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Weekend-long immigration protests in LA. And, who won a Tony Award

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Today's top stories

For the last three days, protests have erupted in parts of Los Angeles in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. President Trump said he would deploy 2,000 National Guard soldiers in response to the protests. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the deployment was "inflaming tensions" and wasn't necessary. On Saturday, ICE said in a social media post that it had arrested 118 immigrants during operations in LA last week. Click here to see photos from the protests.

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Two Waymo taxis burn near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest.
Jae C. Hong / AP
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Two Waymo taxis burn near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest.

  • 🎧 The protests started peacefully yesterday, but became more chaotic as the day went on, NPR's Adrian Florido tells Up First. Federal and local law enforcement used flash bangs, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds, and protesters threw cinderblocks and set a couple of cars on fire. Dozens of people were arrested. "We cannot stay home when this kind of thing is going on. Because it's as they say: First it's them, and then it's you," said Rosa Cesaretti, one of the demonstrators. Newsom has asked protesters not to take Trump's bait and remain peaceful throughout the protests.
  • 🎧 It is within Trump's power to call in the National Guard, but it is rare for him to do it without Newsom's consent, NPR's Deepa Shivaram. The last time a president stepped in to call the National Guard without a governor's consent was in the 1960s. Newsom released a letter last night to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, formally requesting that Trump rescind his deployment of troops.

Federal judges have a lot of power over the people who work for them, including law clerks, who report a real culture of fear. For over a year, NPR's Carrie Johnson dug into the federal judiciary and spoke with dozens of current and former clerks about their experiences. Through her conversations, she discovered problems with 50 judges across 26 states.

  • 🎧 The complaints ranged from sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination to bullying, Johnson says. A judge's control over a law clerk extends to nearly every aspect of the clerk's life, including when and how they leave their jobs. The Administrative Office of the Courts, which sets policy nationwide, says it has done a lot over the past seven years to improve the workplace and is considering more changes. Currently, court employees are not subject to certain civil rights laws, meaning they are not able to sue like other American workers. This can make them fearful of retaliation for speaking up.

The 78th Annual Tony Awards returned to Radio City Music Hall last night with Cynthia Erivo as the host. This year, no one show swept the award ceremony — and for good reason, according to NPR culture editor Jennifer Vanasco. This Broadway season's shows were tremendously diverse, which resulted in many tight races. Here are Vanasco's top takeaways from the event and the full list of award winners.

Climate Solutions Week

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A group gathers in the shallow waters of the Virgin River in St. George, Utah. The river provides the desert community with water, but climate change and a growing population threaten that supply. Local leaders are looking toward recycled sewage as a solution.
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A group gathers in the shallow waters of the Virgin River in St. George, Utah. The river provides the desert community with water, but climate change and a growing population threaten that supply. Local leaders are looking toward recycled sewage as a solution.

NPR is dedicating this entire week to stories and conversations about the search for climate solutions for living and building on a hotter planet and how climate change affects decisions on where and how people live.

Like many cities in the American West, St. George, Utah, has a booming population. But climate change is making heat more intense and rain less reliable. Local leaders have a plan to stretch the water supply in the area by turning to its sewage supply. Recycled, treated wastewater will be sprayed onto lawns and farm fields, freeing up water for homes. The county currently uses some of its drinking water for outdoor irrigation. The sewage recycling plan comes at a steep cost, but it could be worth it, and help other drought-stricken cities too. Here's a look at how it could work.

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Jenicky Sound of Washington, D.C., celebrates with the crowd during the WorldPride festivities in Washington, D.C.
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WAMU for NPR
Nicky Sundt of Washington, DC celebrates with the crowd during the World Pride Parade.

WorldPride wrapped in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. The festivities included a parade, which was filled with every color in the rainbow and people from different walks of life. This is the first time the nation's capital has hosted the international LGBTQ+ festival since the inaugural event in 2000. This year also marked the 50th anniversary of Pride events in D.C., where typically hundreds of thousands of attendees gather to celebrate. Take a look at some photos from the event.

3 things to know before you go

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An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly Dally, whose front flipper was amputated after she was rescued in January suffering from predator wounds, crawls toward the Atlantic Ocean after being released, on the beach in front of Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Rebecca Blackwell / AP
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An adolescent loggerhead sea turtle named Dilly-Dally, whose front flipper was amputated after she was rescued in January suffering from predator wounds, crawls toward the Atlantic Ocean after being released, on the beach in front of Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

  1. Dilly Dally, a loggerhead turtle whose front flipper was amputated after surviving a run-in with a predator, has been released from a Florida animal hospital back into the Atlantic Ocean.
  2. The leaders of St. George, Utah, aren't the only ones using sewage to make a difference toward climate change. Here's how penguins in Antarctica could actually be helping cool the climate… with their poop.
  3. Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open women's singles final on Saturday, claiming the second Grand Slam title of her career. Gauff is the first American champion at the event since 2015.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

Copyright 2025 NPR

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Brittney Melton
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