In today’s newsletter: South Korea’s president will meet with Donald Trump to discuss tariffs, a shipbuilding investment and nuclear-armed North Korea. National Guard troops deployed to D.C. are now armed with guns. And what could happen at Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s ICE check-in after the government announced plans to deport him to Uganda.
Here’s what to know today.
No ‘bromance’ expected: Trump to meet South Korea’s president
South Korea, one of the strongest U.S. allies in Asia, has had a rough start with President Donald Trump, struggling in tariff talks as it spent months without a permanent leader. But its new president, Lee Jae-myung, has arrived for a meeting with Trump on Monday with a $150 billion offering whose name is sure to appeal to the U.S. leader: “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again.”
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
The package, which South Korean officials also refer to as MASGA, includes the construction of new U.S. shipyards, the training of shipbuilding personnel and U.S. Navy ship maintenance. It’s a key part of the last-minute trade deal South Korea struck last month with Trump, who says he wants to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding for both economic and national security reasons.
The White House summit is an important opportunity for Lee to advocate South Korea’s interests with Trump after months of political instability created by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched declaration of martial law.
Though Lee comes from a liberal party, he and Trump share much in common — both have been the subjects of assassination attempts, and both are more open to diplomacy with nuclear-armed North Korea than their predecessors. But they have very different outlooks on political, economic and foreign policy, which could make the summit challenging, analysts told NBC News.
Read more about the White House summit here.
National Guard troops in D.C. begin carrying firearms
National Guard troops deployed to Washington to support Trump’s effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to a Defense Department official with knowledge of the planning.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorized the change last week. The majority of the guard members will carry M17 pistols, their service-issued weapons, the official said, while a small number of the troops will be armed with their service M4 rifles.
The troops are authorized to use their weapons for self-protection and “as a last resort” in response to an “imminent threat,” according to the federal task force managing the operation.
Several armed troops were seen Sunday evening patrolling the Chinatown neighborhood, wearing patches labeled “MP” to signify their role as military police. There will be an increased presence in “pre-specified metro locations” to coincide with the start of the school year, the task force said.
A White House official told NBC News that despite carrying weapons, the National Guard is not making arrests. More than 2,000 troops are currently in the nation’s capital, and have been assisting law enforcement with community safety patrols, traffic control points and crowd flow support.
More on the D.C. takeover:
As D.C. students return to school today, Mayor Muriel Bowser is being flooded with questions from parents concerned about ICE agents on campuses and National Guard troops pouring in from other states. The acting ICE director said immigration officers won’t be visiting D.C. schools on the first day of class. But he said they could be on campuses in the future. Chicago’s mayor is scoping out legal avenues to prevent soldiers from overtaking the Windy City after federal threats. Trump said on Truth Social that he would send the military into Baltimore to “quickly clean up” crime, another threat to replicate the Guard deployment in Washington in other cities.
What might happen at Kilmar Abrego Garcia's ICE check-in today
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man who the government says was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, will meet with immigration officials today under the looming threat of a second deportation.Minutes after Abrego was released from federal custody last week, immigration authorities notified him that they intend to deport him to Uganda. Separately, the Trump administration offered him a plea deal that would eventually deport him to Costa Rica, giving him until “first thing” today to accept.
Here’s how Abrego’s ICE check-in could go:
→ These appointments are typically a brief meeting with an ICE officer to review case status, provide updates and confirm where a person is living. Usually, a person is released until the next scheduled check-in.
→ Abrego’s attorneys told NBC News they expect he will be taken into ICE custody during the check-in, given the government’s deportation plan.
→ From there, Abrego could take the plea deal and eventually be deported to Costa Rica. He could refuse and be deported to Uganda as soon as Wednesday. Or, his lawyers could fight to prevent his deportation to Uganda altogether.
Vance remains optimistic about ending Ukraine war while Kremlin dampens hopes
Vice President JD Vance remains confident the U.S. can broker an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine despite potential hang-ups that have emerged since Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We believe we’ve already seen some significant concessions from both sides, just in the last few weeks,” Vance said in an exclusive interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“If we hit a brick wall, then we’re going to continue this process of negotiation, of applying leverage,” the vice president added.
Meanwhile, Russia’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, cast doubt on hopes that Trump will propel a swift end to the war. Lavrov cited several issues that remain unresolved, including security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial disputes.
He told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that Ukraine has hindered the process, saying President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders “don’t want peace.”
“Zelenskyy said no to everything,” Lavrov said. “How can we meet with a person who is pretending to be a leader?” Lavrov said Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy “when the agenda is ready.” But he suggested the Russian president would not sign a peace agreement with Zelenskyy, whose legitimacy Moscow has questioned since Ukrainian elections were postponed last year amid martial law.
Read more on Vance here, and Lavrov here.
'Sopranos' actor Jerry Adler dies at 96
Jerry Adler, best known for playing a mobster’s confidant on “The Sopranos,” died at the age of 96, according to an obituary from the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York. Adler spent the majority of his career behind the scenes of Broadway shows, not stepping forward to act until he was in his 60s.
He was the stage manager for the original 1956 production of “My Fair Lady” featuring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, and received his first acting credit in 1991 for an episode of “Brooklyn Bridge.”
But, the world will remember Adler for his six seasons on “The Sopranos” as Hesh Rabkin, a loan shark who often doled out advice to lead character Tony Soprano.
Read what friends and colleagues said about his legacy.
Read All About It
Across politics, culture and sports, it’s the golden age of men named Josh. We’re not kidding — and it’s also a sign of broader generational change.
The first human case of the flesh-eating parasite new world screwworm has been detected in the U.S., the Department of Health and Human Services said early Monday.
An Israel strike on a hospital in southern Gaza killed four journalists on Monday, including a freelancer who worked for The Associated Press, according to health officials.
The son of “Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus was arrested and charged following an alleged assault in a New York City apartment.
You’re probably brushing your teeth wrong. These dental experts want to help.
Female entrepreneurs are finding community, investors and tips for navigating a male-dominated world at this Long Island summer camp.
Staff Pick: Your college dorm didn't come with a chandelier and custom wall art? Let's fix that.
You may have seen the crazy dorm makeovers on your TikTok feeds. Picture the classic, drab freshman dorm room with a paper-thin plastic mattress and cinder block walls transformed into a true palace. Parents are now shelling out thousands of dollars — sometimes upward of $20,000 — and hiring interior designers to deck out their kids’ college abodes. Many on social media are obsessed with the trend, and it has everyone in my office comparing today’s decor to their freshman year rooms (enter the fairy lights, fake vines, and tapestry from 2016). I chatted with some top interior designers and recent college grads about the trend and how they feel it’s impacting college campuses across the country.
— Natalie Bennett, producer for Top Story with Tom Llamas
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
There’s a right way to rid your home of dust: Start from top, work your way down and use a proper duster. Plus, the NBC Select team has everything you need to know about Labubu and why the little dolls have become a viral sensation.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Kayla Hayempour. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Comments