GOP reactions to Trump's indictment; the Fed decides on interest rates; Biden announces more military aid to Ukraine

Plus, how to recognize AI-generated content. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by [Suzanne Nuyen]( June 14, 2023 Good morning. The [Vegas Golden Knights]( claimed the Stanley Cup championship last night in a game 5 win over the Florida Panthers. Here's what else we're following today. Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to [37 federal counts]( in a Miami courtroom yesterday. His charges include obstruction and unlawful retention of classified documents. [ A court illustration depictsfFormer President Donald Trump, center, flanked by his defense attorneys, as he signs his bond in federal court on Tuesday in Miami. ]( Elizabeth Williams/AP 🎧 NPR's Deirdre Walsh tells Up First this morning Republicans have mostly avoided talking about the [substance of the indictment]( and they say it’s all political. GOP aides she spoke to say House members "don't want to get crosswise with Trump and potentially face their own primary challenge." ➡️ See photos from outside the courthouse, where [hundreds gathered in support]( of Trump. ➡️ This is Trump's second indictment in three months. NPR's Domenico Montanaro answers [four questions about what's next]( for the former president and his legal woes. The Federal Reserve is expected to maintain current interest rates after it meets today, following ten consecutive rate hikes. But future hikes are possible, and while inflation fell to 4% last month, it's still not as low as the Fed would like. 🎧 The Fed has raised its benchmark rate from near zero to over 5% in 15 months. The goal is to bring prices down by getting people to think twice before spending money, but [there is an upside]( NPR's Scott Horsley reports that some of the best-paying savings accounts are now finally keeping up with inflation. The Biden administration plans to announce more support for Ukraine at the next NATO summit in July as its military continues its counteroffensive against Russia. The package includes surface-to-air missiles, stinger anti-aircraft systems, artillery and more. But some European lawmakers want NATO to go further. 🎧 Lawmakers from Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Denmark think the only way to end the war in Ukraine is to make it [clear to Putin that Ukraine will become part of NATO]( according to NPR's Michele Kelemen. NATO agreed that Ukraine should become a member in 2008 but didn't provide a clear pathway for membership. Kelemen says it left Ukraine in a gray area, and some blamed that situation for the current conflict. Author Cormac McCarthy has died at 89 of natural causes. His post-apocalyptic father-son love story, The Road, earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 2007. 🎧 NPR's Wade Goodwyn, who died last week, recorded a tribute after McCarthy released his latest novel. He said McCarthy "[wrote most compellingly about men]( often young men, with prose both stark and lyrical." --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [A colorful graphic of a hand, a laptop and a mannequin head with eyes and a mouth superimposed on it floating over a grid with colorful green and purple shapes.]( Photographs Unsplash; Collage by NPR AI software like DALL-E2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion have made AI-generated images more realistic and accessible than ever before. SIFT, a media literacy method created by research scientist Mike Caulfield, can help you [sort fact from fiction](. 💻 S: Stop and take a second to examine a piece of content before sharing it. 💻 I: Investigate the source of the information to see if it is reliable. 💻 F: Find better coverage from a trusted source on the same topic. 💻 T: Trace the original context of images, quotes or claims back to the original source. 🎧 Listen to more advice on how to [recognize when something is AI-generated]( and how to use the technology responsibly on Life Kit. --------------------------------------------------------------- Enlighten me [Musician Trevor Powers, a man in a blue shirt and jeans with a pink mohawk, stands on a dirt road. ]( Tyler T Williams Enlighten Me is a special series with NPR's Rachel Martin on in-depth conversations about the human condition. In 2021, complications from a minor stomach ache led to musician Travis Powers losing his voice. His latest album, Heaven Is a Junkyard, documents what he calls one of the darkest moments of his life. 🎧 Listen to parts of the album and hear Powers discuss how his illness [changed his relationship with God]( and his hometown, or [read the interview highlights](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [A photo of John Lennon in 1963 holding his guitar. ]( Hulton Archive/Getty Images The Beatles have completed a new recording using [AI tools to recreate John Lennon's voice](. Paul McCartney told BBC it will be released this year and will be "the last Beatles record." Nikola Jokic is the work-life balance king we need. The two-time MVP led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA victory this weekend, but now [all he wants to do is go home]( to his family and horses. Screenwriters from 35 countries are gathering worldwide for an "[International Day of Solidarity]( with members of the Writers Guild of America, who remain on strike. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter was edited by [Majd Al-Waheidi.]( Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]