Today’s top stories

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After weeks of delays, the Senate passed a $70 billion bill early this morning to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years. It took lawmakers 18 hours to pass the bill. Senators voted along party lines, with only one Republican opposing the funding package. The bill was delayed over concerns about the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. Despite outrage from Democrats and many Republicans, GOP lawmakers ultimately voted overnight to block many amendments that would displease the president.

John Bolton, who previously served as Trump's national security adviser, has agreed to plead guilty to mishandling classified information. Bolton was indicted in October on 18 criminal counts for the retention and transmission of national defense information. Prosecutors say that during his time as national security adviser under Trump's first term, Bolton regularly took handwritten notes about his daily activities, including information he received during meetings with U.S. intelligence officials and discussions with foreign leaders. Prosecutors say he would then send some of this sensitive information to two family members, either through a messaging app or via email.

A new NPR/Ipsos poll of K-12 teachers reveals that nearly three-quarters believe artificial intelligence has greater implications for education than past innovations, such as the internet or computers. This nationally representative poll surveyed 545 respondents. Many educators say they are using AI to save time and enhance their teaching materials. A majority are concerned that AI may hinder students' ability to think for themselves. The poll shows that students are not yet widely using AI in the classroom. Meanwhile, 60% of the teachers surveyed reported using AI for work-related tasks. While most of these teachers believe AI helps them save time, 63% estimate they save two hours or fewer per week.

The nonprofit gun control advocacy group Brady is suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Justice over their refusal to release documents about who the largest sellers of crime guns in the U.S. are. In a lawsuit filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Brady is requesting that the court compel the ATF to release information related to what the agency refers to as Demand Letter 2s. These letters are sent by the ATF to gun dealers and other sellers who have been identified as selling at least 25 firearms recovered at crime scenes in a calendar year. The ATF said it has withheld these letters because releasing this information could inadvertently reveal personal details, confidential trade secrets and commercial or financial information, potentially leading to an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Brady says it has collected this information from the ATF before and has compiled the data into tracking databases and reports that it posts on its website.