by Suzanne Nuyen

June 17, 2025

Good morning. Juneteenth became a federal holiday four years ago on the heels of a wider movement of diversity, equity and inclusion across the government. As President Trump rolls back these types of initiatives, NPR wants to know what it means for you to celebrate Juneteenth. Here's what else we're following today:

President Trump left the G7 summit one day early to focus on the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The White House abruptly announced Trump's exit from the summit after the president posted a dire warning on social media telling Iranians to evacuate the capital, Tehran.

President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and other G7 leaders depart after a family photo for the summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 16.

Suzanne Plunkett/AFP

🎧 There's an atmosphere of panic and confusion in Tehran, NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who is in Tel Aviv, tells Up First. There is bumper-to-bumper traffic on roads leading out of the city, and people are stocking up on food. Israel's U.N. ambassador said last week that the preemptive strikes were meant to prevent Iran from creating a nuclear weapon. Israel has since expanded its attacks. An Iranian state TV station was hit during a live broadcast yesterday. So far, the U.S. has only helped defend Israel and intercept missiles. Trump has said he doesn't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and his preference is to strike a deal. As the war intensifies, Al-Shalchi says all eyes will be on whether the president changes course and decides to get directly involved.

Vance Boelter, the man suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and her spouse and wounding another lawmaker and his wife, faces federal and state murder charges. Police apprehended the 57-year-old late Sunday in rural Minnesota. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson for the district of Minnesota said Boelter's alleged crimes were "the stuff of nightmares."

🎧 Police recovered six guns from the scene — most in a car the suspect abandoned. They say he would have continued his rampage if he had not been forced to flee, NPR's Meg Anderson says. Boelter faces six federal charges, including two counts of murder for the killings of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. These charges carry the death penalty if convicted. He faces four charges at the state level. Officials initially pursued two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, but they say they plan to pursue first-degree murder charges.

🎧 On Morning Edition, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., called for fellow lawmakers and the general public to tone down incendiary rhetoric while hailing Hortman as "one of the most consequential speakers in Minnesota history."

🎧 The suspect's religious background and views on abortion rights have gained attention. NPR's domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef discusses what we know so far.

Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, who own the company, have reached a $7.4 billion settlement with all 50 states and U.S. territories over the company's improper marketing of opioids. If the settlement is approved, it would end a long legal battle over the harm caused by OxyContin, the company's opioid painkiller. Legal documents revealed that under the Sackler family's leadership, Purdue Pharma convinced regulators and the health care industry that OxyContin could be used more liberally without a big risk of addiction or overdose, which turned out not to be true. Purdue Pharma has since pleaded guilty twice to federal crimes for false marketing. Millions of people in the U.S. have died from opioid overdoses, including from OxyContin.

🎧 NPR's addiction correspondent Brian Mann says the new deal includes one big change: people who believe they were harmed by OxyContin will no longer be forced to drop civil lawsuits against the Sackler family. The last attempt at a settlement was overturned by the Supreme Court because it included broad legal protection for the Sacklers. Under this new deal, the family is expected to pay $6.5 billion from their personal fortunes and give up ownership of the company. Activists tell Mann they hope the money will be spent on health care and helping more people in addiction get better treatment, but there is concern it could be redirected to prop up existing programs.

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Passengers arrive on international flights at Miami International Airport, Monday, June 9, in Miami.

Rebecca Blackwell/AP

President Trump's travel ban went into effect last week, barring individuals from 12 countries, including Myanmar, from entering the U.S. unless they are lawful permanent residents, they are existing visa holders, fall under certain visa categories, or their entry serves U.S. national interests. According to the Trump administration, Myanmar was among the 12 countries banned because of high overstay visa rates and non-cooperation with the U.S. government. Even with the visa exceptions, some people are worried their plans of coming to the U.S. could be thwarted. Among them is a student from Myanmar who was recently admitted to an Ivy League university. He speaks with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep about his fascination with U.S. history and its freedoms, and whether it’s in the interest of the U.S. to admit international students for an education. Listen to their conversation and read highlights from his interview.

Living better

Two hands play an electric keyboard under colorful lights.

Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

Millions more people are surviving cancer thanks to improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The population of U.S. cancer survivors has surged to 18.6 million people in recent decades, according to the American Cancer Society. With this rise comes the need for varied therapies to improve cancer survivors' quality of life. That's where music therapy comes in.

🎵 Music therapy can be as effective as traditional cognitive behavioral therapy at managing the symptoms and anxieties that come with a cancer diagnosis, according to a recent study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
🎵 Dr. Kevin Liou, the study's author, says therapeutic collaboration sets music therapy apart from passive listening or playing music on one's own. Patients process their emotions through conversation and music creation.
🎵 Cynthia Cherish Malaran turned to music therapy when she discovered she was allergic to a drug that would help her remain cancer-free. For her, healing came because music allowed her to express emotions for which there were no apt words.

The House has voted to defund public radio.

The House has voted to claw back all federal funding for public media, and the proposal now moves to the Senate. We’re running out of time to protect public radio’s essential news, music, and emergency broadcast services to communities across the nation. But you can still stand up for public radio.

Spend 10 seconds at the link below. The consequences of this vote fall directly on the Americans who rely on local, independent stations serving communities across the country. Don’t abandon them now.

SAVE PUBLIC MEDIA ➔

The headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in London.

Kin Cheung/AP

The chief of Britain's MI6 will be a woman for the first time in the foreign intelligence agency's history. The James Bond universe met the milestone before it happened in real life when Judi Dench played the MI6 chief in several Bond films.

A federal jury found MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell guilty of defaming a former executive of Dominion Voting Systems and ordered him to pay $2.3 million in damages. (via Colorado Public Radio)

The Los Angeles Press Club and investigative reporting news site Status Coup are suing the city of Los Angeles and the LA police chief. They allege officers at demonstrations are routinely violating journalists' rights.

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This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.

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