National News

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday granted a Trump administration request to deport eight noncitizens to South Sudan, a country where they have no ties.
The high court stopped an order allowing the foreign nationals to appeal removals to “third countries” where they say they could be in danger of violence or harm.
They were initially headed to South Sudan in May when a federal judge in Massachusetts halted their flight. The migrants stopped on a naval base in Djibouti where they waited for an order from the court.
The Supreme Court said a lower court’s order halting the flight was “unenforceable.” On June 23, the court paused a ruling that would give them a chance to show they would face risk of torture if deported to a country other than their own.
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan concurred with the conservative majority’s opinion.
“I do not see how a district court can compel compliance with an order that this court has stayed,” Kagan wrote.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the majority opinion. Sotomayor wrote the dissenting opinion in which she criticized the majority decision and the Trump administration.
“Today’s order clarifies one thing: Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial,” Sotomayor wrote.

While passage Thursday afternoon and signing Friday of the budget reconciliation bill may have been in Washington, its road from and back to the desk of President Donald Trump ran through North Carolina.
That’s where special masters for the judicial branch created a 2022 congressional map intent on splitting the state’s 14 seats of the U.S. House of Representatives evenly. And where the 2024 maps drawn by the Legislature –as the General Statutes instruct – produced a 10-4 edge for Republicans in the nation’s ninth largest state (11 million) with 38% of voter registrations independent of both parties.
Thursday’s vote was 218-214. North Carolina congressmen were loyal to party, and a 7-7 division would not have delivered.
For the record, Republican senators from the state infamously split – Thom Tillis one of three nationwide in the party to object, Ted Budd saying yes. Republican representatives saying aye were Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Dr. Greg Murphy, Chuck Edwards, Rev. Mark Harris, Addison McDowell and Pat Harrigan.
Democratic Reps. Alma Adams, Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee and Don Davis all said no.
Dramatic fallout involving all is expected, from Tillis having already said he won’t pursue reelection in 2026 to the opportunities his retirement will create. Next fall’s campaigns were given ammunition for what was done or not done this week.
This was a big one.
Aftermath, however, will be most prevalent to those impacted – the constituents. One final judgment will be their lives; another will be their vote at the ballot box.
The provider tax and state-directed payment provisions, said Tillis, will be the leading harm to North Carolinians. It’ll come through impact on the state budget that absorbs more share of Medicaid responsibility.
Tillis said he got analysis from seven angles, inclusive of those aligned with Democrats, Republicans and independents, in deciding how to vote. It included state lawmakers responsible for their budget, and independent of them from the health care industry. The estimate of negative impact over 10 years was $26 billion.
KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation, is a nonprofit focusing on health policy. Its research indicated a best-case scenario of $20 billion in impact and a worst-case of $33 billion, putting its projection at $27 billion.
Rural hospitals considered in peril include Blue Ridge Region Hospital in Spruce Pine; MH Angel Medical Center in Franklin; Chatham Hospital in Siler City; Person Memorial Hospital in Roxboro; and UNC Rockingham Hospital in Eden. A plan to reopen Martin General in Williamston on the strength of the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program within North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion two years ago likely got tougher to accomplish.
Murphy, a 62-year-old practicing urologist, has multiple lens to see Medicaid and his constituents.
After the vote he said of Medicaid, “It desperately needs reform so that it can be a strong program for those who are eligible to receive the benefits. As the only individual in Congress who continues to see patients covered by Medicaid, I have firsthand knowledge of how this program impacts our communities. This bill protects Medicaid benefits for those who are most vulnerable in our society, not able-bodied individuals capable of participating in the workforce, illegal immigrants, and those ineligible for benefits. The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, included in the package, ensures the sustainability of rural health providers with an immediate impact beginning next year.”
Dr. Dev Sangvai, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said full impact and consequences would clear in the future.
“We already know,” he said, “that it will result in billions of dollars being taken out of our state’s economy and will undermine the health of North Carolinians. This bill includes major changes to Medicaid and SNAP – programs that provide vital support to millions of North Carolinians. There will be a significant reduction in federal funding for services that are core to the well-being of individuals and families across North Carolina.”
Proponents, however, say the changes strengthen the programs because it protects those who are most vulnerable and in need. For example, there is a new work or volunteer requirement for the able-bodied.
“This is a once-in-a-generation win for North Carolian families, seniors and small businesses,” Hudson said. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is the most pro-worker, pro-family and pro-American legislation we’ve seen in decades. It means bigger paychecks for middle class families, secure borders, a stronger military, and more freedom for every North Carolinian.”

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, reintroduced a bill this week that aims to help areas affected by illegal immigration.
The First Responders Emergency Assistance Act would establish emergency grants for law enforcement and first responders in areas that receive a high volume of calls related to illegal immigrants.
According to Gallego’s press release, the Department of Homeland Security would administer the grant program. The program would be made available to cities, counties, tribes and states that need help with equipment, operations, staffing, law enforcement overtime costs, first responders and emergency operation centers.
The FREAA mandates that 25% of the grant funds be allocated toward border communities, which are heavily impacted by illegal immigration.
To illustrate, in Yuma, Arizona, which is around 30 minutes from Mexico, one of its major hospitals spent over $26 million in 2023 to treat illegal immigrants who came to their hospital.
As a state, Arizona was hit hard by illegal immigration during the Biden administration. According to the House Homeland Security Committee, nearly 11 million illegal immigrants entered America. Almost 10 million of these foreign nationals came to the United States through the southwest border.
Gallego said during the surges of illegal immigration at the southern border, Arizona communities felt the “brunt of it.”
“I’ve heard directly from local fire and police departments who are answering more immigration-related emergency calls without enough resources,” the first-time senator said.
“This bill helps reimburse fire and police departments for these costs and delivers the federal support our brave public safety and emergency response workers deserve,” he added.
As a member of the U.S. House last year, Gallego introduced this bill, but it did not make it out of the House.
For endorsements, the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Fire Fighters said they supported this bill.
Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said as the number of migrants crossing into America increased, law enforcement members of his order “struggled to keep up with the amount of border crossings.”
“By providing grants for first responders, this bill would help coordinate efforts between agencies to address migrant needs and ensure that our first responders have the tools necessary to do their jobs,” he explained.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, border communities have had less illegal immigration.
According to the White House, the United States had 6,070 encounters at the southern border last month.

The Trump administration is jubilant heading into the weekend of July 4th, as gas prices and unemployment are down, jobs are up, and the president, once again, touts the price of eggs.
After highlighting that gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in four years heading into the holiday, the administration is amplifying the news of the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The U.S. economy added 147,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate also decreased slightly from 4.2% to 4.1%, beating expectations.
While some of the jobs reports released during President Donald Trump’s second term have been stronger than others, the economy continues to stave off a recession, despite continued speculation, especially from Trump’s harshest critics, that one could be right around the corner.
January and February’s jobs reports came in below expectations, but March, April and May’s exceeded expectations, with a whopping 228,000 estimated job gain in March – though it has since been revised downward.
State and local government saw the largest job gains in June, up 73,000 total over the previous month, while the federal government continues to shed employees, down 69,000 since the administration change.
The sector with the second-highest growth was health care, adding approximately 39,000 jobs and in line with the previous 12 months, where average job gains have been roughly 43,000 per month.
So far, job growth in 2025 is down from 2024, which averaged about 186,000 jobs per month. However, unemployment remains near 2024 levels, which were lowest between August and October at 4.0%.
In February, the USDA launched a $1 billion, five-pronged strategy to curb the bird flu, “protect the U.S. poultry industry, and lower egg prices.” One week ago, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that “wholesale egg prices have now dropped 64%, with retail prices falling 27% from their peak earlier this year.”
Restaurant chain Waffle House also removed its egg surcharge this week.
In addition to posts touting the jobs report, Trump shared a post about Waffle House’s news on Truth Social Thursday, adding his own commentary.
“We brought the price of Eggs back to what they were supposed to be,” Trump wrote. “When I took over on January 20th, the Fake News was screaming that, ‘Egg prices have gone through the roof, quadrupled,’ they said. Now they’re plentiful, and inexpensive. ‘Thank you President Trump!’”
The U.S. is days away from the end of Trump’s tariff pause, with deals announced for only a handful of countries. The administration has indicated it’s sticking to Trump’s deal deadline of July 9, meaning countries that haven’t reached agreements could soon face a return of elevated tariffs and repercussions could be felt in the U.S. economy.

Steps to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education have quieted since the Trump administration started celebrating education victories.
In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to essentially dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
Despite this effort, in recent weeks, the department has taken steps on projects such as fighting gender ideology in federally funded curriculum. And Title IX investigations have become a priority.
“There has been very little updated news from the federal government on the status of the U.S. Department of Education,” communications for the Arizona Education Department told The Center Square.
Republicans believe the U.S. Department of Education is a waste of money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should be left to the states and schools. This idea has recently gained popularity with conservative parents as they demand more authority over their children’s schooling.
Some in education believe that this kind of change could have huge negative effects.
“It’s massive. We’re looking at 7.4 million students with disabilities who could potentially be impacted by changes with funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,” explained Leslie Babinski, a research professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy.
“There are 9.8 million students in rural schools who depend on federal support for bridge funding in communities with more limited local tax bases. It’s going to impact so many people,” said the professor at the school, which is part of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. “If it doesn’t impact you and your family directly, you’ll know someone who is impacted.”
A big part of this initiative is to give the power back to the states, but Babinski argued that only 10% of public school funding comes from the federal government.
States already control local funding but there is a push for “block grants” — a form of federal funding provided to state and local governments for broadly defined purposes
The real issue, Babinski said, is the impact of federal programs that are focused on low-income communities and disabled students.
“So if we think about handing that funding over to the states to make their own decisions, they may or may not prioritize those groups in terms of enhancing the educational opportunities for students from low-income communities or students with a range of disabilities,” Babinski said.
Yet Secretary of Education Linda McMahon explained back in April that those kinds of programs would not change if the department was dismantled.
“The president has said from day one that dismantling the Department of Education will not mean defunding those programs,” Secretary McMahon said. “That money is appropriated by Congress … parents, teachers and kids should not be worried.”
Other education officials think the U.S. Department of Education is useless.
“Shutting down the U.S. Department of Education would not result in a loss of federal formula funding for Arizona,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said.
“I have seen comments saying that the federal department is needed because national test scores in reading, writing and math have gone down over the past 40 years. That just proves the USDoE is useless since those declines happened under its watch. The money used to operate this bureaucracy should go to local schools instead,” Horne said.
According to a report by the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, more than half of Department of Education employees don’t bother coming into the office to work.
According to Horne, the department is “hopelessly ineffective.”
“This is a waste of taxpayer dollars, shows a poor work ethic and sets a bad example to teachers and students who gather in person to learn. Educators should have a passion for academic excellence, but that is not evident at USDoE,” Horne said.
The Center Square reached out to the White House and U.S. Department of Education but has not received a response on whether dismantling the department continues to be a priority.

The Madre Fire has grown to 35,530 acres in less than 24 hours, making it this year’s largest wildfire in California.
The vegetation fire, which burned 3,300 acres within two hours after starting around 1 p.m. Wednesday near State Route 166 east of Santa Maria, is in the area by the border between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Pushed by fast winds and topography, it’s burning primarily in San Luis Obispo County on federal land: Los Padres National Forest and Bureau of Land Management parcels.
The fire is 20 miles northwest of a small northern Santa Barbara County town, New Cuyama.
The blaze is burning east and northeast onto the Carrizo Plain, Los Padres National Forest reported.
Multiple agencies are responding to the fire with seven air tankers, two helicopters, several engines, bulldozers and hand crews, the national forest reported at an intergency website, inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/calpf-2025-madre-fire. There are 303 personnel responding to the fire.
The fire is burning along grass and dry brush, Los Padres National Forest spokesman Andrew Madsen in Solvang told The Center Square Wednesday.
“The presence of dry, cured annual grasses will support high rates of spread with intense flame lengths,” Los Padres National Forest said Thursday.
The national forest noted hot conditions, with highs in the mid- to upper 90s, was expected Thursday. Light winds Thursday morning were expected to increase from the west, eventually reaching gusts of 20 to 25 mph.
Evacuations have been ordered in eight zones, with another evacuation warnings issued in another six areas.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Los Padres National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management are in a unified command responding to the fire.
In other blazes further south, the Wolf Fire in Riverside County hasn’t expanded beyond the 2,414 acres reported on Tuesday and is now 55% contained, Cal Fire reported. The fire started Sunday.
Two smaller fires in the county, Juniper and Mindy, are almost entirely contained, according to Cal Fire.

Gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in four years coming into the holiday weekend, sitting at a national average of $3.14 per gallon of unleaded, according to gas prices tracker GasBuddy.
They’re down more than 8 cents from one week ago and over 37 cents from one year ago, in line with trends from earlier this year.
“Americans will spend over $500 million less on gasoline from Thursday, July 3, through Sunday, July 6, compared to last year” if prices continue on their current trajectory, according to the fuel price comparison tool.
President Donald Trump has touted falling gas prices multiple times since the start of his second term. The White House publicized lower gas prices on Memorial Day, as well, which were also the cheapest they had been since 2021.
Prices are $1.69 per gallon less than this day in 2022, when the U.S. was still climbing out of the economic quagmire of the pandemic, despite rising some in the past couple weeks while tensions escalated in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. They’ve fallen again with the solidification of the Israel-Iran ceasefire last week.
While major conflicts have continued or broken out around the globe, gas prices have fluctuated within an approximately 20-cent window over the past five-plus months, from $3.02, at the lowest, to a high of $3.25 in April.
The president has encouraged domestic energy production, attempting to lift certain permitting restrictions and regulatory burdens that have interfered with American oil and gas production – in part to lessen U.S. dependence on other countries.
Gas prices are highest in the West, topping out at an average $4.55 per gallon in California, and generally lowest in the South, falling to an average $2.69 per gallon in Mississippi. Midwest state gas prices peak in Illinois at an average $3.44 per gallon and Pennsylvania has the highest average price in the Northeast at an average $3.35.