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By Sarah Naffa
July 02, 2025
By Sarah Naffa
July 02, 2025
In the news today: Republicans are getting closer to the finish line after the latest version of President Trump’s big bill passed the Senate; the US Justice Department is ramping up its plans to revoke the citizenship of immigrants who’ve committed crimes or pose a national security risk; and the latest updates on a ceasefire proposal in the war in Gaza. Also, the Dalai Lama says he plans to reincarnate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is flanked by Sen. John Barrasso, the GOP whip, left, and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, after passage of President Trump's signature bill at the Capitol on Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
POLITICS
What’s in the latest version of Trump’s big bill that passed the Senate
Republicans are getting closer to the finish line in getting their tax and spending cut bill through Congress with a final House vote possible on Wednesday. At some 887 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities. Read more.
What to know:
Tax cuts are the priority. Existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill. It temporarily would add new tax breaks that Trump campaigned on. The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase in income from the legislation, which would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House’s version. Middle-income taxpayers would see a tax break of $500 to $1,500, the CBO said.
There were some last-minute changes to the bill. 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 amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China.
What the Justice Department’s push to bring denaturalization cases means
The Justice Department is ramping up its plans to revoke the citizenship of immigrants who’ve committed crimes or pose a national security risk, according to a recent memo underscoring the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda. Read more.
Why this matters:
The public push is raising concerns from advocates, who have accused the administration of trying to use immigration enforcement for political purposes. It’s receiving increased scrutiny after a Republican member of Congress suggested that Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Democratic mayoral candidate, should be subject to denaturalization proceedings.
The push was announced in a memo from the recently confirmed head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. Shumate said the cases the department will prioritize include people who “pose a potential danger to national security,” people who commit violent crimes, members of gangs and drug cartels and people who commit Medicaid fraud and other types of fraud.
Hamas says it’s ready for a ceasefire but wants a complete end to the war in Gaza
Hamas suggested Wednesday that it was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, but stopped short of accepting a U.S.-backed proposal announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Read more.
What to know:
Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. But Hamas’ response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting.
Hamas has said that it’s willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do.
Don’t let the season go by without making strawberry shortcake When strawberries are in season, it is incumbent upon us to make the most of those fleeting weeks. And there’s no better way to put them to use than in a classic strawberry shortcake.
Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
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