Dems demand DHS fund election security.
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DHS → demand → security
And, journalist Gloria Steinem has died
Good morning.
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Steinem → die → ?
You're reading the Up First newsletter.
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You → read → newsletter
Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
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you → subscribe → day
Two Democrats overseeing federal elections are questioning why the Trump administration hasn't distributed funds for state and local election security as directed by Congress.
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administration → oversee → Congress
Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Nick Anderson, urging the restoration of more than $39.6 million for specific election security efforts outlined in the fiscal year 2026 DHS Appropriations bill, passed in April.
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Padilla → write → April
NPR was provided an exclusive copy of the letter.
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NPR → provide → letter
The lawmakers wrote that they share a "grave concern that time is running out … to assist state and local election officials in protecting our elections from cyber and mis- and disinformation threats."
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time → write → threats
Historically, the Trump administration has treated election security as a political issue, but it has also cut federal funding and jobs in this critical area, including at CISA.
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it → treat → CISA
Chevron is expanding its operations in Venezuela and plans to invest $7 billion over the next five years, eventually expanding production to around 600,000 barrels of oil per day.
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Chevron → expand → day
Chevron's CEO yesterday announced the joint venture in Caracas, alongside U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
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CEO → announce → Wright
The agreement comes after the Trump administration announced an agreement that would give the U.S. access to 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil.
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that → come → oil
Critics question the legality of these oil agreements, arguing they may hinder Venezuela's democratic transition after U.S. troops captured Rodriguez's predecessor, Nicholas Maduro, in January.
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troops → question → January
Oil is an emotional issue in Venezuela because it accounts for more than 90% of the country's export income, reporter John Otis tells Up First.
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Otis → account → income
During its socialist revolution, the government kicked out many foreign oil companies.
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government → kick → companies
When Otis was in the country in 2007, he says he saw massive public support for then-President Hugo Chávez's plan to nationalize U.S.-operated oil fields.
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he → say → fields
He says that's why many Venezuelans find it unsettling now to see their interim president forming close ties with companies like Chevron.
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president → say → Chevron
Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial yesterday said once again that they could not reach a unanimous verdict.
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they → say → verdict
They remained at an impasse after 28 hours of deliberation on whether to convict her of first-degree murder for killing her three children in 2023.
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They → remain → 2023
The judge urged them to continue deliberating.
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judge → urge → them
If the jury remains deadlocked today, the judge may declare a mistrial, leaving the district attorney to decide whether to retry the case.
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judge → remain → case
Clancy has admitted that she killed her children in 2023.
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she → admit → 2023
Her defense team argues she suffered from postpartum psychosis and could not understand or control her actions.
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she → argue → actions
Prosecutors say she planned to kill her children as part of an attempt to die by suicide.
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she → say → suicide
(via WBUR)
- ➡️ The "insanity defense" can be tough to prove.
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defense → prove → WBUR
But the defense's strategy may have a better chance in Massachusetts, where laws differ from those in many states.
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laws → have → states
Here's what to know.
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Here → know → what
Trailblazing journalist and feminist activist Gloria Steinem has died at 92.
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Steinem → die → 92
Steinem devoted her life to fighting for gender equality.
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Steinem → devote → equality
She co-founded Ms. magazine, the first mass market feminist monthly, and continued to speak and write about women's issues well into her 90s.
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co → co → 90s
She spent most of her life traveling across the country and around the world to speak, organize and raise money on behalf of women's rights.
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She → spend → rights
Special series
An NPR investigation finds that heat kills thousands of Americans every year.
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heat → find → Americans
But official records radically undercount the toll.
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records → undercount → toll
In this series, we are bringing you stories that reveal why this happens and what can be done.
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what → bring → stories
Adam Wilson's death was officially recorded as "unknown natural causes."
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death → record → causes
But his mother says she knows what killed him: heat.
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what → say → heat
Wilson had a genetic disorder that caused heart problems and made him highly sensitive to heat.
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him → have → heat
Heat often exacerbates underlying conditions.
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Heat → exacerbate → conditions
Doctors need conclusive proof when certifying deaths.
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Doctors → need → deaths
Because the evidence of heat-related death is often invisible, it's often left off of death certificates, even when it's a contributing factor.
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it → relate → certificates
…and 22 more, not listed.
The Aporia
