Nancy Pelosi weighs in on the race to succeed her. A Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launchpad and shakes nearby houses in Florida. And why teen “takeovers” are spreading across the country.

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Nancy Pelosi did not plan to endorse anyone in the race to succeed her in Congress. But after noting how many women who used to represent California have been replaced by men, the former speaker felt she had to step in for a female candidate, she told NBC News in an exclusive interview.

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Pelosi has thrown her support behind San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan. Polls show state Sen. Scott Wiener far ahead in next week’s primary, while Chan and Saikat Chakrabarti, a wealthy tech engineer and co-founder of the progressive group Justice Democrats, slug it out for the No. 2 spot on the November ballot.

The first woman to serve as speaker of the House, Pelosi says she was motivated by her hopes to put more women “at the table,” not her desire to keep one man away from it. “To have a woman who’s top-notch, young woman, a mom — that’s really important — and an Asian American, a Chinese American, to me, I just thought she would do the very best job, and that’s what the measure of it was,” Pelosi said. “I want a woman who can do, and I want a person who can do, the best job. Connie is that person.”

Read the full story here.

Spencer Pratt says he doesn’t need Trump’s endorsement

Another closely watched race in California’s primaries will be the race for Los Angeles mayor. Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, 42, is running as a Republican against Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. Councilwoman Nithya Raman. Like the House primary, the top two vote-getters will advance to the November runoff.

In an interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas, Pratt said he never intended to be a mayoral candidate, but “I’m forced into this because politicians are failing us as taxpayers.” He spoke to Llamas about a Trump endorsement (“People don’t care,” he said) and some of his policy priorities.

More from Pratt’s interview.

More politics news:

• The Treasury Department is preparing to print $250 bills with Trump’s face on them.

• A growing list of performers are dropping out of an event to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary despite being listed on the lineup.

• For subscribers: JD Vance says he will juggle more parenting responsibilities but take no “formal” leave after the birth of his fourth child this summer.

▶️ Tune in to Here’s the Scoop’s special Supreme Court Edition, where Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Jarrett goes deep on major cases.

Trump reviews possible Iran deal

President Donald Trump is reviewing the latest version of a potential agreement with Iran but has not yet signed off on it, according to two U.S. officials.

The proposed deal would extend the Middle East ceasefire and restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but did not address more complex issues such as Iran’s nuclear program, sources said.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters yesterday that Washington was “not there yet” with Iran, but said negotiators were “very close” to reaching a final agreement.

“We’re not there yet, but we’re very close,” Vance said. “We’re going to keep on working at it.”

Follow our live blog for the latest news.

Blue Origin rocket explodes during engine-firing test

A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded during an engine-firing test at the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, last night. No one was hurt, officials said, though the explosion shook nearby homes and briefly painted the sky orange. Yesterday’s test of the massive New Glenn rocket was being conducted ahead of a satellite launch planned for next week.

The New Glenn was grounded last month after it left a satellite in the wrong orbit because of an engine failure. It was only the third flight of the rocket that Blue Origin intends to use to launch landers to the moon for NASA, including landers that will take astronauts to the lunar surface.

What NASA’s administrator and Elon Musk said after the explosion.

Teen ‘takeovers’ push cities to take action

Police in Chicago clashed with hundreds of teenagers in separate incidents over Memorial Day weekend, resulting in dozens of arrests and some officers sustaining minor injuries. But what happened there wasn’t unique to Chicago. The large-scale meetups were the latest in a phenomenon that law enforcement officials call teen “takeovers,” which have also taken place in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Milwaukee, to name a few.

Sure, teenagers behaving badly in groups is hardly a new thing. But experts point out that social media has made it easier for groups to rapidly mobilize, and many young people are seeking out connection and community after the Covid pandemic, when many teens spent their middle school years in lockdown. Plus, so-called “third spaces” that are not home or school are increasingly harder to find.

The one group authorities say need to step up to deal with the crisis.

Read All About It

• A vomiting virus is spreading across most of the U.S. with wastewater data showing high levels in many states.

• A Russian drone crashed into an apartment building in Romania early Friday, during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, injuring two people and setting the building ablaze.

• Three people were killed and at least five others were hospitalized when a gas explosion destroyed a Dallas apartment complex.

• Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from California, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee after besting his opponent in a tie-breaking, 90-second “spell-off.”

• Americans who contract Ebola and need advanced medical care will be sent to Europe rather than brought to the U.S.

• In a major shakeup, CBS replaced the executive producer of “60 Minutes” with a tech journalist who has never worked in TV news.

Staff Pick: A teen hoped brain surgery could fix her daily seizures. Insurance denied it.

When we first spoke with Brandi Sharp, she was desperate for her insurer to approve a type of brain surgery to hopefully alleviate her 13-year-old daughter Cambrie’s daily, treatment-resistant seizures. The Sharp’s insurer, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, had twice denied the surgery, deep brain stimulation, because it is not FDA-approved for children.

But multiple doctors we spoke to said the procedure can be effective for kids — and they’ve seen insurers cover it. Cambrie didn’t understand why she was different. She asked her mom, “Why don’t they want me to get better?”

A few days after we reached out to Anthem BCBS asking why they were denying the procedure, it reversed its decision. And a few weeks after that, the insurer went even further, changing its coverage policy to include deep brain stimulation for some children and teens who meet clinical criteria.

By sharing her story, Brandi didn’t only get her daughter the care she needed. She potentially made it easier for others to get help as well. — Marina Kopf, associate health producer, and Ramón Taylor, “NBC Nightly News” producer

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When it comes to a morning skin care routine, there are three things that are non-negotiable: moisturizer, SPF and facial massage. Here’s how to do the last step properly. Plus, these under-$50 dresses are light and easy to pack for all your summer travel.

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