Senate Republicans overcome 3 holdouts to send ‘big beautiful’ bill to House. Here’s a recap of Tuesday.

By the Associated Press

André Bauer, a wealthy developer, is mounting the challenge, arguing that Sen. Graham is not conservative enough for the state.

Bauer is a longtime backer of the president. His candidacy sets up a midterm grudge match with the four-term senator, whose relationship with Trump has undulated through the years but who has his endorsement for reelection.

Bauer calls himself “a real, America First conservative” intent on representing South Carolina conservatives’ values.

“I think Graham’s been there too long, and he votes like it,” Bauer told AP. “I’m guaranteed, I’m conservative and I don’t think he is.”

Republicans dominate South Carolina’s statewide elections, so the most intense political competition takes place in GOP primaries.

Graham, who has faced previous challenges from the right, kicked off his reelection campaign in February. At least one other Republican has also announced a primary challenge.

Graham’s campaign announced this week that Chris LaCivita, a co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 bid, would serve as a senior adviser.

By AMANDA SEITZ, KIMBERLY KINDY

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The administration violated federal privacy laws when it turned over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged Tuesday, saying he and 19 other states’ attorneys general have sued over the move.

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisers ordered the release of a dataset including the private health information of people in California, Illinois, Washington, and Washington, D.C., to the Department of Homeland Security last month, AP reported. Those jurisdictions let noncitizens enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars.

The unusual sharing of private health information, including addresses, names, social security numbers, immigration status and claims data, came as deportation officials accelerated enforcement efforts.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon has defended the release.

“HHS acted entirely within its legal authority — and in full compliance with all applicable laws — to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them,” he said in a statement.

32 min ago

By REBECCA BOONE

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U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the federal agency, which invests in African small businesses.

Leon ruled Tuesday that Trump violated federal law when he appointed Pete Marocco as the new head of USDAF because Marocco was never confirmed by Congress.

As a result the judge found Marocco’s actions — terminating most of the agency’s employees and effectively ending its grants — were void and must be undone.

Congress created USADF as an independent agency in 1980, and its board members must be confirmed by the Senate.

The judge found in a separate case that Trump had the legal authority to fire the previous members of the USADF board.

Pirro wrote in court documents in that case that the president also has the legal authority to appoint someone to run USADF until the Senate can confirm his nominees.

47 min ago

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

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The former FBI supervisory agent, Jared Lane Wise, was charged with joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol and cheering on rioters.

He is now working as an adviser to DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin Jr., who is overseeing its “weaponization working group,” according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss a personnel matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The working group is examining the president’s claims of anti-conservative bias inside the department.

When Trump returned to office, he picked Martin to serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. But he pulled the nomination after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin due to his defense of Capitol rioters.

Martin was a leading figure in Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement and spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Capitol riot. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants.

A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment. The New York Times was first to report on Wise’s appointment.

52 min ago

By AAMER MADHANI, SAMY MAGDY

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The president’s promise that it was his best and final offer may find a skeptical audience with Hamas.

Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza’s civilian populace.

Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza. Israel rejects that, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something that the group refuses.

Hamas is still capable of landing fatal blows to Israeli forces. But U.S. officials believe that the group’s been significantly diminished as its centralized command and control capabilities have deteriorated over the course of the nearly 21-month conflict.

8:24 PM EDT

By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Pam Bondi’s recent comments about evidence the Justice Department is reviewing from its Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation has fueled anticipation about the expected release of more files related to the wealthy financier.

But weeks after Bondi’s claim about “tens of thousands” of Epstein videos in the government’s possession, it remains unclear what she was referring to.

A New York financier with ties to politicians and other famous and powerful people, Epstein was arrested in 2019 as he arrived in the U.S. from Paris aboard his private jet and charged with sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls during the early 2000s.

The case was brought more than a decade after a secret plea deal with federal prosecutors in Florida disposed of nearly identical allegations.

▶ Read more about takeaways from AP’s report about the case and Bondi’s remarks

8:13 PM EDT

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

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Powell stuck Tuesday to his position that the central bank will keep its key rate on hold while it waits to see how the president’s tariffs affect the economy, despite the steady stream of criticism from the White House, which wants lower borrowing costs.

Powell, speaking in Portugal at a conference hosted by the European Central Bank, also said U.S. inflation is likely to pick up later this summer, though he acknowledged that the timing and magnitude is uncertain. He said the Fed will keep rates on hold while it evaluates the tariffs’ impact.

“As long as the economy is in solid shape, we think the prudent thing to do is to wait and see what those effects might be,” Powell said.

Powell’s comments underscored the divide between him and the Trump administration. Trump has repeatedly urged the Fed to cut its key rate, which he says would save taxpayers billions of dollars and boost the economy.

▶ Read more about Powell and the president’s frustrations with him

7:51 PM EDT

By KEN SWEET

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The dismissal is the latest example of how the Trump-led CFPB is undoing much of the work it did under President Joe Biden, even in instances where bad actors agreed to provide redress and compensation to victims.

The case dates from late 2024 and deals with an issue known as “authorized positive overdraft fees,” which happen when a bank initially approves a debit card transaction but later charges the customer a overdraft fee when that earlier transaction settles and there are insufficient funds in the account.

Navy Federal was found to authorize these types of overdraft fees between 2017 and 2022, later stopping the practice and refunding some customers.

Under the previous settlement, Navy Federal was to pay a $15 million fine and refund $80 million in illegally paid overdraft fees.

In a statement, Navy Federal defended its use of overdraft and supported the CFPB’s decision. It added that it “complied with all applicable laws and regulations at the time and continues to do so.”

7:38 PM EDT

By KEVIN FREKING, LISA MASCARO

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Republicans are getting closer to the finish line in getting their tax and spending cut bill through Congress with a final House vote possible Wednesday.

At some 887 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations.

There could be changes as GOP lawmakers continue to negotiate.

▶ Read more about what’s in the bill

7:26 PM EDT

By MEAD GRUVER

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A visitor looks at a portrait of President Donald Trump in the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.(AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

The new likeness by artist Vanessa Horabuena of Tempe, Arizona, is a sterner, crisper image than Sarah Boardman’s painting of Trump, which had hung since 2019.

After Trump objected to it this spring, lawmakers announced the next day that they would remove it from a wall of past presidents. By the day after that, it was in museum storage.

The Horabuena portrait went up this week.

“There was a blank on the wall. It seemed inappropriate. We knew that the White House had sent us this replacement, and it simply made sense to put it up,” said Lois Court, a former state lawmaker who chairs the Capitol Building Advisory Committee, which helps select artwork for the statehouse.

On Tuesday the building was sleepy, with lawmakers out of session. A smattering of tourists took photos of the new portrait.

“Thank you to the Highly Talented Artist, Vanessa Horabuena, and the incredible people of Colorado,” Trump said in a social media post.

7:15 PM EDT

By ADRIANA GÓMEZ LICÓN

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U.S. President Donald Trump toured a new Florida detention center on Tuesday, getting a firsthand look at what the White House suggests will be especially secure given its dangerous natural surroundings.

Trump visited the isolated airstrip, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by state officials, on Tuesday.

7:02 PM EDT

By WILL WEISSERT, MATTHEW LEE

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The U.S. is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said Tuesday.

Certain munitions were previously promised under the Biden administration for use during Ukraine’s war with Russia. The pause, first reported by Politico, reflects a new set of priorities under Trump.

“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.The Pentagon review determined that stocks were too low for some items previously pledged, so pending shipments of some items won’t be sent, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been made public.

To date the U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia invaded in February 2022.

6:52 PM EDT

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

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6:46 PM EDT

By AAMER MADHANI, SAMY MAGDY

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The president announced the development as he prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House on Monday. Trump has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war in Gaza.

“My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” the president wrote, adding that the Qataris and Egyptians would deliver the final proposal.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he said.

6:35 PM EDT

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

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6:33 PM EDT

By COLLIN BINKLEY

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On Tuesday afternoon the University of Pennsylvania’s website showed other athletes as holding the school’s top times in the freestyle events of former women’s team swimmer Lia Thomas, part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case.

The site was annotated with a note that read, “Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.”

“While Penn’s policies during the 2021-2022 swim season were in accordance with NCAA eligibility rules at the time, we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules,” university President J. Larry Jameson said in a statement. “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”

Thomas last competed for the school in 2022, when she became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.

6:09 PM EDT

By MATTHEW DALY

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The sprawling Republican budget bill approved by the Senate removes the proposed tax but quickly phases out tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy.

The Senate approved the bill 51-50 as Trump and GOP lawmakers move to dismantle the 2022 climate law passed by Democrats under former President Joe Biden. The bill now moves to the House for final legislative approval.

The excise tax on solar and wind generation projects was added to the Senate bill over the weekend, prompting bipartisan pushback from lawmakers as well as clean energy developers and advocates.

The final bill removes the tax but mostly sticks with legislative language released late Friday night and would end incentives for clean energy sooner than a draft version unveiled two weeks ago.

6:04 PM EDT

By ERIC TUCKER

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Their activities include allegedly taking photographs of a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop and participating in efforts to recruit members of the military who they thought might be open to working for Chinese intelligence.

The case, unsealed Monday, is the latest DOJ prosecution targeting what officials say are active efforts by Beijing to secretly collect intelligence about American military capabilities — a practice laid bare two years ago with China’s launching of a surveillance balloon that the U.S. ultimately shot down.

“This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country.”

The two suspects were arrested. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers, and a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday.

5:43 PM EDT

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

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The Cuban Volleyball Federation said last week that the team, comprising 12 athletes, a referee and several coaches, had their visa requests denied and will be unable to attend this month’s NORCECA Women’s Final Four in Manati.

The tournament includes Puerto Rico, Mexico and Costa Rica and awards ranking points toward qualification for the Volleyball Nations League.

Cuban coach Wilfredo Robinson said the decision means his team is likely to miss out on the Nations League: “The competition grants points for each match, and at the end it all adds up.”

“It’s really disappointing not to be able to participate in the competition, which is what I’ve been preparing myself for,” player Laura Suarez said.

The U.S. added Cuba to a list of 12 countries with entry restrictions, effective from early June.

The U.S. Embassy said it cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy policies but directives are being implemented to secure U.S. borders and protect communities and citizens.

5:20 PM EDT

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

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The Justice Department is ramping up its plans to revoke the citizenship of immigrants who have committed crimes or pose a national security risk, according to a recent memo underscoring the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda.

Efforts to identity and go after those suspected of cheating to get their citizenship are not new to this administration.

But the public push is raising concerns from advocates who have accused the administration of trying to use immigration enforcement for political purposes. It is 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.

▶ Read more about the denaturalization process and what the Justice Department’s memo means

5:12 PM EDT

By SETH BORENSTEIN

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The legally mandated assessments seem to have disappeared from federal websites built to display them, making it harder for state and local governments and the public to learn what to expect in their backyards from a warming world.

Websites for the national assessments and the U.S. Global Change Research Program were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere.

Searches on NASA websites did not turn them up. NASA did not respond to requests for information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which coordinated the information in the assessments, did not respond to repeated inquiries.

The White House, which was responsible for the assessments, said the information will be housed within NASA to comply with the law, but gave no further details.

Scientists say the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives.

“It’s critical for decision makers across the country to know what the science in the National Climate Assessment is,” said University of Arizona climate scientist Kathy Jacobs, who coordinated the 2014 version of the report.

▶ Read more about the climate assessments

5:03 PM EDT

By COLLIN BINKLEY, BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS

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The Trump administration is withholding more than $6 billion for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as part of a review to ensure the grants align with the president’s priorities.

The move leaves states and schools in limbo as they budget for programs this summer and in the upcoming school year, introducing new uncertainty about when — or if — they will receive the money.

Programs that rely on the funding were expecting it to be distributed July 1, but an Education Department notice issued Monday announced that it would not be released while the programs are under review. The department said “decisions have not yet been made” on grants for the school year.

4:41 PM EDT

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER

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Marco Rubio disparaged the U.S. Agency for International Development’s work Tuesday, as the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency took final effect. Rubio ordered the slim wedge of USAID programs that have survived administration cuts absorbed into the State Department.

“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War,” Rubio said in a Substack post.

The administration’s new, slimmed-down aid system would cut bureaucracy to respond faster to crises, empower diplomats out in the field at a reduced number of regional bureaus and emphasize U.S. trade, not aid, Rubio wrote.

4:38 PM EDT

By AMANDA SEITZ

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The lawsuit filed Tuesday targets new administration rules giving millions of people a shorter timeframe to sign up for the Affordable Care Act’s health care coverage.

The rules reverse a Biden-era effort to expand access to the ACA’s health insurance, commonly called Obamacare. The Biden administration expanded the enrollment window, which led to record sign-ups.

As many as 2 million people — nearly 10% — are expected to lose coverage under the new rules.

The mayors of Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio filed suit against the health department, saying the rules will result in more uninsured residents and overburden city services.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement that the new rules “safeguard the future of the marketplace” and will lower premiums for those who remain in the program.”

“The rule closes loopholes, strengthens oversight, and ensures taxpayer subsidies go to those who are truly eligible — that’s not controversial, it’s common sense,” Nixon said.

4:27 PM EDT

By COLLIN BINKLEY

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The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender women from its women’s sports teams to resolve the federal civil rights case, which found the school violated the rights of female athletes.

The U.S. Education Department announced the voluntary agreement Tuesday, part of the Trump administration’s broader attempt to remove transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.

Thomas last competed for the Ivy League school in Philadelphia in 2022, when she became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.

FILE - University of Pennsylvania athlete Lia Thomas competes in the 200 freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, March 18, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Thomas finished tied for fifth place. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Under the agreement Penn agreed to restore all individual Division I swimming records and titles to female athletes who lost out to Thomas, the Education Department said. It also agreed to send a personalized apology letter to each of those swimmers.

It was not immediately clear whether Thomas would be stripped of her awards and honors.

Penn must also announce that it “will not allow males to compete in female athletic programs” and adopt “biology-based” definitions of male and female, the department said.

4:20 PM EDT

By GARY D. ROBERTSON

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Rep. Pat Harrigan, a first-term state congressman mentioned often in Republican circles as a potential candidate to succeed the retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, said he would immediately back the president’s daughter-in-law if she enters the race.

Lara Trump said earlier this week that she would consider running. She previously decided to forego Senate opportunities in 2022 in North Carolina, where she grew up, and in 2024 in Florida, where she lives now.

Harrigan said on the social platform X that “there’s lots of excitement around the 2026 Senate race, but let me be crystal clear about something: if ⁦‪@LaraLeaTrump‬⁩ enters this race, I’ll be the first to endorse her and the first to fight for her victory.”

FILE - Pat Harrigan, North Carolina Republican congressional candidate for the 10th district, speaks in Mint Hill, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

FILE - Fox News host and President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump waves to White House national security adviser Mike Waltz at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

4:15 PM EDT

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

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3:54 PM EDT

By ERIC TUCKER

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The FBI says it’s moving its headquarters to another Washington location several blocks away from its current home.

The bureau and the General Services Administration said the FBI’s new home would be at the Ronald Reagan Building complex. The FBI’s current Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building, was dedicated in 1975.

The decision represents an about-face from plans announced during the Biden administration to move the FBI to Greenbelt, Maryland. Trump administration officials said Tuesday that moving the headquarters to suburban Washington would have taken years and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

The Reagan building is home to Customs and Border Protection. It had also housed the U.S. Agency for International Development, which on Monday marked its last day as an independent agency. It was not immediately clear when the move will take effect.

3:51 PM EDT

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER

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FILE - A malnourished child received treatment at the Intersos facility, an Italian humanitarian organization, the only remaining facility providing in-patient services for malnutrition in Dikwa, northeastern, Nigeria, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A study published in the Lancet medical journal points to the impact that the U.S. Agency for International Development has had, calculating the U.S. agency saved 91 million lives in the first two decades of this century alone.

The study by researchers in Spain and elsewhere was published Monday, USAID’s last day as an independent agency. The Trump administration has fired most of 13,000 workers and terminated most of its contracts, as it pulls back on foreign assistance.

The new study says USAID programs between 2001 and 2001 more than halved deaths from HIV-AIDs, malaria and tropical diseases around the world.Researchers also projected the deaths expected as a result of USAID cuts and USAID’s elimination: More than 14 million more people dying, including 4.5 million children, by 2030, researchers say.

3:41 PM EDT

By JOSHUA BOAK

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A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters, said it wouldn’t be productive for the House to review in a conference committee the tax cut-and-spending bill passed Tuesday by the Senate.

The White House as a practice often provides background briefings to reporters on policy issues in which officials talk on the condition of anonymity.

The official said it wouldn’t be a path to success to do so in a measure that is 85% the same as what the House passed earlier.

Congress often forms conference committees to resolve differences in bills passed by the House and Senate, but the Trump administration is pushing the House to vote directly on the Senate bill in hopes of meeting Trump’s deadline of Friday, July 4 to celebrate its passage.

3:32 PM EDT

By MICHELLE PRICE

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FILE - Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump arrives at a campaign rally, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

The president told reporters on Air Force One that his daughter-in-law Lara Trump would be his first choice to replace Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, but she doesn’t live in the state anymore.

It wasn’t clear if he was ruling out his daughter-in-law, whom he picked last year to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and whether her residency might preclude her from running.

Tillis said Sunday he will not seek reelection next year, an announcement that came after he opposed Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts package.Trump said he doesn’t know who the candidates will be to run for Tillis’ seat but predicted a member of Congress — without naming which one — might run.

3:04 PM EDT

By JOEY CAPPELETTI

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters about President Donald Trump’s bombardment of three sites in Iran and the debate in Congress over his authority to launch the strikes, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that “all legislative tools and options are on the table” as Democrats strategize to prevent Republicans from giving final passage to Trump’s big bill.

Jeffries said Democratic leadership would meet Tuesday evening, followed by a full caucus meeting at 6 p.m. He said he expects all members to be at the Capitol this week.

He used especially forceful language after the bill passed the House, saying “this disgusting abomination will set in motion a potential economic death spiral.”

To delay final passage past Trump’s self-imposed July 4th deadline, Jeffries did not rule out invoking a “magic minute,” a rarely used tool allowing unlimited speaking time for leaders after debate has officially ended.

2:52 PM EDT

By BECKY BOHRER

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Considerable attention had been given to moderate Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, ahead of the Senate vote on tax break and spending cut legislation. Murkowski voted in favor of the bill.

On Tuesday, she told reporters it is “not a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination,” but said she supported continuing the tax breaks first passed in 2017, as well as the idea of no tax on tips or overtime. She also felt she secured provisions for Alaska around programs such as Medicaid and SNAP that she said were aimed at ensuring people who are vulnerable aren’t made more vulnerable.

But she said there was much more work to do and said trying to rush a bill through Congress for final passage by Friday would be a “mistake.”

2:23 PM EDT

By KEVIN FREKING

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House Democrats are chiding Republicans for rushing to get President Trump’s tax and spending cut bill to his desk by Friday for a 4th of July signing ceremony.

Members of the House Rules Committee immediately went to work setting terms for debate on the bill, barely an hour after the Senate approved it.Rep. Jim McGovern, the committee’s top Democratic lawmaker, said there’s no real deadline for getting the bill passed and the July 4th deadline was an arbitrary marker made up by the president.

“We’re rushing not because the country demands it, but because he wants to throw himself another party,” McGovern said. “This isn’t policy. It’s ego management.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx, the committee’s Republican chair, said Democrats are engaging in fearmongering about the bill and said American’s understand that. She called the bill “the embodiment of the America First agenda.”

2:16 PM EDT

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Elon Musk’s feud with President Donald Trump has reignited, with the tech billionaire threatening to launch a new political party, and Trump suggesting Musk could be punished for his opposition.

2:03 PM EDT

By ANNIE MA

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Democratic attorneys general from 16 states have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s termination of grant funding to to mental health programs designed to address counselor shortages in schools.

The $1 billion in grants were part of bipartisan gun control legislation Congress passed in 2022 after the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The money was used to help districts train, retain and recruit mental health workers, particularly in low-income and rural schools.

The Trump administration told grant recipients in April that their funding would not be continued, saying the programs’ efforts to recruit diverse counselors and social workers violated executive orders against diversity, equity and inclusion.

1:31 PM EDT

By The Associated Press

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Sen. Rand Paul speaks to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol following the Senate’s passage of Trump’s tax bill.

1:27 PM EDT

By JONATHAN POET

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A federal judge has ruled that the recent mass U.S. Health and Human Services layoffs were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce.

U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May.

DuBose said the states had shown “irreparable harm,” from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that the “HHS’s action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.”

“The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,” DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in U.S. district court of Rhode Island.

Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing any further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11.

1:17 PM EDT

By KEVIN FREKING

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The House Rules Committee, which sets the terms for how the legislation will be debated, including amendments and length of time for debate, has scheduled a meeting for 1:30 p.m. That’s barely an hour after the Senate approved the measure with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

The House is returning Wednesday morning and Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated that after the Senate vote that Republicans are “ready to finish the job.”

The House had approved an earlier version of the bill in late May with only one vote to spare. Now, they’ll be voting on the version amended by the Senate.

It could be a difficult vote for some of the GOP’s fiscal hawks. Namely, it is projected to increase federal deficits by $3.3 trillion, nearly $1 trillion more than the House-passed bill.

1:08 PM EDT

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

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Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., listens during a roundtable at “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

DeSantis said immigrants in the U.S. illegally should go home on their own, as the Trump administration has been encouraging them to do, and not risk being detained and brought to the Florida facility.

“Why would you want to come to Alligator Alcatraz if you can just go home on your own?” the governor said, using the state’s nickname for the center. The Trump administration has encouraged migrants to “self deport” and preserve the opportunity to come back to the U.S. in the future.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says they can’t ever return if the government deports them.

1:08 PM EDT

By CHRIS MEGERIAN

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The facility is being assembled with tents and trailers on top of an existing airstrip, meaning it hasn’t required laying new concrete or constructing permanent new buildings.

DeSantis said people protesting about the potential environmental impact were simply opposed to deportations. Trump said he wasn’t worried either, saying “I don’t think you’re doing anything to the Everglades, you’re just enhancing it.”

A coalition of groups, ranging from environmental activists to Native Americans advocating for their ancestral homelands, gather at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport on Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee, Fla., to protest the imminent construction of an immigrant detention center. on Saturday, June 28, 2025. (Mike Stocker /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

1:05 PM EDT

By GARY FIELDS

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The staff at the U.S. Institute of Peace is expected to turn over its headquarters to the Trump Administration, marking the third changing of hands since March.

The initial switch came when the Department of Government Efficiency took over the building –- with the help of the FBI and D.C. police as part of a downsizing effort ordered by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

Some of the staff and the Institute’s acting president had regained control in May after District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled that the institute was not part of the executive branch and therefore Trump did not have the legal authority to fire the organization’s board and acting president.

That also rendered moot the transfer of the headquarters to the General Services Administration, as well as the firing of most of the 300 person staff.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit stayed Howell’s ruling June 27, prompting discussions by the organization to relinquish its headquarters — again. What’s unclear is when the latest handover will occur or who will participate for the government while the appellate panel continues to deliberate over the lower court ruling.

12:53 PM EDT

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI

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Shortly before Republicans voted to pass Trump’s big bill, Democrats successfully changed the official name of it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made a point of order on the floor, and the title was struck.

“This is not a ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’” Schumer said on social media. “It is a BIG, UGLY BETRAYAL.”

12:51 PM EDT

By DUSTIN WEAVER

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‘Today’s vote will haunt our Republican colleagues for years to come’Republicans “covered this chamber in shame” with passage of their tax bill,Schumer said in a floor speech after the vote.

He assailed the bill’s projected impact on healthcare, food assistance and the debt, saying, “This is not what the American people want.”

After his speech, the Senate adjourned until next week.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters outside the Senate chamber as Republicans begin a final push to advance President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts package, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

12:49 PM EDT

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

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In response to the Senate’s passage of its version of the massive tax package, Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the “level of blatant disregard we just witnessed for our nation’s fiscal condition and budget process is a failure of responsible governing.

“These are the very same lawmakers who for years have bemoaned the nation’s massive debt, voting to put another $4 trillion on the credit card,” MacGuinea said.

In its Senate version, Republicans’ mega tax bill is set to increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

12:47 PM EDT

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

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President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable at “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Told that some House Republicans have said they cannot support the Senate’s changes to the massive bill, Trump said the measure has “something for everyone.”

“It’s a great bill … and I think it’s going to go very nicely in the House,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to go easier in the House.”

12:45 PM EDT

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI

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GOP Sen. Susan Collins ultimately voted against Trump’s big bill on Tuesday, but Democrats are arguing she paved the way for its advancement and should be held accountable at the ballot box next year in Maine.

“Susan Collins made the deliberate choice to advance this bill, and she’ll be held accountable for it in 2026,” said Tommy Garcia, spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party.

12:43 PM EDT

By PATRICK WHITTLE

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Collins of Maine said she voted against the bill because she felt its cuts to Medicaid were too steep, particularly for a poor and largely rural state such as Maine.

Collins is a moderate Republican who is an important swing vote.She said she does support some pieces of the bill, such as extending tax relief for families and small businesses.

“My vote against this bill stems primarily from the harmful impact it will have on Medicaid, affecting low-income families and rural health care providers like our hospitals and nursing homes,” she said.

12:41 PM EDT

By LISA MASCARO

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Speaker Johnson and House leadership say they’ll immediately consider the package as lawmakers return to Washington late Wednesday.

“This bill is President Trump’s agenda, and we are making it law,” said the GOP leadership in a joint statement.

But the outcome in the House is uncertain. With the slim GOP majority and few votes to spare, they have a narrow path to pass the bill over Democratic opposition

12:35 PM EDT

By SEUNG MIN KIM, JOEY CAPPELLETTI

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With three Republicans voting no on Trump’s big bill, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski provided a critical yes vote that got Republicans to their required 50 votes. Murkowski called the decision-making process “agonizing.”

“I had to look on balance, because the people in my state are the ones that I put first,” Murkowski said. “We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a key swing vote on the budget reconciliation package, leaves the chamber as Republicans plan to begin a final push to advance President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts package. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune called her an “independent thinker.”

“I think that she obviously came to her conclusion,” Thune told reporters after. “I’m just grateful that, at the end of the day, she concluded what the rest of us did.”

12:34 PM EDT

By LISA MASCARO

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“The big not-so-beautiful bill has passed,” he told reporters.

By the Associated Press

The administration violated federal privacy laws when it turned over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged Tuesday, saying he and 19 other states’ attorneys general have sued over the move.

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisers ordered the release of a dataset including the private health information of people in California, Illinois, Washington, and Washington, D.C., to the Department of Homeland Security last month, AP reported. Those jurisdictions let noncitizens enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars.

The unusual sharing of private health information, including addresses, names, social security numbers, immigration status and claims data, came as deportation officials accelerated enforcement efforts.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon has defended the release.

“HHS acted entirely within its legal authority — and in full compliance with all applicable laws — to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them,” he said in a statement.

By the Associated Press

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the federal agency, which invests in African small businesses.

Leon ruled Tuesday that Trump violated federal law when he appointed Pete Marocco as the new head of USDAF because Marocco was never confirmed by Congress.

As a result the judge found Marocco’s actions — terminating most of the agency’s employees and effectively ending its grants — were void and must be undone.

Congress created USADF as an independent agency in 1980, and its board members must be confirmed by the Senate.

The judge found in a separate case that Trump had the legal authority to fire the previous members of the USADF board.

Pirro wrote in court documents in that case that the president also has the legal authority to appoint someone to run USADF until the Senate can confirm his nominees.

By the Associated Press

The former FBI supervisory agent, Jared Lane Wise, was charged with joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol and cheering on rioters.

He is now working as an adviser to DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin Jr., who is overseeing its “weaponization working group,” according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss a personnel matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The working group is examining the president’s claims of anti-conservative bias inside the department.

When Trump returned to office, he picked Martin to serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. But he pulled the nomination after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin due to his defense of Capitol rioters.

Martin was a leading figure in Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement and spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Capitol riot. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants.

By the Associated Press

The president’s promise that it was his best and final offer may find a skeptical audience with Hamas.

Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza’s civilian populace.

Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza. Israel rejects that, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something that the group refuses.

Hamas is still capable of landing fatal blows to Israeli forces. But U.S. officials believe that the group’s been significantly diminished as its centralized command and control capabilities have deteriorated over the course of the nearly 21-month conflict.

By the Associated Press

Powell stuck Tuesday to his position that the central bank will keep its key rate on hold while it waits to see how the president’s tariffs affect the economy, despite the steady stream of criticism from the White House, which wants lower borrowing costs.

Powell, speaking in Portugal at a conference hosted by the European Central Bank, also said U.S. inflation is likely to pick up later this summer, though he acknowledged that the timing and magnitude is uncertain. He said the Fed will keep rates on hold while it evaluates the tariffs’ impact.

“As long as the economy is in solid shape, we think the prudent thing to do is to wait and see what those effects might be,” Powell said.

Powell’s comments underscored the divide between him and the Trump administration. Trump has repeatedly urged the Fed to cut its key rate, which he says would save taxpayers billions of dollars and boost the economy.

By the Associated Press

The dismissal is the latest example of how the Trump-led CFPB is undoing much of the work it did under President Joe Biden, even in instances where bad actors agreed to provide redress and compensation to victims.

The case dates from late 2024 and deals with an issue known as “authorized positive overdraft fees,” which happen when a bank initially approves a debit card transaction but later charges the customer a overdraft fee when that earlier transaction settles and there are insufficient funds in the account.

Navy Federal was found to authorize these types of overdraft fees between 2017 and 2022, later stopping the practice and refunding some customers.

Under the previous settlement, Navy Federal was to pay a $15 million fine and refund $80 million in illegally paid overdraft fees.

In a statement, Navy Federal defended its use of overdraft and supported the CFPB’s decision. It added that it “complied with all applicable laws and regulations at the time and continues to do so.”

By the Associated Press

The new likeness by artist Vanessa Horabuena of Tempe, Arizona, is a sterner, crisper image than Sarah Boardman’s painting of Trump, which had hung since 2019.

After Trump objected to it this spring, lawmakers announced the next day that they would remove it from a wall of past presidents. By the day after that, it was in museum storage.

The Horabuena portrait went up this week.

“There was a blank on the wall. It seemed inappropriate. We knew that the White House had sent us this replacement, and it simply made sense to put it up,” said Lois Court, a former state lawmaker who chairs the Capitol Building Advisory Committee, which helps select artwork for the statehouse.

On Tuesday the building was sleepy, with lawmakers out of session. A smattering of tourists took photos of the new portrait.

“Thank you to the Highly Talented Artist, Vanessa Horabuena, and the incredible people of Colorado,” Trump said in a social media post.

By the Associated Press

The U.S. is halting some shipments of air defense missiles and other munitions amid concerns that its own stockpiles of such supplies have declined too much, officials said.

The munitions were previously promised under the Biden administration for use during Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia. The pause reflects a new set of priorities under Trump.

“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.”

The Pentagon review determined that stocks were too low on some items previously pledged, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been made public.

To date the U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia invaded in February 2022.

By the Associated Press

President Trump said Tuesday that Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.

Trump announced the development as he prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House on Monday. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war in Gaza.

“My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” Trump wrote, saying the Qataris and Egyptians would deliver the final proposal.

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By the Associated Press

On Tuesday afternoon the University of Pennsylvania’s website showed other athletes as holding the school’s top times in the freestyle events of former women’s team swimmer Lia Thomas, part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case.

The site was annotated with a note that read, “Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.”

“While Penn’s policies during the 2021-2022 swim season were in accordance with NCAA eligibility rules at the time, we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules,” university President J. Larry Jameson said in a statement. “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”

Thomas last competed for the school in 2022, when she became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.

By the Associated Press

US District Judge Melissa DuBose ruled that the recent mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce.

DuBose granted a preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in May. Her order blocks the administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or making further firings.

The judge said the states had shown “irreparable harm” from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that “HHS’s action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.”

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the administration is reviewing the ruling and considering next steps.

The department stands by its decision “to realign this organization with its core mission and refocus a sprawling bureaucracy that, over time, had become wasteful, inefficient and resistant to change,” Nixon said via email.

By the Associated Press

The sprawling Republican budget bill approved by the Senate removes the proposed tax but quickly phases out tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy.

The Senate approved the bill 51-50 as Trump and GOP lawmakers move to dismantle the 2022 climate law passed by Democrats under former President Joe Biden. The bill now moves to the House for final legislative approval.

The excise tax on solar and wind generation projects was added to the Senate bill over the weekend, prompting bipartisan pushback from lawmakers as well as clean energy developers and advocates.

The final bill removes the tax but mostly sticks with legislative language released late Friday night and would end incentives for clean energy sooner than a draft version unveiled two weeks ago.

By the Associated Press

Their activities include allegedly taking photographs of a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop and participating in efforts to recruit members of the military who they thought might be open to working for Chinese intelligence.

The case, unsealed Monday, is the latest DOJ prosecution targeting what officials say are active efforts by Beijing to secretly collect intelligence about American military capabilities — a practice laid bare two years ago with China’s launching of a surveillance balloon that the US ultimately shot down.

“This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country.”

The two suspects were arrested. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers, and a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday.

By the Associated Press

The Cuban Volleyball Federation said last week that the team, comprising 12 athletes, a referee and several coaches, had their visa requests denied and will be unable to attend this month’s NORCECA Women’s Final Four in Manati.

The tournament includes Puerto Rico, Mexico and Costa Rica and awards ranking points toward qualification for the Volleyball Nations League.

Cuban coach Wilfredo Robinson said the decision means his team is likely to miss out on the Nations League: “The competition grants points for each match, and at the end it all adds up.”

“It’s really disappointing not to be able to participate in the competition, which is what I’ve been preparing myself for,” team player Laura Suarez said.

The US added Cuba to a list of 12 countries with entry restrictions, effective from early June.

The US Embassy said it cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy policies but directives are being implemented to secure US borders and protect communities and citizens.

By the Associated Press

The legally mandated assessments seem to have disappeared from federal websites built to display them, making it harder for state and local governments and the public to learn what to expect in their backyards from a warming world.

Websites for the national assessments and the U.S. Global Change Research Program were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere.

Searches on NASA websites did not turn them up. NASA did not respond to requests for information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which coordinated the information in the assessments, did not respond to repeated inquiries.

The White House, which was responsible for the assessments, said the information will be housed within NASA to comply with the law, but gave no further details.

Scientists say the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives.

“It’s critical for decision makers across the country to know what the science in the National Climate Assessment is,” said University of Arizona climate scientist Kathy Jacobs, who coordinated the 2014 version of the report.

By the Associated Press

The Trump administration is withholding more than $6 billion for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as part of a review to ensure the grants align with the president’s priorities.

The move leaves states and schools in limbo as they budget for programs this summer and in the upcoming school year, introducing new uncertainty about when — or if — they will receive the money.

Programs that rely on the funding were expecting it to be distributed July 1, but an Education Department notice issued Monday announced that it would not be released while the programs are under review. The department said “decisions have not yet been made” on grants for the school year.

By the Associated Press

Marco Rubio disparaged the US Agency for International Development’s work Tuesday, as the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency took final effect. Rubio ordered the slim wedge of USAID programs that have survived administration cuts absorbed into the State Department.

“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War,” Rubio said in a Substack post.

The administration’s new, slimmed-down aid system would cut bureaucracy to respond faster to crises, empower diplomats out in the field at a reduced number of regional bureaus and emphasize US trade, not aid, Rubio wrote.

By the Associated Press

The lawsuit filed Tuesday targets new administration rules giving millions of people a shorter timeframe to sign up for the Affordable Care Act’s health care coverage.

The rules reverse a Biden-era effort to expand access to the ACA’s health insurance, commonly called Obamacare. The Biden administration expanded the enrollment window, which led to record sign-ups.

The Department of Health and Human Services rolled out a series of new restrictions last month just as Congress was weighing a major bill that will decrease enrollment in Obamacare, which Trump has scorned for years. As many as 2 million people — nearly 10 percent — are expected to lose coverage under the new rules.

The mayors of Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio filed suit against the health department, saying the rules will result in more uninsured residents and overburden city services.

By the Associated Press

The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender women from its women’s sports teams to resolve the federal civil rights case, which found the school violated the rights of female athletes.

The US Education Department announced the voluntary agreement Tuesday, part of the Trump administration’s broader attempt to remove transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.

Thomas last competed for the Ivy League school in Philadelphia in 2022, when she became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.

Under the agreement Penn agreed to restore all individual Division I swimming records and titles to female athletes who lost out to Thomas, the Education Department said. It also agreed to send a personalized apology letter to each of those swimmers.

It was not immediately clear whether Thomas would be stripped of her awards and honors.

Penn must also announce that it “will not allow males to compete in female athletic programs” and adopt “biology-based” definitions of male and female, the department said.

By the Associated Press

Representative Pat Harrigan, a first-term state congressman mentioned often in Republican circles as a potential candidate to succeed the retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis, said he would immediately back the president’s daughter-in-law if she enters the race.

Lara Trump said earlier this week that she would consider running. She previously decided to forego Senate opportunities in 2022 in North Carolina, where she grew up, and in 2024 in Florida, where she lives now.

Harrigan said on the social platform X that “there’s lots of excitement around the 2026 Senate race, but let me be crystal clear about something: if ⁦‪@LaraLeaTrump‬⁩ enters this race, I’ll be the first to endorse her and the first to fight for her victory.”

By Scooty Nickerson, Globe Staff

Massachusetts’ wealthiest neighborhoods stand to gain significantly from a key provision in the GOP-backed tax proposal, the so-called ‘one big beautiful bill' that was narrowly approved by the US Senate Tuesday.

The measure would raise the cap on state and local tax deductionsto $40,000 from $10,000.In doing so, it woulddeliver the biggest tax breaks to high-income Massachusetts ZIP codes, even as other provisions of the bill could leave low-income areas worse off, according to a Globe analysis of Internal Revenue Service data.The analysis, which uses state and local tax deduction data from 2022, shows Massachusetts ZIP codes with median household incomes above $230,000, including those in Wellesley Hills, Waban, and Dover, had among the highest share of residents who took advantage.

State and local tax deductions allowtaxpayersto itemize and write off certainthings, such as property or income tax, from their federal tax bill.

The Senate version of this GOP-backed measure would raise the capon how much deductions can be made for five years, and phase out deductions for individuals with an annual income above $500,000. A competing House bill would make the elevated cap permanent.

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By the Associated Press

The FBI says it’s moving its headquarters to another Washington location several blocks away from its current home.

The bureau and the General Services Administration said the FBI’s new home would be at the Ronald Reagan Building complex. The FBI’s current Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building, was dedicated in 1975.

The decision represents an about-face from plans announced during the Biden administration to move the FBI to Greenbelt, Maryland. Trump administration officials said Tuesday that moving the headquarters to suburban Washington would have taken years and cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

The Reagan building is home to Customs and Border Protection. It had also housed the US Agency for International Development, which on Monday marked its last day as an independent agency. It was not immediately clear when the move will take effect.

By the Associated Press

A study published in the Lancet medical journal points to the impact that the US Agency for International Development has had, calculating the US agency saved 91 million lives in the first two decades of this century alone.

The study by researchers in Spain and elsewhere was published Monday, USAID’s last day as an independent agency. The Trump administration has fired most of 13,000 workers and terminated most of its contracts, as it pulls back on foreign assistance.

The new study says USAID programs between 2001 and 2001 more than halved deaths from HIV-AIDs, malaria and tropical diseases around the world.

Researchers also projected the deaths expected as a result of USAID cuts and USAID’s elimination: More than 14 million more people dying, including 4.5 million children, by 2030, researchers say.

By the Associated Press

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters, said it wouldn’t be productive for the House to review in a conference committee the tax cut-and-spending bill passed Tuesday by the Senate.

The White House as a practice often provides background briefings to reporters on policy issues in which officials talk on the condition of anonymity.

The official said it wouldn’t be a path to success to do so in a measure that is 85 percent the same as what the House passed earlier.

Congress often forms conference committees to resolve differences in bills passed by the House and Senate, but the Trump administration is pushing the House to vote directly on the Senate bill in hopes of meeting Trump’s deadline of Friday, July Fourth to celebrate its passage.

By the Associated Press

The president told reporters on Air Force One that his daughter-in-law Lara Trump would be his first choice to replace Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, but she doesn’t live in the state anymore.

It wasn’t clear if he was ruling out his daughter-in-law, whom he picked last year to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and whether her residency might preclude her from running.

Tillis said Sunday he will not seek reelection next year, an announcement that came after he opposed Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts package.Trump said he doesn’t know who the candidates will be to run for Tillis’ seat but predicted a member of Congress — without naming which one — might run.

By the Associated Press

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that “all legislative tools and options are on the table” as Democrats strategize to prevent Republicans from giving final passage to Trump’s big bill.

Jeffries said Democratic leadership would meet Tuesday evening, followed by a full caucus meeting at 6 p.m. He said he expects all members to be at the Capitol this week.

He used especially forceful language after the bill passed the House, saying “this disgusting abomination will set in motion a potential economic death spiral.”

To delay final passage past Trump’s self-imposed July 4th deadline, Jeffries did not rule out invoking a “magic minute,” a rarely used tool allowing unlimited speaking time for leaders after debate has officially ended.

By the Associated Press

Considerable attention had been given to moderate Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, ahead of the Senate vote on tax break and spending cut legislation. Murkowski voted in favor of the bill.

On Tuesday, she told reporters it is “not a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination,” but said she supported continuing the tax breaks first passed in 2017, as well as the idea of no tax on tips or overtime. She also felt she secured provisions for Alaska around programs such as Medicaid and SNAP that she said were aimed at ensuring people who are vulnerable aren’t made more vulnerable.

But she said there was much more work to do and said trying to rush a bill through Congress for final passage by Friday would be a “mistake.”

By Alyssa Vega, Globe Staff

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Governor Maura Healey voiced strong opposition to President Trump’s tax bill after it cleared the Senate, condemning its spending proposals and cuts to benefits.

In a statement, Healey slammed the bill, accusing Congressional Republicans of putting “their blind loyalty to Donald Trump over their constituents,” and warned it would raise costs and slash essential services.

“[Congressional Republicans] were elected to lower costs and strengthen our economy — but this bill does the opposite,” Healey said in a statement.

“I want the people of Massachusetts to know that your Governor and your elected officials care about you. We want you to have health care, we want you to have lower energy bills, we want you to be able to afford a home, we want you to have healthy food on the table, we want you to have the very best education and transportation systems possible,” Healey added. “That’s what the budget I’m currently reviewing will do. That’s what we are working to do here in Massachusetts every day.”

After leaving the Capitol, Warren posted a video on X condemning the bill, saying Trump’s tax bill is “bad economically. It’s bad morally. This bill is just wrong.”“But we stay in the fight,” Warren added.

“Actually, there are pieces of this bill that we got better,” Warren said, pointing to the removal of a tax on solar and wind energy. “We got a few different pieces and made them better.”

Warren warned that Republicans would have to “face the voters” in November 2026 after advancing proposals to cut Medicaid, food benefits, and other programs.

“They’re going to have to face the voters. They’re going to have to face the people, the families of the people whose health care they took away, and they’re going to have to explain exactly what they just did,” Warren said.

By the Associated Press

House Democrats are chiding Republicans for rushing to get President Trump’s tax and spending cut bill to his desk by Friday for a 4th of July signing ceremony.

Members of the House Rules Committee immediately went to work setting terms for debate on the bill, barely an hour after the Senate approved it.Rep. Jim McGovern, the committee’s top Democratic lawmaker, said there’s no real deadline for getting the bill passed and the July 4th deadline was an arbitrary marker made up by the president.

“We’re rushing not because the country demands it, but because he wants to throw himself another party,” McGovern said. “This isn’t policy. It’s ego management.”

Representative Virginia Foxx, the committee’s Republican chair, said Democrats are engaging in fearmongering about the bill and said American’s understand that. She called the bill “the embodiment of the America First agenda.”

By the Associated Press

Democratic attorneys general from 16 states have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s termination of grant funding to to mental health programs designed to address counselor shortages in schools.

The $1 billion in grants were part of bipartisan gun control legislation Congress passed in 2022 after the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The money was used to help districts train, retain and recruit mental health workers, particularly in low-income and rural schools.

The Trump administration told grant recipients in April that their funding would not be continued, saying the programs’ efforts to recruit diverse counselors and social workers violated executive orders against diversity, equity and inclusion.

By the Associated Press

A federal judge has ruled that the recent mass US Health and Human Services layoffs were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce.

US District Judge Melissa DuBose in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May.

DuBose said the states had shown “irreparable harm,” from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that the “HHS’s action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.”

“The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,” DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in US district court of Rhode Island.

Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing any further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11.

By the Associated Press

The House Rules Committee, which sets the terms for how the legislation will be debated, including amendments and length of time for debate, has scheduled a meeting for 1:30 p.m. That’s barely an hour after the Senate approved the measure with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

The House is returning Wednesday morning and Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated that after the Senate vote that Republicans are “ready to finish the job.”

The House had approved an earlier version of the bill in late May with only one vote to spare. Now, they’ll be voting on the version amended by the Senate.

It could be a difficult vote for some of the GOP’s fiscal hawks. Namely, it is projected to increase federal deficits by $3.3 trillion, nearly $1 trillion more than the House-passed bill.

By the Associated Press

DeSantis said immigrants in the US illegally should go home on their own, as the Trump administration has been encouraging them to do, and not risk being detained and brought to the Florida facility.

“Why would you want to come to Alligator Alcatraz if you can just go home on your own?” the governor said, using the state’s nickname for the center. The Trump administration has encouraged migrants to “self deport” and preserve the opportunity to come back to the US in the future.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says they can’t ever return if the government deports them.

By Jonathan Saltzman, Jason Laughlin, Jim Puzzanghera, Globe Staff

No one has to tell Diana Cortes how high the stakes are if Congress passes President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the controversial legislation that would make deep cuts in Medicaid to finance tax cuts.

Cortes’s 3-year old daughter, Layla, underwent a life-saving liver transplant in June 2023 at Boston Children’s Hospital. MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, paid for the operation, which Cortes said cost nearly $1 million. Today, Layla is a rambunctious toddler who loves to dance and get licks from her beloved goldendoodle, Luna.

But the Methuen girl still has expensive medical needs, including frequent blood tests, imaging scans, and medication that keeps her body from rejecting her new liver, said Cortes, 41, a single mother and paralegal. MassHealth covers it all, as it does for the expenses of close to half of Massachusetts children.

Roughly 2 million Massachusetts residents, including more than 700,000 ages 20 and younger, depend on the federal health insurance program for the poor. But tens of thousands could lose coverage as Congress races to pass legislation — perhaps by the end of the week — that would slash Medicaid spending.

READ MORE

By Alyssa Vega, Globe Staff

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren found rare common ground with billionaire Elon Musk Monday as they both denounced President Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill before Senate Republicans secured narrowly passed it.

“Hell has frozen over for the second time,” Warren told CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins on Monday night. “But Elon Musk is right about this. He’s got it exactly right.”

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By the Associated Press

Shortly before Republicans voted to pass Trump’s big bill, Democrats successfully changed the official name of it.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made a point of order on the floor, and the title was struck.

“This is not a ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’” Schumer said on social media. “It is a BIG, UGLY BETRAYAL.”

By the Associated Press

Today’s vote will haunt our Republican colleagues for years to come’Republicans “covered this chamber in shame” with passage of their tax bill,Schumer said in a floor speech after the vote.

He assailed the bill’s projected impact on healthcare, food assistance and the debt, saying, “This is not what the American people want.”

After his speech, the Senate adjourned until next week.

By the Associated Press

In response to the Senate’s passage of its version of the massive tax package, Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the “level of blatant disregard we just witnessed for our nation’s fiscal condition and budget process is a failure of responsible governing.

“These are the very same lawmakers who for years have bemoaned the nation’s massive debt, voting to put another $4 trillion on the credit card,” MacGuinea said.

In its Senate version, Republicans’ mega tax bill is set to increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

By the Associated Press

Told that some House Republicans have said they cannot support the Senate’s changes to the massive bill, Trump said the measure has “something for everyone.”

“It’s a great bill … and I think it’s going to go very nicely in the House,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to go easier in the House.”

By the Associated Press

GOP Senator Susan Collins ultimately voted against Trump’s big bill on Tuesday, but Democrats are arguing she paved the way for its advancement and should be held accountable at the ballot box next year in Maine.

“Susan Collins made the deliberate choice to advance this bill, and she’ll be held accountable for it in 2026,” said Tommy Garcia, spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party.

By the Associated Press

Collins of Maine said she voted against the bill because she felt its cuts to Medicaid were too steep, particularly for a poor and largely rural state such as Maine.

Collins is a moderate Republican who is an important swing vote.She said she does support some pieces of the bill, such as extending tax relief for families and small businesses.

“My vote against this bill stems primarily from the harmful impact it will have on Medicaid, affecting low-income families and rural health care providers like our hospitals and nursing homes,” she said.

By the Associated Press

Speaker Johnson and House leadership say they’ll immediately consider the package as lawmakers return to Washington late Wednesday.

“This bill is President Trump’s agenda, and we are making it law,” said the GOP leadership in a joint statement.

But the outcome in the House is uncertain. With the slim GOP majority and few votes to spare, they have a narrow path to pass the bill over Democratic opposition.

By the Associated Press

With three Republicans voting no on Trump’s big bill, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski provided a critical yes vote that got Republicans to their required 50 votes. Murkowski called the decision-making process “agonizing.”

“I had to look on balance, because the people in my state are the ones that I put first,” Murkowski said. “We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune called her an “independent thinker.”

“I think that she obviously came to her conclusion,” Thune told reporters after. “I’m just grateful that, at the end of the day, she concluded what the rest of us did.”

By the Associated Press

“The big not-so-beautiful bill has passed,” he told reporters.

By the Associated Press

The Maine senator said she’s happy the bolstered funding was, “but my difficulties with the bill go far beyond that.”

Collins was among several GOP senators who have worried that the bill’s Medicaid provider cuts would hurt hospitals, particularly in rural regions.While her amendment to beef up the fund was rejected, the provision was inserted into the final bill.

By the Associated Press

Trump was in Florida when the Senate passed the bill after Vice President Vance broke a 50-50 tie.

Applause broke out during a roundtable discussion he participated in after touring a new immigration detention center near the Florida Everglades.

The president directed the next handful of speakers before saying, “then we’ll go home and celebrate the big, beautiful bill that just got passed.”

The House will have to vote again on the bill because of changes by the Senate.

By the Associated Press

“In the end we got the job done, and we’re delighted to be able to be partners with President trump and his agenda,” Thune said after the vote.

By the Associated Press

At a roundtable discussion at a new immigration detention center near the Florida Everglades, Trump indicated which officials will speak next and said, “we’ll go home and celebrate the big beautiful bill that just got passed.”

By the Associated Press

Tensions were high on the Democratic side of the aisle during Tuesday’s final vote on the big tax and spending cut bill.

Several yelled their “No” as the roll call ensued. Others filtered out almost immediately and before a final tally could be announced.

Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, walked over to the Republican side of the chamber upon exiting and could be heard from the gallery admonishing GOP colleagues: “Shame on you guys,” he said in a loud voice.

By the Associated Press

Asked if it’s time to put pressure on Netanyahu to get a ceasefire deal done, Trump said the Israeli prime minister is ready to come to an agreement. The president is set to host Netanyahu on Monday at the White House for talks.

“He wants to,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “I think we’ll have a deal next week.”

Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major sticking point — whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. About 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with less than half believed to be alive.

By the Associated Press

• Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina
• Senator Susan Collins of Maine
• Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky

By the Associated Press

Senate Republicans hauled President Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of votes, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session.

Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top.

The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval, or collapse.

The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point isn’t expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.

By the Associated Press

The bill will head back to the House if it passes.

By the Associated Press

The group of international students had filed a lawsuit in Atlanta challenging the termination of their legal status earlier this year.

The terms of the settlement were filed in federal court Monday and a judge still needs to sign off on them. The legal status for the 358 plaintiffs in the case had already been temporarily restored while the litigation was pending.

Charles Kuck, a lawyer who represented the students, called the settlement with Department of Homeland Security and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials a “major victory.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to right the wrong committed by ICE and DHS,” he said. “We will now seek to right the wrong committed by the State Department in revoking student visas for these same students.”

Some of the students also had their entry visas revoked when their legal status was terminated, and the agreement doesn’t change that. Visas are the jurisdiction of the State Department, not DHS and ICE.

By the Associated Press

Once close political allies, their relationship became strained after DeSantis challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but the pair lately have been on good terms.

DeSantis is at Trump’s side as the president visits a new immigration detention center near the Florida Everglades.

Asked to rate the relationship, Trump said, “It’s a 10. Maybe a 9.9.”

He said a few minutes later that he and DeSantis had a little “off period” but “it didn’t last long.”

By the Associated Press

During a tour, Trump saw a dormitory building with rows of bunk beds surrounded by chain link fencing.

Governor DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the first detainees could arrive Wednesday. DeSantis said Homeland Security has “people in the queue.”

Noem said people can voluntarily leave the country to avoid ending up in facilities like this one.

By the Associated Press

The Israeli prime minister is set to visit the White House on Monday for talks as Trump also steps up his push on Israel and Hamas to forge a ceasefire and hostage agreement in Gaza.

Trump once again scoffed at questions raised by Democratic lawmakers and others about just how big an impact the operations had in setting back Iran’s nuclear program as demeaning to the US pilots who carried out strikes on three key nuclear facilities.

“We should celebrate these heroes,” Trump said.

By the Associated Press

For the first time in several hours, the Senate is again voting on amendments as Republicans try to push ahead on President Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts.

By the Associated Press

It comes as the Trump administration seeks to expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China amid tensions among the so-called “Quad” grouping over trade and defense issues.

In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Rubio said the Quad must be a “vehicle for action” that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group’s relevance in the future.

After meeting with the foreign ministers together, Rubio will host the three in separate bilateral meetings followed by a session with several dozen private companies doing business in the region.

Trump’s tariff policies have rankled all three as has his stated desire to reduce US military spending in favor of greater domestic investment in the region while at the same time arguing that countering China remains his administration’s top priority.

By the Associated Press

The governor spoke to reporters alongside President Trump after he disembarked from Air Force One at the airstrip where detainees will be housed.

DeSantis said migrants can be relocated there soon once Trump finishes his tour.

Trump said it could be a model for future detention centers.

“You have a lot of body guards and a lot of cops that are in the form of alligators,” he said. “You don’t have to pay them so much.”

By the Associated Press

After more than 24 hours of voting on the floor, however, Thune added that he’s a “realist.”

Other Republicans echoed his sentiment — without sounding overly confident. GOP Senator Markwayne Mullin said “as of right now” they had the necessary votes.

“I mean, anybody is welcome to change. You know, we’ve been changing by the minute,” said Mullin. He said “it’s been a process, but we’re in good shape.”

GOP Senator John Hoeven added that he expects Vice President JD Vance “will be our 51st,” indicating that several Republican senators will still vote against the package and Vance will break the tie.

By the Associated Press

Air Force One touched down at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport and Trump will go on to tour the facility built in a remote area of the Everglades.

He’s also participating in a roundtable discussion with state and local officials. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will also take questions from reporters afterward.

By the Associated Press

A four-foot alligator is swimming by a canal that runs parallel to the highway near the migrant detention site as journalists, some Trump supporters and immigrant rights advocates wait for the president’s arrival.

By the Associated Press

The S&P 500 was 0.1 percent lower in morning trading and potentially on track for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 153 points, or 0.3 percent, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2 percent lower.

Tesla tugged on the market as the relationship between its CEO, Elon Musk, and President Trump soured even further. Once allies, the two have clashed recently, and Trump suggested there’s potentially “BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED” by scrutinizing subsidies, contracts or other government spending going to Musk’s companies.

Tesla fell 4.1 percent and was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500. It had already dropped a little more than 21 percent for the year so far coming into the day, in part because of Musk’s and Trump’s feud.

By the Associated Press

Fed Chair Jerome Powell says the central bank wants to see how the economy responds to Trump’s tariffs before cutting rates, despite the steady stream of criticism from the White House, which wants lower borrowing costs.

Powell repeated his view that US inflation is likely to pick up later this summer, though he acknowledged the timing and magnitude of any price increase from the duties is uncertain. But he said the Fed will stay on hold while it evaluates how the economy evolves.

“As long as the economy is in solid shape, we think the prudent thing to do is to wait and see what those effects might be,” Powell said, referring to the sweeping duties Trump has imposed this year.

On Monday, Trump continued his attacks on Powell for not cutting the Fed’s key rate, which Trump says would save US taxpayers on interest costs on the federal government’s massive debt.

By the Associated Press

The president suggested migrants would need to move in a zigzag fashion to escape from any hungry reptiles if they were trying to escape from a new detention facility in the Florida Everglades.

However, that doesn’t seem to be good advice for anyone who has a close encounter with an alligator. According to a website run by the University of Florida, it’s “a common misconception” that erratic running is the best defense.

“First, it is rare for an alligator to pursue a human because humans are too large to be suitable prey,” the website said. “However, if an alligator does make an aggressive charge, run fast and straight (away from the alligator, of course). They usually do not run very far.”

By the Associated Press

The war of words between billionaire Elon Musk and President Trump over the big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts is heating up again, with Musk claiming he may form a new political party.

The resumption of hostilities between Trump and Musk, also the CEO of SpaceX, is always bad news for investors in Musk’s companies.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives says the spat is now a soap opera and warned investors of potential damage ahead.

Shares of Tesla have already tumbled 20 percent this year as sales erode amid a backlash against Musk and his association with the Trump. They fell another 7 percent at the opening bell Tuesday.

By the Associated Press

Hackers supporting Iran have threatened to release emails supposedly stolen from people connected to President Trump, according to federal authorities who vowed to track down the hackers.

Marci McCarthy, a spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, called the threat a “smear campaign” intended to discredit Trump and the US government following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The threat was first reported Monday by Reuters.

Following the US strikes, pro-Iranian hackers attacked US banks, energy companies and defense contractors but have not caused any significant disruptions. Officials say the threat of attacks continues despite a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

By the Associated Press

He was boarding the plane for a flight to Florida to attend the opening of a new detention center for people who are in the country illegally when he stumbled, according to a photographer watching from the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.

It’s the second time in recent weeks that the Republican president has stumbled on the airplane stairs. He and other Republicans often poked fun at Democrat Joe Biden’s stumbles, and Trump did so in a recent interview with Fox Business.

Speaking of foreign leaders, Trump said, “They respect America again. They laughed at us. They thought we were a joke. You had a president that kept falling down stairs and falling on stages.”

By the Associated Press

Asked Tuesday morning if Senate Republicans were close to passing Trump’s big bill, Senator Susan Collins, a key Republican vote, said: “I truly don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I just canceled my third flight,” Collins told The Associated Press. “I’m trying to rework my schedule.”

Asked if she’ll support the bill, Collins said she continues to have a “lot of serious reservations about the bill.”

By the Associated Press

They were standing by the entrance of the airport in a remote stretch of the Everglades in Ochopee, Florida, where Trump is expected to tour a new migrant detention site.

Media vans and other vehicles were parked along the highway lined by cypress trees as they waited for the president’s arrival.

By the Associated Press

It’s been 24 hours since the Senate began voting on Trump’s major bill, much of that time spent rejecting Democratic amendments as Republicans work privately to secure the necessary votes to pass it.

With a 53-47 majority, Republicans can afford to lose only three votes — Vice President JD Vance holds the power to break a tie.

All eyes are on Murkowski, a Republican who’s emerged as the pivotal swing vote in the chamber. On Tuesday morning, she spent over an hour in deep conversation with fellow Republicans on the Senate floor as speculation swirled about how she might vote.

By the Associated Press

Senator Susan Collins of Maine had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, offset with a higher tax rate on those earning more than $25 million a year, but her amendment failed.

And Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski tried to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some food stamp cuts, which appeared to be accepted, while also working to beef up federal reimbursements to hospitals in Alaska and others states, that failed to comply with parliamentary rules.

Conservative Senate Republicans insisting on a vote on their plan for health care cuts, including Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, filed into Senate Leader John Thune’s office for a near-midnight meeting.

By the Associated Press

Trump called the Democrat a “communist” and said, “the last thing we need is a communist.”

Mamdani claimed victory over former Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on election night last week in the Democratic mayoral primary. Final results will be announced Tuesday.

The 33-year-old democratic socialist and New York state assemblyman would be the city’s first Muslim mayor and its first of Indian American descent if elected.

The Republican president, who grew up in New York, also mentioned Mamdani’s campaign promise to open government-run grocery stores.

Trump said that if New Yorkers elect Mamdani as the next mayor, “I think they’re crazy.”

By the Associated Press

The president is visiting a new immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades that’s been nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.” While leaving the White House, a reporter asked Trump if the idea was for any escaping migrants to get attacked by wildlife.

“I guess that’s the concept,” he said. “This is not a nice business.”

Then Trump joked that “we’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison.”

“Don’t run in a straight line. Run like this,” and he moved his hand in a zigzag motion. “And you know what? Your chances go up about 1%.”

By the Associated Press

Trump said the billionaire could lose a lot more than the electrical vehicle subsidies that would be eliminated if the measure becomes law.

“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Florida. “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”

DOGE is the Department of Government Efficiency. Trump put Musk in charge of DOGE to cut government spending. Musk owns an electric vehicle company and a space company and has lucrative federal government contracts.

By the Associated Press

The proposal to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade was soundly defeated in the Senate on Tuesday, thwarting attempts to insert the measure into President Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts.

The Senate voted 99-1 to strike the AI provision for the legislation after weeks of criticism from both Republican and Democratic governors and state officials.

Originally proposed as a 10-year ban on states doing anything to regulate AI, lawmakers later tied it to federal funding so that only states that backed off on AI regulations would be able to get subsidies for broadband internet or AI infrastructure.

By the Associated Press

The all-night session has been grinding on for nearly 24 hours, having started at roughly 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

Senators have voted on more than three dozen amendments so far. More voting is likely.

The marathon voting session is part of the cumbersome process Republicans are using to try and pass the bill with a simple majority.

Republicans are letting the process drag on as they try to lock up last-minute agreements to push the bill to passage. For now, the Senate floor is at a standstill.

By the Associated Press

The Senate is slogging through an overnight session that has dragged into Tuesday, with Republican leaders buying time as they search for ways to secure support for President Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts while fending off proposed amendments, mostly from Democrats trying to defeat the package.

An endgame was not immediately in sight. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota is working for a last-minute agreement between those in his party worried the bill’s reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts.

Thune declared at one point they were in the “homestretch” as he dashed through the halls at the Capitol, only to backtrack a short time later, suggesting any progress was “elusive.”

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By the Associated Press

President Trump is making a day trip to Florida’s Everglades on Tuesday for a firsthand look at a new immigration detention facility that the White House suggests will be especially secure given that it is “surrounded by alligators.”

The detention facility is on an isolated airstrip about 50 miles west of Miami and could house 5,000 detainees. It’s drawn protests over the potential impact on a delicate ecosystem and criticism that Trump is trying to send a cruel message to immigrants — while some Native American leaders have also opposed construction, saying the land is sacred.

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By the Associated Press

The Senate’s long day of voting churned into a long Monday night, with Republican leaders grasping for ways to shore up support for President Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts while fending off proposed amendments from Democrats who oppose the package and are trying to defeat it.

The outcome was not yet in sight. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota acknowledged the Republicans are “figuring out how to get to the end game.”

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