Supreme Court Limits Use of Nationwide Injunctions
“The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to allow President Trump to end birthright citizenship in some parts of the country, even as legal challenges to the constitutionality of the move proceed in other regions,” the New York Times reports.
“The 6-to-3 decision, which was written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett and split along ideological lines, is a major victory for Mr. Trump, and may dramatically reshape how citizenship is granted in the United States, even temporarily.”
Washington Post: “The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the ruling, which sends the cases back to the lower courts to determine the practical implications of the majority’s decision.”
Trump Says He Approved Iran Attack on U.S. Base
President Trump said Iranian leaders cleared their plan with the U.S. to fire retaliatory strikes against an American airbase in Qatar, and even requested a specific time to attack, the Washington Times reports.
Said Trump: “They said, ’We’re going to shoot them. Is one o’clock OK?’ I said it’s fine. And everybody was emptied off the base so they couldn’t get hurt, except for the gunners.”
Justices Expected to Rule on Major Cases
“Friday is the final day of the Supreme Court’s term — and it will be a big one,” the Washington Post reports.
“They are slated to release six opinions, including decisions that will deal with nationwide injunctions on President Donald Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship, whether parents can opt their children out of school lessons involving LGBTQ books, and a Texas law that requires age verification to view online porn.”
China Confirms Breakthrough on Rare-Earth Exports
“China on Friday pledged to approve export applications for rare earths to the U.S., potentially easing a major irritant in the countries’ trade negotiations that has also become a source of deepening concern for American manufacturers,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump May Extend Trade Talks Deadline
“Trump administration officials signaled this week that they might allow trade talks to extend beyond a July 8 deadline set by the president, as U.S. officials negotiate with over a dozen countries on trade terms,” the New York Times reports.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that negotiations with U.S. trading partners could be “wrapped up by Labor Day.”
Gavin Newsom Sues Fox News
“Gov. Gavin Newsom sued Fox News on Friday, accusing the network of defaming him in its coverage of a phone call he had with President Trump this month,” the New York Times reports.
“The suit seeks damages of at least $787 million and a court order prohibiting Fox from broadcasting or posting segments that mistakenly say Mr. Newsom lied about his call with Mr. Trump.”
Maine Voters Don’t Like Susan Collins
A new Pine Tree State poll in Maine finds Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) at just 14% favorability and with an unfavorability of 57 percent.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“This election is a choice between a candidate with a blue-collar and one with a suit and a silver spoon. A choice between dirty fingernails and manicured nails. A choice between someone who delivered lower crime, the most jobs in history, the most new housing… and an assemblymember who did not pass a bill.
— New York City Mayor Eric Adams, quoted by Politico, kicking off his re-election bid.
‘Big Balls’ Is Back
Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, one of the first young technologists brought on to Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, has returned to government shortly after resigning, Wired reports.
Mamdani Pivots to the General
“Zohran Mamdani’s team knows he’s got a fight ahead of him,” Politico reports.
“The 33-year-old democratic socialist’s aides and allies are girding for a costly battle in November against opponents bankrolled by a fired-up business class desperate to stop him from taking over the epicenter of world finance. Mamdani’s campaign, as well as outside groups backing him in New York’s mayoral election, said they are preparing to drop millions to counter those efforts, while also tapping into an asymmetric strategy to capture voters’ attention through social media and a door-knocking volunteer army.”
Trump Threatens to Sue the New York Times and CNN
“President Trump on Wednesday threatened to sue The New York Times and CNN for publishing articles about a preliminary intelligence report that said the American attack on Iran had set back the country’s nuclear program by only a few months,” the New York Times reports.
The Times’ attorney responded: “No retraction is needed. No apology will be forthcoming. We told the truth to the best of our ability. We will continue to do so.”
A Big, Beautiful Mess
Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” is in tatters, Politico reports.
Playbook: “Yes, technically, there’s still a path to meet that self-imposed deadline. But ‘technically’ and ‘likely’ are two very different things. Senate Majority Leader John Thune had hoped to tee up votes for today; that hasn’t happened. Tomorrow now looks possible, if uncertain; Saturday votes in the Senate would assume Republicans are able to both iron out any wrinkles spotted by the parliamentarian and shore up support from the stragglers within the conference. If all goes well, we could see final passage in the Senate on Sunday.”
“But the obstacle course ahead — for Thune, Speaker Mike Johnson and, ultimately, for Trump — isn’t just a matter of procedure. There are major policy disagreements within the GOP conference. And they aren’t easing up.”
The Loyal Convert in Chief
Wired: “Vice president JD Vance is on top of the world. Once a critic of President Donald Trump and now his right-hand man, Vance is everywhere—with full MAGA backing. He’s on television promoting the US bombing of Iran. He’s a repeat guest on Theo Von’s podcast. He’s reportedly been key to negotiating the tenuous détente between Elon Musk and Trump. He’s even carved out time to enjoy an offseason soccer tournament match between a German and South Korean team in Cincinnati on Wednesday.”
“Most importantly, he’s also become the highest point of contact in the administration for the Silicon Valley billionaires who helped propel Trump to a second term. The vice president has a much closer relationship with these new players in the GOP than the president does.”
Cool on Kamala
Politico: “In interviews, several major donors in the state told Politico they fear her reemergence as a candidate would re-open still-fresh wounds from her defeat in 2024. Some harbor lingering frustration about how her billion-dollar campaign juggernaut ended in debt and want assurances she would have a clear plan to win the governor’s mansion.”
Said one Democratic megadonor: “Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete shit storm… With Biden, we got bamboozled… I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too. I’ve written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we’re living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I’m furious at them, truly.”
The Mamdani Moment
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Democratic Presidential Race Is Wide Open
A new Emerson College poll of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary finds Pete Buttiieg with 16% support, Kamala Harris at 13%, Gavin Newsom at 12%, Josh Shapiro at 7% and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 7%. Twenty-three percent are undecided.
Quote of the Day
“I mean, I’ve never, ever been part of a major Cabinet-level classified briefing where the director of national intelligence was banned from the room.”
— Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), in a CNN interview, on Tulsi Gabbard not being in the room for a briefing on the U.S. strikes against Iran.
