Trump administration responded to this criticism?

[Jacqueline Diaz]

Well, President Trump and other folks in the White House have said repeatedly that he does not get any personal benefit from this fund. And the Justice Department has defended its legality. The doj, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment from npr. But we do know that some Trump supporters who feel like they've been targeted by the DOJ have started applying for the fund. So far, that's included Michael Caputo, a Trump ally and former Health and Human Services spokesman. He has said he and his family were targeted by the Biden administration. Blanche, the acting attorney general is sure to get questions about the weaponization fund and who might benefit when he testifies before a House budget hearing on Tuesday.

[Amy Walter]

All right, that's NPR's Jacqueline Diaz. Jacqueline, thanks for laying all this out for us.

[Jacqueline Diaz]

Thank you.

[Amy Walter]

And before we go, scientists say that sitting is the new smoking, which has experts trying to answer this question.

[Eric McDaniel]

What's the least amount of movement that

[Greg Myhre]

you can do to offset the harms

[Amy Walter]

of sitting on the Sunday Story. How five minutes can change your life. Listen now to the Sunday Story right here in the upverse podcast. And that's up first for Monday, june 1st. I'm amy rts.

[Steve Inskeep]

And I'm steve inskeeb. Today's up first was at edited by tina kraia, anna yukonanov, mohamed el pardisi and lindsay todding. It was produced by ziad bunch and nia dumas. Our director is christopher thomas. We get engineering support from zoe van genhoven, and our technical director is carly strange. Join us again tomorrow. Foreign.

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