SCOTUS to rule on birthright citizenship. And, U.S. murder rate nears new low
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Today marks the last day of the U.S. Supreme Court's current term, and major rulings are expected. Two key cases involve bans on transgender athletes. The court's possibly most anticipated ruling focuses on birthright citizenship. The case questions whether the U.S. should automatically grant citizenship to children born here, particularly in light of President Trump's executive order to deny citizenship to children whose parents entered the U.S. illegally or are on temporary visas. At the heart of the issue is the 14th Amendment, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The U.S. Supreme Court Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The United States and Iran have sent delegations to Qatar, after exchanging attacks in recent days. The White House said that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff were on their way there for talks about a long-term peace agreement. Iranian officials have made it clear that they will not meet with them. For Iran, this meeting appears to be more focused on discussing with Qatari officials the release of approximately $6 billion in frozen assets. The release of this money, which is about half of the assets frozen in Qatar, was included in a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran.
Last week, the U.S. deported 146 Venezuelans from Texas to Caracas. Passengers on that plane, which included women and children, were being processed in a guarded hotel when two powerful earthquakes struck, according to family members. The hotel was reduced to rubble, and there are conflicting accounts of how many of the 146 deportees survived. It's unclear if the Trump administration will continue to deport Venezuelans post-earthquakes. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from NPR.
The national murder rate in the United States is nearing a record low. Crime data analyst Jeff Asher says that the country in 2025 likely experienced the lowest murder rate ever recorded. Asher shared this prediction in late May, using data he collects from about 600 police agencies for his site, The Crime Index. This nationally representative sample indicates that murders dropped by 18.7% in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. All violent crime decreased by 6.4%. An important caveat is that this would be the lowest murder rate since the FBI started publishing national murder numbers in the 1950s. There are some older records of national rates of homicide (a larger category than criminal murder) kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
by Juliana Kim, general assignment reporter
Even before the games began, World Cup tickets racked up a flurry of controversies — from sky-high prices to seating chart confusion.
Now add missing game tickets to the list.
John McNicholas, 65, from New Jersey, was one of the heartbroken ticket buyers. He spent over $1,200 on two seats through StubHub to attend Scotland vs. Morocco in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. His friend traveled from England to be his plus one.
The day of the match, McNicholas recalled standing outside the stadium — one ear tuned into the cheers of fans inside and the other pressed to a phone with StubHub customer service.
"We hung around because we thought, well, somebody may be able to solve it at the last minute," he said. "But nothing occurred."
Many of the complaints have been aimed at StubHub, one of the biggest platforms for ticket resales. So, what's the issue? Depends on who you ask. StubHub blames FIFA, claiming its "ticketing infrastructure" has "significant performance issues."
Meanwhile, FIFA says it has "no visibility over, or control of" ticket transactions on third-party platforms.
StubHub offers refunds to fans whose tickets never arrive, but it's cold comfort for many soccer lovers.
"They really have destroyed somebody else's dream and that's really what upsets me out of the whole thing," McNicholas said.
Read more on the resale ticket fiasco here.
Click through to watch the latest Soccer Edition video clips from across the NPR Network.
Screenshot But Why/YouTube
For years kids have been asking Vermont Public's podcast But Why the same question: Why is it called soccer in some countries and football in others?
In this episode, host Jane Lindholm meets up with reporter Meg Linehan, women's sports lead for The Athletic, to ask her all your soccer-related questions, including about the origin of the sport's name; plus, the story behind the very first World Cup.
🎧 Listen to the full episode in the NPR App
What to watch for this week
💰 The economic impact of hosting is starting to come into focus: Small businesses in Kansas City, which has so far hosted a number of big matches that have attracted international fans, feel like their efforts haven't paid off when it comes to driving sales. In fact, there's been a drop in foot traffic to their businesses. Meanwhile, Dallas is projecting at least $1.5 billion in "economic impact" for the region, but as KERA reports, experts seem skeptical. And in Massachusetts, economists expect that World Cup betting will be what brings major tax revenue to the state.
🍻 World Cup visitors seem to prefer beer to weed: Leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Washington Department of Health warned visitors: The cannabis here can be more potent than what they're used to, so go slow and don't overdo it. That caution, however, may have been a bit overblown: A majority of Seattle dispensaries told KUOW that football fans looking to get high haven't been beating down their doors. The beer though? The British betting company William Hill predicts that soccer fans will throw back more than 5 million pints of beer in stadiums and fan zones during this year's World Cup. Plus, a trio of craft breweries from the global soccer event's three host nations are using the tournament to brew something increasingly rare: cross-border solidarity.
Soldiers form the First Center of Unmanned Systems preparing long/middle strike drones for launch in undisclosed location in Ukraine on May 21, 2025 Serhii Korovvayny for NPR hide caption
toggle caption
Serhii Korovvayny for NPR
Ukraine's military has used drones that can travel between 800 and 1,200 miles to target oil refineries and depots deep inside Russia, including locations in Moscow and Siberia. The drones are manufactured by Fire Point, a Ukrainian defense technology company. On June 18, Ukraine launched its largest drone offensive to date on Moscow, striking an oil refinery. In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have targeted supply routes for Russian troops, railroad bridges, ferry crossings and oil refineries. Ukraine's strike campaign started out earnestly in 2024 but has significantly intensified this year, helping Ukraine gain momentum in a grueling war of attrition that has persisted for more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion. NPR recently visited a secretive strike unit known as the First Separate Center of Unmanned Systems and observed the team launching deep strikes at Russian targets.
The entrance to Archdiocese of San Francisco. Gina Castro/KQED hide caption
toggle caption
Gina Castro/KQED
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Axios ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
The Supreme Court's term concludes today with anticipated rulings, including a major decision on birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment's application to children of undocumented or temporarily-visa'd parents. Separately, crime analysts report that 2025 data suggests the United States is experiencing its lowest recorded murder rate since the FBI began publishing national statistics in the 1950s, representing an 18.7% decrease in murders in the first four months of 2025 versus 2024. In Ukraine, military drone operations have expanded significantly, with long-range unmanned systems manufactured domestically now targeting Russian infrastructure including oil facilities across western Russia and Siberia.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Axios ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today marks the last day of the U.S. Supreme Court's current term, and major rulings are expected. Two key cases involve bans on transgender athletes. The court's possibly most anticipated ruling focuses on birthright citizenship. The case questions whether the U.S. should automatically grant citizenship to children born here, particularly in light of President Trump's executive order to deny citizenship to children whose parents entered the U.S. illegally or are on temporary visas. At the heart of the issue is the 14th Amendment, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
The U.S. Supreme Court Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The United States and Iran have sent delegations to Qatar, after exchanging attacks in recent days. The White House said that Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff were on their way there for talks about a long-term peace agreement. Iranian officials have made it clear that they will not meet with them. For Iran, this meeting appears to be more focused on discussing with Qatari officials the release of approximately $6 billion in frozen assets. The release of this money, which is about half of the assets frozen in Qatar, was included in a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran.
Last week, the U.S. deported 146 Venezuelans from Texas to Caracas. Passengers on that plane, which included women and children, were being processed in a guarded hotel when two powerful earthquakes struck, according to family members. The hotel was reduced to rubble, and there are conflicting accounts of how many of the 146 deportees survived. It's unclear if the Trump administration will continue to deport Venezuelans post-earthquakes. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from NPR.
The national murder rate in the United States is nearing a record low. Crime data analyst Jeff Asher says that the country in 2025 likely experienced the lowest murder rate ever recorded. Asher shared this prediction in late May, using data he collects from about 600 police agencies for his site, The Crime Index. This nationally representative sample indicates that murders dropped by 18.7% in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. All violent crime decreased by 6.4%. An important caveat is that this would be the lowest murder rate since the FBI started publishing national murder numbers in the 1950s. There are some older records of national rates of homicide (a larger category than criminal murder) kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
by Juliana Kim, general assignment reporter
Even before the games began, World Cup tickets racked up a flurry of controversies — from sky-high prices to seating chart confusion.
Now add missing game tickets to the list.
John McNicholas, 65, from New Jersey, was one of the heartbroken ticket buyers. He spent over $1,200 on two seats through StubHub to attend Scotland vs. Morocco in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. His friend traveled from England to be his plus one.
The day of the match, McNicholas recalled standing outside the stadium — one ear tuned into the cheers of fans inside and the other pressed to a phone with StubHub customer service.
"We hung around because we thought, well, somebody may be able to solve it at the last minute," he said. "But nothing occurred."
Many of the complaints have been aimed at StubHub, one of the biggest platforms for ticket resales. So, what's the issue? Depends on who you ask. StubHub blames FIFA, claiming its "ticketing infrastructure" has "significant performance issues."
Meanwhile, FIFA says it has "no visibility over, or control of" ticket transactions on third-party platforms.
StubHub offers refunds to fans whose tickets never arrive, but it's cold comfort for many soccer lovers.
"They really have destroyed somebody else's dream and that's really what upsets me out of the whole thing," McNicholas said.
Read more on the resale ticket fiasco here.
Click through to watch the latest Soccer Edition video clips from across the NPR Network.
Screenshot But Why/YouTube
For years kids have been asking Vermont Public's podcast But Why the same question: Why is it called soccer in some countries and football in others?
In this episode, host Jane Lindholm meets up with reporter Meg Linehan, women's sports lead for The Athletic, to ask her all your soccer-related questions, including about the origin of the sport's name; plus, the story behind the very first World Cup.
🎧 Listen to the full episode in the NPR App
What to watch for this week
💰 The economic impact of hosting is starting to come into focus: Small businesses in Kansas City, which has so far hosted a number of big matches that have attracted international fans, feel like their efforts haven't paid off when it comes to driving sales. In fact, there's been a drop in foot traffic to their businesses. Meanwhile, Dallas is projecting at least $1.5 billion in "economic impact" for the region, but as KERA reports, experts seem skeptical. And in Massachusetts, economists expect that World Cup betting will be what brings major tax revenue to the state.
🍻 World Cup visitors seem to prefer beer to weed: Leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Washington Department of Health warned visitors: The cannabis here can be more potent than what they're used to, so go slow and don't overdo it. That caution, however, may have been a bit overblown: A majority of Seattle dispensaries told KUOW that football fans looking to get high haven't been beating down their doors. The beer though? The British betting company William Hill predicts that soccer fans will throw back more than 5 million pints of beer in stadiums and fan zones during this year's World Cup. Plus, a trio of craft breweries from the global soccer event's three host nations are using the tournament to brew something increasingly rare: cross-border solidarity.
Soldiers form the First Center of Unmanned Systems preparing long/middle strike drones for launch in undisclosed location in Ukraine on May 21, 2025 Serhii Korovvayny for NPR hide caption
toggle caption
Serhii Korovvayny for NPR
Ukraine's military has used drones that can travel between 800 and 1,200 miles to target oil refineries and depots deep inside Russia, including locations in Moscow and Siberia. The drones are manufactured by Fire Point, a Ukrainian defense technology company. On June 18, Ukraine launched its largest drone offensive to date on Moscow, striking an oil refinery. In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones have targeted supply routes for Russian troops, railroad bridges, ferry crossings and oil refineries. Ukraine's strike campaign started out earnestly in 2024 but has significantly intensified this year, helping Ukraine gain momentum in a grueling war of attrition that has persisted for more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion. NPR recently visited a secretive strike unit known as the First Separate Center of Unmanned Systems and observed the team launching deep strikes at Russian targets.
The entrance to Archdiocese of San Francisco. Gina Castro/KQED hide caption
toggle caption
Gina Castro/KQED
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Axios ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue major rulings today, including on birthright citizenship. President Trump issued an executive order to deny citizenship to children whose parents entered the U.S. illegally or are on temporary visas. The 14th Amendment states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens. The case questions whether the U.S. should automatically grant citizenship to children born here. Crime data analyst Jeff Asher reports that murders dropped 18.7% in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. 2025 likely experienced the lowest murder rate ever recorded. This would be the lowest murder rate since the FBI started publishing national murder numbers in the 1950s. Ukraine launched its largest drone offensive to date on Moscow on June 18, striking an oil refinery. Ukrainian drones have targeted supply routes, railroad bridges, ferry crossings and oil refineries in recent weeks. The drone campaign has helped Ukraine gain momentum in a grueling war of attrition.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · Axios ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
- The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on birthright citizenship, specifically addressing whether children born to parents who entered illegally or hold temporary visas should automatically receive citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
- The U.S. murder rate is approaching its lowest point since the FBI began tracking national statistics in the 1950s, with murders dropping 18.7% in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
- Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russian targets, including oil refineries in Moscow and Siberia, with some drones capable of traveling 800–1,200 miles.