Welcome to the online version From a political deskThis is an evening newsletter that brings you the latest reports and analysis from the NBC News Politics team, from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign.

In today's version, we examine John Fetterman's position in the Senate, with Pennsylvania Democrats increasingly on an island. Also, Kristen Welker previewed her interview with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy in this Sunday’s “Meet the Media.”

Sign up every business day here to receive this newsletter in your inbox.

- Adam Wollner

John Fetterman skips Senate duties when he clashes with colleagues and staff

Allan Smith, Sahil Kapur, Scott Wong and Frank Thorp V were on D-pa this afternoon. Senator John Feterman has a profound coverage of the senator, the story is based on interviews with 18 former staff members, Pennsylvania officials, congressmen and staff, many of whom say the senator is increasingly isolated in Washington State and in his officials and his home and has not been in Washington State and in his home.

Fetterman's behavior details his mental health concerns about one of his closest former aides in a recent New York magazine article, and Democrats' concerns about Fetterman's not on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page on the same page.

Here are some of the key routes in the story:

• According to two people familiar with his ideas, Fettman was willing to confirm Pete Hegseth to the Secretary of Defense, and therefore, Senator Patty Murray, d-wash. Want to talk one-on-one with her colleagues. But Fetterman refuses to speak to the most senior and highly respected members of the caucus.
• Two sources familiar with the exchange said Fettman was “rude and disdainful” to DN.H. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who wanted to discuss a Republican bill intended to punish the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants to Israeli officials. He also advised her that if she included him on the Foreign Relations Commission, he would be more inclined to help her-she was not capable.
• According to Govtrack, from April 2024 to March this year, Fetterman missed 77 of the 381 votes. This made him in the 90% to 99th percentage points of all senators, because he missed the total votes every three months of the calendar at that time.
• Fetterman skipped 25 of 26 hearings or business meetings, the Senate Commerce Committee held this year, and his first hearing on Thursday after a New York magazine published an article. He missed all nine hearings and business meetings held by the Senate Homeland Security Committee this year and skipped 11 times the Senate Agriculture Committee held in 2025.
• A House Democrat from Pennsylvania spoke with NBC News on Thursday, saying they had no interaction with Fetterman in recent months.

Read more from the team →

Transport Minister Duffy faces the problem at Newark Airport

As Americans prepare for their busy travel plans, the news cascading on the issue of Newark Liberty International Airport has been paused.

Earlier on Friday, some radar screens were blacked out for 90 seconds earlier on Friday, after reports that air traffic controllers temporarily lost communication with the plane. And, one of the busiest airports in the United States has a series of delays.

That's why I spoke to Transport Secretary Sean Duffy because of the episode of "Meet the Press" this Sunday, asking him about Americans' current questions about aircraft safety and transportation infrastructure.

The most important thing: Duffy told me that he felt safe in and out of Newark, and that U.S. airspace was "safeest."

However, there is no silver to solve the problem of infrastructure. While Duffy said that specific fixes in Newark should be completed before the end of the summer, the air traffic modernization plan released Thursday will take three years to complete.

"It's a system, what is - 25 at best, sometimes 50. Congress and the country aren't paying attention to it, right?

Don't miss this Sunday's Duffy, as well as the R-Wyo. Sens. Exclusive interview with John Barrasso and D-Minn's Amy Klobuchar.

What to know from the Trump administration today

• Stephen Miller, Trump’s top adviser, said the administration is “looking for” ways to end proper procedural protections for unauthorized immigration in the country.
• Trump’s last-minute effort to raise taxes on America’s wealthiest Americans is experiencing a buzz of Republican opposition, somewhat uncertain about the extent to which the proposal is serious.
• Another problem with Trump's "Big, Beautiful Act": Four New York Republicans issued a bubble statement denied the offer they said they were from R-La. Speaker Mike Johnson and the House’s top tax writer, deal with how to expand state and local tax breaks.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Congressional leaders that the U.S. could hit the debt ceiling by August.
• Trump has shown that he is willing to lower the current U.S. tariff rate on China before trade negotiations between the two countries. He wrote in a truth society article: "China's 80% tariff seems to be correct! Until Scott B.", which seems to refer to Bessent.
• Trump suddenly fired Congressional librarian Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African-American to hold the position.
• FBI Director Kash Patel's schedule has been easier on intelligence briefings and increasingly heavy appearances in professional sports events, which has raised concerns about not being serious enough about the job.

✉️Mail Bag: Democrats look for their next leader

Thanks to everyone who sent us emails! The question this week comes from Frank Mona III:

“Will someone be the standard bearer of Democrats nationwide (if so, who?), or do you think it will continue to be the leader of a group of governors, Congress and Senators with overlapping messages?”

To answer this question, we turned to the national political journalist Ben Kamisar. This is his answer:

Historically, unless a party serves as president at the White House or presidential nominee, there is usually no standard.

That's because there is no unified force, and there is usually no one uniform way to lead the National Party. Instead, there are some politicians trying to capture the mantle of partisan wings. In recent years, on the Democratic side, people like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have captured the energy on the left, while people like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have spoken to the party’s institutions.

That's why we see hope for the president throughout 2028 on the Democratic side, trying to drive a different lane, rather than hoping to be a strange standardist. This dynamic will not change until a few years after the high competition for the presidential nominations began.

At the moment, it's all political desks. Today's newsletter was edited by Adam Wollner.

If you have feedback - like or dislike - please email us politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

If you are a fan, please share it with everyone and anyone. They can register here.