A federal judge issued an order Wednesday to prevent the deportation of the wife and five children of an Egyptian man charged in the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado.

U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher granted a request from the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman to halt deportation proceedings of his wife and five children who were taken into federal custody Tuesday by U.S. immigration officials.

The family members have not been charged in the attack on a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Soliman faces federal hate crime charges and state charges of attempted murder in the Sunday attack in downtown Boulder.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Wednesday that they are being processed for removal proceedings. Its rare that family members of a person accused of a crime are detained and threatened with deportation.

RELATED STORY | Suspect in Boulder attack on pro-Israel demonstration charged with hate crime

Solimans wife, 18-year-old daughter, two minor sons and two minor daughters all are Egyptian citizens, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it, Noem said in a statement.

Noem also said federal authorities will immediately crack down on people who overstay their visas in response to the Boulder attack.

Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew about his planned attack, according to court documents that, at times, spelled his name as Mohammed.

Earlier Wednesday, authorities raised the number of victims in the attack from 12 to 15, plus a dog.

Boulder County officials who provided the update said in a news release that the victims include eight women and seven men ranging in age from 25 to 88. The Associated Press on Wednesday sent an email to prosecutors seeking more details on the newly identified victims and the dog.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, had planned to kill all of the roughly 20 participants in Sundays demonstration at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling Free Palestine, police said. Soliman, an Egyptian man who federal authorities say has been living in the U.S. illegally, didnt carry out his full plan because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before, police wrote in an affidavit.

According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman told police he was driven by a desire to kill all Zionist people a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Authorities said he expressed no remorse about the attack.

RELATED STORY | Most horrific thing Ive ever seen: Witness describes attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder

A vigil is scheduled for Wednesday evening at the local Jewish community center.

Defendant's immigration status

Soliman was born in el-Motamedia, an Egyptian farming village in the Nile Delta province of Gharbia, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Cairo, according to an Egyptian security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to the media.

Before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, Soliman spent 17 years in Kuwait, according to court documents.

Soliman arrived in the U.S. in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X. She said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023, but that has also expired.

Hundreds of thousands of people overstay their visas each year in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security reports.

The case against Soliman

Soliman told authorities that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting for his daughter to graduate before carrying it out, the affidavit said.

A newspaper in Colorado Springs that profiled one of Solimans children in April noted the familys journey from Egypt to Kuwait and then to the U.S. It said after initially struggling in school, his daughter landed academic honors and volunteered at a local hospital.

Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime as well as attempted murder counts at the state level, but authorities say additional charges could come. He's being held in a county jail on a $10 million cash bond and is scheduled to make an appearance in state court on Thursday.

His attorney, Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after a state court hearing Monday. Public defenders policy prohibits speaking to the media.

Witnesses and police have said Soliman set himself on fire as he hurled the second incendiary device. Authorities said they believe Soliman acted alone. Although they did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear.

The attack unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled Free Palestine was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.

Six victims hospitalized

The victims ranged in age from 25 to 88, and were members of the volunteer group called Run For Their Lives who were holding their weekly demonstration.

No new details were released Wednesday about three victims who were sent to the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

They have requested privacy to heal, spokesperson Kelli Christensen said in an email.

One of the victims was a child when her family fled the Nazis during the Holocaust, said Ginger Delgado of the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office. Delgado is acting as a spokesperson for the family of the woman, who doesn't want her name used.

The Education Department is pressuring Columbia Universitys accreditor to take action against the Ivy League school over findings that it failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.

The department on Wednesday told the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia should face action because it has been found in violation of antidiscrimination laws.

Accreditors work on behalf of the federal government to decide which colleges can accept federal financial aid. Without an accreditors seal of approval, Columbia could no longer accept students federal grants or loans.

Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.

RELATED STORY | Columbia University president addresses ICE arrests during graduation ceremony

The announcement says the accreditor must take action against Columbia if it doesnt come into compliance.

The Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services determined on May 22 that Columbia violated federal law by acting with deliberate indifference toward the harassment of Jewish students.

Columbia and its accreditor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

A graphic designer testified Wednesday that she was so traumatized after Sean "Diddy" Combs held her over a 17th-floor apartment balcony that she sometimes screamed in her sleep afterward.

Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan, 33, a friend of Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, said the 2016 assault at Cassie's Los Angeles apartment caused a bruise on the back of her leg, along with back and neck pain. It also left her emotionally scarred, she told the jury.

"I have night terrors and paranoia and I would scream in my sleep sometimes," said Bongolan, a creative and marketing director who runs her own art agency.

Her testimony came in the fourth week of evidence presentation by prosecutors as they seek to prove that Combs oversaw a racketeering organization composed of his employees and associates as he physically and sexually abused women for two decades.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and other charges that, if convicted, could send him to prison for 15 years to life.

Bongolan is the latest woman to testify that the hip-hop mogul acted violently toward her and Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, who already testified for four days about the abuse she incurred. Other witnesses described seeing him physically abusing women.

Cassie testified that she saw Combs bring one of her friends back over the railing of a balcony at her apartment in the early morning.

Cassie said she was asleep in her room when she awoke to the episode.

"I saw him bring her back over the railing of the balcony and then throw her onto the patio furniture," Cassie testified.

When Bongolan recalled the attack, she said Combs barged into Cassie's apartment, lifted her up and put her on the rail. She said she feared that she would plummet to her death as she pushed back against Combs.

"I was scared to fall," she said. Combs was yelling at her throughout the ordeal, Bongolan said, estimating he held her over the railing for 10 to 15 seconds.

She said Combs then threw her onto balcony furniture. Adrenaline helped her power through the ordeal, Bongolan said. She recalled getting up immediately after being thrown down.

RELATED STORY | Who are all of the celebrities mentioned during Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial and why?

Bongolan said Cassie, who was sleeping in the bedroom, then came out and asked Combs: "Did you just hang her over the balcony?" Told that Bongolan's ex-girlfriend was also in the apartment, Combs swiftly left, Bongolan said.

Bongolan said she has lasting effects from Combs assaulting her.

"I have nightmares and I have a lot of paranoia and I used to scream a lot in my sleep, but it's dissipated a little bit," she testified.

Part of her paranoia, she said, includes opening doors carefully and peeking into rooms before going inside, and she added that she had a nightmare as recently as a few days ago.

Bongolan said Combs gave her drugs on three or four occasions, including ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and G, a substance she understood was the depressant GHB.

She said she also did drugs about once a week with Cassie when Combs wasn't around.

Bongolan, testifying in response to a subpoena from prosecutors, was granted immunity after she initially said she would refuse to answer questions and invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. She was at least the third witness given immunity to testify.

PREVIOUS TRIAL COVERAGE:

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New episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" will finally be available to stream on major streaming platforms.

Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that episodes of the popular game shows will be available on Hulu, Disney+ and Peacock starting in September. The episodes will be on the streaming services one day after they air on broadcast television.

While older episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" have been available to stream for years, this marks the first time current episodes will be accessible through streaming platforms shortly after their original broadcast.

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Sony said it's excited to bring the shows to a wider audience. "Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are two of the most successful game shows in television history and we look forward to giving fans the best possible streaming access to our shows this fall," said Keith Le Goy, Chairman of Sony Pictures Television, in a statement.

Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday she will leave the Democratic Party and become an independent after years of working among the highest levels of multiple Democratic presidencies.

The announcement comes via Jean-Pierre's publisher, through which she is releasing a new book, "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines."

Jean-Pierre served as the regional political director in the White House during President Barack Obama's tenure and as the press secretary for President Joe Biden. In 2021 she became the first openly gay woman and the first Black woman in 30 years to deliver a White House press briefing.

Jean-Pierre has defended the Biden presidency as "historic," and promotional materials for her book characterize a "betrayal" by the Decmoractic party in pressuring him to step aside instead of seeking a second term.

RELATED STORY | Biden audio release puts his age and health back in the spotlight

In the book, set to release in October, Jean-Pierre is said to call on Americans to "embrace life as independents." The publisher Legacy Lit presents the book as a critique of the U.S.' two-party political system and its shortcomings.

In a social media video, Jean-Pierre said she hopes the book will help answer a common question she hears from voters: "'How do we get out of this? How do we protect our democracy? How do we protect vulnerable communities among us? What do we do next?'

I think we need to stop thinking in boxes and think outside of our boxes and not be so partisan,' Jean-Pierre said.

The Democratic National Committee has declined comment to multiple outlets on the news of Jean-Pierre's switch to independence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is encouraging the public to report health care professionals who provide gender-affirming care to minors.

In a post on X on Monday, the agency said, "As the Attorney General has made clear, we will protect our children and hold accountable those who mutilate them under the guise of gender-affirming care."

It encouraged people to report "hospitals, clinics, or practitioners performing these surgical procedures on children."

Gender-affirming care includes mental health care, treatments like puberty blockers or hormone therapy and, in rare instances, surgery for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria. But it's something that is hardly ever done with children and handled on a case-by-case basis.

RELATED STORY | What really is gender-affirming care?

It's not illegal to receive gender-affirming care, but there are some states that restrict access to it for minors.

Doctors who spoke with the Scripps News Group in the past said providers will not consider gender-affirming medical treatment for kids who have not begun puberty. At most, they can offer family counseling or support.

"No one is walking into a visit and then walking out with the hormone prescription that same day. The other thing that takes time is actually getting into the clinic," said Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd, Medical Director of Children's Minnesota Gender Health Program, in a previous interview with the Scripps News Group. "Just to have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, you have to have symptoms or be experiencing distress for six months or longer. So at a minimum, it's a months-long process. But I would say in many cases a years-long process."

RELATED STORY | New study reveals gender-affirming hormone therapy reduces depression in transgender adults

The Trump administration has made it a mission to halt gender-affirming care for minors, despite it being a rare occurrence.

After a few days in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at cutting federal support for gender transitions for people under age 19.

A second federal judge put a pause on the executive order back in February.

The FBI arrested a Washington state man accused of providing large amounts of chemicals to make explosives for last month's bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, federal authorities said Wednesday.

Daniel Park, 32, was taken into custody on Tuesday night at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport after being deported from Poland, where he'd traveled four days after the bombing, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told reporters.

Federal authorities allege Park shipped 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate to Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, who bombed the clinic and was killed in the blast. The chemical compound is an explosive precursor that can be used to make homemade bombs, Essayli said.

Park traveled earlier this year to Twentynine Palms, California where he and Bartkus conducted experiments in bomb-making. authorities said.

RELATED STORY | Police believe explosion at California fertility clinic was intentional

Park and Bartkus met in online forums dedicated to the anti-natalist movement, bonding over a "shared belief that people shouldn't exist," said Akil Davis, the FBI's assistant director in charge.

Anti-natalism is a fringe theory that opposes childbirth and population growth and believes people should not continue to procreate. Officials said Bartkus intentionally targeted the fertility clinic as an act of terrorism. He tried to livestream the explosion, but the attempt failed, the FBI says.

The blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palms Springs and shattered the windows of nearby buildings along a palm tree-lined street. Witnesses described a loud boom followed by a chaotic scene, with people screaming in terror and glass strewn along the sidewalk and street. A body was found near a charred vehicle outside the clinic.

Investigators haven't said if he intended to kill himself in the attack or why he chose the specific facility. The clinic provides services to help people get pregnant, including in vitro fertilization and fertility evaluations.

RELATED STORY | Authorities investigating Palm Springs, California, fertility clinic explosion identify a suspect

Authorities executed a search warrant at Park's residence in Seattle and found "an explosive recipe that was similar to the Oklahoma City bombing," Davis said.

Scott Sweetow, a retired ATF explosives expert, had previously said the amount of damage caused indicated that the suspect used a "high explosive" similar to dynamite and TNT rather than a "low explosive" like gun powder.

Those types of explosives are normally difficult for civilians to access, but increasingly people are finding ways to concoct explosives at home, he said.

"Once you know the chemistry involved, it's pretty easy to get stuff," Sweetow said. "The ingredients you could get at a grocery store."

Davis previously called the explosion possibly the "largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California."

President Donald Trump said he spoke for more than an hour Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing recent developments in the ongoing war in Ukraine, including drone strikes on Russian airfields.

Trump said much of the conversation focused on Ukraines recent attacks, which reportedly damaged or destroyed more than 40 Russian combat aircraft, including long-range bombers and A-50 surveillance jets.

It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace, Trump said in a statement posted on Truth Social.

He added that Putin indicated he would respond to the recent strikes.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Ukrainian 'Spiderweb' drone strike destroys dozens of Russian warplanes

Days after the drone attack on the airfields, Ukraine launched another operation targeting the Kerch Bridge, a key supply route connecting mainland Russia to occupied Crimea.

Trump has pushed for a cease-fire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, but escalating fighting on both sides appears to have complicated those efforts.

A high-level Ukrainian delegation is currently in Washington, D.C., and is expected to show footage of the drone attacks to members of Congress as part of an effort to secure additional U.S. weapons sales.

RELATED STORY | Ukraine claims latest strike damaged key bridge connecting Russia and Crimea

FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin A. Makary said the agency is taking aggressive steps to modernize outdated regulations, expand choice and improve efficiency.

Makary said infant formula standards havent changed in 26 years, aside from one addition of selenium. Theres been no innovation in the space, he said, noting growing demand for cleaner products without corn syrup, added sugars or heavy metals. The FDA is convening a panel to examine the regulatory barriers and update the formula recipes manufacturers are required to follow.

RELATED STORY | RFK Jr. has ordered a review of baby formula. Here's what you should know

On COVID-19 vaccines, Makary told Scripps News that the agency is now taking a more measured approach, adding the FDA will no longer issue blanket recommendations for healthy children.

"I think people need to remember the government is not your doctor," he said.

RELATED STORY | Trump officials set new requirements for COVID vaccines in healthy adults and children

Makary also touted the agencys early rollout of an AI tool to assist reviewers in evaluating drug and device applications, calling it an "incredible success. The software, named Elsa, has cut review time by days and is being expanded agencywide.

Despite recent staffing cuts, Makary said no scientific reviewers or food inspectors were let go. Instead, reductions targeted administrative and communications staff in an effort to redirect resources to the FDAs core mission, he said.

"We created a culture of teamwork," he said. "We're going to continue to work to build that culture and create more of a friendly relationship with consolidated resources."

Law enforcement discovered a cache of weaponry and armor, including a machine gun and grenade launchers, along with Nazi paraphernalia during a raid of a home in Washington state, authorities said Tuesday.

Derek Sanders, the elected sheriff of Thurston County, said in a Facebook post that the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division asked his office for assistance Monday as an FBI special weapons and tactics team executed a search warrant in Lacey, near the state capitol of Olympia, "as a result of a violent robbery and theft of military weaponry/armor."

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the search warrant related to an Army CID and FBI investigation into an assault Sunday at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, just north of Olympia.

RELATED STORY | Search underway for Washington man accused of killing his 3 young daughters

Sanders' statement said two people were arrested and booked into Thurston County Jail for investigation of firearms-related offenses.

"The suspects identified in this case were actively involved in Nazi White Nationalist efforts," he wrote.

Sanders did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday night.

The U.S. Attorney's Office statement said Army investigators had identified suspects in the assault at the military base and the FBI executed the search warrant late Monday night into early Tuesday.

Reached for comment, the FBI said its Seattle office was "assisting our partners Thurston County Sheriff's Office and Army Criminal Investigation Division" and referred questions to them.

RELATED STORY | Anti-Defamation League says anger at Israel is now the driving force behind antisemitism in the US

Additional information was expected to be included in a federal criminal complaint to be unsealed Wednesday. The two people arrested were expected to make initial appearances at U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Wednesday afternoon.

In his post, Sanders said agents had seized 35 firearms at the home, including short barrel rifles and an MG42 machine gun a type typically supported with a bipod and which was used by German troops during World War II. Other seized gear included grenade launchers, explosives, body armor, ammunition and ballistic helmets, and multiple rifles were staged at windows throughout the residence, the sheriff said.

He posted photos from the home showing an array of weapons, ammunition and body armor surrounded by Nazi paraphernalia, including a red Nazi flag emblazoned with a black swastika.

Effective Wednesday, U.S. tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum doubled from 25% to 50%, escalating an ongoing trade war that is already weighing heavily on the global economy.

The new tariffs primarily impact imported steel and automobiles, further straining relations between the U.S. and its foreign trade partners.

According to the International Trade Administration, Canada remains the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, making it particularly vulnerable to these trade measures.

IN RELATED NEWS | Tariff deadline looms: US urges trade partners to submit best offers by Wednesday

Some economists have also cautioned that the U.S. economy may face the largest consequences from these tariff hikes, saying it will take years to reshore manufacturing and supply chains to the U.S. The White House, meanwhile, contends tariffs will bolster American manufacturing.

Speaking last week at U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works-Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump said the new tariff increase would "secure the steel industry in the United States," helping protect the jobs of domestic steel and aluminum workers.

He was attending to commemorate a deal in which Japan-based Nippon Steel committed to making a large investment in U.S. Steel.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Spike in steel tariffs could imperil Trump promise of lower grocery prices

The strong steel industry is not just a matter of dignity or prosperity or pride, President Trump said. Its, above all, a matter of national security.

The official details of the deal between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have not yet been announced. President Trump, however, has said as part of the deal, Nippon Steel will invest $14 billion and U.S. Steel's headquarters will stay in Pittsburgh.

A manhunt is underway for a suspect who is wanted in connection with the kidnapping and killing of his three young daughters in Washington state.

Authorities in Chelan County, located in the central part of the state, are asking for the public's help in locating 32-year-old Travis Decker of Wenatchee. It is not known if he is armed, but police said he is considered dangerous.

Decker is wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping after his daughters ages 9, 8, and 5 were found dead on Monday following a search.

The girls' mother reported them missing Friday night when they were not returned home from a planned visit with Decker, according to the Wenatchee Police Department.

Officers immediately initiated a search, focusing on Decker's white GMC Sierra truck, which he was believed to be living out of. They searched local hotels and contacted Washington State Patrol to request an AMBER Alert, however, police said it did not meet the required criteria.

On Saturday, Wenatchee Police said they contacted state authorities again with additional information, and an Endangered Missing Person Alert was issued.

Investigators received information, with help from the FBI and the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, that led them to search an area near Leavenworth. A warrant was obtained for Decker for charges of custodial interference.

A deputy located Decker's truck abandoned near the Rock Island Campground off of Icicle Road on Monday.

The bodies of the three girls were found about 75 to 100 yards away from the truck, according to court documents cited by The Seattle Times. Their cause of death is not confirmed, but the paper reported that police believe it was asphyxiation, and their wrists were zip-tied.

Decker was nowhere to be found.

A reward of up to $20,000 will be issued for any information that leads to his arrest, police said. Anyone who may have seen Decker since was asked to call 911 or submit a tip to the sheriff's office.

According to The Associated Press, Decker joined the Army in 2013 and transferred to the Washington National Guard in 2021. A spokesperson told The Associated Press that he was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time.

He reportedly stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge for him, The Associated Press reported.

President Donald Trumps big bill, making its way through Congress, will cut taxes by $3.75 trillion but also increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The CBO also estimates an increase of 10.9 million people without health insurance under the bill by 2034, including 1.4 million who are in the country without legal status in state-funded programs.

The package would reduce federal outlays, or spending, by nearly $1.3 trillion over that period, the budget office said.

Republicans cry crocodile tears over the debt when Democrats are in charge but explode it when theyre in power, said Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

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In the words of Elon Musk, Boyle said, reviving the billionaire and former Trump aides criticism of the package, this bill is a disgusting abomination.

The analysis comes at a crucial moment in the legislative process as Trump is pushing Congress to have the final product on his desk to sign into law by the Fourth of July. The work of the CBO, which for decades has served as the official scorekeeper of legislation in Congress, will be weighed by lawmakers and others seeking to understand the budgetary impacts of the sprawling 1,000-page-plus package.

Ahead of CBOs release, the White House and Republican leaders criticized the budget office in a pre-emptive campaign designed to sow doubt in its findings.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said CBO has been historically wrong and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the CBO was flat wrong because it underestimated the potential revenue from Trumps first round of tax breaks in 2017. The CBO last year said receipts were $1.5 trillion or 5.6% greater than predicted, in large part because of the burst of inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Leavitt also suggested that CBOs employees are biased, even though certain budget office workers face strict ethical rules including restrictions on campaign donations and political activity to ensure objectivity and impartiality.

RELATED STORY | Trump's budget bill could benefit wealthy instead of the poor, analysis reveals

Alongside the costs of the bill, the CBO had previously estimated that 8.6 million people would no longer have health care and 4 million fewer would have food stamps each month due to the legislations proposed changes to Medicaid and other programs.

The bill, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act after the presidents own catch phrase, is grinding its way through Congress, as the top priority of Republicans, who control both the House and Senate and face stiff opposition from Democrats at every step in the process.

Democrats call it Trumps big, ugly bill.

All told, the package seeks to extend the individual income tax breaks that had been approved in 2017, but will expire in December if Congress fails to act, while adding new ones, including no taxes on tips. It also includes a massive buildup of $350 billion for border security, deportations and national security.

To help cover the lost revenue, Republicans want to slash some federal spending. They propose phasing out green energy tax breaks put in place during Democrat Joe Biden's presidency. New work requirements for some adults up to age 65 on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, would begin in December 2026 and is expected to result in less spending on those programs.

The package also would provide a $4 trillion increase to the nations debt limit, which is now $36 trillion, to allow more borrowing. The Treasury projects the debt limit will need to be raised this summer to pay the nations already accrued bills.

Now in its 50th year, the CBO was established by law after Congress sought to assert its control, as outlined in the Constitution, over the budget process, in part by setting up the new office as an alternative to the White Houses Office of Management and Budget.

Staffed by some 275 economists, analysts and other employees, the CBO says it seeks to provide Congress with objective, impartial information about budgetary and economic issues.

Its current director, Phillip Swagel, a former Treasury Department official in Republican President George W. Bushs administration, was reappointed to a four-year term in 2023.

An immigrant accused of threatening to kill former President Donald Trump will remain in jail for at least another week, even after police say another man confessed to writing the threatening letters.

Ramon Morales Reyes was arrested May 22 after Immigration and Customs Enforcement received a handwritten note allegedly from him, stating he would self-deport after shooting Trump in the head at one of his rallies.

At a bond hearing Wednesday, an immigration judge said she and the Department of Homeland Security need more time to determine whether Morales Reyes poses a danger to the community. His next hearing is scheduled for June 10.

After Morales Reyes' arrest, police charged Demetric Deshawn Scott, 52, with identity theft and felony intimidation of a witness for allegedly sending the threats.

Detectives found that Morales Reyes does not write or speak English fluently, and handwriting samples did not match the letters. Authorities also noted that Morales Reyes was scheduled to testify against Scott in a pending armed robbery and battery case. Scott is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail ahead of a July 14 trial.

Investigators said they listened to calls Scott made from the jail and found calls asking someone to mail letters for him. In other calls, Scott claimed he would be out of jail by July 15.

"Dude don't come to court then they gonna have to dismiss my case," Scott said on one of the calls.

In a call made after Moraels Reyes' arrest, Scott said he "got what he deserved."

In a statement to Scripps News, the Department of Homeland Security said Morales Reyes is no longer under investigation for the threats against the president.

"[Morales Reyes] will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings as he is in the country illegally with previous arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier," the statement says.

The U.S. government has decided not to force a migrant Mexican mother and her 4-year-old daughter who requires special medical care to leave the country.

After weeks of facing the threat of being deported, an attorney for the girl's family said U.S. immigration officials have granted her and her mother humanitarian parole to remain in the U.S. so she can continue receiving life-saving care.

The child, Sophia, has a serious condition known as short bowel syndrome and has been receiving specialized treatment at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. According to her mother and attorneys, returning to Mexico would have meant losing access to the care Sophia requires and likely would have resulted in hospitalization.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Mother worries deporting 4-year-old with medical needs puts her life at risk

"We are profoundly grateful that [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] acted swiftly to grant Sofia and her mother one year of humanitarian parole," the family's attorneys said in a statement. "By moving quickly, the agency has ensured that a fouryearold girl can continue receiving her life-saving medical treatment. We commend USCIS for its responsiveness and for recognizing the urgency of this situation."

Sophia and her mother were granted temporary humanitarian parole to enter the United States in 2023, which was expected to last through July 2025. In April, however, the family received a letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stating they were no longer permitted to remain in the country and must return to Mexico immediately.

An attorney for the family said Sophia's doctors had "been clear that she will die within days" if forced to return to Mexico.

Sophias mother pleded with the government to allow them to remain in the U.S. long enough for her daughter to recover something doctors believe is possible with continued treatment.

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Scripps News reached out to ICE to ask why the family's humanitarian parole was revoked in the first place, but has not received a response. On Tuesday, however, the government reversed its decision, granting the mother and daughter an additional year to remain in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds.

"Our immigration system must protect everyone facing lifethreatening harm," the family's attorneys stated. "We cannot let this country turn its back on our immigrant neighbors seeking safety, justice, and a fair chance at life. We urge USCIS to build on this momentumreopening accessible lines of communication, preventing wrongful terminations before they spiral into crises, and ensuring that every family facing imminent harm receives the prompt consideration Sofia receivedbecause saving Sofia was never just about one child; its about what kind of nation we choose to be.

The Trump administration has said it is reviewing humanitarian parole policies as part of a broader crackdown on immigration. An executive order signed earlier this year states that decisions on such cases will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A man who identified himself as a New Orleans jail escapee released videos on social media while still on the run, leading to a police raid that failed to recapture him, an Associated Press source says.

Authorities were so convinced about the authenticity of the videos that they searched a home a little over 2 miles from the jail late Monday, where they believe the recordings were made by escapee Antoine Massey, according to a senior law enforcement official who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity. The official said he wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation into the May 16 escape by 10 inmates.

Massey was not at the New Orleans home on the edge of the Fairgrounds and Gentilly neighborhoods, the official said, but authorities did locate clothing they believe he wore during filming.

The owner of the home, Shedrick Burnell, said it was being rented and declined to name the tenant. He told AP by phone that he had never seen or heard of Massey before the jailbreak and the videos circulated online, but he appeared unfazed that a fugitive had likely used his property as a hideout.

"I'm 76, I've seen a helluva lot worse than this," said the Louisiana native. "As long as my tenant is safe, there's nothing I can do."

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When an AP reporter knocked at the home Tuesday afternoon, no one answered.

Next door, a house under construction had been kicked in and the backdoor, gate and windows were open likely due to the police search, said Tariq Aldahir, an electrician who had been working on that property, adjacent to where Massey had allegedly been hiding.

"It's a little scary -- if he is as dangerous a criminal as they say he is, what is he capable of doing?" Aldahir said. "He's desperate -- any human being who is desperate, there's no limit to what they can do."

Authorities were tipped off to the videos, posted online Sunday, by relatives who recognized the residence.

Authorities are racing to recapture Massey and convicted murderer Derrick Groves, more than two weeks since the audacious breakout. Eight other escapees have since been recaptured.

State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges said that despite the agency's confidence in its investigations, "things change at a moment's notice and it's usually because someone has helped them." He encouraged people to keep offering tips. Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward per escapee.

Louisiana State Police, the agency leading the search, declined to comment on whether it had verified Massey's identity in the videos. The agency carried out the search related to the videos since removed from Instagram which seemingly show a man with the same facial tattoos as Massey sitting near a kitchen.

"Please, I'm asking for help," said Massey, appealing to President Donald Trump and several rappers, including New Orleans native Lil Wayne in one video. "When I get back in custody, I'm asking y'all please to come and help."

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson urged Massey to surrender, adding in a statement: "Cooperating with law enforcement is in his best interest and may help avoid additional charges."

Massey, 32, faced charges of rape, kidnapping, domestic violence involving strangulation and violation of a protective order all stemming from a November 2024 incident, authorities in nearby St. Tammany Parish say. In Orleans Parish, he faced charges of motor vehicle theft and domestic battery.

Massey said he's innocent and also claimed on video that he'd been "let out" of jail.

A woman police identified as being in an on-again, off-again relationship with Massey and who suffered from domestic abuse at his hands, police reports indicate was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and as a principal to aggravated escape, court records show. Authorities said the woman knew of Massey's escape plans beforehand, communicated with him afterward and misled authorities.

During a Tuesday press conference, Gov. Jeff Landry, a tough-on-crime Republican, urged the two escapees "quit the hide-and-seek game" and turn themselves in.

Video and images from the breakout show inmates had yanked open a faulty cell door, removed a toilet and crawled through a hole where steel bars had been cut before using blanks to get over a barbed wire fence.

A maintenance worker charged with helping the incarcerated men escape has denied knowingly aiding them, via his lawyer.

A federal judge has barred state officials from enforcing a Florida law that would ban social media accounts for young children, while a legal challenge against the law plays out. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued the order Tuesday, blocking portions of the law from taking effect.

The measure was one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S. on social media use by children when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law in 2024. The law would ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for their use by 14- and 15-year-olds.

In his order granting the preliminary injunction sought by the groups Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, Walker wrote that the law is likely unconstitutional, but acknowledged that parents and lawmakers have sincere concerns about social media's effects on kids.

Walker wrote that the prohibition on social media platforms from allowing certain age groups to have accounts directly burdens those youths rights to engage in and access speech.

Also Tuesday, a federal judge in Atlanta heard arguments from NetChoice seeking to block a 2024 Georgia law scheduled to take effect July 1 that would require age verification for social media accounts and require children younger than 16 to get parental permission for accounts. Like in Florida and other states where laws have been blocked, the internet trade group NetChoice argues that the Georgia law infringes on free speech rights, is vague, and overly burdensome.

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While siding with the industry groups' claims that the law limits free speech, Walker allowed a provision of the Florida law to go into effect requiring platforms to shut down accounts for children under 16, if their parent or guardian requests it.

Parents and even some teens themselves are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. Supporters of the laws have said they are needed to help curb the explosive use of social media among young people, and what researchers say is an associated increase in depression and anxiety.

Matt Schruers, the president and CEO of the industry association CCIA, praised the judge's order blocking the Florida law.

This ruling vindicates our argument that Floridas statute violates the First Amendment by blocking and restricting minors and likely adults as well from using certain websites to view lawful content," he said in a statement. "We look forward to seeing this statute permanently blocked as a violation of Floridians constitutional right to engage in lawful speech online."

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A spokesperson for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier defended the law and the state's efforts to insulate kids from social media at a time when platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat seem almost impossible to escape.

Florida parents voted through their elected representatives for a law protecting kids from the harmful and sometimes lifelong tragic impacts of social media. These platforms do not have a constitutional right to addict kids to their products, Uthmeier's press secretary Jae Williams said in a statement. We disagree with the courts order and will immediately seek relief in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In Atlanta, NetChoice attorney Jeremy Maltz told U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg that Georgia's law would impermissibly restrict speech by minors, saying that before you share your art, before you share your political information, you need to produce your papers, please.

Totenberg did not rule Tuesday. But citing rulings against similar laws in other states, she expressed skepticism about Georgia's case, asking Deputy Attorney General Logan Winkles: What makes today different from all other days?"

Winkles argued the law's requirement of commercially reasonable attempts to verify age could be quite cheap and likened it to banning minors from bars serving alcohol, not restricting their speech.

There are things about social media that make it dangerous, Winkles said. It's a place where children are being restricted. It's not about speech.

Two Chinese researchers are facing multiple charges for allegedly smuggling a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the United States, federal authorities announced.

A complaint filed Tuesday identifies the smuggled item as Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that can cause severe plant diseases affecting crops such as corn, rice, and barley.

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. stated that Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, both citizens of China, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, making false statements, and visa fraud.

"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party are of the gravest national security concerns," Gorgon said in a statement. "These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a potential agroterrorism weapon into the heartland of America."

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According to an FBI affidavit, the researchers had planned to study the pathogen at a University of Michigan laboratory; however, the purpose of their research is not detailed. The complaint states that Jian received Chinese government funding for work on the pathogen in China.

FBI Director Kash Patel indicated that this incident could point to potential targeting of the U.S. food supply by the Chinese Communist Party.

"I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country," Patel said in a statement. "... This fungus can cause a disease called 'head blight,' a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, causing significant health issues in both humans and livestock. It is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year."

The investigation remains ongoing, with the FBI and Customs and Border Protection involved.

Wednesday marks a pivotal day for President Donald Trump's tariff negotiations, as the White House calls for foreign trade partners to submit their best offers by today.

This comes as the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs approaches its end on July 9. Many experts, however, are doubtful that the Trump administration can finalize such a wide range of trade agreements in such a short timeframe.

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Currently, the U.S. is focused on securing deals with various countries, including China. While no concrete agreements have been finalized, discussions are actively taking place with countries like India and the United Kingdom, alongside a preliminary agreement with China that has already eased some retaliatory tariffs.

The administration remains optimistic, urging nations to take note of the impending deadlines through letters issued by the U.S. trade representative. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the administration believes progress is being made and announcements should be expected soon.

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In an effort to further address the ongoing trade tensions, President Trump is expected to hold a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed hope that this communication will help reduce the escalating tensions between the two economic giants.

This story was initially reported by a journalist 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.