Israel Strikes Iran, National Guard Ruling, Padilla Handcuffed, Rescission Vote

Summary

Up First from NPR – Episode Summary Release Date: June 13, 2025

NPR's Up First delivers a comprehensive overview of the day's top stories in just ten minutes. In this episode, host Steve Inskeep, along with contributors Michelle Martin and Laura Fitzgerald, delve into four major headlines: Israel's recent strikes on Iran, a legal ruling on the National Guard in California, the controversial handcuffing of Senator Alex Padilla, and the House's move to rescind funding for public media. Below is a detailed summary capturing all key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Israel Strikes Iran: Escalating Tensions in the Middle East

Timestamp: [00:02] - [04:36]

The episode opens with a breaking news update on a significant military escalation in the Middle East. Michelle Martin reports that Israel has launched airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites in Iran, resulting in the deaths of Iran’s top generals.

Key Points:

• Israeli Military Actions: Israel conducted strikes on multiple Iranian targets, including the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, claiming to have killed high-ranking Iranian military officials such as Mohammed Baghri, the Iranian military chief of staff.
• Iran’s Response: Iranian state media confirmed the damage and fatalities, vowing a strong retaliation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that Israel should "expect a harsh punishment."
• Public Reaction in Israel: Hadil Al Shalchi reports from Tel Aviv, describing the tense atmosphere as citizens prepared for potential further attacks, with significant disruptions like the closure of Ben Gurion airport and the postponement of events such as the Tel Aviv Pride Parade.

Notable Quotes:

• Leila Fadel (Host): “Israel struck dozens of Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities.”
• Gavin Newsom (California Governor): “I hope it's the beginning of a new day in this country where we push back against overreach.”

Implications:

• The strikes occur amid ongoing clandestine talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. The unilateral action by Israel complicates these negotiations, escalating regional instability.

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2. National Guard in California: Legal Battle Over Federal Control

Timestamp: [04:36] - [08:31]

The conversation shifts to a domestic issue involving the National Guard in California. A legal dispute has emerged over President Trump’s decision to federalize the California National Guard, overriding Governor Gavin Newsom's authority.

Key Points:

• Legal Ruling: U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority by deploying the National Guard without Governor Newsom's consent, ordering the return of control to the state.
• Appeals Court Intervention: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals swiftly issued a stay on Judge Breyer’s decision, allowing the National Guard to remain under federal command pending further hearings.
• Purpose of Deployment: The Trump administration asserts that the National Guard's presence is necessary to support immigration enforcement and protect federal buildings amidst protests and ICE raids in Los Angeles.

Notable Quotes:

• Judge Charles Breyer: “This country was founded in response to a monarchy.”
• Gavin Newsom: “We push back against overreach, we push back against these authoritarian tendencies of a president.”

Implications:

• The legal tussle underscores the ongoing tension between federal authority and state governance, particularly concerning immigration policies. The outcome of the upcoming hearings on June 17th will be pivotal in determining the future control of the National Guard in California.

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3. Senator Alex Padilla Handcuffed at Homeland Security Press Conference

Timestamp: [08:31] - [12:28]

A startling incident unfolded at a Homeland Security press conference where Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed and handcuffed by security personnel after attempting to address Secretary Kristi Noem.

Key Points:

• The Incident: Senator Padilla, seeking to question Secretary Noem about ICE raids, was aggressively detained by Homeland Security agents, leaving him face down on the ground.
• Political Reactions:
  • Democrats condemn the action as an assault and an example of authoritarian behavior by the administration.
  • Republicans question Padilla’s motives for disrupting the press conference, with some labeling his actions as inappropriate.
• Senator’s Background: Alex Padilla, the first Latino senator from California and son of Mexican immigrants, has a personal stake in the immigration debate, which fuels his activism.

Notable Quotes:

• Gavin Newsom: “If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, cooks, and day laborers.”
• Jim Jordan (Republican, Ohio): “Don't spend money on stupid things and don't subsidize biased media.”

Implications:

• The incident heightens the political divide over immigration policies and the administration's handling of dissent. It also raises serious concerns about the treatment of elected officials by federal agencies.

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4. House Votes to Rescind Funding for Public Media

Timestamp: [12:28] - [16:17]

The episode concludes with a significant development in public media funding. The House of Representatives voted to rescind $1.1 billion allocated for NPR, PBS, and other public media outlets over the next two years.

Key Points:

• Rescission Details: The move aims to cut federal funding under the guise of reducing the deficit and addressing perceived biases in public media.
• Political Dynamics: While the House passed the measure, it now moves to the Senate, where moderate Republicans from swing states may influence the outcome. Notably, Senator Mark Amadei opposed the cut, emphasizing the importance of public media access for rural constituents.
• Impact on Public Media: NPR and PBS argue that even modest cuts could severely affect local stations, potentially leading to reduced news coverage and the closure of some outlets.

Notable Quotes:

• Jim Jordan: “Don’t spend money on stupid things and don’t subsidize biased media.”
• Gavin Newsom: “It could really hit the networks much harder than the amount of money they directly get from the feds would suggest.”

Implications:

• This legislative action marks the closest the U.S. has come to defunding public media at the federal level. The outcome in the Senate will have lasting effects on the sustainability and independence of public broadcasting services.

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Conclusion

This episode of Up First highlights a day marked by international conflict, legal battles over federal authority, political confrontations, and crucial decisions affecting public media. Through in-depth reporting and expert analysis, NPR provides listeners with a clear understanding of these complex and interrelated issues.

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Notable Contributors:

• Hosts: Steve Inskeep, Leila Fadel, Michelle Martin
• Reporters: Hadil Al Shalchi, Laura Fitzgerald, Claudia Grisales, David Folkenflick

Production Credits: Edited by Alex Leff, Gigi Dubon, Jason Breslow, Emily Kopp, Lisa Thompson, and Alice Wolfley. Produced by Ziad Bach, Katie Klein, and Christopher Thomas, with engineering support from Nisha Hyness and technical direction by Carly Strange. Executive Producer: Jay Shaler.

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Stay informed by subscribing to NPR’s Up First and support your local NPR station at donate.npr.org.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

Israel struck nuclear and military sites in Iran, killing the country's top generals.

[Steve Inskeep]

The Israeli prime minister says they're not done.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

This operation will continue for as many.

[Michelle Martin]

Days as it takes.

[Steve Inskeep]

How is Iran striking back?

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin with Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. A judge ordered President Trump to return control of the National Guard to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

[Gavin Newsom]

I hope it's the beginning of a new day in this country where we push back against overreach.

[Michelle Martin]

The judge said the president exceeded his authority. Why did a higher court pause the order?

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, why did Homeland Security personnel handcuff a US Senator? And the House voted to reclaim funding Congress had allocated for public media. Stay with us. We've got the news. You need to start your day. People in Iran's capital heard explosions overnight and soon learned that their country was under attack.

[Michelle Martin]

The Israeli military affirms that it struck dozens of Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities. Iranian state media say that some of its top generals and nuclear scientists were killed. Iran promised a response.

[Steve Inskeep]

This is obviously a developing story. NPR's Hadil Al Shalchi is covering this from Tel Aviv. Good morning.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Good morning.

[Steve Inskeep]

Who is saying what as you and I are talking now?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Well, let's start with the Israeli military. It announced that it actually completed a large scale airstrike campaign in western Iran. It includes also the capital, Tehran. But Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said there will be more attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel targeted Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility, called Natanz, and Iran says that it did suffer damage. Both militaries also said that three top Iranian security chiefs were killed, including the Iranian military chief of staff, Mohammed Baghri. That's a major blow to Iran's military chain of command. Of course, Iran's supreme leader said Israel should expect a, quote, harsh punishment. And Israel said that Iran fired about 100 drones at Israel.

[Steve Inskeep]

Really striking results, particularly since there had been many signs that this attack might be coming and the Israelis still had this effect. What is it like in Israel this morning as people wait for a response?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

Well, we actually all woke up pretty early, around 3am local time to sirens across the country. It wasn't because there were any. The Israeli military said they were a preemptive warning to Israelis to get prepared for a, quote, major threat. The Ben Gurion airport is closed, but all morning we could hear fighter jets overhead in the sky. This morning I went to the grocery store. It was full of people stocking up on water, other supplies, just in case schools and public Gatherings like the Tel Aviv Pride Parade today are also canceled.

[Steve Inskeep]

The timing of this is really notable. What else is happening at this moment when Israel chose to strike?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

I mean, this is all happening as the US and Iran have been actually holding talks for weeks. Now. They're trying to strike a deal that would see Iran scale down on its nuclear program in exchange for the US lifting sanctions. Those sanctions have crippled Iran's economy. So Netanyahu has been adamant the entire time that the only way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is by war. Now, see, Iran insists that it doesn't want to develop a nuclear weapon. But then last month, the UN's nuclear watchdog said that Iran actually had enough enriched uranium to theoretically develop a weapon. And then this week, the same watchdog, for the first time in 20 years, censored Iran over not complying with its inspections. But Iran is defiant. It also announced that it would start a third enrichment site in the country.

[Steve Inskeep]

How is the United States responding to this overnight news?

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

So, until just yesterday, President Trump signaled that a strike on Iran was possible, but not imminent. And then today on social media, he warned Iran that it will, quote, only get worse and urged Tehran to make a deal, quote, before there is nothing left after the attack. Earlier this morning, the State Department said it was informed by Israel that it would strike. It said Israel carried it out unilaterally and that the US Was not involved. Earlier this week, there was some foreshadowing. The US Administration ordered the evacuation of non essential staff from the US Embassy in Iraq and then authorized their departure from other embassies in the Middle East. And then the US envoy, Steve Witkoff, was due to meet with the Iranian negotiating team in Oman on Sunday. But of course, now Iran said it won't be going.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Adil Al Shalchi has the latest from Tel Aviv. Thanks very much for the update and your insights. Really appreciate it.

[Hadil Al Shalchi]

You're very welcome.

[Steve Inskeep]

National Guard troops in California remain under President Trump's command for now. A judge ruled the president violated the law when he took command of the California Guard without clearance from Governor Gavin Newsom. The judge said the power must return to the state, but an appeals court quickly put that ruling on hold. Cap Radio's Laura Fitzgerald is covering this story from California. Good morning.

[Laura Fitzgerald]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so what happened here?

[Laura Fitzgerald]

Well, the central question here is who is in charge of 4,000 National Guard troops that have been in LA for almost a week? Normally, governors control their state National Guards, but in this case, Trump federalized them against Governor Gavin. Newsom's wishes. This happened a day after protests broke out in pocket of downtown LA in response to a series of ICE raids. City and state officials have insisted they didn't need the National Guard there. They said they already had enough resources, local law enforcement, to maintain order. And Newsom said Trump calling in the National Guard would only make tensions worse. And so Newsom sued the Trump administration.

[Steve Inskeep]

And this is essentially a constitutional argument. Why did the judge side with Newsom?

[Laura Fitzgerald]

Well, yesterday, U.S. district Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco, he's a Clinton appointee. He gave a 36 page ruling that said Trump's actions were illegal. And it wasn't surprising given the comments that he made during the hearing yesterday. He said that this country was founded in response to a monarchy, and he said that it would be a monarchy if the president didn't have to justify this action. He said the Trump administration didn't meet the threshold for federalizing the National Guard. And part of the statute Trump used to justify deploying the Guard requires a rebellion or danger of rebellion against the government. And the judge really took issue in his order yesterday, saying that the protests in Los Angeles were far from what would be considered a rebellion. And in the end, the judge ordered that the National Guard troops be returned to Newsom's control by noon today. And immediately after the ruling, Newsom claimed it a victory.

[Gavin Newsom]

I hope it's the beginning of a new day in this country where we push back against overreach, we push back against these authoritarian tendencies of a president that has pushed the boundaries, pushed the limit, but no longer can push this state around.

[Laura Fitzgerald]

But that victory was short lived.

[Steve Inskeep]

Why?

[Laura Fitzgerald]

Well, the Trump administration appealed Judge Breyer's order within minutes. And a few hours later, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay blocking that initial ruling. So that means the National Guard will stay in LA under Trump's authority. Trump officials have said the Guard is there to protect federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement and also to protect federal federal buildings. Officials also say they have the authority to temporarily detain people until law enforcement can make arrests. A White House spokesperson said in a statement to the Associated Press that Judge Breyer, quote, has no authority to usurp the president's authority as commander in chief.

[Steve Inskeep]

So what happens now?

[Laura Fitzgerald]

So the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hold a hearing on the issue on June 17th. That's next Tuesday. But there's still this question of the 700 Marines that Trump deployed to assist in LA. They've been getting civil disobedience training at a naval facility in Orange beach. And Newsom's lawyers during the hearing yesterday, they wanted Judge Breyer to address the Marines involvement, but the judge said he wouldn't rule on that because the Marines, as far as we know, aren't in LA yet. When they are there, there's still an open question about what exactly they'll be doing on the ground.

[Steve Inskeep]

That's reporter Laura Fitzgerald. Thanks so much.

[Laura Fitzgerald]

Thank you. Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Exactly what happened at a Homeland Security press conference yesterday.

[Michelle Martin]

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was talking to reporters when U.S. senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, entered the room saying he wanted to speak with her. In this audio we can hear as security personnel blocked him.

[Gavin Newsom]

Senator ALEX padilla, I have questions for the secretary because the fact of the matter is a half a dozen violent criminals that you're rotating on your.

[Steve Inskeep]

Federal.

[Michelle Martin]

Agents had the senator handcuffed on the ground after forcibly removing him from the room.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales is covering this. Good morning.

[Claudia Grisales]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Let's learn the players here. Christy Noem, secretary of Homeland Security, former governor of South Dakota, Senator Padilla is the other name. What should people know about him?

[Claudia Grisales]

Right. He was appointed to replace then Vice President Kamala Harris in 2021. He won an election to the seat the following. And he's the son of Mexican immigrants and also the first Latino senator to represent the state of California. So these protests have been very personal for him. And he says he wasn't able to get a meeting with Noem. So that's why he went to a press conference taking place in this federal building, and that's when this incident ensued.

[Steve Inskeep]

We should bear in mind there are different perspectives on all of this. Republicans are saying, why did you show up, disrupting this press conference and so forth. But in any event, he ends up on the ground, face down, if I remember correctly. What are Democrats saying about this?

[Claudia Grisales]

They're calling it an assault. Some said this is a defining moment for the country, and it's part of a series of actions by the administration signaling a new era of authoritarian rule. And as we know already, President Trump's decision to send the National Guard and US Marines into LA is set off a firestorm. And this is on top of months of bitter disagreements over the administration's aggressive immigration policies. So this just adds to an already volatile situation. Take a listen to Padilla after the incident.

[Gavin Newsom]

If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine.

[Laura Fitzgerald]

What.

[Gavin Newsom]

They'Re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers.

[Claudia Grisales]

And you can hear him getting Emotional there again. So for hours yesterday, Democrats took to the Senate floor to denounce what happened. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was sickened by the footage and called for a full investigation.

[Steve Inskeep]

Now, I did notice that Secretary Noem said after the incident she did meet with Padilla for a little while. What else is Homeland Security saying?

[Laura Fitzgerald]

Right.

[Claudia Grisales]

Initially, the department accused Padilla of, quote, disrespectful political theater. They said he didn't comply with requests to back away. And she said that it was not clear who he was, that no one knew who he was. I mean, they were at least 10, 15ft apart when he was announcing his name. So it's possible that she could not hear him. But clearly they met and not much was resolved.

[Steve Inskeep]

And of course, he did announce his name. Are other Republicans talking here?

[Claudia Grisales]

I was with a group of reporters last night who spoke to Senate Majority Leader John Thune just outside the Senate chamber, and he said he was waiting to hear from all the relevant parties before saying any more about the incident other than saying it would be treated as if any other incident involved any other senator. But his counterpart at the other side of the Capitol wasn't waiting. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Padilla acted, quote, wildly inappropriate and he should be censured. So a reminder of a very politically charged moment over the president's immigration tactics and the fallout that continues.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Claudia Grisales, thanks so much.

[Claudia Grisales]

Thank you.

[Steve Inskeep]

Some other news now. The House voted to claw back money that Congress had previously allocated for pbs, NPR, and the public media system for the next two years.

[Michelle Martin]

The Senate still has to approve the measure. This is the closest public media has come to losing its federal funding.

[Steve Inskeep]

All right. Well, listen, NPR covers all stories as fairly as we can, and that includes this story that involves NPR itself and its hundreds of local stations. NPR media correspondent David Folkenflick is on the line. And we will note that no NPR corporate leader or news executive has had a hand in the coverage you're about to hear. David, good morning.

[Gavin Newsom]

Good morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay, so this is called rescission. This is a process where the president asks Congress to cut money it had previously appropriated, and Congress can agree by a simple majority vote. So what is in the bill that got through one of two houses yesterday?

[Gavin Newsom]

So the larger part was that more than $8 billion was pulled back from foreign aid, that all res been approved. But in this case, what we're looking at is $1.1 billion, small change in the grand scheme of things. But that was to fund public broadcasting. All of it mostly local public television and radio stations for the next two years. This was something built on in some ways years of resentment, but also hearings earlier this year. There are two objections about how much money is spent, but also what kind of news coverage and programming is put on the air. Let's hear from Ohio Republican Jim Jordan. He summed it up this way.

[Steve Inskeep]

This bill's real simple. Don't spend money on stupid things and don't subsidize biased media.

[Gavin Newsom]

Now here's the funny thing. You will hear from some public media officials, particularly NPR's representatives. The law passed by Congress at the outset decades ago explicitly protects public media against pressure from all federal officials over its content. Presumably that includes Congress. This of course is a small cut towards reducing the deficit, but also clearly based on the fight over whether or not there's bias in its news coverage.

[Steve Inskeep]

All right, this has been a generations old fight. Republicans have always pushed back against public media even though we know from experience that a great number of them listen, but they've ultimately supported it. What's changed here?

[Gavin Newsom]

I think that you've seen the culture wars. I used to cover Congress a generation ago. It used to be Congress led by people like then House Speaker Newt Gingrich wanted this as an issue. And now you're seeing the balance of power within the Republican conference in the House of Representatives. Anyway, want this as a win. There are a few Republicans who hold off on that. There's Mark Amadei. He's a Republican from Nevada. He voted against this. He said, quote, I agree we must make meaningful cuts to shrink our federal deficit. However, I'd be doing a disservice to thousands of rural constituents in my district if I did not fight to keep their access to the rest of the world and news on the air, rural.

[Steve Inskeep]

Constituents, because NPR covers the entire country. How important though is the public money to NPR and pbs? There are other sources of funding.

[Gavin Newsom]

You know, on its face, it would seem to be not as important to npr. A modest amount of money, but it could be huge for public radio and television stations. Our chief executive Catherine Marr warned about stations going dark and Americans being sort of in news desks and it would undermine the system. It could really hit the networks much harder than the amount of money they directly get from the feds would suggest.

[Steve Inskeep]

Now this goes to the Senate. What can we expect there?

[Gavin Newsom]

Well, I think you have to look at in particular moderates from purple states, especially those perhaps up for reelection next year. Think of Thom Tillis in North Carolina, Susan Collins, who's already expressed some concerns over the foreign aid measures part of the bill. Both of them are in states led by Democratic governors and their Republicans up for re election next year. But so far, other than Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, seeing few Republicans come out of the woodworks to explicitly assert that she's there for public media, it may be another razor thin vote in a closely divided institution.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's David Folkenflick, thanks.

[Gavin Newsom]

You bet.

[Steve Inskeep]

And that's up first for this Friday, June 13th. I'm Steve Inskeep.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michelle Martin. The U.S. faces a housing crisis and growing threats from climate change. One European city is tackling both problems at once. And leaders of American cities are paying attention.

[Laura Fitzgerald]

These kind of researchers, they kept repeating one word over and over, vienna, Vienna, Vienna.

[Michelle Martin]

Lessons from Vienna. Listen to the Sunday story this weekend right here in the upfirst podcast, Vienna waits for you.

[Steve Inskeep]

Today's episode of UPFIRST was edited by Alex Leff, Gigi Dubon, Jason Breslow, Emily Kopp, Lisa Thompson and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Bach, Katie Klein and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hyness. Our technical director is Carly Strange, and our executive producer is Jay Shaler. Join us again.

[David Folkenflick]

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