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Today’s top stories
Federal prosecutors have charged Cole Allen, the alleged gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, with attempting to assassinate President Trump. Allen made his first public appearance in federal court yesterday. He also faces charges for allegedly transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce for use in a felony and for the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Allen could face additional charges as the investigation continues. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Prosecutors say Allen emailed family and friends minutes before leaving his hotel room outlining his reasons for the attack, including a statement that he did not want to be represented by someone he called “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor,” a phrase prosecutors say presumably targeted Trump. Allen listed administration officials as targets and prioritized them from highest to lowest rank. His next hearing is Thursday. President Trump has discussed rescheduling the dinner.
The Washington Hilton hosts the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in part because its design supports presidential security, with a special entrance and a dedicated holding room behind the stage marked with a presidential seal.
King Charles III is set to address Congress today during a four-day state visit marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence from the U.K. It will be only the second time a British monarch has addressed Congress; Queen Elizabeth II spoke in 1991, stressing democracy, international cooperation and multilateral organizations. Charles’ speech comes amid tensions — President Trump frequently criticizes allies and NATO, and there are strains between the U.S. and U.K. over the war in Iran.
Palace officials told NPR that Charles’ speech will emphasize reconciliation while acknowledging points of disagreement, including NATO, Ukraine and the Middle East. As monarch, Charles is expected to remain politically neutral, which may limit direct policy debate, but the visit could nonetheless help ease bilateral tensions.
The Iranian foreign minister arrived in Russia yesterday, where President Vladimir Putin expressed strong support for Iran in its conflicts with the U.S. and Israel. The visit follows an intense week of Iranian diplomacy as Tehran seeks leverage and backing; talks with the U.S. remain on hold. Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched strikes in Lebanon, prompting questions about whether the ceasefire there is holding.
Diplomatically, the ceasefire agreement remains in place, with none of the parties — Israel, Lebanon or Hezbollah — officially declaring it over. But Israel has conducted multiple daily airstrikes against what it identifies as Hezbollah targets, mainly in southern Lebanon. Residents and reporters on the ground say the region does not feel like it is under a ceasefire; airstrikes have intensified and new evacuation orders have been issued for communities beyond the previously occupied zone, forcing many people to re-evacuate.
Hundreds of lawsuits nationwide allege that State Farm has operated a scheme to avoid paying what it owes for hail damage. Many cases are centered in Oklahoma, where a law firm said more than 600 suits were pending against the country’s largest home insurer as of this spring. The litigation highlights alleged strategies insurers use to deny coverage amid rising homeowner costs driven in part by climate change. State Farm told NPR it pays claims according to the terms of individual policies and the specific facts of each case.
Deep dive
The average salary for public school teachers in the U.S. is up 3.5% from the previous year, but when adjusted for inflation, today’s teachers are estimated to earn less than they did in 2017, according to a new review of data from the National Education Association. Key findings:
– The average starting salary for new teachers is $46,112. Highest starting salaries include the District of Columbia ($64,640) and Washington state ($60,658); the lowest are Montana ($36,682) and Nebraska ($39,561).
– Student enrollment fell 0.3% at the start of the 2024–25 school year compared with the previous fall, and overall enrollment has declined roughly 3.6% since 2016.
– States with collective bargaining laws have higher average starting and top salaries than states without such laws.
– Washington state is among 11 states that have seen inflation-adjusted pay increases since 2017; teacher pay there rose about 36% after the state supreme court imposed fines to compel better school funding.
Living better
Millions of Americans use smartwatches and smart rings to track sleep, body temperature and heart rate, but device data can be hard to interpret. Wearables can help clinicians see patterns outside the clinic and flag serious conditions like cardiac arrhythmia. To make wearable data more useful:
– Learn how your device records and displays data, especially after software updates.
– Bring relevant concerns to your doctor with context, not just raw weeks of data.
– Remember that many important health factors — your personal history, stress, diet and habits — aren’t captured by devices.
3 things to know before you go
1. An AI art museum, Dataland, opens in Los Angeles in June. Co-founder Refik Anadol calls it “the world’s first museum of AI arts,” debuting as AI-generated art faces criticism over human agency and authorship.
2. South Carolina public health officials declared an end to the largest U.S. measles outbreak since 1991 after reaching 42 days with no new linked cases.
3. First lady Melania Trump has urged ABC to take action against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a recent joke she called “hateful and violent.”
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.