USAID Cuts Could Cause 14M Deaths, Lancet Study Warns
By Aria Bendix More than 14 million people could die over the next five years because of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to an analysis published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet. Researchers calculated the lifesaving benefits of USAID funding over a 21-year period, then used the data to determine how many lives would be lost without USAID funding in the future. The analysis found that, from 2001 through 2021, USAID-funded programs prevented nearly 92 million deaths across 133 countries, including more than 25 million deaths from HIV/AIDS, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases,
Senate Bill Reshapes Taxes, Healthcare, Energy Landscape
By Shannon Pettypiece Legislation making its way through the Senate stands to have wide-ranging effects across the economy — bolstering tax benefits for businesses and higher-income households while threatening health insurance for millions of Americans and putting thousands of clean energy and health care jobs at risk. The bill, which is more than 900 pages long and Republicans have dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” passed a key procedural vote over the weekend in the Senate largely along party lines, with all but two Republicans voting to advance it. The Senate is debating the measure before taking a final vote. If
Canada Pauses Digital Tax Amid U.S. Trade Talks Revival
By Lim Hui Jie Canada has walked back on its digital services tax “in anticipation” of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States, Ottawa announced Sunday night, just one day before the first tax payments were due. The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he will be “terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada” in response to Ottawa’s decision to impose a digital services tax on American tech firms. “Today’s announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month’s G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark
Senate Advances Trump-Backed Policy Bill Amid GOP Divide
By Sahil Kapur The Republican-led Senate on Saturday night advanced a sweeping domestic policy package for President Donald Trump’s agenda after a dramatic hourslong vote, moving it one step closer to passage. The vote was 51-49, with two Republicans — Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joining all Democrats in opposition. Saturday’s procedural vote was delayed for hours as party leaders scrambled to resolve internal disputes. And it hung on a knife’s edge for more than three hours on the floor, as a handful Republicans — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rick Scott of Florida, Mike
SCOTUS to Rule on Trump Citizenship, LGBTQ, Porn Laws
The Supreme Court will hand down its final decisions of the term on Friday, including an expected high-profile ruling on whether President Donald Trump may enforce his divisive executive order curtailing birthright citizenship. As is tradition, Chief Justice John Roberts announced the final day from the bench. The schedule sets up a blockbuster last day at the Supreme Court in which the justices will hand down six opinions in some of the biggest cases of the year, including those dealing with Trump’s birthright citizenship order, a challenge from religious parents who want to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ
Senate GOP Bill Stalls Over Medicaid, Tax Provisions
By Deidre Walsh Senate Republicans hit a major setback in their race to pass a massive tax and spending package on Thursday, as a chamber official ruled against a key Medicaid provision, putting in doubt plans for a vote by the end of the week. The nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, who plays a key role in determining what provisions can stay in the fast-tracked bill, said the GOP change to how states can tax Medicaid providers does not adhere to rules for passing the bill with a simple majority. This was a key provision to help offset the costs of the
Siblings LaVon and Randolph Bracy Face Off in FL Senate Race
By Randall Barnes HBCU alumna LaVon Bracy Davis finds herself facing a very interesting opponent in the Florida State Senate election: her brother Randolph Bracy. The seat, which represents a portion of metro Orlando, was left open following the passing of longtime state Senator Geraldine Thompson earlier this year LaVon Bracy Davis is an attorney who earned her undergraduate degree from Howard University and her Juris Doctor from Florida A&M University College of Law. She now serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. She has publicly vowed to extend Thompson’s legacy by focusing on voting rights, job creation, and higher pay for public
Iran-Israel Ceasefire Holds as Nuclear Tensions Persist
By Jon Gambrell Israel and Iran seemed to honor the fragile ceasefire between them for a second day Wednesday and U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Trump, who helped negotiate the ceasefire that took hold Tuesday on the 12th day of the war, told reporters at a NATO summit that he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran, insisting that U.S. strikes had destroyed its nuclear program. Earlier in the day, an Iranian official questioned whether the United States could be trusted
Senate GOP Faces Hurdles on Trump’s Agenda Before July 4
By Deidre Walsh Senate Republicans are racing the clock, trying to meet President Trump’s demand that they pass his domestic agenda bill by July 4th as they work to resolve major sticking points inside the GOP conference. While Senate committee leaders have made several significant changes to the bill in recent days, the issue of funding for rural hospitals has emerged as a major roadblock. Senate GOP leaders are also waiting to learn if major tax provisions in the bill meet strict Senate rules for what can be included in the bill and still pass with a simple majority vote.
Zohran Mamdani Leads NYC Mayoral Primary, Cuomo Concedes
By Brittany Shepherd In the closely watched New York City Democratic mayoral primary, no candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to be declared the winner outright. But after a strong showing in the first round, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani declared victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who conceded earlier, in what was shaping up to be a remarkable upset. The New York City Board of Elections reported as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday that Mamdani was leading among the candidates voters ranked first on their ballot, with 44% of the vote. Cuomo was second with about 36%. City comptroller Brad Lander
