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Here’s the news you missed:
The IRS announced that churches and other tax-exempt houses of worship may endorse political candidates to their congregations without violating campaign intervention rules, stating in a court filing—amid a lawsuit by two Texas churches and Christian broadcasters—that such internal communications during religious services do not constitute political activity under current IRS code; the agency also acknowledged it has generally not enforced the Johnson Amendment in worship settings.
Travelers no longer need to remove their shoes at TSA security checkpoints, according to CBS News; the change is being rolled out in phases at airports including Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Cincinnati, Portland, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York City’s LaGuardia.
The Trump Administration is under renewed criticism this morning. Anticipation had built around what Ms. Bondi called “Phase 2” of the Epstein file release, but a new memo aimed to quash those expectations. The memo included an hourslong video—previously disclosed—of the hallway outside Epstein’s jail cell. The video, released by Ms. Bondi and Mr. Patel, appears to be missing a minute just before midnight, with the digital clock jumping from 11:58:58 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.; officials offered no immediate explanation for the gap.
Documents obtained by Ken Klippenstein confirm that yesterday’s operation in Los Angeles was a “show of presence” meant to send a message to residents about the power of the federal government. The operation involved armed soldiers and Border Patrol agents on horseback, who staged briefly, took a short walk, and then departed.
Stephen Miller referred to Kilmar Abrego García as an "illegal alien terrorist," while Fox News host Jesse Watters said, "I wish he was kinda getting tortured a little bit."
Some good news: According to A.J Lagoe, State Senator John Hoffman was discharged from the ICU after being shot multiple times in an assassination attempt. His family says he is moving to a rehab facility and still has a long road to recovery.
A new proposal by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) would require federal immigration agents to wear visible identification and ban most non-medical face coverings during public enforcement operations, aiming to increase transparency after public outcry over masked, heavily armed agents detaining individuals in unmarked vehicles; the VISIBLE Act would apply to ICE, CBP, deputized local officers, and federal agents, and includes provisions for disciplinary procedures, annual reporting, and civil rights investigations.
Planned Parenthood secured a temporary injunction allowing its clinics to continue receiving Medicaid funding for non-abortion services, despite a provision in the GOP tax law aimed at blocking such funding.
An unknown fraudster used AI to impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sending fake voice messages and texts to at least five senior officials—including foreign ministers, a governor, and a member of Congress—in an apparent attempt to gain access to sensitive information or accounts, according to a July 3 State Department cable.
The death toll from Friday’s flash floods in central Texas has surpassed 100 and is expected to rise as search efforts continue, with Kerr County hardest hit—reporting 84 deaths, including 27 from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls’ summer camp; dozens remain missing statewide as over 1,750 personnel from 20 agencies carry out rescue and recovery operations.
Two 19-year-old counselors from Mexico, Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate, are being hailed as heroes for keeping 20 girls safe during the July 4 flooding at Camp Mystic’s Cypress Lake site; as waters rose, they calmly moved the girls to safer cabins, labeled them for ID, and kept them calm while awaiting rescue—just days after having stayed at the now-destroyed Guadalupe River cabins nearby.
The U.S. has only about 25% of the Patriot missile interceptors needed for all Pentagon military plans, according to The Guardian, prompting the Trump administration to freeze the latest munitions transfer to Ukraine due to stockpile depletion from recent Middle East operations; although Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg halted the transfer for review, President Trump said Monday he would “send some more weapons” to Ukraine, without confirming if Patriot systems were included.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented President Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and highlighting past efforts like the Abraham Accords. It is highly unlikely that Trump will receive the Nobel Peace prize given the ongoing war in Gaza and Ukraine. This gesture is symbolic only.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
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