The briefing for Thursday, June 25.

The White House formally requested $87.6 billion from Congress on Wednesday, with $67 billion designated for Department of Defense expenses related to Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The request arrived just hours after President Trump engaged in a heated confrontation with Republican senators over their votes to approve a war powers resolution that would halt further military action. The funding package also includes $11.1 billion for economic assistance to American farmers, $1.4 billion for the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, and $500 million for restoration projects in Washington, D.C.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the request, saying Trump is "asking taxpayers to clean up his messes, to the tune of $87.6 billion." The proposal faces significant opposition in Congress, where both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have objected to continued military action. Tuesday's war powers resolution marked the first time Congress passed such a measure instructing a president to end a military action. At a private lunch with Senate Republicans on Wednesday, Trump reportedly had a shouting match with Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who said the president had not adequately informed the American people about the war's progress.

The $67 billion defense request includes $21 billion for munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs, and $12.1 billion for classified programs, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The Pentagon's chief financial officer previously estimated the war had cost about $29 billion through last month, though defense analysts say this figure does not reflect the full scale of the conflict's financial impact. It remains unclear whether Congress will take up the funding request at all, given the political difficulties surrounding further military spending as midterm elections approach this November.

U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper in Boston permanently barred President Trump's administration on Wednesday from implementing most of his first executive order on elections, which sought to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. The ruling converts a preliminary injunction issued a year ago into a permanent ban. Judge Casper rejected the administration's argument that the lawsuit was premature, instead agreeing that the Constitution grants states and Congress—not the president—the authority to regulate elections.

Trump's executive order would have required people to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote, prevented mail ballots from being counted if they arrive after Election Day even when postmarked by then, and punished non-compliant states by withholding certain federal money. New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was grateful the court blocked Trump's "unconstitutional attempt to seize control of our elections." The decision is the latest in a series of rulings against Trump's election executive orders, with federal judges in Washington, D.C. also blocking portions of the directive last fall.

The ruling comes as Trump pushes the Republican-controlled Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would create a legislative mandate for proof of citizenship requirements. The bill has passed the House but stalled in the Senate due to the filibuster. On Wednesday, Trump abruptly cancelled the expected signing of a bipartisan housing bill, saying he won't sign legislation until Congress passes his voter citizenship requirement. The Supreme Court is also expected to issue an opinion soon on whether mail ballots must arrive by Election Day, a decision that could immediately change rules in 14 states allowing grace periods for postmarked ballots.

President Trump abruptly cancelled Wednesday's scheduled signing ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a sprawling bipartisan legislative package that won congressional approval this week. Trump said he would not sign the measure until Congress passes legislation requiring proof of citizenship for all voters. The decision blocks legislation aimed at lowering housing costs and spurring home construction at a time when housing affordability has become a major concern for voters nationwide.

The housing bill represents months of negotiations combining dozens of measures to address affordability issues for both renters and aspiring homeowners. It would reduce federal regulations, streamline environmental reviews, speed up construction processes, and curb corporate landlords' ability to purchase single-family homes. The legislation drew broad support from the real estate industry and housing advocates. "We need more homes built, and legislation that removes construction barriers is exactly what the market needs right now," said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.

The U.S. housing market has remained in a slump since 2022, with sales of previously occupied homes stuck near a 30-year low. Home prices have increased 54% nationwide since 2020, and last year the median existing single-family sales price was nearly five times the median household income, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. The median U.S. monthly rent, while declining for nearly three years, remains 17.2% higher than before the pandemic. Homebuyers who were hoping for relief may now face further delays in a market already struggling with limited inventory.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called for a criminal investigation into the Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday after an Associated Press investigation revealed federal agents allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach streets over two years while pursuing larger trafficking cases. The governor asked the state's attorney general to examine whether the DEA's actions violated New Mexico law, marking an extraordinary challenge to a federal law enforcement agency during an ongoing public health crisis.

The AP investigation found DEA agents repeatedly allowed major fentanyl shipments to continue moving through New Mexico between 2023 and 2025 rather than seizing them immediately, as agents sought to build cases against higher-ranking traffickers. Current and former DEA agents told the AP this strategy may have violated Justice Department rules intended to safeguard the public from fentanyl, which the White House designated as a "weapon of mass destruction" last year. An internal report documented one instance in 2023 where agents surveilled but did not seize 74,000 pills delivered to an Albuquerque mobile home park.

The DEA maintains its investigative decisions were "lawful, reasonable under the circumstances and consistent with Department guidance." Alex Uballez, who served as U.S. attorney in New Mexico from May 2022 until February 2025, said drugs went unseized at times due to limited resources and his belief that prosecuting larger organizations has bigger impact. While overdose deaths nationwide fell 14% last year, New Mexico experienced a 21% spike. DEA whistleblower David Howell has filed a complaint about the unseized fentanyl, and advocacy groups have asked the Senate Judiciary Committee and Justice Department's Office of Inspector General to investigate.

Live Nation lawyers revealed in a Monday court filing that President Trump spoke personally with the company's CEO Michael Rapino in February, weeks before the Justice Department abruptly settled its longstanding antitrust lawsuit against the entertainment giant and Ticketmaster. The lawyers said the conversation involved the antitrust lawsuit but did not discuss "substantive terms" of any potential settlement. White House lawyers were also involved in numerous meetings, videoconferences, and communications between the company and the Justice Department in February and March.

The Justice Department announced a settlement just days into the March trial, though most states refused to join, saying it did not adequately curb the company's dominance over concert venues and ticketing. The trial continued, and a jury concluded several weeks later that the company was a monopoly that cost concertgoers and sports fans money. The jury found Ticketmaster's anticompetitive practices led to people in 22 states paying an extra $1.72 per ticket, which the judge could order the companies to pay back.

The federal government's settlement included a cap on service fees at some amphitheaters and new ticket-selling options for promoters and venues, potentially allowing but not requiring them to work with Ticketmaster competitors like SeatGeek or AXS. The disclosure comes as the Justice Department faces criticism over substantial oversight or interference from the White House and president. The White House declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond.

Powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people and injuring at least 700, according to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes hit shortly after 6 p.m., causing damage across several states. Rodríguez warned the toll was expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings and emergency crews reach devastated areas, particularly in the state of La Guaira, which she described as a "disaster zone."

The earthquakes, among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, had effects felt as far as Brazil's Amazon region, approximately 1,700 kilometers from Caracas. The quakes damaged and closed Simón Bolívar International Airport near the capital, Venezuela's main airport. Subway and natural gas services in Caracas were canceled, and school classes will be suspended for several days. Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and urged health care professionals to report to hospitals to assist the injured.

International offers of assistance came from numerous governments including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio announced the immediate deployment of search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance. Qatar, Mexico, and El Salvador have already dispatched rescue personnel. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the first quake had an epicenter west of Morón on the Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometers from Caracas, while the second, larger quake struck just one minute later with a shallower depth.