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Washington is gearing up for another immigration showdown, the Supreme Court is back under a political microscope, and a new study shows the hottest neighborhoods still have the fewest trees. Here’s what matters today — and why it could shape the months ahead.

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Lawyers for the Southern Poverty Law Center are set to appear in a federal court in Alabama today for the first hearing since the civil rights group was indicted on charges of defrauding donors by failing to disclose hundreds of millions in offshore investments.

Prosecutors said the SPLC misled supporters for years about how their gifts were used. The group denies the allegations and called the case a politicized prosecution tied to Justice Department leadership changes.

The hearing is expected to set a trial calendar and motions schedule. Watchdog groups are watching closely because the outcome could ripple across nonprofit fundraising disclosure rules.

Total US auto debt just crossed $1.68 trillion, up 37% since 2018, with 86 million Americans — roughly one in four — now carrying a car loan. Average new-loan balance is $33,519 versus $24,782 seven years ago; typical monthly payment crossed $680, up from $506 in the same period.

Origination data shows the squeeze is concentrated in working-class and middle-income borrowers, who now spend a larger share of monthly income on car payments than at any point since the late 1990s. Repossession rates have climbed and subprime delinquency is rising — early indicators that the consumer-credit cycle may be turning.

Auto debt now ranks among the largest consumer-credit categories in the US, second only to mortgages and meaningfully bigger than student loans. Squeeze is layering on top of 50% higher gas prices since the Iran war began — for car-dependent households, the combined cost increase has erased years of household-income gains.

Border czar Tom Homan promised larger arrest numbers Wednesday in Phoenix, telling industry execs "wait till next year and we have 10,000 more agents on the border." ICE and CBP currently arrest about 1,200 people daily; Trump campaigned on 1 million deportations a year.

Republicans are pushing a $70 billion reconciliation package to fund the buildout, with over $60 billion earmarked for ICE and Border Patrol through Trump's term. Bill also includes $1 billion for Secret Service "security infrastructure" tied to Trump's planned White House ballroom — a line item the administration had said would be privately funded.

Senator Warren accused Trump of moving the ballroom from "$200 million in shady donor funds to $1 billion in taxpayer dollars" — an attack line Democrats will keep using. New polling shows 80% support age caps for Congress and 78% support term limits — a backdrop the package will land into in coming weeks.

Paraguay's President Santiago Peña arrived in Taiwan for his first visit to the island. Paraguay remains the last South American country to recognize Taipei despite Beijing's pressure.

Pakistan's military issued a sharp warning to India on the anniversary of last year's clash. Indian officials called the statement irresponsible and reserved the right to defend their airspace.

Satellite imagery shows a new road bridge connecting North Korea and Russia is nearly complete — the latest sign of deepening Pyongyang-Moscow ties. Crossing is the first overland direct link between the two countries in modern history.

Chief Justice John Roberts told a public audience that the Supreme Court is not political. He pointed to recent unanimous rulings as proof the bench is more aligned than headlines suggest.

Tech industry donors are funneling money behind former San Jose mayor Matt Mahan in the Democratic race for California governor. His early fundraising haul has already topped 12 million dollars.

Detectives served a fresh search warrant at a property tied to Paul Flores, the man convicted in the 2002 disappearance of college student Kristin Smart. The Smart family said they remain hopeful but cautious about closure.

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Day three of the OpenAI versus Elon Musk trial put AI risks to humanity at the center of arguments. The judge signaled that internal Slack messages from 2018 will be central to the ruling.

Shell reported Q1 profits up nearly 25% Wednesday, the latest oil giant to post outsized gains from the Iran-war oil-price surge. CEO Wael Sawan called the quarter "unprecedented disruption in global energy markets"; the company trimmed its quarterly buyback to $3 billion.

Ken Griffin's Citadel filed Miami expansion permits Wednesday, citing NYC Mayor Mamdani's recent tax-day video as the trigger for the move. Griffin said the firm will keep adding Miami jobs over the next decade as "an immediate and direct consequence of the mayor's poor decision."

Researchers using microelectrode probes found that anesthetized human brains still process language and meaning, with neurons showing pattern recognition over a recorded podcast. Finding overturns the assumption that surgical anesthesia means a complete cognitive shutdown.

Amazon delivered its first UK drone parcels on Wednesday, launching a service the company says it will "slowly expand" across the country. Delivery network handles Prime small-package volumes; UK regulators approved the corridor structure earlier this year.

A new study finds urban trees offset roughly half of city heating, but coverage is skewed away from cities and neighborhoods that need cooling most. Lower-income neighborhoods globally have fewer trees and bear most of the cooling-deficit burden.

Jalen Brunson dropped 26 as the Knicks survived the 76ers in Game 2 at MSG, taking a 2-0 series lead after 25 lead changes. 9-0 closing run sealed it; Game 3 shifts to Philadelphia Saturday.

San Antonio handed Minnesota its worst playoff loss ever, 133-95, evening the West semis at 1-1. Victor Wembanyama posted 19 and 15 as Stephon Castle led seven Spurs in double figures with 21.

Vegas beat Anaheim 3-1 in Game 2 with a backdoor tap-in by Ivan Barbashev with 4:58 left, taking a 2-0 series lead. Mitch Marner sealed it with a 190-foot empty-netter that left the Ducks bench openly fuming.

HBO formally renewed its prestige Harry Potter adaptation for a second season after a strong pilot reception. The renewal locks the show into a multi-year arc that mirrors JK Rowling's seven-book outline.

Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap said a multi-year legal battle over the band's name and royalty splits directly shaped their new album Fenian. The courtroom battles inform both rage tracks and pointed jokes.

More than half of Gen Z streaming subscribers cancel and resubscribe based on a single show or film, complicating subscription-economics for streamers. The same cohort largely refuses to buy full-price video games, with subscription and rental dominating their gaming spend.

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What Happened: Three Western intelligence officials told reporters that a campaign of targeted killings they blame on Russia has ramped up sharply since 2022, with operatives stalking dissidents, journalists, and defectors across Europe and the Caucasus. The officials shared declassified summaries of foiled plots in Berlin, Riga, and Tbilisi. Several governments have quietly tightened protective details for high-profile exiles. NATO members are weighing a coordinated response that could include fresh sanctions on Russian intelligence services.

Why It Matters: A South Korean appeals court reduced a former prime minister's sentence to 15 years for his role in Yoon Suk Yeol's botched 2024 martial law decree. Prosecutors had asked for the original term to stand as a warning. Defense lawyers welcomed the reduction but vowed further appeals. The ruling lands as Seoul's broader purge of military and political figures from the martial law plot enters its final stages.

Key Variables: For 30 years German artist Gunter Demnig has installed tiny brass Stolpersteine memorial stones outside the last-known homes of Holocaust victims, turning Berlin sidewalks into a decentralized memorial that now stretches across more than 30 European countries. New installations are running at a record pace this spring. Local councils have begun fast-tracking applications. Educators say the project is reshaping how a younger generation encounters World War II history at street level.

What to Watch:Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Vatican on a fence-mending visit after Trump's public broadsides against Pope Leo XIV. Rubio is expected to address Catholic concerns over deportations and migrant family separations. Vatican officials want assurances on protection for Catholics in southern Lebanon. The trip's reception will signal how much room remains for US Holy See cooperation through the rest of the year.

- A pack of protesters in pink balaclavas stormed the Russian pavilion at Venice Biennale, turning what was supposed to be a sleepy art preview into the most photogenic political stunt of the year.

- A German tourist sued his tour operator over a sun lounger race and actually won, because nothing crystallizes European holiday law quite like a grown man fighting for his right to a slightly damp poolside towel.

- Kids in Gaza are finding their feet again through breakdancing classes, trading rubble for headspins and giving local volunteers the rare joy of teaching a windmill to a fearless 11-year-old.

That’s your Five Minute Daily. Share this edition with someone who wants sharp, factual news without the noise.

—The Five Minute Daily Team