Armed National Guard dispatched to L.A. and Trump issues warning to Musk about potential repercussions; This Weekend's Recap
Freshened Version:
The Controversial Move
In an unexpected turn of events, President Donald Trump decided to send the National Guard to Los Angeles, a move that stirred up quite a storm amidst California's top brass. This deployment happened against the will of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, following immigration raids that led to protests and chaos.
Approximately 300 National Guard members arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday morning, after the president ordered a deployment of 2,000 troops. This move was met with sharp criticism from Newsom and Bass, who deemed it inflammatory and unnecessary. Bass referred to it as a "chaotic escalation," expressing concern that an extreme presence of troops or law enforcement officers could lead to massive civil unrest.
Tom Homan, Trump's appointed border czar, defended the decision, accusing Newsom and Bass of creating a sanctuary for criminals. He went as far as suggesting that the governor and mayor could face arrest if they impeded law enforcement. Homan reported approximately 150 undocumented immigrants had been detained in the past two days during large-scale sweeps carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers across the city.
Meet the (Un)Friendly Neighbor
During an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senator Cory Booker made it clear that he would not accept campaign donations from Elon Musk. However, he encouraged Musk to get involved in a more substantial way in Democrats' push against the sweeping GOP-backed spending bill.
This statement comes as other Democrats have entertained the idea of welcoming Musk into their party after a public feud between President Donald Trump and the tech mogul blew up.
Senator James Lankford, R-Okla., defended Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in LA, stating that he was trying to de-escalate the tensions that were present. Lankford argued that an American city should not tolerate people flying Mexican flags and saying that they cannot be arrested, a situation that cannot be allowed.
The President's Warning
In a conversation with NBC News, Trump hinted at serious consequences if Musk funding candidates to run against Republicans who vote in favor of his budget bill. This comment marked the most extensive statement since Trump and Musk traded threats and attacks on X and Truth Social. Trump added that he believed the Republican Party was more unified than ever following this public fallout.
In Brief
- Homebound: Trump did not confirm whether he was responsible for bringing back mistakenly deported Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia to face federal charges, but said he believed it would be an easy case. Garcia's case has raised several questions, including the potential political fallout.
- Red Lines: Democrats are making gains in wealthier, whiter, and more educated areas as Republicans make headway with Hispanic and white working-class voters. Analysis of election data shows this trend.
- Medical Stop: Trump's travel ban has stalled lifesaving treatment for Haitian children who need surgery abroad. A U.S. doctor who has operated on Haitian children is pleading for the administration to make a humanitarian exception to the ban.
Champions in Paris
The French Open saw new champions crowned in both the men's and women's finals.
Coco Gauff, the second seed in the women's final, became the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. Gauff outLasted top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka with a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 victory saying, "The crowd really helped me today. You guys were cheering for me so hard, and I don't know what I did to deserve so much love from the French crowd."
In the men's final, Carlos Alcaraz produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament. The defending champion made a stunning comeback from two sets down to beat No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker, winning 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) to retain his French Open title for a second-straight year. It was the longest-ever French Open final (5 hours, 29 minutes) in the Open Era.
The Show Must Go On
"Maybe Happy Ending," a musical about two helper-bots discovering each other in Seoul, dominated the 78th annual Tony Awards, winning six awards, including best musical. Darren Criss, who co-starred, also took home his first Tony for best leading actor in a musical.
In the play categories, "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" and "Oh Mary!" had a successful outing, with each taking home multiple awards during the preshow.
Did You Miss This?
- Colombian senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is fighting for his life after being shot three times during a campaign event.
- A Cantonese opera inspired by Trump has debuted its latest edition, rifting on Trump's infamous White House sparring match with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to block an aid vessel carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza "by any means necessary."
- Interesting statistics back up the claim that you are more likely to be struck by lightning than the Pacers were to win their playoff comebacks.
- A U.S. marshal was mistakenly detained by ICE agents in Arizona because he fit the general description of a person being sought by ICE.
- A Seattle man was charged in connection with a series of robberies and burglaries of current and former professional athletes, including Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo, center fielder Julio Rodriguez, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell.
- NBC News has analyzed satellite imagery to dig into claims being made by Kyiv and Moscow about the damage Ukraine's "Spiderweb" drone attack on Russia caused.
- Multiple people were injured after a small plane carrying 20 people crashed in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
- The deployment of National Guard funds to Los Angeles amidst war-and-conflicts and politics has sparked concerns about the possibility of massive civil unrest.
- Trump's warning towards Elon Musk, a key player in the general-news domain, suggests potential consequences if Musk takes part in funding candidates against Republicans.
- Amidst the sports scene, Coco Gauff's victory in the French Open has marked a significant milestone, making her the first American woman to win the tournament since 2015.
- Crime-and-justice issues extend beyond politics, as evidenced by the Seattle man charged in connection with a series of robberies and burglaries targeting professional athletes.
