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Yesterday β€” 5 July 2025Main stream

Trump signs his 'big, beautiful bill' during July 4 celebration

4 July 2025 at 22:11

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a sweeping tax cut and spending bill after Congress met his self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

The 900-page package includes a $4.5 trillion extension of tax cuts first enacted during President Trumps first term and delivers on several of his major campaign promises. He signed the measure during a celebratory event at the White House.

Roughly $350 billion is earmarked for national security initiatives, including funding to expand President Trumps deportation agenda.

The bill also allows many workers to deduct tips and overtime pay from their taxable income. Most Americans earning $75,000 or less would be eligible for deductions of up to $6,000.

RELATED STORY | What's in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill?'

Congress narrowly passed the legislation, dubbed the big, beautiful bill," despite slim Republican majorities in both chambers. No Democrats voted in favor of it.

Democrats argued the bill would harm low-income Americans and widen economic inequality.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the legislation would add $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit and result in nearly 12 million additional people losing health coverage.

One major provision imposes new Medicaid work requirements, set to take effect Dec. 31, 2026. States would be required to verify that able-bodied adults work at least 80 hours per month to maintain eligibility.

Beginning in fiscal year 2028, the bill also shifts the cost of food assistance programs such as SNAP to state governments.

Texas flooding leaves 13 dead; around 20 children at summer camp still missing

Texas parents frantically posted photos of their young daughters on social media with pleas for information as more than 20 campers from an all-girls summer camp were unaccounted for Friday after floods tore through the state's south-central region.

At least 13 people were dead Friday and dozens missing after months worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours on Texas Hill Country, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. The flood-prone region is dotted with century-old summer camps that draw thousands of kids annually from across the Lone Star State.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said about 23 girls attending Camp Mystic, a Christian camp along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, were unaccounted for Friday afternoon. Search teams were working to conduct helicopter and boat rescues in the fast-moving floodwaters.

Im asking the people of Texas, do some serious praying this afternoon on-your-knees kind of praying that we find these young girls, Patrick said.

Dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they received devastating phone calls from safety officials informing them that their daughters had not yet been located among the washed-away camp cabins and downed trees. Some were waiting to hear if their children could be evacuated by helicopter. Nine rescue teams, 14 helicopters and 12 drones were being used in the search, Patrick said.

Camp Mystic said in an email to parents that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for. Safety officials said there were roughly 750 campers.

At an elementary school in nearby Ingram that was being used as a reunification center, more than a hundred people milled around a courtyard with hopes of seeing their loved one step out of buses dropping off those who had been evacuated. One young girl wearing a Camp Mystic T-shirt stood in a puddle in her white socks, sobbing in her mother's arms as she rubbed her hands together and watched the buses arrive.

Many families hoped to see loved ones who had been at campgrounds and mobile home parks in the area.

Camp Mystic sits on a strip known as flash flood alley, said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a charitable endowment that is collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.

When it rains, water doesnt soak into the soil, Dickson said. It rushes down the hill.

Decades prior, floodwaters engulfed a bus of teenage campers from another Christian camp along the Guadalupe River during devastating summer storms in 1987. A total of 10 campers from Pot O Gold Christian camp drowned after their bus was unable to evacuate in time from a site near Comfort, 33 miles (53 kilometers) east of Hunt.

Leaders at Camp Mystic said they are without power, Wi-Fi and running water, and the highway leading to the camp has washed away.

Two other camps on the river, Camp Waldemar and Camp La Junta, said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff there were safe.

Joey Chestnut reclaims hot dog eating championship at 4th of July event

4 July 2025 at 17:26

Joey Chestnut returned to the Nathans Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest on Friday after a one-year hiatus and reclaimed his title in dominant fashion.

Chestnut devoured 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, about six short of his record of 76 set in 2021. The second-place finisher trailed by nearly 20 hot dogs.

The victory marked Chestnuts 17th title at the annual Coney Island event.

RELATED STORY | Trump says UFC fight coming to White House for Americas 250th birthday

The competitive eating icon was barred from participating in 2024 after a dispute with contest organizers over his endorsement deal with rival brand Impossible Foods.

Instead, Chestnut faced longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi in a separate Labor Day event, streamed live on Netflix and billed as Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.

Chestnut consumed 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes to claim the $100,000 grand prize, while Kobayashi ate 66 in what he said would be his final competition.

In the womens division of this years Nathans contest, Miki Sudo secured her 11th title by eating 33 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Mexico's president wants boxer ChΓ‘vez Jr. to serve time after US deportation

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that Mexico hadn't previously arrested boxer Julio Csar Chvez Jr. on a 2023 arrest order, because he had been mostly been in the United States since.

Sheinbaum spoke a day after U.S. authorities announced the boxers arrest in California for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. He was being processed for expedited removal, according to U.S. authorities.

The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico, Sheinbaum said during her daily news briefing Friday, referring to charges that he faces for arms and drug trafficking.

The 39-year-old boxer, according to his attorney Michael Goldstein, was picked up Wednesday by a large number of federal agents while he was riding a scooter in front of a home where he resides in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City near Hollywood.

RELATED STORY | Trump says UFC fight coming to White House for Americas 250th birthday

The arrest came only days after the former middleweight champion lost a match against influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim, California.

He split his time between both countries. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Chvez for overstaying a tourist visa that he entered the U.S. with in August 2023 and expired in February 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

The agency also said Chvez submitted multiple fraudulent statements when he applied for permanent residency on April 2, 2024, based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, Frida Muoz. She is the mother of a granddaughter of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

U.S. officials said that he's believed to have ties to the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, which is blamed for a significant portion of Mexicos drug violence.

Volunteers deliver food to farmworkers afraid to leave homes amid immigration crackdown

4 July 2025 at 16:16

Farmworkers in Ventura County, California, are staying home out of fear following recent federal immigration raids, forcing volunteers to step in with essential food deliveries.

At least once a week, volunteers from the nonprofit Friends of Fieldworkers gather to load and deliver food to farmworkers in the Ventura County area who are too afraid to leave their homes.

"They need to eat, and then they're not going to the fields because they're very scared," said Carolina Guillen, a volunteer with the organization.

The farmworkers are not only avoiding work in the fields where they pick food distributed nationwide, but they're also skipping trips to grocery stores.

RELATED STORY |Β California farmer warns immigration enforcement threatens food supply

"They haven't left their homes, so yes, it's terror, they're terrorized," Guillen added.

The fear stems from federal immigration raids on farms in the region in early June.

Carolina Guillen, who has volunteered with Friends of Fieldworkers for several years, expressed disbelief about the situation.

"I think it's so so unbelievable because, you know. Ventura County, you know, they have, about 42,000 workers, and Ventura County, they get about, it's a $2 billion a year in industry," Guillen said, referring to the agriculture industry in Ventura County.

The nonprofit supports farmworkers in the area and works closely with growers who allow the organization to access their farms for on-site food deliveries. On this particular day, Guillen and another volunteer delivered food to 16 homes, while the entire volunteer team reached 60 families.

"The need has gone up for volunteers and for donations," Guillen said.

As Guillen drove through the streets of Oxnard, California, she explained her personal connection to the cause.

RELATED STORY |Β Farmworkers in California living in fear after ICE raids

"I see them and I can relate to them. I feel, you know, that it, it, it could have been me," Guillen said.

She too worked in fields from a young age.

"I was a farm worker probably from the time I was about 6 years old till I was a junior in high school," Guillen said. "Up and down the State of California. We would pick carrots, walnuts, strawberries, just different crops all year round."

The deliveries themselves are quick. The boxes are filled with essential items.

"It's a lot of the basics. They, they have rice, fideo, cans of tomatoes, oatmeal," Guillen said.

The recipients, whose faces are not being shown because of their fears, express deep gratitude.

"They are so grateful, they're so appreciative, you know, to get anything they're, they're they thank us over and over," Guillen said.

After the raids in Ventura County, President Trump has gone back and forth on his stance on enforcement on farms, most recently saying he's working on what he calls a temporary pass for undocumented farmworkers, suggesting farmers would be responsible for their workers.

During his campaign, the president promised to crack down on criminals, but Guillen says that's not what she's witnessing.

"I feel it is so unfair because everything they do for this country, you know, they also pay taxes. They're out there working, they're paying taxes, and a lot of them do not get the benefits," Guillen said.

Guillen believes things will ultimately change when consumers start feeling the economic impact.

"When the gardeners don't show up, the cleaning ladies don't show up, the, uh, you know, there's food on the table, it's more expensive, um, the cost of everything is gonna be up higher," Guillen said.

This story was reported on-air by Laura Acevedo with the Scripps News Group station in San Diego and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

What's open and closed for the Fourth of July holiday?

The Fourth of July holiday, also known as Independence Day, celebrates the Second Continental Congress unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

A year later, according to the Library of Congress, a spontaneous celebration in Philadelphia marked the anniversary of American independence.

But observations werent commonplace until after the War of 1812, when they quickly took off. Congress was late to the party, finally passing a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870.

Heres what is open and closed this year on the Fourth of July:

Government buildings

Government offices, post offices, courts and schools are closed.

Banks and the stock market

U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Friday. Most FedEx and UPS pickup and delivery services will also not be available.

RELATED STORY | Trump says UFC fight coming to White House for Americas 250th birthday

Retailers

Warehouse membership club Costco is closed on July Fourth. Most other major national retailers such as Target and Walmart will be open, with some offering promotional sales to lure customers. Most grocery stores are also open. Hours may vary by location, so check your local store.

Travel

Millions of Americans are expected to hit the road, taking advantage of the Fourth of July falling on a Friday this year.

Spokeswoman Adrienne Woodland said AAA is forecasting that a record 72.2 million Americans will travel domestically between June 28 and July 6, an increase of 1.7 million over last year and 7 million more than in 2019. AAA estimates 61.6 million Americans will drive and 5.8 million travelers will fly.

Woodland recommended that anyone traveling over the holiday should consider taking precautions, including a pre-trip inspection of their vehicle to avoid issues such as dead batteries, flat tires and empty gas tanks.

Trump says UFC fight coming to White House for America’s 250th birthday

4 July 2025 at 13:12

President Donald Trump plans to bring the octagon to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

At a campaign rally in Iowa on Friday, President Trump announced plans to host a UFC championship fight on the grounds of the White House as part of a larger celebration for Americas 250th birthday next year.

We're gonna have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House, Trump told a crowd of supporters.

The president said UFC CEO and President Dana White would handle the logistics of the event, which could accommodate up to 25,000 spectators.

While President Trump didnt name any potential fighters, he said the match would be for a championship belt.

The idea is sure to spark mixed reactions as the White House is hardly known for hosting commercial sporting events.

Trump has long been a supporter of the UFC, frequently attending fights and often drawing cheers from the crowd. Dana White, in turn, has been a loyal public ally of Trump.

Currently, the UFC has no American male champions following heavyweight star Jon Jones recent retirement. Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is the only American fighter holding a UFC title. Trump was in attendance when she captured the belt in June.

Before yesterdayMain stream

Russia hammers Kyiv in largest missile and drone barrage since war began

Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbor's land.

The barrage injured at least 23 people and inflicted severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets.

It was a harsh, sleepless night, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.

RELATED STORY | Operation Spider Web: How Ukraine rewrote the rules of drone warfare

Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the countrys air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack.

Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said her home was destroyed in the attack.

We were all in the (basement) shelter because it was so loud, staying home would have been suicidal, she told The Associated Press. We went down 10 minutes before and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter, people were panicking.

Trump not happy with Russia's attacks

The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy called the timing of the strikes a deliberate signal that Moscow has no intention of ending the war.

Trump said he would call Zelenskyy on Friday. U.S.-led international peace efforts have been fruitless so far. Recent direct peace talks have led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war, wounded troops and the bodies of fallen soldiers. No date has been set for further negotiations.

RELATED STORY | US halting shipment of certain air defense weapons and other munitions to Ukraine

Ukrainian officials and the Russian Defense Ministry said another prisoner swap took place Friday, though neither side said how many soldiers were involved. Zelenskyy said most of the Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian soldiers were classified as wounded and seriously ill.

When asked if he made any progress during his call with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said: No, I didnt make any progress with him today at all.

Im very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin because I dont think hes there. I dont think hes looking to stop (the fighting), and thats too bad, Trump said.

According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the root causes of the conflict.

Russia will not back down from these goals, Ushakov told reporters after the call.

Russias army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called out Russian disinformation efforts.

Pentagon halts deliveries of air defense missiles

The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraines main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.

The Ukrainian response needs to be speedy as Russia escalates its aerial attacks. Russia launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine in June, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier this week that Russia also launched more than 330 missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian towns and cities that month.

Throughout the night, AP journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault.

Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. One of the worst so far.

Ukraines Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described families running into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, mass destruction in the heart of our capital.

What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror, she wrote on X.

Kyiv was the primary target of the countrywide attack. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Zelenskyy called the Kyiv attack cynical. In Moscow, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and other military equipment in Kyiv.

Russia strikes 5 Ukrainian regions

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed.

Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell across at least 33 sites.

In addition to the capital, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Kyiv regions also sustained damage, Zelenskyy said.

Emergency services reported damage in at least five of Kyiv's 10 districts.

US Marines will be deployed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Florida

4 July 2025 at 00:45

About 200 U.S. Marines are deploying to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Florida, U.S. Northern Command said Thursday.

The Marines would deploy from Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina to assist with "critical administrative and logistical capabilities at locations as directed by ICE."

The soldiers would not perform law-enforcement tasks, NORTHCOM said, and would be "specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain."

It was not clear if the deployment had any association with a new immigration detention center built in the Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," that began operation this week.

RELATED STORY | Some California National Guard personnel deployed to protests will return to firefighting duty

The Pentagon announced in June it would deploy more active-duty soldiers to protect federal agents and property under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows for federal control and funding of the armed forces, including the National Guard.

Additional Marines will begin similar missions in Louisiana and Texas, NORTHCOM said.

Their numbers will join the roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and U.S. Marines who have been sent to California under Title 10 to protect ICE personnel and federal buildings.

A comet from interstellar space is moving through the Solar System, NASA says

3 July 2025 at 20:29

A comet has entered the Solar System from interstellar space and will pass harmlessly through the inner planets later this year, NASA says.

The comet, designated 3I/ATLAS, appeared to approach the Solar System from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. Its path will bring it inside the orbit of Mars sometime in October, at a closest distance of about 130 million miles from the Sun.

The comet poses no threat to Earth. At its closest, it will be about 150 million miles away from the planet.

RELATED STORY | Astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary launch to ISS for first time in 40 years

The first confirmed observations came on July 1 from ATLAS, a ground-based telescope network funded by NASA and run by the University of Hawaii. The group of telescopes is designed to spot moving objects in the night sky and give early warning for any that may pass near to or potentially impact Earth.

Comet 3I/ATLAS will be visible to telescopes on the ground until September, and then again in December once it completes its closest pass to the Sun.

What's in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' that is set to become law

Republicans muscled President Donald Trump's tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of July 4th.

At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.

RELATED STORY | Trump scores legislative win as Congress passes his 'big, beautiful bill'

Democrats united against the legislation, but were powerless to stop it as long as Republicans stayed united. The Senate passed the bill, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. The House passed an earlier iteration of the bill in May with just one vote to spare. It passed the final version 218-214.

Here's the latest on what's in the bill.

Tax cuts are the priority

Republicans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Trump's first term expire. The legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump's first term.

It would temporarily add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There's also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits.

It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit.

A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It's a provision important to New York and other high tax states, though the House wanted it to last for 10 years.

There are scores of business-related tax cuts, including allowing businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research. Proponents say this will boost economic growth.

The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House's version.

Money for deportations, a border wall and the Golden Dome

The bill would provide some $350 billion for Trump's border and national security agenda, including for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for 100,000 migrant detention facility beds, as he aims to fulfill his promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.

Money would go for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers, as well. The goal is to deport some 1 million people per year.

To help pay for it, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections.

For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for ship building, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system. The Defense Department would have $1 billion for border security.

How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid and other programs

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for people below the poverty line .

Republicans argue they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse.

The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the programs work requirements.

There's also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services.

More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama's Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most already work, according to analysts.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.

Republicans are looking to have states pick up some of the cost for SNAP benefits. Currently, the federal government funds all benefit costs. Under the bill, states beginning in 2028 will be required to contribute a set percentage of those costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6%. Payment errors include both underpayments and overpayments.

But the Senate bill temporarily delays the start date of that cost-sharing for states with the highest SNAP error rates. Alaska has the highest error rate in the nation at nearly 25%, according to Department of Agriculture data. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had fought for the exception. She was a decisive vote in getting the bill through the Senate.

A death sentence for clean energy?

Republicans are proposing to dramatically roll back tax breaks designed to boost clean energy projects fueled by renewable sources such as energy and wind. The tax breaks were a central component of President Joe Biden's 2022 landmark bill focused on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs.

Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden went so far as to call the GOP provisions a death sentence for Americas wind and solar industries and an inevitable hike in utility bills.

A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles would expire on Sept. 30 of this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law.

Meanwhile, a tax credit for the production of critical materials will be expanded to include metallurgical coal used in steelmaking.

Trump savings accounts and so, so much more

A number of extra provisions reflect other GOP priorities.

The bill creates a new children's savings program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury.

The Senate provided $40 million to establish Trumps long-sought National Garden of American Heroes.

There's a new excise tax on university endowments and a new tax on remittances, or transfers of money that people in the U.S. send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer.

A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated.

One provision bars for one year Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood.

Another section expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a hard-fought provision from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for those impacted by nuclear development and testing.

Billions would go for the Artemis moon mission and for the exploration of Mars, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee.

Additionally, a provision would increase the nation's debt limit, by $5 trillion, to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills.

Last-minute changes

The Senate overwhelmingly revolted against a proposal meant to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence. Republican governors across the country asked for the moratorium to be removed and the Senate voted to do so with a resounding 99-1 vote.

A provision was thrown in at the final hours that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years, or $50 billion in total. The Senate bill had originally provided $25 billion for the program, but that number was upped to win over holdout GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warning that reduced Medicaid provider taxes would hurt rural hospitals.

The amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China.

What's the final cost?

Altogether, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034.

Or not, depending on how one does the math.

Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already current policy. Republican senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach.

Under the alternative Senate GOP view, the bill would reduce deficits by almost half a trillion dollars over the coming decade, the CBO said.

Democrats say this is magic math that obscures the true costs of the tax breaks. Some nonpartisan groups worried about the country's fiscal trajectory are siding with Democrats in that regard. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says Senate Republicans were employing an accounting gimmick that would make Enron executives blush.

Nissan recalls over 480,000 vehicles in the US and Canada due to engine failure risk

Nissan is recalling more than 480,000 of its vehicles across the U.S. and Canada due to potential manufacturing defects that could cause engine failure.

The recall covers certain Nissan Rogues between 2021-2024 model years and 2019-2020 Altimas as well as a number of 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50s and 2022 Infiniti QX55s sold under the automaker's luxury brand, according to Nissan and documents published by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week.

The vehicles impacted carry specific "VC-Turbo" engines that may have manufacturing defects in their bearings, the NHTSA's recall report notes. This may cause engine damage and possibly lead to engine failure while driving, the regulator warns increasing crash risks.

RELATED STORY | Ford recalls more than 200,000 vehicles over malfunctioning rearview camera

Engine bearing failures "are not typically instantaneous and tend to progress over time," the NHTSA's recall report notes. That means effected drivers may see multiple warning signs to look out for including abnormal noises or malfunction indicator lights.

In the U.S., 443,899 vehicles are covered in this recall, per NHTSA documents. And in Canada, 37,837 are affected, a Nissan spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

As a remedy, the NHSTA's recall report notes, Nissan and Infiniti dealers will inspect the engine pan of these-now recalled cars and repair or replace the engine if necessary. The recall covers vehicles with either 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engines. Potential repairs which will be performed free of charge will depend on the engine and whether or not debris is detected during the inspection.

In an emailed statement, Nissan said it initiated this recall as part of its "ongoing commitment to customer safety." And in late August, the company added, notification letters will be mailed out to affected owners "with instructions to bring their vehicle to a Nissan dealer or INFINITI retailer for inspection and repair if necessary."

In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Nissan's recall lookup.

Number of US measles cases on track to reach a record high

3 July 2025 at 19:50

The U.S. is about to break a record for the number of reported measles cases in a year since the infection was considered eliminated in 2000.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 1,267 confirmed measles cases so far this year.

The last annual high was 1,274 during an outbreak in 2019. Prior to 2000, the record high number of cases occurred in 1990.

The CDC said 12% of the measles cases to date have required hospitalization. Three cases have resulted in deaths, including two young children in Texas the epicenter of the ongoing outbreak and an adult in New Mexico.

Nearly 40 states have reported at least one measles case so far this year, but Texas still has the highest outbreak numbers with over 700 cases.

RELATED STORY |Β As summer travel increases, measles cases continue to rise

The Wyoming Department of Health reported its first case of measles in the state in 15 years.

Overwhelming 92% of the cases involved individuals who had not been vaccinated against the infection.

Health experts said the best way to avoid getting the highly contagious infection is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old, and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

RELATED STORY | Travel and outbreaks: Should you vaccinate your child earlier for measles?

Adults can get another MMR shot if there are concerns about immunity waning off, according to the CDC.

Measles is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The CDC said you can get measles just by being in a room that an infected person was in up to two hours beforehand.

It's more than just the rash associated with the infection. Measles impacts the respiratory system, and cause a high fever, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes.

The CDC said most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and even death.

A day in the life of a farmworker in California

3 July 2025 at 19:42

A day in the fields of California's Central Coast reveals the harsh reality of agricultural labor amid increased immigration enforcement, with workers fearing detention while performing essential jobs, they say, that few Americans want.

Farmworker Benito spends his days harvesting cilantro in Ventura County, California, starting before sunrise and working through what he calls backbreaking conditions for modest pay. His work is now shadowed by fear after federal immigration agents detained about 40 workers at a nearby farm in early June.

Benito spoke with ABC 10News reporter Laura Acevedo for an interview, conducted in Spanish. His quotes in this article have been translated.

RELATED STORY | California farmer warns immigration enforcement threatens food supply

"No one works in peace anymore," Benito said.

Benito's day begins around 5:30 a.m., as his wife prepares homemade tortillas and packs his lunch for the long workday ahead. By 6 a.m., he's in the field, ready to harvest cilantro.

"I have constant pain in my back, knees and feet from being bent over for hours at a time," Benito said.

The work is methodical and physically demanding. Benito demonstrated how they cut, tie, and pack the cilantro, one bushel at a time. Thirty bushels fit into a box, and he earns $1 for every box packed. On a good day, that's about 150 to 200 boxes.

RELATED STORY |Β Farmworkers in California living in fear after ICE raids

Since workers are paid based on the amount they harvest, Benito couldn't stop working for a formal interview. The interview was conducted as he picked cilantro nonstop.

Benito's wife works alongside him in the fields. The day the Scripps News Group did the story was her first day back to work in 20 days. She had stayed home out of fear since the nearby immigration raid.

The crew started the day with four workers and a target of 700 boxes to fill an order. By afternoon, two additional workers joined to help meet the quota. Despite a minor setback when Benito cut his finger and had to tend to the wound briefly, the team packed a total of 794 boxes in roughly 10 hours of work.

"Crops like this cilantro would rot if workers continued to be detained or deported," Benito said. "I don't think everyday Americans are interested in doing this type of work for such little pay."

This story was reported on-air by Laura Acevedo with the Scripps News Group station in San Diego, and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Michael Madsen, 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Kill Bill' star, dies at 66

Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino's films, has died. He was 66.

Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes, and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen's manager, Ron Smith, said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.

Madsen's career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget films. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police officer while dancing to Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You" as Mr. Blonde in 1992's "Reservoir Dogs."

He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the "Kill Bill" films and "The Hateful Eight."

"In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films 'Resurrection Road,' 'Concessions and 'Cookbook for Southern Housewives,' and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life," his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement. They added that he "was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many."

During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reflected on his first visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.

"I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn't know because I didn't know what I was going to do at that point with myself," he said. "I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor."

First immigration detainees arrive at 'Alligator Alcatraz' center in Florida

The first group of immigrants has arrived at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades that officials have dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," a spokesperson for Republican state Attorney General James Uthmeier told The Associated Press.

"People are there," Press Secretary Jae Williams said, though he didn't immediately provide further details on the number of detainees or when they arrived.

"Next stop: back to where they came from," Uthmeier said on the X social media platform on Wednesday. He's been credited as the architect behind the Everglades proposal.

RELATED STORY | President Trump tours newly opened migrant detention center 'Alligator Alcatraz'

"Stood up in record time under @GovRonDeSantis ' leadership & in coordination with @DHSgov & @ICEgov, Florida is proud to help facilitate @realDonaldTrump 's mission to enforce immigration law," the account for the Florida Division of Emergency Management posted to the social media site X on Thursday. Requests for additional information from the office of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDEM, which is building the site, were not returned early Thursday afternoon.

The facility, at an airport used for training, will have an initial capacity of about 3,000 detainees, DeSantis said. The center was built in eight days and features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel.

Immigrants who are arrested by Florida law enforcement officers under the federal government's 287(g) program will be taken to the facility, according to an official in President Donald Trump's administration. The program is led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and allows police officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation.

The facility is expected to be expanded in 500-bed increments until it has an estimated 5,000 beds by early July.

A group of Florida Democratic state lawmakers headed to the facility Thursday to conduct "an official legislative site visit," citing concerns about conditions for detainees and the awarding of millions of dollars in state contracts for the construction.

"As lawmakers, we have both the legal right and moral responsibility to inspect this site, demand answers, and expose this abuse before it becomes the national blueprint," the legislators said in a joint statement ahead of the visit.

Federal agencies signaled their opposition Thursday to a lawsuit brought by environmental groups seeking to halt operations at the detention center. Though Trump applauded the center during an official tour earlier this week, the filing on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security seemed to try to distance his administration from the facility, and said no federal money to date has been spent on it.

"DHS has not implemented, authorized, directed, or funded Florida's temporary detention center. Florida is constructing and operating the facility using state funds on state lands under state emergency authority and a preexisting general delegation of federal authority to implement immigration functions," the U.S. filing says.

Human rights advocates and Native American tribes have also protested against the center, contending it is a threat to the fragile Everglades system, would be cruel to detainees because of heat and mosquitoes, and is on land the tribes consider sacred.

It's also located at a place prone to frequent heavy rains, which caused some flooding in the tents Tuesday during a visit by President Donald Trump to mark its opening. State officials say the complex can withstand a Category 2 hurricane, which packs winds of between 96 and 110 mph (154 and 177 kph), and that contractors worked overnight to shore up areas where flooding occurred.

According to images shared with the AP, overnight Wednesday, workers put up new signs labeled "Alligator Alcatraz" along the sole highway leading to the site and outside the entrance of the airfield that has been known as the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. State officials seized the county-owned land where the facility is located using emergency powers authorized by an executive order issued by the governor.

DeSantis and other state officials say locating the facility in the rugged and remote Florida Everglades is meant as a deterrent and naming it after the notorious federal prison of Alcatraz, an island fortress known for its brutal conditions, is meant to send a message. It's another sign of how the Trump administration and its allies are relying on scare tactics to try to persuade people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.

State and federal officials have touted the plans on social media and conservative airwaves, sharing a meme of a compound ringed with barbed wire and "guarded" by alligators wearing hats labeled "ICE" for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility's name.

FDA official restricted COVID vaccine approvals against advice of agency staff

The governments top vaccine official working under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently restricted the approval of two COVID-19 vaccines, disregarding recommendations from government scientists, according to federal documents released Wednesday.

The new memos from the Food and Drug Administration show how the agencys vaccine chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, personally intervened to place restrictions on COVID shots from vaccine makers Novavax and Moderna.

Both vaccines were approved by the FDA in May after months of analysis by rank-and-file FDA reviewers.

But internal correspondence shows Prasad disagreed with staffers who planned to approve the shots for everyone 12 and older, similar to previous COVID vaccines. The scientists had concluded the benefit from the vaccines and the risk of COVID-19 outweighed the risk of possible side effects, which are rare.

Instead Prasad decided the shots should be limited to those who face special risks from the virus seniors or children and adults with underlying medical issues.

RELATED STORY | RFK Jr.'s new vaccine panel alarms pediatricians with inquiries into long-settled questions

Prasad explained that the COVID vaccine benefits must be reconsidered in light of falling rates of death and hospitalization and the possibility for vaccine side effects. Its the latest in a series of vaccine restrictions imposed by officials working under Kennedy, who has long questioned the benefits of vaccines.

Even rare vaccination related harms both known and unknown now have higher chance of outweighing potential benefits Prasad wrote in a five-page memo explaining his decision.

COVID-19 remains a public health threat, resulting in 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and more than 250,000 hospitalizations since last fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most at risk for hospitalization are seniors and children under 2 especially infants under 6 months.

Top FDA leaders are typically not involved in the review of individual products. Officials like Prasad can overrule staffers, but such cases are rare and often controversial.

News of the FDA documents was first reported by the New York Times.

Prasad was hired to lead the FDAs vaccine center in May, after the previous director, Dr. Peter Marks, was forced to resign over disagreements with Kennedy. An academic researcher specializing in cancer therapies, Prasad came to prominence during the pandemic for criticizing public health measures, including the FDAs approval of COVID boosters for healthy adults and children.

Since arriving at the agency he has worked with FDA Commissioner Mark Makary on new guidelines that will limit approvals of future COVID boosters to higher-risk Americans, mainly seniors and those with medical conditions like asthma and obesity.

RELATED STORY | Kennedy names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic

Those limits match the terms FDA recently approved for Novavaxs shot, Nuvaxovid and Modernas mNexspike. Novavaxs vaccine is the only protein-based coronavirus vaccine available in the U.S. Modernas vaccine is an updated, lower-dose version of its existing mRNA-based vaccine.

The review team for the Novavax vaccine pointed to data from a study in 30,000 adults, concluding that the risk-benefit assessment for this vaccine technology remains favorable.

FDA staff reached a similar conclusion for the Moderna vaccine, deeming it similar in safety and effectiveness to the companys original shot.

Last week, the FDA finalized new warning labeling about the risk of myocarditis, a rare form of heart inflammation, on shots from Moderna and Pfizer, the other maker of an mRNA-based shot for COVID.

In his override memo, reversing FDA staffs decision on the Moderna shot, Prasad pointed to the ongoing risk of myocarditis and questions about its frequency. The agency ordered Moderna to conduct further studies of the risk as a condition for the approving its updated shot.

A spokesman for the administration said Prasad has raised serious concerns about the issue.

We will not ignore these risks and will ensure that the gold standard of science is used for any decisions, said Andrew Nixon, in an emailed statement.

Outside researchers have noted that cases of the heart condition tend to resolve quickly and are less severe than those associated with COVID infection itself, which can also cause myocarditis.

Oscar Mayer turkey bacon recalled over listeria concerns

3 July 2025 at 16:05

More than 360,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon have been recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The affected products were produced between April 24 and June 11 and sold nationwide under the following labels:

12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL 36-oz. packages containing three 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL 48-oz. packages containing four 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL

The potential contamination was discovered during routine testing by the manufacturer, which indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause serious illness.

RELATED STORY | 140,000 pounds of bologna recalled nationwide

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria can lead to severe intestinal infection, particularly in pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

As of now, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled products. However, officials advise anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures to contact their health care provider immediately.

Abrego Garcia says he was subjected to psychological torture in El Salvador jail

Kilmar Abrego Garcia said he suffered severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation and psychological torture in the notorious El Salvador prison the Trump administration had deported him to in March, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

He said he was kicked and hit so often after arrival that by the following day, he had visible bruises and lumps all over his body. He said he and 20 others were forced to kneel all night long and guards hit anyone who fell.

Abrego Garcia was living in Maryland when he was mistakenly deported and became a flashpoint in President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown. The new details of Abrego Garcias incarceration in El Salvador were added to a lawsuit against the Trump administration that Abrego Garcias wife filed in Maryland federal court after he was deported.

The Trump administration has asked a federal judge in Maryland to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it is now moot because the government returned him to the United States as ordered by the court.

A U.S. immigration judge in 2019 had barred Abrego Garcia from being deported back to his native El Salvador because he likely faced persecution there by local gangs who had terrorized him and his family. The Trump administration deported him there despite the judges 2019 order and later described it as an administrative error. Trump and other officials have since doubled down on claims Abrego Garcia was in the MS-13 gang.

On March 15, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador and sent to the countrys mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT.

In the new court documents, Abrego Garcia said detainees at CECOT were confined to metal bunks with no mattresses in an overcrowded cell with no windows, bright lights that remained on 24 hours a day, and minimal access to sanitation.

He said prison officials told him repeatedly that they would transfer him to cells with people who were gang members who would tear him apart. Abrego Garcia said he saw others in nearby cells violently harm each other and heard screams from people throughout the night.

His condition deteriorated and he lost more than 30 pounds in his first two weeks there, he said.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, visited Abrego Garcia in El Salvador in April. The senator said Abrego Garcia reported hed been moved from the mega-prison to a detention center with better conditions.

RELATED STORY | Justice Department says it intends to try Kilmar Abrego Garcia on smuggling charges

The Trump administration continued to face mounting pressure and a Supreme Court order to return him to the United States. When the U.S. government brought back Abrego Garcia last month, it was to face federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time of Abrego Garcias return that this is what American justice looks like. But Abrego Garcias attorneys called the charges preposterous and an attempt to justify his mistaken expulsion.

A federal judge in Tennessee has ruled that Abrego Garcia is eligible for release -- under certain conditions -- as he awaits trial on the criminal charges in Tennessee. But she has kept him in jail for now at the request of his own attorneys over fears that he would be deported again upon release.

Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press last month that the department intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him again.

Separately, Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn told a federal judge in Maryland last month that the U.S. government plans to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country that isnt El Salvador. Guynn said there was no timeline for the deportation plans. But Abrego Garcias attorneys cited Guynns comments as a reason to fear he would be deported immediately.

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