'Game of Thrones' ends & a billionaire's graduation gift: The Morning Rundown

Good morning, NBC News readers.

The internet is abuzz over the "Game of Thrones" season finale. No spoilers here, but we have a story on what people are saying if you saw it...

Here's what else we're watching today.

Police say facial recognition is “essential” and “imperative” — a groundbreaking tool that allows them to track down criminals who would otherwise escape justice.

Opponents say the technology is “nefarious” and “dangerous” — an omen of repressive government surveillance.

The two sides are engaged in an escalating battle over public opinion that will reach a turning point this week, when San Francisco is expected to become the first city in the country to adopt a ban on government use of facial recognition.

From reparations to "baby bonds," Democratic candidates are proposing big ideas to confront inequality.

In many ways, it's a defining issue of the 2020 cycle so far, one that brings together multiple trends that are transforming the party: the rising clout of nonwhite voters, a rush to embrace more ambitious policy, and heightened concerns about both racism and inequality under President Donald Trump.

But can any of them work?

The focus on these issues comes as President Donald Trump faces crises around the world. But Democratic candidates aren't talking about foreign policy. Why not?

MTP Compressed: Electability and abortion dominate 2020 conversation

May 19, 201901:30

"Game of Thrones," the 73-episode fantasy saga that has swallowed up more cultural oxygen than just about any other modern television series, said farewell Sunday night.

The final 80-minute installment threw a few narrative curveballs, wrapped up some loose ends and — surprise, surprise! — divided the internet.

Here's a wrap of what people are saying about it. But warning: If you're trying to avoid spoilers — don't click!

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• An 8-year-old girl was found safe on Sunday after being grabbed off a street while walking with her mother in Fort Worth, Texas.

• Deutsche Bank employees reportedly flagged multiple suspicious transactions involving Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner and recommended the activity be reported to the federal government's financial crimes unit. But top execs at the global financial giant rejected that advice, according to a New York Times report.

• The Trump administration has identified at least 1,712 migrant children it may have separated from their parents in addition to those separated under the “zero tolerance” policy.

• Wedding bells are coming for Scarlett Johansson and "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update" co-host Colin Jost. The pair are engaged.

Yes, I do mind if you smoke pot in public, writes Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, in an opinion piece. It may be legal, but that doesn't mean it's healthy.

In recent years, Japan lost the “world’s fastest train” title to China. But Tokyo plans to reclaim its position with a new bullet train that will travel up to 224 mph.

That's some graduation gift.

Billionaire tech investor and philanthropist Robert F. Smith stunned graduates of Morehouse College in Atlanta on Sunday by pledging up to $40 million to wipe out their student-loan debts.

Wild cheers and astonished looks greeted Smith after he made the gift during his commencement address at the famed all-male historically black college.

"You great Morehouse men are bound only by the limits of your own conviction and creativity," Smith told the 396 students who make up the Morehouse Class of 2019.

Billionaire philanthropist Robert Smith's gift to Morehouse grads: No student debt

May 19, 201901:31

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