The Smithsonian Institution has removed mentions of impeachment efforts against President Andrew Johnson, President Richard Nixon, President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump — Trump pictured speaking at the White House on Thursday — from an exhibit related to limits on presidential power is renovated. Photo by Eric Lee/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 2 (UPI) — Smithsonian Institution staff temporarily have removed the mention of all presidential impeachment efforts, including President Donald Trump‘s two impeachments, from an exhibit on presidential power.
The impeachment mentions were part of an exhibit called “Limits on Presidential Power,” but they have been removed while the Smithsonian renovates the exhibit, which last was updated after its last review in 2008, ABC News reported.
“In reviewing our legacy content recently, it became clear that the ‘Limits of Presidential Power’ section in ‘The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden’ needed to be addressed,” a Smithsonian spokesperson told ABC News.
“The section of this exhibition covers Congress, the Supreme Court, impeachment and public opinion,” the spokesperson said.
A temporary label within the exhibit had described the two impeachments against Trump and those against former Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
It also discussed the pending impeachment of former President Richard Nixon, who resigned before the House of Representatives could vote on articles of impeachment against him.
The label also told visitors that the exhibit’s case is being redesigned, which it now is undergoing.
Until the exhibit is updated, the Trump impeachment mentions and all others won’t be included.
“A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments,” the Smithsonian staff said in a statement to The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the exhibit says, “Only three presidents have seriously faced removal.”
“The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden” exhibit opened at the Smithsonian in 2000.
The exhibit displays photos of Johnson’s impeachment prosecutors in 1868, the investigative report that led to Clinton’s 1999 impeachment and a filing cabinet that was damaged during the 1972 Watergate Hotel break-in that led to Nixon resigning two years later.
An online version of the exhibit still includes information on all five impeachment efforts.
The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump in 2019 due to alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress regarding its so-called Russiagate investigation.
The House voted to impeach Trump again on Jan. 13, 2021, days after the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol as the U.S. Senate counted votes to confirm former President Joe Biden‘s 2020 election win.
Aug. 1 (UPI) — Slovenia on Friday imposed a ban on all weapons trading with Israel becoming the first European country to do so over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave in Israel’s ongoing war.
Its government said in a statement that at the initiative of Prime Minister Robert Golob, Slovenia signed off on its decision that prohibits “the export and transit of military weapons and equipment from or through the Republic of Slovenia to Israel, as well as the import of such goods from Israel into the Republic of Slovenia.”
It added that Israel’s actions had constituted “serious violations of international humanitarian law” and that Slovenia would prepare “some more national measures” in the “coming weeks,” according to the statement.
The prime minister’s decision, according to the Slovenian government, stems from a promise to “act independent” if the EU “failed to adopt concrete measures” by July.
“Due to internal disagreements and lack of unity, the European Union is currently unable to fulfil this task,” the statement said in part.
On Monday, a European Commission proposal to partly suspend EU weaponry aid to Israel was blocked as Sweden became the most recent to apply pressure over trade.
Nearly 70% of Israel’s arsenal is imported from the United States with Germany its second-biggest supplier and Italy at third.
Slovenian officials have repeatedly called for a cease-fire and its government increased aid delivery to the war-torn territory.
On Friday, it said people in Gaza are dying “because humanitarian aid is systematically denied to them. They are dying under the rubble, without access to drinking water, food and basic healthcare.”
Slovenia’s government called it a “complete denial of humanitarian access” and a “conscious prevention of basic conditions for survival.”
Last year in June, Slovenia became one of the first in Europe to recognize Palestine as a state.
Israel has exported more than $560 million in weaponry since October 2023 when Iran’s terror syndicate attacked and took Israeli hostages.
Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have since either restricted or halted exports.
The foreign ministers of Britain and 28 other nations including Canada, France, Italy and Australia recently issued a joint statement saying Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza had “reached new depths” and “must end now.”
Qatar in March called on international leaders to bring Israel’s nuclear facilities under the watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Chile’s president has sharply criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza as the South American nation seeks to replace Israel as Chile’s primary arms supplier.
Aug. 1 (UPI) — An attorney disciplinary board is recommending White House official Jeffrey Clark be stripped of his Washington, D.C., law license over his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election for President Donald Trump.
A majority of the nine-member Washington, D.C., Board on Professional Responsibility recommended Clark be disbarred on Thursday, stating Clark “was prepared to cause the Justice Department to tell a lie about the status of its investigation” into the 2020 general election.
“Lawyers cannot advocate for any outcome based on false statements, and they certainly cannot urge others to do so,” the panel said.
“Respondent persistently and energetically sought to do just that on an important national issue. He should be disbarred as a consequence and to send a message to the rest of the Bar and to the public that this behavior will not be tolerated.”
Of the nine members, seven voted for Clark to be disbarred, while two recommended he be suspended for three years and required prove his fitness to practice prior to reinstatement. The D.C. Court of Appeals will have the final say in the matter.
“The fight continues,” Clark said in response to the ruling on X.
Clark is the acting administrator of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, but was previously acting assistant head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division during Trump’s first term and a supporter of his boss’ false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
The letter at the center of the ruling is one that Clark drafted in late December 2020, after Trump lost the general election to then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
In the letter to Georgia officials, he said the Justice Department had “significant concerns” about the state’s election, despite the federal department being aware of zero issues. The letter recommended that Georgia’s governor call the state’s legislature into special session to consider replacing electors that supported Biden with those that were in favor of Trump — a plot that is now widely referred to as the fake electors scheme.
After being warned against sending the letter by two superiors, Clark, whose job at the Justice Department was not involved in elections, continued to advocate for it to be sent.
Trump also considered replacing then-Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen with Clark but later declined to name him head of the department after being informed that doing so would ignite mass resignations.
Aug. 1 (UPI) — A federal judge has ruled to postpone the Trump administration’s termination of deportation protections for tens of thousands of migrants from Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua amid litigation.
Judge Trina Thompson of the U.S. District Court in Northern California issued her strongly worded order Thursday, delaying the termination of Temporary Protected Status until at least Nov. 18, when a hearing is scheduled to hear the merits of the case.
The ruling is a win for immigration advocates, who have been fighting Trump’s crackdown on immigration and policies seeking to mass-deport migrants in the country.
“The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty and the American dream. That is all plaintiffs seek. Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names and purify their blood. The court disagrees,” Thompson said in her decision.
TPS was established by Congress in 1990 to shield migrants in the United States from being deported to their home countries experiencing problems, such as war, conflict or famine, where they would be put into harm’s way.
Honduras and Nicaragua were both granted TPS designation in January 1999, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch a year prior, with Nepal receiving the designation in 2015.
Some 60,000 people from the three countries are currently protected from being deported to their native nations because of TPS, many of whom have been in the United States for decades.
Trump has attempted to dismantle TPS. In early June, he announced it was ending such protections for those from Nepal, followed by doing the same for those from Honduras and Nicaragua. The designations were to be terminated within 60 days — Aug. 5 for Nepal and Sept. 8 for Honduras and Nicaragua.
The Trump administration cited that conditions in each of the three countries no longer warranted TPS designation.
The move was met with litigation filed by the National TPS Alliance on July 7, arguing the terminations violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to follow the necessary review process rules while stating racial animus was the actual motive behind ending the deportation protections.
The next day, National TPS Alliance filed for postponement of the terminations.
“Today’s court decision is a powerful affirmation of our humanity and our right to live without fear,” Sandhya Lama, a TPS holder from Nepal and plaintiff in the case, said in a statement. “As a TPS holder and mother, this victory means safety, hope and the chance to keep building our lives here.”
In her decision, Thompson, a President Joe Biden appointee, cited comments from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about TPS and immigrants as proof of racial animus behind the terminations.
She said Noem had intended to end TPS without first reviewing any country condition reports and that she had expressed bias against the program.
“These statements reflect the secretary’s animus against immigrants and the TPS program even though individuals with TPS hold lawful status — a protected status that we expressly conferred by Congress with the purpose of providing humanitarian relief,” Thompson said, adding that TPS holders have contributed billion to the economy by legally working, paying taxes and contributing to Medicare.
“By stereotyping the TPS program and immigrants as invaders that are criminal, and by highlighting the need for migration management, Secretary Noem’s statements perpetuate the discriminatory belief that certain immigrant populations will replace the white population.”
Thompson also mentioned comments from Trump and other White House officials about migrants that show racial animus.
Trump has also sought to end TPS protections for other nations, including Afghanistan — moves that are also being challenged in court.
THIS is the hilarious moment Donald Trump’s golf caddy appears to drop his ball into a prime spot before he takes his shot.
A video clip has emerged which shows two golf caddies alongside the US President as he drives a golf cart around Turnberry’s Ailsa course, in Scotland.
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Donald Trump is on a five-day visit to Scotland, expected to end on TuesdayCredit: Getty
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Footage appeared to show a caddy drop the President’s ball in a prime spotCredit: X / RoguePOTUSStaff
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The US leader was enjoying a round of golf on Turnberry’s Ailsa courseCredit: X / RoguePOTUSStaff
He donned a white USA baseball cap and was joined by his son Eric.
Trump, 79, is seen being escorted down to the course, with a convoy of 20 other carts following close behind.
The caddies go ahead of the US leaser and one appears to try and secretly place a golf ball on the ground.
The President then gets out and claims to have made the shot himself.
Trump waves for cameras on the third green at the southeast end of the course before the party moves on.
One person who watched the footage circulating on X wrote: “Caddy did that so smoothly. Can only imagine how many times he’s done it.”
“I want to know how he finds caddies to do that for him,” added another.
After waving to the crowds, he was welcomed by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray before being whisked to his luxury Turnberry resort 20 miles down the Ayrshire coast.
Villagers waved as the convoy passed through nearby Kirkoswald and later arrived at the resort at around 9.30pm.
And he wasted no time in taking to the green after being seen teeing off at the luxury resort.
Several protests were planned, with opponents of Mr Trump gathering in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen earlier this week.
The Stop Trump coalition has planned what it has described as being a “festival of resistance”.
Trump donned a white USA baseball capCredit: Getty
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The footage has circulated social media platform XCredit: Getty
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The President was playing with his son EricCredit: Getty
Climate campaigners from Greenpeace confirmed that 10 activists abseiled from the massive 156m bridge to block an INEOS tanker.
A large number of police and military personnel were seen searching the grounds at the golf resort to ensure Mr Trump’s safety before he teed off.
A high-profile security operation was in full swing with land, sea and air coverage from police and security services while a number of guests were checked over.
Secret service agents with sniffer dogs checked bushes as snipers were positioned on a platform on the edge of the course and the roof of the hotel.
Uniformed and plain clothes cops guarded all access points to the course, including roads, footpaths and the beach.
Amid the search, a few golfers were also spotted at the course, enjoying an early-morning game.
A number of onlookers had gathered at the entrance to Turnberry hoping to catch a glimpse of the game.
But they were not let anywhere near.
Police also had road closures in place, with limited access for locals and members of the media.
As well as visiting Trump Turnberry, Mr Trump will later head to Aberdeenshire and visit his golf resort in Balmedie.
During his stay, he will officially open his second course at Menie, named in honour of his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.
His visit is expected to last until Tuesday, July 29.
The President is also scheduled to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his trip.
After landing in Scotland, Mr Trump said the “invasion” of migrants is “killing” Europe and told the leaders to “get their act together”.
But when asked about illegal immigration, Mr Trump said a “horrible invasion” was taking place in Europe which needs to stop.
He said: “On immigration, you better get your act together.
“You’re not going to have Europe anymore, you’ve got to get your act together.
“As you know, last month we had nobody entering our country – nobody, [we] shut it down.”
He added: “You’ve got to stop this horrible invasion that’s happening to Europe.”
Mr Trump, who made a crackdown on illegal immigration a major policy in his second term at the White House, boasted: “Last month we had nobody entering our country.”
A massive £5million security operation has been rolled out to ensure his safety, with around 6,000 police officers drafted in from across the UK to support the efforts.
We previously told how police and security services assessed fears that Trump could be assassinated during his visit to Scotland after he survived an attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania last year.
David Threadgold, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said “a huge amount of threat assessment and intelligence gathering” took place ahead of the visit.
President Donald Trump’s administration dished out a cold burn to Trump’s ice-cream-loving predecessor, Joe Biden, saying he led the US ice cream industry down an economic rocky road.
“America had a trade surplus in ice cream in 2020 under President Trump’s leadership, but that surplus turned into a trade deficit of $40.6 million under President Biden’s watch,” the Office of the US Trade Representative wrote July 20 on X. The post included a chart that shows the US ice cream trade deficit with Japan, South Africa, the European Union, Brazil, Canada and Turkiye.
The US ice cream trade balance did change dramatically in 2021, the year Biden took office. The trade balance officially flipped negative – which means imports outnumber exports – in 2022 and has remained so since then.
But industry experts caution that US ice cream imports account for a minuscule fraction of all the US ice cream consumed in the US, and exports account for a tiny fraction of all US ice cream produced.
The trade change was driven mostly by a jump in imports. Exports have remained largely unchanged since 2020.
And the cherry on top? Disagreement over which products to classify as “ice cream” also affects data, experts say. For example, the data referenced by the office of the US Trade Representative also includes “edible ice”, which some experts (and dairy defenders) say doesn’t qualify as ice cream.
Removing edible ice shows that “the US is a net exporter by a significant margin of ($193 million) or +85% larger by value,” International Dairy Foods Association Executive Vice President Matt Herrick told PolitiFact via email.
Ice cream imports increase causes US trade deficit
From 1995 to 2020, the US had an ice cream trade surplus, ranging from about $20m to about $160m, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an online economic data platform. Longtime customers include Mexico, followed by Saudi Arabia and Canada.
In 2021, that surplus nearly vanished, and in 2022 and 2023, the US notched up an ice cream trade deficit of $92m and $33m, respectively.
At first glance, importing frozen foods doesn’t seem practical.
“Shipping refrigerated and frozen products overseas is expensive,” dairy economist Betty Berningat of HighGround Dairy said. “Mexico is the top destination for US dairy exports.”
But many US and European companies have tapped into global markets.
“Consumers may also want a specific treat that is styled after or known to be from another country,” Herrick said.
Italy, the birthplace of gelato, is now the United States’ largest single source of imported ice cream. Italian ice cream imports more than quintupled from about $12m to almost $65m between 2020 and 2021 alone, before decreasing somewhat in 2023, the last year for which data is available.
Some of this stems from increased consumer demand for specialty pints. A report by Mordor Intelligence, a global market research firm, said “product innovation and premiumisation” have become key in the US ice cream industry.
“This trend is particularly evident in the growth of premium pint offerings and individually wrapped novelties that cater to both indulgence and portion control preferences,” the report said.
The US produces far more ice cream than it imports or exports
To get to the pint: The vast majority of ice cream consumed in the United States is made there, not overseas.
The Trump administration is cherry-picking stats from a fraction of a sliver of the US ice cream industry.
According to US Agriculture Department data, US ice cream makers churned out 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream in 2024. This includes regular ice cream, low-fat and nonfat ice cream, sherbet and frozen yoghurt.
By comparison, the US imported 2.35 million gallons of traditional ice cream in 2024 – that’s 0.18 percent of the amount produced domestically, Herrick said.
The US exported 16.4 million gallons of that domestic production, which is also a tiny fraction of 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream – a little more than 1 percent.
Factoring in ice cream mixes, excluding ‘edible ice’ products
Another caveat about the international trade data: It does not include “mixes”, which skews the totals, said Herrick of the International Dairy Foods Association.
Mixes are used to make ice cream shakes and soft-serve products, and they account for a significant portion of US ice cream exports. “Inclusion of such data points would change the picture quite significantly,” said Herrick. “While it is true that traditional ice cream and edible ice exports have seen decreased exports, the same cannot be said for exports of mixes.”
US milk-based drink exports increased 621 percent over the past five years, he said. In 2024, the US exported nearly $35m in mixes to the European Union.
Americans and dairy-based ice cream: A centuries-old love affair melting away?
The White House has churned out plenty of ice cream devotees.
George Washington stocked the capital with ice cream-making equipment. Thomas Jefferson is credited as being the first American to record an ice cream recipe. Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month in 1984. Barack Obama even slung scoops back in the day.
Biden, who was often sighted with a cone in hand, proclaimed while visiting Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream headquarters in 2016: “My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream.”
But consumption of regular dairy ice cream – a category that does not include frozen yoghurt, sherbet or nonfat and low-fat ice creams – has been trending down for years.
In 1975, Americans ate an average of 18.2 pounds each of ice cream per year. That figure fell to 11.7 pounds by 2023.
Our ruling
The office of the US Trade Representative purported a summertime scoop: “America had a trade surplus in ice cream in 2020 under President Trump’s leadership, but that surplus turned into a trade deficit of $40.6 million under President Biden’s watch.”
It’s accurate that the US ice cream trade balance had a surplus for a quarter of a century before turning negative while Biden was president.
But the US Trade Representative’s statement makes the US ice cream deficit appear out of cone-trol.
There are three scoops of context on this trade sundae:
The change was driven mostly by a jump in imports. Exports have remained largely unchanged since 2020.
US ice cream imports and exports are a negligible amount compared to domestic production.
There’s also disagreement over which products should or shouldn’t be included in the data set, which can skew trend interpretations. Excluding edible ice products and factoring in ice cream mixes leaves the US with a surplus.
The statement is accurate but needs a sprinkling of clarification and additional details, so we rate it Mostly True.
July 23 (UPI) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Trump administration to remove three members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission as the case proceeds through the courts in another emergency appeal on firings backed by the conservative-dominated court.
In a dissent by Justice Elena Kagan, joined by fellow liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, she said the court majority decided on the emergency appeal to “destroy the independence of an independent agency, as established by Congress.”
The majority opinion was unsigned and based upon an earlier 6-3 order that allowed the dismissal of two independent labor boards in Trump vs. Wilcox: the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
“Although our interim orders are not conclusive as to the merits, they inform how a court should exercise its equitable discretion in like cases,” the court ruled. “The stay we issued in Wilcox reflected ‘our judgment that the government faces greater risk of harm from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty.’
“The same is true on the facts presented here, where the Consumer Product Safety Commission exercises executive power in a similar manner as the National Labor Relations Board, and the case does not otherwise differ from Wilcox in any pertinent respect.”
The order is stayed pending disposition by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va. On July 1, the three-judge panel rejected Trump’s request for an administrative stay pending appeal.
“Congress lawfully constrained the President’s removal authority, and no court has found that constraint unconstitutional,” the appeals court said. “The district court correctly declined to permit a President — any President — to disregard those limits.”
District Judge Matthew Maddox found on June 13 that Trump’s removal was unlawful and blocked it. Maddox, who serves in Maryland, was appointed by President Joe Biden.
“Depriving this five-member commission of three of its sitting members threatens severe impairment of its ability to fulfill its statutory mandates and advance the public’s interest in safe consumer products,” Maddox wrote in his decision. “This hardship and threat to public safety significantly outweighs any hardship defendants might suffer from plaintiffs’ participation on the CPSC.”
The terms of the five members are staggered to overlap during presidencies.
Boyle’s term was to end in October after filling a vacancy in 2022, with Hoehn-Saric in October 2027 and Trumka in October 2028. The board consists of five members, and they are operating as a two-member quorum, which is allowed for six months.
The remaining members are Acting Chairman Peter Feldman, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, and Republican Douglas Dziak, who was appointed by Biden in 2024.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in a court ruling that Maddox’s decision has “sown chaos and dysfunction” at the agency.
In May, the three commissioners were notified their positions were terminated immediately. A president can legally only remove a commissioner for neglect of duty of malfeasance.
The court has allowed the termination of employees as the cases proceed through the courts.
Lower court judges have relied on a decision in 1935, called Humphrey’s Executor vs. United States, about the mass firings. The Supreme Court has said it will act on this matter.
On July 14, the justices allowed the Trump administration to mass fire half of the Education Department. Trump wants the agency abolished, and the court has not ruled on that decision, which requires a vote by the U.S. Senate.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, which was created in 1972, protects consumers from dangerous products, including issuing safety standards and recalls.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat representing Minnesota, criticized the decision, saying: “For over 50 years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has been free from politics so it can remain focused on its core mission of keeping Americans safe – from banning lead paint, to ensuring electronics aren’t fire hazards, to making swimming pools safe for kids. Last year alone, the Commission recalled 153 million unsafe items.”
“By firing the three Democratic commissioners, the President has undermined the independent structure of the Commission and its critical work — and the Supreme Court is letting it happen,” added the member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
July 22 (UPI) — The Justice Department has dismissed a Biden-era lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming care for minors, as the Trump administration continues to attack the rights and medical care of transgender Americans.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that her department’s Civil Rights Division dismissed the lawsuit in a statement Monday that said the Justice Department “does not believe challenging Tennessee’s law serves the public interest.”
Gender-affirming care includes a range of therapies, including psychological, behavioral and medical interventions, with surgeries for minors being exceedingly rare. According to a recent Harvard study, cisgender minors and adults were far more likely to undergo analogous gender-affirming surgeries than their transgender counterparts.
Despite the support of the medical community and evidence of its efficacy, gender-affirming care and this marginalized community continue to be targeted by conservatives and Republicans with legislation.
Tennessee enacted Senate Bill 1 in March 2023 to prohibit healthcare professionals from prescribing puberty blockers or hormones to minors to treat gender dysphoria, which attracted a lawsuit from the Justice Department under President Joe Biden, arguing the law violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, as all other minors continued to have access to the same procedures and treatments.
The conservative movement targeting the healthcare of transgender minors has since gained a supporter in the White House with the re-election of President Donald Trump.
Since returning to power, Trump has implemented an agenda targeting transgender Americans, including directing the federal government to recognize only two sexes determined at “conception,” restricting gender-affirming care for youth and banning transgender Americans from the military.
Last month, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against the Biden administration’s complaint to overturn the Tennessee law. The ruling fell along ideological lines, with the conservative justices voting for the law to stand. The liberal justices dissented.
“By retreating from meaningful review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissent.
“Tennessee’s ban applies no matter what a minor’s parents and doctors think, with no regard for the severity of the minor’s mental health conditions or the extent to which treatment is medically necessary for an individual child.”
Bondi on Monday said the Supreme Court made “the right decision.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said that by dismissing the lawsuit, they “undid one of the injustices the Biden administration inflicted upon the country.”
ATLANTA — It’s been six months since Joe Biden left the Oval Office. Republicans, including President Trump, can’t stop talking about him.
The House has launched investigations asserting that Biden’s closest advisers covered up a physical and mental decline during the 82-year-old Democrat’s presidency. The Senate has started a series of hearings focused on his mental fitness. And Trump’s White House has opened its own investigation into the Biden administration’s use of the presidential autopen, which Trump has called “one of the biggest scandals in the history of our country.”
It all fits with Trump’s practice of blaming his predecessors for the nation’s ills. Just last week, he tried to deflect criticism of his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case by casting blame on others, including Biden.
Turning the spotlight back on the former president carries risks for both parties heading into the 2026 midterms. The more Republicans or Democrats talk about Biden, the less they can make arguments about the impact of Trump’s presidency — positive or negative — especially his sweeping new tax cut and spending law that is reshaping the federal government.
“Most Americans consider Joe Biden to be yesterday’s news,” Republican pollster Whit Ayres said.
Republicans want Biden’s autopen to become a flashpoint
Seeking to avenge his 2020 loss to Biden, Trump mocked his rival’s age and fitness incessantly in 2024, even after Biden dropped his reelection bid and yielded to then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
He and other Republicans seemed poised to spend the summer touting their new tax, spending and policy package. But Trump, now 79 and facing his own health challenges, has refused to let up on Biden, and his allies in the party have followed suit.
Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin called the Biden White House’s use of the autopen “a massive scandal,” while Republican Rep. Nick Lalota insists his New York constituents “are curious as to what was happening during President Biden’s days.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently confirmed the administration would pursue an investigation of the Biden administration’s use of the presidential autopen. Trump and other Republicans have questioned whether Biden was actually running the country and suggested aides abused a tool that has long been a routine part of signing presidentially approved actions.
“We deserve to get to the bottom of it,” Leavitt said.
Biden has responded to the criticism by issuing a statement saying he was, in fact, making the decisions during his presidency and that any suggestion otherwise “is ridiculous and false.”
Congressional committees investigate
On Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee has convened hearings on use of the autopen and Biden’s fitness for office. Van Orden cited the Constitution’s Article II vesting authority solely with the president.
“It doesn’t say chief of staff. It doesn’t say an autopen,” he said.
The House panel subpoenaed Biden’s physician and a top aide to former first lady Jill Biden. Both invoked Fifth Amendment protections that prevent people from being forced to testify against themselves in government proceedings.
“There was no there there,” said Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell of Missouri, a member of the committee who called the effort “an extraordinary waste of time.”
The committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer, wants to hear from former White House chiefs of staff Ron Klain and Jeff Zients; former senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn; and other former top aides Bruce Reed, Steve Ricchetti and Annie Tomasini, among others. Republicans confirmed multiple dates for the sessions through late September, ensuring it will remain in the headlines.
Investigations could crowd out GOP efforts to define Trump positively
That GOP schedule comes as both parties work feverishly to define Trump’s start to his second term.
His so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” is a mix of tax cuts, border security measures and cuts to safety net programs such as Medicaid, a joint state-federal insurance program for lower-income Americans. Polls suggest some individual measures are popular while others are not and that the GOP faces headwinds on tilting the public in favor of the overall effort.
A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults view the bill as a win for the wealthy and another found that only about one-quarter of U.S. adults felt Trump’s policies have helped them. In the policy survey, he failed to earn majority support on any of the major issues, including the economy, immigration, government spending and health care. Immigration, especially, had been considered a major strength for Trump politically.
It is “rather tone deaf,” said Bell, for Republicans to go after Biden given those circumstances.
“Americans want us to deal with the issues that are plaguing our country now … the high cost of living, cost of food, the cost of housing, health care,” Bell said, as he blasted the GOP for a deliberate “distraction” from what challenges most U.S. households.
The effort also comes with Trump battling his own supporters over the Justice Department’s decision not to publicly release additional records related to the Epstein case.
“The Epstein saga is more important to his base than whatever happened to Joe Biden,” said Ayres, the GOP pollster.
Even Lalota, the New York congressman, acknowledged a balancing act with the Biden inquiries.
“My constituents care most about affordability and public safety,” Lalota said. “But this is an important issue nonetheless.”
Democrats don’t want to talk about Biden
With Republicans protecting a narrow House majority, every hotly contested issue could be seen as determinative in the 2026 midterm elections.
That puts added pressure on Republicans to retain Trump’s expanded 2024 coalition, when he increased support among Black and Hispanic voters, especially men, over the usual Republican levels. But that’s considerably harder without Trump himself on the ballot. That could explain Republican efforts to keep going after Biden given how unpopular he is with Trump’s core supporters.
Democrats, meanwhile, point to their success in the 2018 midterms during Trump’s first presidency, when they reclaimed the House majority on the strength of moderate voters, including disaffected Republicans. They seem confident that Republicans’ aggressiveness about Biden does not appeal to that swath of the electorate.
But even as they praise Biden’s accomplishments as president, Democrats quietly admit they don’t want to spend time talking about a figure who left office with lagging approval ratings and forced his party into a late, difficult change at the top of the ticket.
Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said Biden was productive while acknowledging he “was not at the top of his game because of his age.” He said Democrats want to look forward, most immediately on trying to win control of the House and make gains in the Senate.
“And then who’s our standard bearer in 2028?” Beyer said. “And how do we minimize the Trump damage with what we have right now?”
Barrow and Brown write for the Associated Press. Brown reported from Washington.
1 of 3 | The Butte County meadowfoam is only found in Butte County, Calif. A federal judge stopped a project that would further endanger the flower. Photo by Rick Kuyper/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
July 18 (UPI) — A federal judge overturned the approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of a mixed-use project in Chico, Calif., after environmentalists claimed it will destroy the natural habitat of threatened species.
At issue was the Stonegate Development Project, a 314-acre development. It was to include 423 single-family residential lots, 13.4 acres of multi-family residential land uses, 36.6 acres of commercial land uses, 5.4 acres of storm water facilities, 3.5 acres of park and a 137-acre, open-space preserve, the ruling said.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Calabretta gave summary judgment requested by the Center for Biological Diversity and AquAlliance and halted implementation of the project until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares a legally adequate biological opinion that the development wouldn’t jeopardize protected species.
Calabretta, a President Joe Biden appointee, wrote that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Biological Opinion for the project in early 2020. That opinion “acknowledged there would be harm to some ESA-listed species, but that the project would not jeopardize the continued survival and recovery of the listed fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp and meadowfoam.” It also did not analyze impacts on the giant garter snake, he added.
“The court finds that federal defendants’ failure to consider potential effects on the ESA-listed giant garter snake was based on a faulty assumption that there have been no sightings of the snake within five miles of the project renders its Biological Opinion arbitrary and capricious,” Calabretta said.
According to the conservation groups, the project also would permanently destroy 9.14 acres of wetlands. But some meadowfoam habitat may be established through mitigation efforts.
The Butte County meadowfoam is found nowhere in the world but Butte County, Calif., the Center for Biological Diversity said. The species has only 21 distinct populations remaining, and the project would destroy one population and further encroach on two others.
According to the fish and wildlife service, the giant garter snake is one of the largest garter snakes, reaching 63.7 inches long. It has been listed as threatened since 1993 and now only exists in three counties in California. Only about 5% of its historical wetland habitat remains.
Vernal pool fairy shrimp are restricted to vernal pools found in California and southern Oregon. They are found in 32 counties across California’s Central Valley, central coast and southern California and in Jackson County in southern Oregon, the service said.
1 of 2 | Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. (L), and Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy, D-Mass., attend a Senate Judiaciary Committee meeting in 1985. The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is giving Biden a Lifetime Achievement Award this fall. File Photo by Tim Clary/UPI | License Photo
July 18 (UPI) — The Edward M. Kennedy Institute will give President Joe Biden a Lifetime Achievement Award at its 10th Anniversary Celebration this fall.
Biden plans to attend the event on Oct. 26 at the Institute’s Columbia Point, Mass., building. The award is to recognize Biden’s “more than four decades in public life, beginning with his election to the United States Senate from Delaware in 1972, to his ascent to leadership positions in the Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees, to the vice presidency and ultimately to the White House,” a press release said.
The Institute, named for Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy, will also give out its Award for Inspired Leadership to former secretary of labor and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Retired U.S. Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“We believe that we can inspire new generations of leaders by highlighting the example of those who came before them like Senator Ted Kennedy,” said Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Kennedy’s widow and the co-founder of the Kennedy Institute. Biden, Walsh and Franchetti “are all such exemplary and inspiring leaders, dedicated to improving the lives of others in our community and throughout our country.”
The Institute’s fall dinner is its annual fundraiser, supporting its mission to foster bipartisan political leadership, provide a forum for civil discourse about critical issues, and educate the public about the Senate’s role in the American system of democratic government.
“President Biden’s life has been one of honorable service to his country, and like the man for whom the Kennedy Institute is named, fought for the interests, and to better the lives, of all Americans from all socio-economic, cultural, and personal backgrounds,” Kennedy Institute Chair Bruce A. Percelay said. “His tenacity and persistence — again, traits that echo those of Senator Ted Kennedy — are constant reminders to our current political leaders of the dedication and hard work required to do the people’s business in Washington.”
Washington, DC – The family of Sayfollah Musallet, the United States citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank last week, is calling for justice.
Musallet’s relatives want Washington to launch its own investigation into the incident to ensure accountability.
The Florida-born 20-year-old is the ninth US citizen to be killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers since 2022. None of the previous cases have led to criminal charges or US sanctions against the perpetrators.
That lack of response is what advocates call a “pattern of impunity”, wherein Washington demands a probe without placing any significant pressure on Israel to produce results.
In Musallet’s case, the administration of President Donald Trump urged Israel to “aggressively” investigate the killing.
“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,” Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said in a statement on Tuesday.
It is not clear if the US has taken any further actions to seek justice in the aftermath of the fatal beating.
Critics say the “pattern of impunity” stems in part from the historically close bonds between the US and Israel. Successive presidential administrations in the US have affirmed their “unwavering” support for Israel, and the US provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid annually.
Here, Al Jazeera looks at who the eight other victims were, how the US has responded to their killing and where their cases stand.
Omar Assad
Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian American, was driving home in the occupied West Bank after visiting friends on January 12, 2022, when Israeli soldiers stopped him at a checkpoint.
According to the autopsy report and his family’s account, the troops dragged Assad out of his car and then handcuffed, gagged and blindfolded him, leaving him to die at a cold construction site.
The administration of then-President Joe Biden called on Israel to launch a criminal investigation into the incident.
But Assad’s relatives and lawmakers from his home state of Milwaukee wanted Washington to conduct its own probe – a demand that never materialised.
As is often the case, Israel’s investigation into its own soldiers’ conduct did not lead to any criminal charges.
In 2023, the Israeli army said that it found no “causal link” between the way its soldiers treated Assad and his death.
The Biden administration also declined to apply sanctions under US law to the Israeli unit that killed Assad: the Netzah Yehuda, a battalion notorious for its abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Last year, the US Department of State announced that the battalion will still be eligible for US aid under the Leahy Law, which prohibits military assistance for security units involved in human rights violations.
Shireen Abu Akleh
Abu Akleh, a veteran Al Jazeera reporter, was fatally shot by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11, 2022.
Owing to her status as one of the most celebrated journalists in the Middle East, her killing sparked international outrage from rights groups and press freedom advocates.
Despite the global attention, Israeli forces attacked her funeral in Jerusalem, beating the pallbearers carrying her coffin with batons.
A portrait of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is displayed during a memorial mass held at a church in Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem [AFP]
Israel initially denied killing Abu Akleh, 51, falsely claiming that the reporter was shot by armed Palestinians.
Months later, after multiple visual investigations showed that Israeli soldiers targeted Abu Akleh, Israel acknowledged that its forces likely killed the reporter, dismissing the incident as an accident.
The Biden administration faced waves of pleas by legislators and rights groups to launch its own investigation into the killing, but it resisted the calls, arguing that Israel is capable of investigating itself.
In November 2022, Israeli media reports claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating the shooting of Abu Akleh, but the US Department of Justice never confirmed the probe.
More than three years after Abu Akleh’s killing, her family and supporters say justice in her case has not been served.
Tawfiq Ajaq
Born in Louisiana, Ajaq was 17 when he visited the occupied West Bank to see his relatives last year.
On January 19, 2024, he was driving a pick-up truck with his friends when Israelis sprayed the vehicle with bullets and killed him.
Mohammed Salameh, who witnessed and survived the attack, said the shooting was unprovoked.
While it is not clear which individual shot Ajaq, Israel said the incident involved “an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier and a civilian” and was sparked by “rock-throwing activities” – a claim that Salameh has denied.
The US State Department called for an “urgent investigation to determine the circumstance” of the incident.
But more than 19 months after the shooting, Israel has not publicly released any findings or charged any suspect in the shooting.
“We feel abandoned by our government,” Ajaq’s uncle, Mohammad Abdeljabbar, told Al Jazeera last year.
Mohammad Khdour
Khdour was also 17 when he was killed under almost identical circumstances to Ajaq just weeks later.
According to his cousin Malek Mansour, who witnessed the attack, an unidentified assailant opened fire at their car in the occupied West Bank from a vehicle with an Israeli number plate.
Mansour said the attack was unprovoked. Khdour died on February 10, 2024.
The two had been eating cookies and taking selfies moments before the shooting.
Once again, Washington called for a probe.
“There needs to be an investigation. We need to get the facts. And if appropriate, there needs to be accountability,” then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at that time.
But advocates say that, while normally Israel launches sham investigations into such incidents, Israeli authorities have not acknowledged Khdour’s killing at all.
The Israeli military and police told the publication Haaretz last year that they are not familiar with the case.
Jacob Flickinger
An Israeli air strike targeted a World Central Kitchen (WCK) vehicle in Gaza on April 1, 2024, killing seven aid workers, sparking anger and condemnation across the world.
Among the victims was Flickinger, a 33-year-old US-Canadian dual citizen.
Biden called for a “swift” Israeli investigation into the attack, which he said “must bring accountability”.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the blast a “tragic accident”.
A vehicle for the World Central Kitchen sits charred in the central Gaza Strip after a deadly Israeli strike, on April 2, 2024 [Ahmed Zakot/Reuters]
The Israeli military said the commander who ordered the strike had “mistakenly assumed” that gunmen in the area were in the aid vehicle.
It added that the commander did not identify the car as associated with World Central Kitchen, a well-known hunger relief initiative founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres.
A World Central Kitchen logo was displayed prominently on the top of the vehicle before the attack.
Israel said it dismissed two commanders over the incident, but there were no criminal charges.
Last year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza as well as other alleged war crimes.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi
Eygi, born in Washington state, was participating in a protest against an illegal settler outpost in the West Bank on September 6, 2024, when an Israeli soldier shot her in the head.
She was 26.
While there were reports of a scuffle during a crackdown on the demonstration by Israeli forces, several witnesses have said that Eygi was shot during a calm period after the chaos had ended.
The State Department called on Israel to “quickly and robustly” investigate Eygi’s killing, but it ruled out conducting its own probe.
Biden dismissed her death as an “accident”, but Blinken condemned it as “unprovoked and unjustified”.
On the same day that Eygi was fatally shot by Israel, the US Justice Department filed charges against Hamas leaders after the killing of US-Israeli captive Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Gaza.
The Israeli military said its soldiers likely killed Eygi “indirectly and unintentionally” – a conclusion that her family called offensive, stressing that she was targeted by a sniper.
“The disregard shown for human life in the inquiry is appalling,” the family said in a statement.
Trump ally Randy Fine, now a Congress member, celebrated the killing of Eygi. “One less #MuslimTerrorist,” he wrote in a social media post, referring to the shooting.
Kamel Jawad
When Jawad, a celebrated leader in the Lebanese American community in Michigan, was killed by an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon on October 1 of last year, the Biden administration initially denied he was a US citizen.
Washington later acknowledged that Jawad was American, expressing “alarm” over his killing.
“As we have noted repeatedly, it is a moral and strategic imperative that Israel take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Any loss of civilian life is a tragedy,” the US State Department said at that time.
Israel has not commented publicly on the strike that killed Jawad.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) slammed the Biden administration’s handling of the case, including the US government’s initial “smug” response.
“It’s as if they’re intentionally trying to see our people killed, intentionally downplaying us and dehumanising us,” ADC executive director Abed Ayoub told Al Jazeera last year.
Amer Rabee
On April 6, Israeli forces in the West Bank fatally shot 14-year-old Rabee, a New Jersey native, and called him a “terrorist”. Two of his friends were also injured in the attack.
While the Israeli military accused Rabee and his friends of throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles, the slain teenager’s family insisted that he was picking almonds on the side of the road.
The Trump administration failed to pursue accountability in the case or even publicly press for further details about the incident.
Instead, the State Department cited the Israeli account about the 14-year-old’s killing.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” the State Department said at that time. “We acknowledge the [Israeli military’s] initial statement that expressed that this incident occurred during a counter-terrorism operation.”
Russia has become the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan (Taliban Minister of Refugees Khalil ur Rehman Haqqani pictured 2024). File Photo by Samiullah Popal/EPA-EFE
July 4 (UPI) — Russia has become the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
“We believe that the official recognition of the Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give an impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various areas,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a media release accompanied by a photo of Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko meeting Afghan ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan in Moscow this week.
“We see considerable prospects for interaction in trade and the economy with a focus on projects in energy, transport, agriculture, and infrastructure. We will continue to assist Kabul in strengthening regional security and fighting terrorist threats and drug crime.”
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed the recognition on X, with photos.
آقای دیمیتری ژیرنوف، سفیر فدراسیون روسیه با مولوی امیرخان متقی وزیر امور خارجهٔ ا.ا.ا. ملاقات نمود.
درین نشست سفیر روسیه تصمیم حکومت روسیه مبنی بر بهرسمیت شناختن امارت اسلامی افغانستان از سوی فدراسیون روسیه را رسماً ابلاغ نمود.
“During this meeting, the Russian Ambassador officially conveyed the Russian government’s decision to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan by the Russian Federation,” the ministry said in the post.
“The Ambassador highlighted the importance of this decision.”
The meeting between the two dignitaries took place at the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan embassy in Moscow.
Last October, Russia formally ended its designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organization but did not at the time officially recognize the Islamic regime.
Moscow first added the Taliban to its list of designated terrorist groups in 2003 while the regime supported separatist groups in the Caucasus region governed by Russia.
After being chased from power following the U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban returned to governance in 2021 when President Joe Biden ordered the withdrawal of American troops on the ground.
The Taliban quickly regained its hold on the country and began rounding up dissidents and in some cases executing them.
July 4 (UPI) — One person died and 26 were injured in record Russian airstrikes throughout Ukraine‘s capital Kyiv on Friday, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “disappointed” that Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn’t ready to end the three-year war.
Several thousand residents spent the night in shelters, including subway stations or underground parking lots during eight hours of drone and missiles strikes, CNN reported.
“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,” Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said about the nonstop strikes.
After the two presidents spoke on the phone, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the “Special Military Operation,” which started in February 2022, will continue until they’ve met their objective.
Trump said that “no progress” had been made to end fighting, which began after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Trump said he planned to speak with Zelensky on Friday.
Ukraine’s air force said the the 550 drones, 72 of which penetrated air defenses, surpassed the previous record of 537 launched last Saturday night.
Air raid alerts sounded overnight in Kyiv, the “main target of the strikes,” the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a “brutal, sleepless night” as he condemned one of the most “demonstratively significant and cynical” attacks of the war.
“Notably, the first air raid alerts in our cities and regions yesterday began to blare almost simultaneously with media reports discussing a phone call between President Trump and Putin,” Zelensky posted on X. “Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror.”
Again, he urged international allies, including the United States, to put more pressure on Russia to end the war and to impose harsher sanctions.
“All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behavior,” Zelensky said. “For every such strike against people and human life, they must feel appropriate sanctions and other blows to their economy, their revenues, and their infrastructure. This is the only thing that can be achieved quickly to change the situation for the better. And it depends on our partners, primarily the United States.”
Some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine have been halted by the United States.
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for “emptying out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves.”
A German government spokesperson said his nation is in talks with the U.S. to buy Patriot air defense systems to give to Ukraine.
The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces warned the number of long-range drones used by Russia could reach 1,000 or more daily.
The airstrikes damaged railway infrastructure, as well as schools, businesses and vehicles in the capital, including five ambulances that were summoned.
The Polish consulate also was damaged, said Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who called on the U.S. to “restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor.”
With air pollution levels in the city “high,” according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, residents were warned to stay indoors, not to ventilate rooms and use air purifiers at maximum if possible.
“This attack happened immediately after Putin’s conversation with Trump, and it confirms that Trump is a scoundrel, just like the fact that the U.S. wants to stop aid deliveries and he is not helping in any way during his presidency,” one Kyiv resident, Yuriy, told CNN.
One body was found in the rubble in the Svyatoshynsky district, the leader of the Kyiv city military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said.
Also hit were the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said the “massive” strikes were in response to the “terrorist acts of the Kyiv regime.”
A woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a village not far from the border on Friday night, the acting governor of Russia’s southern Rostov region said.
Today, you turn 249 and, honestly, you don’t look a day over 248. (Ha ha.)
Seriously, it’s perfectly understandable why there’s more gray on your scalp and deeper worry lines on your face. This last year has been challenging, to say the least.
Medicaid, the program that serves millions of the needy, elderly and disabled, is on the chopping block. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps Americans weather the worst times after natural disaster, has been drastically depleted just as we’re heading into the fire and hurricane seasons.
But no one ever said this representative democracy thing was going to be easy, or endlessly uplifting.
America, you’re a big, boisterous nation of more than 342 million people, with all sorts of competing impulses and interests, and no end of certitude to go around.
In our last presidential election, we split nearly evenly, with Trump squeaking past Harris in the popular vote 49.8% to 48.3%. It was one of the narrowest margins of victory in the last century, though you wouldn’t know it from Trump’s radical actions and the servility of the Republican-run Congress.
In a recently completed deep dive on the state of our democracy, researchers at UC Berkeley found an almost even divide over how to measure our political system’s success.
Slightly more than half of those surveyed said a successful democracy is one that’s adaptable and has the capacity for change, while nearly half said success stems from adherence to long-standing principles.
With that kind of stark disagreement on such a fundamental question, is it any wonder we struggle to find consensus on so much else?
But, heck, if it’s any consolation on this star-spangled holiday, the country has been through worse. Much worse. And you, America, have not only survived but also in many ways grown stronger by facing down your flaws and overcoming some knee-buckling challenges.
That sordid history won’t necessarily make anyone feel better about the current state of affairs, nor should it. But it does give some perspective.
All of that said, today’s a day to celebrate the good things and the bright, shining place you aspire to be, with liberty and justice for all. So, chin up, America! Have another slice of birthday cake, and don’t worry about the calories — you really do look terrific for 249!
United States President Donald Trump has toured Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in the Everglades before it gets its first detainees.
“It’s known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate because I looked outside and that’s not a place I want to go hiking,” Trump told the media during a livestreamed event on Tuesday. “But very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”
Trump campaigned for the presidency on promises to tackle immigration but faces a shortage of detention beds. The One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump’s tax and spending plan, passed the Senate during his Florida stop and includes $150bn for his deportation agenda over four years.
State officials quickly built the expected 5,000-bed facility to detain immigrants on top of a decades-old landing strip. The Department of Homeland Security pegged the one-year cost of running the facility at $450m, which it plans to pay for with money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program.
Florida officials, including former Trump rival Governor Ron DeSantis, joined the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for the tour. DeSantis said Noem’s team told him the facility would be opened to receive detainees after Trump’s departure.
Trump talked for more than an hour as he deflected questions about who could lose Medicaid healthcare coverage under the tax and spending legislation, warmly responded to a suggestion to arrest former President Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and repeated a frequent complaint about shower heads lacking sufficient water pressure. Noem, meanwhile, said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had detained a “cannibal” who “started to eat himself” on an airplane.
Here is a fact check of some of Trump’s remarks:
Trump’s ‘illegal alien’ cost estimate comes from group that advocates for low immigration levels
While talking about the goal of cutting the federal budget, Trump said: “The average illegal alien costs American taxpayers an estimated $70,000.”
That is a lifetime estimate by an organisation that supports low levels of immigration. Critics have taken issue with it.
The White House quoted 2024 testimony to a committee in the House of Representatives by Steven A Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies.
Camarota said in written testimony: “The lifetime fiscal drain (taxes paid minus costs) for each illegal immigrant is about $68,000.” He based his estimate on immigrants’ net fiscal impact by education level.
Camarota said the estimate came with caveats, including what percentage of immigrants in the US illegally were using welfare programmes and the amount of benefits they received and their use of public schools and emergency services.
Other analyses show positive economic effects from undocumented immigrants in the US.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan research arm of Congress, in a 2024 report found both costs and benefits from the Biden-era immigration increase. On net, CBO found, the impact was positive in several areas.
The CBO estimated an $8.9 trillion boost to the gross domestic product – a measurement of overall economic activity – over 10 years because of the immigration surge, which would improve wages, salaries and corporate profits. The CBO also estimated that federal deficits would decline by almost $1 trillion over 10 years because of increased tax revenues from immigrants, which the agency estimated would outweigh the costs they imposed in the form of additional federal outlays.
Separately, the libertarian Cato Institute in 2023 found “immigrants generate nearly $1 trillion (in 2024 dollars) in state, local and federal taxes, which is almost $300 billion more than they receive in government benefits, including cash assistance, entitlements, and public education.”
Michael A Clemens, a George Mason University economist, told PolitiFact that although the Center for Immigration Studies counted the use of public schools by immigrants in the US illegally as a cost, he and other economists see public school funding as having net positive benefits.
Trump repeats ‘autopen’ conspiracy theory about Biden
Trump said: “We have a lot of bad criminals that came into the country. … It was an unforced error. It was an incompetent president that allowed it to happen. It was an autopen, maybe, that allowed it to happen.”
He was referring to a conspiracy theory in pro-Trump circles that Biden was so out of the loop during his own presidency that aides were able to repeatedly forge his signature with a mechanical autopen to pursue their own policy goals.
No evidence has surfaced to indicate that a document Biden signed – whether by autopen or not – was done without his knowledge or consent. Anything Biden signed using an autopen would have been valid, legal experts say.
In March, we rated Trump’s claim that Biden’s pardons weren’t valid because they were signed with an autopen false. US presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, routinely have had subordinates sign pardons on their behalf.
Then-President Joe Biden signs a proclamation to establish two national monuments at the White House on January 14, 2025, in Washington, DC [Evan Vucci/AP]
Trump falsely says policy bill targets only Medicaid ‘waste, fraud and abuse’
During his visit, reporters asked Trump about the One Big Beautiful Bill – which the Senate approved mid-visit – and its effect on Medicaid. “Are you saying that the estimated 11.8 million people who could lose their health coverage, that is all waste, fraud and abuse?” a reporter asked.
Trump said: “No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying it’s going to be a very much smaller number than that, and that number will be waste, fraud and abuse.”
We rated a similar version of Trump’s statement false, finding that the Medicaid changes go beyond just waste, fraud and abuse.
The 11.8 million figure comes from a CBO analysis of the Senate-passed bill.
Although some provisions could improve the detection of beneficiaries who aren’t eligible for coverage, other provisions of the House and the Senate bills would change the healthcare programme for low-income Americans to align with Trump’s ideology and Republican priorities.
The bill incentivises states to stop using their own funds to cover people in the US illegally; it requires people to work or do another approved activity to secure benefits; and it bans Medicaid payments for gender-affirming care and to nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood that provide abortions among other services.
Other changes would impose copays and a shorter window for retroactive coverage. These would change the programme’s fiscal outlook but would not target waste, fraud or abuse.
Trump doubles estimate of immigrant arrivals under Biden
Trump said: “In the four years before I took office, Joe Biden allowed 21 million people, … illegal aliens, to invade our country.”
This campaign talking point remains false. During Biden’s tenure, immigration officials encountered immigrants illegally crossing the US border about 10 million times. When accounting for “got-aways” – people who evade border officials – the number rises to about 11.6 million.
Encounters aren’t the same as admissions. Encounters represent events, so one person who tries to cross the border twice counts as two encounters. Also, not everyone encountered is let into the country. The Homeland Security Department estimated about 4 million encounters under Biden led to expulsions or removals.
During Biden’s administration, about 3.8 million people were released into the US to await immigration court hearings, Department of Homeland Security data show.
PolitiFact staff researcher Caryn Baird and staff writer Ella Moore contributed to this article.
Missiles for Patriot air defence systems and Hellfire missiles are among items being held back, according to US media.
The United States says it is halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv that were promised under the Biden administration, as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine.
The Biden-era pledges, which included various munitions to bolster Ukraine’s defences, are now under review as the Pentagon reassesses current inventory levels. The move could signal a shift in priorities under President Donald Trump, who has pressed for a more restrained global military posture.
“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly in a statement on Tuesday.
The internal assessment by the Pentagon found some stockpiles “too low” to justify immediate transfer to Ukraine, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Politico, which first reported the halt of military aid.
“America’s military has never been more ready and more capable,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, noting a major tax and defence spending bill in Congress would help modernise systems for long-term deterrence.
Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defence systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back.
Russia intensifies assault
The delay comes at a precarious moment for Ukraine, as Russia intensifies its aerial bombardment in one of the heaviest phases of the war. Hopes for a ceasefire – long championed by Trump – have faded further, with talks between Kyiv and Moscow stalled.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the US has provided more than $66bn in weapons and security assistance to Ukraine.
Throughout the war, Washington has also urged its allies to supply air defence systems, particularly Patriot missile batteries. However, many NATO members remain reluctant to give up the systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that are wary of Russia.
Trump, who met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during last week’s NATO summit, acknowledged Ukraine’s request for more Patriots.
“They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them – the Patriots,” Trump said. “We’re going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We’re supplying them to Israel, and they’re very effective. Hard to believe how effective.”
Elbridge Colby, undersecretary for policy at the US Department of Defense, said the administration was exploring ways to balance continued support for Ukraine with readiness at home.
“The department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach,” Colby said, “while preserving US forces’ readiness for current defence priorities.”
WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) — The Trump administration has quietly shut down a major federal website that hosted congressionally mandated national climate assessments, which were the U.S. government’s preeminent reports on climate change impacts, risks and responses.
The disappearance Monday of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s website marked an unexpected loss in public access to the most crucial source for climate-related science.
Also missing was access to previous National Climate Assessments, which are robust scientific evaluations used by lawmakers, scientists and the public to understand and mitigate climate change trends.
Climate scientists condemned the missing access to the vital climate science information, which offered guidance to communities on the climate risks they face, as well as how to plan for and safeguard residents from climate-related disasters like floods and wildfires.
Rachel Brittin, the former deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s external affairs office, said the removal of the website “silences scientists” and “blinds decision-makers.”
“Americans deserve facts — not censorship — when it comes to preparing for a changing world,” Brittin, who served during the current Trump administration, said in a statement to Medill News Service.
Patrick Gonzalez, a climate change scientist at UC Berkeley and co-author of the third and fourth National Climate Assessments, criticized the Trump administration for “suppressing the science of human-caused climate change because they are afraid of the facts, which disprove their erroneous opinions.”
None of the five previous iterations of the assessment was available through the Global Change Research Program website as of Tuesday afternoon. Clicking on the 2023 Fifth National Climate Assessment produced an error message.
Archived versions of the assessments were buried deep in the Environmental Protection Agency website, but only via the agency’s search engine. They also could also be accessed through the Wayback Machine, a non-profit Internet archive.
Some climate scientists downloaded copies of past assessments and uploaded them to their own websites after the site went dark.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment concerning whether the assessments would be available again online.
In 1990, Congress passed the Global Change Research Act, which mandated the federal government to create the Global Change Research Program and require a report every four years on the current state of global climate change.
The National Climate Assessment qualified as a Highly Influential Scientific Assessment, which Congress mandated in 2005 be publicly accessible.
President Donald Trump targeted the Global Change Research Program in the past. Trump removed Michael Kuperberg, the former executive director of the program, from the position in November 2020.
Former President Joe Biden reinstated Kuperberg as head of the program in July 2021, where he oversaw the fourth and fifth editions of the National Climate Assessment.
In April, scientists working on the Sixth National Climate Assessment were relieved from their duties. In the dismissal email, the administration said “the scope of the [National Climate Assessment] is currently being re-evaluated.”
On June 23, the Trump administration released a memorandum directing federal agencies to incorporate “Gold Standard Science” tenets into their research. In an executive order in May, Trump decreed that science must be “reproducible” and “skeptical of its findings and assumptions,” among other descriptors.
The administration referenced the memorandum to justify deleting climate.gov, another high-traffic federal website for climate change information. Climate.gov redirected users to the NOAA website as of June 24.
In the same executive order, Trump said previous administrations “promoted scientific information in a highly misleading manner.”
The executive order also said that federal decision-making under this standard would use the “most credible, reliable and impartial scientific evidence available.”
June 30 (UPI) — Two U.S. House members — Democrat Dwight Evans and Republican Don Bacon — announced Monday they will not seek a third term in 2026 after both have served since their 2016 elections.
Evans, 71, has represented Philadelphia and Bacon, 61, in Nebraska, including Omaha.
Evans, who suffered a stroke last year and has missed several months of votes, had intended to run again in Pennsylvania’s heavy Democratic Third Congressional District.
Bacon is moderate in Nebraska’s Second Congressional District, which was won by Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to become president last year and President Joe Biden in 2020. That gave each of them an electronic vote in the state, which is not winner-take-all.
The U.S. House currently has a breakdown of 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats with three vacancies after the deaths of three Democrats.
Longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an 81-year-old Democrat from Illinois, said earlier this year she wouldn’t run again.
Republican Mark Green, 60, of Tennessee, said he will retire after the budget policy bill goes through Congress.
Dwight Evans
“Serving the people of Philadelphia has been the honor of my life,” Evans said in a statement. “And I remain in good health and fully capable of continuing to serve. After some discussions this weekend and thoughtful reflection, I have decided that the time is right to announce that I will not be seeking re-election in 2026. I will serve out the full term that ends Jan. 3, 2027.”
He succeeded Chaka Fattah, who resigned after being indicted on federal corruption charges.
“I am deeply proud of what I have been able to accomplish over my 45 years in elected office — from revitalizing neighborhoods block by block to fighting for justice, economic opportunity, investments in infrastructure and education,” he said. “I cannot express the gratitude that I have for the trust that voters put in me as their voice in both state and federal office. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to serve as their advocate in government.”
Evans was elected as the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in 1990, serving 20 years.
Evans said he has remained “rooted in his neighborhood” throughout his career, and lived just blocks from where he grew up in the city.
He was a public school teacher and community organizer with the Urban League until he began working in government at 26 in 1980. He was elected to the state’s House of Representatives.
Politico reported there could be a fierce battle between establishment Democrats and progressives, including socialists.
State Sen. Sharif Street on Monday posted on X his intention to run for Evans’ seat, writing “I’m in.” Street, who has worked with Republicans on some issues, is chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Two state representatives, Chris Raab and Morgan Cephas, told WCAU-TV they are considering seeking the seat. They are both progressives.
Don Bacon
“After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home,” Bacon said in a statement.
“I’ve been married for 41 years, and I’d like to dedicate more time to my family, my church, and the Omaha community,” he added. “I also want to continue advocating for a strong national security strategy and a strong alliance system with countries that share our love of democracy, free markets and the rule of law,” he added.
At times, he has not gone with what other Republicans, including President Donald Trump, want.
He told The New York Times in an interview removing deportation protection for Afghans in the U.S. was wrong and has criticized Trump’s position on Russa’s war with Ukraine. He was the only Republican to vote against changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
“It’s one thing when you have the opposing party fighting you, but when you have divisions in your own party, you know — it makes it harder,” he said in May at an Omaha roundtable with business leaders to discuss Congress’ tax bill.
Bacon approved the spending bill, which went to the House by a 215-214 margin. If the Senate approves the bill and with changes, it goes back to the House.
“I think the Senate has done some new provisions in there that are concerning … But there’s a lot of amendments being voted out today. So I’m going to keep my powder dry, see how it turns out,” Bacon told reporters.
Bacon, who was born in Chicago, served 29 years in the U.S. Air Force.
He served as an aide to U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in Nebraska’s First District, and a professor at Bellevue University in Nebraska before running for office.
Bacond is a member of House Armed Services Committee, and chairman of the conservative-centrist Republican Main Street Caucus in the House.
No one has announced plans to run in either primary.
June 29 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said a group of “very wealthy people” wants to buy the Chinese-owned TikTok social media app that is facing a ban in the United States.
During an interview Friday with Maria Bartiromo that appeared Sunday on Fox News, Trump said, “We have a buyer for TikTok, by the way,” declining to name the potential buyers.
“I’ll tell you in about two weeks,” he added.
The president said he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping “will probably” approve the deal for U.S. ownership of the video service, which was founded in September 2016.
President Joe Biden signed a law in 2024 requiring TikTok to be blocked in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold it to a non-Chinese company over concerns that sensitive user data could be acquired by the Chinese government.
The U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously on Jan. 17 that TikTok must be banned from U.S. app stores unless the company divested from the platform and sold to an American company by Jan. 19.
Biden said he didn’t want to intervene in the final days of his presidency, the app went dark around 10:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 18 and the app ceased to appear on Apple and Google‘s app stores.
The 170 million U.S. users and around 1 million creators lost access to the app for at least one day of the 23 million new videos uploaded daily. Those using the app spend about an hour a day looking at some of the 23 million new clips uploaded daily, with teens using it for 2-3 hours a day, according to Exploding Topics.
But the next day, the company restored service after Donald Trump said he would pause the deadline for 75 days when he was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, and signed an executive order to do so on his first day in office. He has since pushed off the deadline two more times, with it now delayed until Sept. 17.
In April, the White House said it was close to a deal in which 50% of the app would be owned by an American company. Negotiations ended when Trump announced tariffs on goods coming from China to the United States. Trump proposed 134% tariffs on most goods but it has been scaled back to 30% for some items exempt.
During his first presidency, on Aug. 6, 2020, Trump signed an executive order “action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application in particular, TikTok” from China.
Trump later credited TikTok with gaining more young voters in the 2024 election and seemed to soften on his stance. ByteDance has also been reluctant to turn over rights to the app’s algorithm.
It is the fifth-most social network with 1.6 billion users in the world behind Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp, according to Statistica.
In April, Adweek compiled a list of suitors for U.S. rights, including Applovin, Amazon, Oracle, Blackstone and Andreessen Horowitz. None confirmed negotiations to Addwek.
“It does not feel like these are serious bids for TikTok,” David Arslanian, managing director of Progress Partners, told Adweek. “It is hard to imagine any of these companies, like Amazon and Oracle, successfully operating just a piece of TikTok.”
