First briefing: election crimes in California; the Trump campaign; TikTok: NPR

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The Justice Department charged 28 California green card holders with election crimes for allegedly illegally registering to vote or voting in U.S. elections. It marks a significant escalation in the feud between the Trump administration and the state over its electoral system as the midterm elections approach. The DOJ also filed an emergency request to block California from processing ballots returned by registered voters who the federal government says are “likely noncitizens.” California requested clarification of the federal government’s findings but received none. Last week, the DOJ sued California and Los Angeles County after local officials refused to investigate allegations the administration made regarding non-citizen voting.

People vote in Norwalk, California, during early voting in California’s primary election June 1, 2026. The Justice Department has charged 28 green card holders in the state with illegally registering to vote or voting in U.S. elections, part of an escalation of a feud with California officials over the state’s election system.

Frédéric J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

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Frédéric J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

• 🎧 DOJ wants California to separate ballots from those on its list and to delay their counting until investigations are completed. Election law experts doubt the DOJ will succeed, given its past attempts to change states’ voting processes, Miles Parks said. First. He adds that it would be surprising to see a change just two weeks before the election when the ballots are already distributed. Research shows that in many cases when legal permanent residents register to vote, it is due to a misunderstanding of the rules. Experts tell Parks they fear federal law enforcement could use charges to confiscate ballots during counting, but many local election officials are preparing by keeping county prosecutors on speed dial.

Democrats and Republicans decide which races to prioritize with Election Day just two weeks away. President Trump is campaigning this week in key perennial purple states like Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas, Iowa and Florida.

• 🎧 Trump’s rally in Kansas and trip to North Carolina fall short It’s the Republican Party leader’s attention that should be on the table, says NPR’s Stephen Fowler. Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century, and many Republican groups have stopped spending on advertising in North Carolina, viewing the Senate race as a lost cause. Republicans are prioritizing efforts to save their Senate majority over saving the House majority, while Democrats are capitalizing on opportunities in conservative areas, Fowler says. In Georgia, where a million voters have already cast ballots, Fowler says he’s seeing an increase in Black voter turnout in the state and across the South.
• ➡️ The NPR app brings together all of NPR’s election coverage in one place – from the biggest stories across the country to issues that matter close to home. Browse headlines, playlists, podcast episodes, videos and more, all in the Election 2026 tab.

TikTok employees have repeatedly expressed concerns about the risks the app poses to childrenincluding sexual exploitation and exposure to suicidal content. Previously unpublished court records show employees’ frustration with management’s response to these problems. Depositions filed in March 2026 provide new insights into TikTok’s child safety measures since its rise to popularity in 2018. Staff alerted management about minors engaging in sexual content, from which the company profited. They also identified flaws that allowed users under 18 to bypass age restrictions and block parental monitoring of their app activity. Records show TikTok avoided conducting age surveys, fearing it would have to share the results with the Federal Trade Commission.