“Democratic lawmakers have questions about the 79-year-old patient who received special access in April to retatrutide, Eli Lilly’s experimental obesity drug, and are pressing the Trump administration on if the person is the president or another prominent figure,” Stat reports.
House GOP Leaders Cancel Friday Votes
“House Republican leaders have canceled planned Friday votes as GOP hard-liners continue threatening to block legislative action over an elections bill that is stalled in the Senate, according to a notice sent to members Thursday,” Politico reports.
“Members are expected to leave town after a 1 p.m. vote Thursday, and it’s possible they might not return Monday as planned: Speaker Mike Johnson is hoping to discuss the legislative agenda with President Donald Trump at an afternoon meeting in hopes of brokering a solution that will allow the House to resume voting next week.”
The Guardian: Trump to meet House speaker in attempt to break legislative gridlock.
What It Means to Be a Democratic Socialist
“Democratic socialists’ decisive congressional victories on Tuesday night in New York’s primary elections solidified the far-left movement as an ascendant power center in blue states,” the New York Times reports.
“Now, as the progressive coalition prepares to expand its footprint in Washington, many Americans are turning their attention to the movement for the first time — and wondering, perhaps, what it actually stands for.”
“The definition often depends on whom you talk to. But the movement’s standard-bearers are united by their belief that direct government action — not the free market — is a better tool to solve problems for everyday Americans, such as the rising cost of health care and housing.”
Washington Post: Democratic socialists are winning key races in cities. What that label means.
Court Blocks Trump’s Executive Order Limiting Mail Ballots
“A federal judge Thursday blocked key portions of an executive order from President Donald Trump that sought to limit who can receive mail ballots, delivering a setback to the president as he tries to rewrite voting rules in a difficult political environment,” the Washington Post reports.
CNN: Judge halts Trump executive order aimed at mail voting in states that challenged it.
Top Donors Pour $1.3 Billion Into Midterms
“The top donors in American politics have poured more than $1.3 billion so far this cycle into influencing the country’s politics, according to a Washington Post analysis of Federal Election Commission data,” the Washington Post reports.
“The donors lean Republican and cash could prove critical for the GOP to maintain control of Congress in November. In the first half of 2026, Republican-leaning donors gave $880 million, compared to $290 million from Democratic-leaning givers and $200 million from bipartisan and special interest groups.”
Raskin Launches Effort to Block ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’
“Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching a campaign to force a floor vote on legislation that would formally block the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund,” Politico reports.
“The so-called No Carte Blanche Act — a tongue-in-cheek nod to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — also would also explicitly bar payouts from the Judgement Fund, a preexisting account for settlements with the United States, to people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
Supreme Court Limits Asylum Rights at Border
“Migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border cannot apply for asylum until they set foot in the country, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday,” the Washington Post reports.
“The 6-3 decision clears the way for the Trump administration to resume a policy that allows federal agents posted at the border to turn back asylum seekers before they enter the country. The case hinged on how to interpret immigration laws that say any noncitizen who “arrives in” the U.S. must be allowed to apply for asylum.”
Supreme Court Strikes Down Strict Hawaii Gun Law
“The Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law requiring people to get permission to carry guns into stores and hotels on Thursday, in its latest opinion backing Second Amendment rights,” the Associated Press reports.
“The high court’s 6-3 decision means people can carry guns onto privately owned property like shopping malls and gas stations, unless the owners specifically say guns are banned at their establishments.”
Supreme Court Shields Monsanto from Cancer Claims
“The Supreme Court on Thursday restricted a massive wave of lawsuits claiming the chemical giant Monsanto had a duty to warn consumers of alleged cancer risks from the world’s most popular weed killer, Roundup,” the Washington Post reports.
“The decision turned on a technical legal question, but one with enormous stakes. On the line are billions of dollars, the fate of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by cancer victims and the future of an herbicide farmers say is crucial to the nation’s food supply but health groups warn is a danger.”
“In an 8-1 decision, the justices ruled that federal law preempts cancer victims from bringing lawsuits against Monsanto in state courts, where most such claims are filed.”
More Britons Say Burnham Would Be Better Than Farage
“Britons said Andy Burnham would make a better prime minister than Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage, according to a poll on Thursday that highlights how Labour’s likely new leader can provide the governing party with an electoral edge,” Bloomberg reports.
“Some 43% of people surveyed in a YouGov poll said Burnham would make a better premier, compared with 23% who preferred Farage. That 20-point advantage for Burnham is double the lead over the Reform leader enjoyed last month by Keir Starmer, who on Monday said he’s stepping down as prime minister.”
The Guardian: Starmer says he wants to ensure disruption during transition to Burnham government “absolutely minimised.”
EU Gives US Trade Deal Final Approval
“The European Union’s US trade deal is set to go into effect after the bloc gave its final sign-off, banking that the pact will ensure some stability despite ongoing economic tensions,” Bloomberg reports.
Mike Johnson Tries to Clean up Trump’s Hill Mess
“President Donald Trump’s obsession with the SAVE America Act has hurled Congress into indefinite gridlock,” Politico reports.
“Senators are gone until July 13 after starting their Independence Day recess a few days early.”
“Now House Republican lawmakers are looking toward Speaker Mike Johnson, who will Thursday head to the White House to try to convince the president to salvage the GOP’s legislative agenda.”
The Guardian: Trump to meet House speaker in attempt to break legislative gridlock.
Democrats See Opportunity in Abortion Ballot Measures
“Four states could have abortion ballot measures in November, giving Democrats an opportunity to push the issue back into the national spotlight and make life uncomfortable for Republicans,” NewsNation reports.
Inflation Rate Ticks Up Again
“The Federal Reserve’s primary price gauge rose at its highest core level since 2023, reinforcing the central bank’s recent tough talk on inflation,” CNBC reports.
“The personal consumption expenditures price index showed inflation running at a seasonally adjusted 4.1% annual rate, the highest since April 2023.”
JD Vance Is the Face of the Beleaguered Iran Deal
“JD Vance has taken the greatest gamble of his vice-presidency by making himself the face of the Iran ceasefire deal – a shaky agreement that already seems to be unraveling at the seams,” The Guardian reports.
“But after months spent in limbo due to the war, it may be the best chance for him to find his feet again.”
New York Times: 59% of Americans say they lack confidence in the Iran deal.
Democrats Doubt Iran Diplomacy But See No Alternative
“Democratic lawmakers don’t trust President Donald Trump’s ongoing diplomacy with Iran. They also want the war to be over — meaning their only real choice is to hope the president can keep peace talks going,” NOTUS reports.
“Legislators and aides told NOTUS they are not seeing an appetite among Democrats to stymie the negotiations, say by introducing legislation to prevent the U.S. from lifting relief or by pushing to vote down an accord.”
Trump’s Construction Spree Could Cost $1 Billion
“President Trump has repeatedly promised the American public that his White House ballroom project will not cost taxpayers ‘one dime,’ saying it will be completely funded by him and private donors as a ‘gift’ to the United States,” the New York Times reports.
“He has claimed he is raising so much money for his ballroom that he could use surplus funds to finance a 250-foot Triumphal Arch that he is commissioning in Washington. And he has said that private donors will help foot the bill for other projects in his construction spree, perhaps the most expansive in the history of the presidency.”
“Yet a New York Times analysis shows there will be significant taxpayer expense associated with all of Mr. Trump’s building and renovation initiatives. The 18 major construction projects Mr. Trump has undertaken during his second term come with a potential cost of more than $1 billion.”
Mother Jones: Trump’s gilded White House makeover is all about power.
Trump Is Blowing Up the GOP’s Affordability Plans
Bloomberg: “Even when Trump is scheduled to deliver an economic message, his most energetic moments are often on other topics. Earlier in the week, his speech at a Mack Truck facility in Pennsylvania veered into talk about transgender people in women’s sports and asking the crowd who ‘takes the fat drug?'”
“He highlights falling oil prices, and last night said that gas would soon be $2.50 a gallon or lower. But his main fixations remain the Iran conflict (and the deal to end it), his DC renovation projects, and taking out Republicans who have defied him.”
“None of which are likely to help his party in November’s elections.”
