Republican says Trump’s top election priority ‘dead’ in Senate as GOP fractures ahead of midterms
A Senate Republican revealed that even if President Donald Trump’s flagship election integrity legislation had the votes to pass, there’s not enough time to actually have it take effect for the upcoming midterm elections. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has increasingly become a problem for congressional Republicans desperate to move onto other must-pass legislation. But Trump has consistently demanded they find a way to pass it, particularly in the Senate, by any means necessary. But Republicans aren’t unified behind the bill, and Democrats unanimously despise it. Even if it got 60 votes, which is an unlikely scenario, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., contended it wouldn’t have an impact in time for November. GOP INFIGHTING OVER TRUMP’S VOTER ID BILL ERUPTS AS TOP SENATOR CALLS STRATEGY ‘FANTASY’ “Unless they do the work to get to the 60 votes, they know it’s dead, and so all this is theater,” Tillis told the Raleigh, North Carolina-based News & Observer. Tillis, one of four Senate Republicans to vote against attaching the legislation to an immigration enforcement funding bill last month and who was called out by Trump, is familiar with pushing for voter ID laws, which is only a portion of what the proposed SAVE America Act would do. During his time as House speaker in the North Carolina legislature, he was a major proponent of enacting the state’s voter ID. But doing so takes time and money, he argued. ‘IT’S A MESS’: GOP TURNS ON HOUSE CONSERVATIVES AS VOTER ID BLOCKADE STALLS TRUMP’S AGENDA “And, honestly, here in North Carolina, or in virtually any state, the ability, if we go back to when we implemented voter ID in North Carolina, it took a year to get everything in place with adequate funding,” Tillis said. The current version of the SAVE America Act doesn’t directly allocate funding to states to implement voter ID or its several other provisions. That is, in part, why the legislation wouldn’t work in the budget reconciliation process, as Trump has called for and House Republicans are mulling, which requires provisions to have a direct budgetary impact and not be policy only. Tillis pitched the scenario that if everything worked out, it would eat into early voting periods or outright snuff them. “Let’s assume you only allow early voting in the month of October,” Tillis said. “Then do you honestly believe that we can have this thing up in 50 states? There’s no funding. There’s no specific implementation instructions. SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY “It’s become a joke, in my mind, for somebody that’s actually implemented voter ID law, how anybody can look the American voters in the eye and suggest that it could be implemented in time without just causing a huge impact on the elections and ironically undermine the confidence of it,” he continued. Still, it hasn’t stopped a cohort of congressional Republicans, notably Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., from demanding that the Senate take action on the bill. And Trump is determined to strong-arm Republicans into passing it, demanding they nuke the filibuster, attach the SAVE America Act to must-pass legislation or fire the Senate rules referee. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to allow mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day, he renewed his call. “In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter’s Rights, and the fact that ‘people’s’ votes are allowed to be counted LONG AFTER an Election is over, it is more important than ever to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Democrats stay quiet on next steps after Supreme Court transgender sports ruling
Congressional Democrats are staying mum about their potential next moves after the Supreme Court dealt a blow to transgender athletes, underscoring a politically fraught issue that continues to divide the party ahead of the November midterm elections. The court ruled Tuesday that states may bar biological males from competing on girls and women’s school sports teams, upholding laws in Idaho and West Virginia and effectively preserving similar laws in the 25 other states that restrict participation based on biological sex. The ruling, which prompted cheers among Republicans, did not interfere with the remaining states that continue to allow biological males on girls and women’s sports teams. Progressive Democrats sharply criticized the decision, while the vast majority of elected officials in the party did not issue public statements. None, however, appeared to outline any legislative response. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATENS KANSAS SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING OVER TRANSGENDER STUDENT POLICY “I want every trans kid to know that there are people here in Congress fighting for you,” Rep. Sarah Jacobs, D-Calif., said in a video posted to social media. “We are going to stand up for all women and girls, which includes trans women and girls.” Jacobs, a junior member of House Democratic leadership and co-chair of the Trans Equality Task Force, did not say whether Democrats would introduce legislation in response to the court’s ruling. The Congressional Equality Caucus, a Democratic-aligned group advocating for LGBTQ rights, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also did not outline any legislative response. The Equality Caucus, however, posted a series of comments on social media slamming the decision, including decrying the outcome as “devastating” for transgender athletes. Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Jacobs, Jeffries and the Congressional Equality Caucus for comment but did not hear back. The relatively muted response comes as public polling has consistently found broad opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports, including among Democrats, suggesting that some lawmakers may be out of step with their own voters. A survey conducted by The New York Times in 2025 found that nearly eight in 10 Americans opposed biological males competing in women’s sports. Roughly 70% of Democrats or those who “lean Democrat” held that view, according to the poll. Democrats hailing from the centrist side of the party were largely quiet about the court’s ruling. Few Democratic lawmakers facing competitive re-election challenges from Republicans commented on the court’s decision, a Fox News Digital analysis of Cook Political Report election data found. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., who is seeking a third House term in a Republican-leaning district, issued a positive statement following the court’s ruling. “The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling affirming that states possess the legal authority to maintain separate sports teams based on biological sex,” Davis said in a written statement. “Title IX has played a vital role in expanding athletic opportunities for women and girls, and we must continue safeguarding those opportunities.” DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER ‘BIOLOGICAL’ WORDING IN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., a top GOP target in November’s midterm elections and a member of the Equality Caucus, acknowledged Wednesday that the trans rights movement misses some of the “nuance” about women’s sports. “At those town halls, what I saw was that the people who were the most upset, a lot of them had spent the last 12 years driving their girls to sports practice, and they view their best shot of their student getting a college education as an athletic scholarship,” Perez told CNN in an interview. “And, so, when we rush to moralize and be like, ‘This is all about love vs. hate,’ I think we miss some of the nuance.” The Washington Democrat did not directly state whether she agreed with the court’s ruling. In the Senate, responses to the decision were few and far between. Requests for comment from several Democratic lawmakers’ offices on whether they would seek to challenge the court’s decision should they regain a majority in the upper chamber went unanswered. Notably silent on the issue was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who lauded the Supreme Court’s decision upholding birthright citizenship the same day and had posted about attending New York City’s Pride parade days before. Some of the most vocal supporters of trans rights in the upper chamber did, however, weigh in, vowing to “keep fighting” for transgender athletes. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., one of the earliest supporters of LGBTQ rights in the Senate, who introduced the Trans Bill of Rights, charged that the court’s decision “again cleared the way for Trump and MAGA Republicans to discriminate against the trans community.” “This decision tears trans athletes from their teams and the sports they love,” Markey, who is in a tight bid for re-election against Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said on X. “We will keep fighting. Discrimination and hate will not win.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also weighed in, accusing “right-wing extremists and the MAGA movement” of being “determined to single out, target, and harm the trans community.” “My heart is with trans kids and their loved ones,” she said on X. “I won’t stop fighting for them.”
Red-state senator drops hammer on Dem mayor over new ‘woke’ DEI ordinance while violent crime surges
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from Cincinnati’s mayor over a newly enacted city ordinance reorganizing procurement under a Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement, arguing taxpayers should not be funding what he calls an expanding DEI bureaucracy that is potentially illegal. “Taxpayers should never foot the bill for woke DEI policies or initiatives,” Moreno wrote in a letter to Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval on Thursday that was obtained by Fox News Digital. “Cincinnati’s taxpayers deserve a government that rewards competence and merit, not politically driven quotas or preferences based on race or ethnicity.” At the heart of the issue is a city ordinance approved by the Cincinnati City Council in June that creates a Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement, which Moreno argues expands the city’s DEI bureaucracy and could inject DEI considerations into the contracting process. According to city documents cited by Moreno, the restructuring would make the city’s contracting process more efficient while preserving its focus on DEI. In the letter, which was also sent to the Justice Department, Moreno said the ordinance comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs across the federal government and argued it “completely ignores” the Justice Department guidance warning against engaging in “unlawful discrimination.” DOJ DANGLES MASSIVE SIGNING BONUSES FOR LAWYERS READY TO FIGHT ‘LAWLESS’ CITIES FAR BEYOND DC Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has made eliminating DEI initiatives a priority, signing executive orders to eliminate DEI programs and end DEI-related hiring and training practices, as well as directing agencies to review recipients of federal funding. “The days of choosing public contract winners based on excellence are back,” Moreno wrote, adding that “the City of Cincinnati must be a better steward of public funds.” SEATTLE COUNCIL MEMBER TOUTS ‘BLACK BUDGET,’ CALLS FOR BLACK RESIDENTS TO FORM ‘MOST POWERFUL POLITICAL PARTY’ Pointing to the city’s explanation of the ordinance, Moreno said that the city intends to continue incorporating DEI in its contracting process. “Amazingly, your office even admits it in its explanation: ‘The goal of this restructuring is not to reduce the city’s focus on inclusion. Instead, it is intended to strengthen it,’” Moreno wrote. “Ohioans deserve to know that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are awarded to individuals and businesses based on merit, not race or ethnicity,” Moreno wrote. INTERNAL EMAILS EXPOSE HOW JULY 4TH BASH IS BEING DERAILED BY DEM-RUN COUNTY: ‘OFFENSIVE’ Moreno asked Pureval to respond within five business days with the exact amount of federal funding the city received during fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026, the projected cost of the ordinance and an outline of the process the new department will use when reviewing applications and awarding city contracts. Moreno also requested information on how Cincinnati is planning to comply with the Justice Department‘s guidance and its recent law enforcement staffing data, adding that the city should prioritize addressing its $30 million budget deficit and public safety challenges instead of expanding DEI initiatives. “Additionally, the adoption of this Ordinance represents a gross misallocation of resources at a time when the city faces a surge in violent crime, including multiple recent homicides, a mass shooting, and a persistent law enforcement recruitment crisis that undermines public safety,” Moreno wrote. “Instead of fueling divisive social experiments, these public funds should be redirected to protecting Cincinnatians and restoring order to Ohio’s streets.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Pureval’s office for comment.
Obama judge hands progressives a win over anti-Trump ’86 47′ message amid rising threats
An Obama-appointed federal judge has issued a final ruling allowing an anti-Trump “86 47” flag to be flown, delivering a win to a progressive activist group as the National Mall remains a hot zone for vandalism and threats against President Donald Trump. Progressive group Accountability Now USA flew the flag near the National Mall, and alleged that the National Park Service (NPS) violated their First Amendment rights by threatening to revoke their permit. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington, D.C., ruled on Monday that the flag is protected political speech. The administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th U.S. president. “This opinion is from an Obama-appointed judge. Flying a flag that is a threat to the Office of the President of the United States should not be permitted under any administration,” a Department of Interior spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “In what world have we lost all decency to demand that any threat against the President be taken very seriously?” OBAMA JUDGE CLEARS LEFT-WING GROUP TO FLY OMINOUS FLAG AIMED AT TRUMP ON HIS OWN TURF “[Its] ‘8647’ flag… is not a true threat to the President or incitement of violence,” Moss said in his ruling. The group also displayed two flags accusing President Trump of sexually assaulting a minor. Moss ruled that those displays are “not legally obscene” and therefore remain protected by the First Amendment. Moss was appointed to the federal bench by former President Barack Obama after previously serving in former President Bill Clinton ’s Justice Department. He has also contributed to and volunteered for Democratic candidates and causes. OBAMA JUDGE CLEARS LEFT-WING GROUP TO FLY OMINOUS FLAG AIMED AT TRUMP ON HIS OWN TURF The judge noted in a previous order on the case that “a true threat to the life or safety of the President would undoubtedly outweigh the interest of the public or the speaker in continuing to urge that unlawful conduct.” The dispute over the nature of the messaging comes amid heightened administration scrutiny of “86 47” messages after the giant numbers appeared to be etched into the grass between the Washington Monument and the World War II memorial last month. OFFICIALS ASK FOR HELP IDENTIFYING PERSON IN REFLECTING POOL DAMAGE INVESTIGATION Grass samples were also collected for testing and examination in the area by investigators. America’s 250th birthday brings major events to the nation’s capital as D.C. braces for massive crowds, tight security, road closures and heightened law enforcement presence. Trump will attend the “Salute to America” event on July 4th. His remarks are expected to begin around 9 p.m. ET, prior to a massive fireworks display on the National Mall that has been touted by the administration as the largest in history. In April, there was an assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where a shooter attempted to break into the ballroom. The fallout from the latest attempt comes as the anniversary of the Butler, Pa., rally approaches on July 13. A bullet came close to ending Trump’s life that day in 2024 after it grazed his ear. And just two months later, another attempt on his life occurred when a man with a rifle was arrested in Southern Florida after he stuck a rifle through the bushes where Trump was golfing that day. Meanwhile, the National Mall has garnered special attention this year following a string of vandalism against the Reflecting Pool and monuments. The pattern emerged after Trump ordered a restoration and repainting of the reflecting pool, which was then met with “razor-blade cuts” to its lining, according to the White House.
Spain vs Austria LIVE: FIFA World Cup 2026
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Live coverage and text updates as Spain play Austria in Los Angeles in the Round of 32 knockout stage.
Into the Darkness
Fault Lines investigates allegations of systematic torture of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli custody. Into the Darkness investigates allegations that torture is used systematically against Palestinians held in the Israeli prison system and military detention facilities. Through powerful firsthand testimony, former detainees recount beatings, starvation, sexual violence, medical neglect and psychological abuse. The film follows the stories of Mohammad Ibrahim, a Palestinian American arrested at the age of 15 for throwing stones, and a former detainee from Gaza whose harrowing testimony details extreme sexual violence. Their accounts reveal the human cost of a detention system that rights groups and former prisoners say operates with impunity. Filmed across Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Tel Aviv, Florida and London, the documentary examines allegations that these practices are carried out under the authority of the Israeli military and Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
What is the Society of St Pius X? Why Pope Leo excommunicated its bishops
The Vatican has declared the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) to be formally in ‘schism’ with the Catholic Church after the traditionalist group defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without papal approval. A schism is a formal break in the unity of the Catholic Church. It occurs when a person or group rejects the authority of the pope, whom Catholics believe is the successor to St Peter, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. Recommended Stories list of 1 itemend of list In a decree issued on Thursday, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said the bishops involved, along with priests and lay members who knowingly adhere to the breakaway movement, had been excommunicated and no longer allowed to be members of the Church. It warned that the Swiss-based group’s celebration of the sacraments is now considered illicit and that it may no longer officiate marriages or hear confessions. The non-approved consecrations mark the latest flashpoint in a decades-long dispute between the Vatican and the SSPX, which broke with Rome after rejecting many of the Catholic Church’s modernising reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council. Here is what we know: What has happened and what is a consecration? On Wednesday, the traditionalist Catholic group SSPX directly defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four new bishops without his papal consent. In the Catholic Church, the act of consecrating a bishop is a deeply symbolic religious ritual which confers the Holy Spirit from one bishop to another. During the consecration rite, the presiding bishop physically places his hands on the heads of the new bishops, a gesture that recalls the actions of Jesus Christ towards his apostles. As part of the ceremony, the newly consecrated men also receive the traditional symbols of their new authority, which include mitre hats and pastoral staffs. Advertisement The five-hour ceremony was held at an SSPX seminary in Econe, Switzerland, attended by an estimated 16,500 faithful followers. Priests lay their hands on the heads of the future priests during the ordination to the priesthood of the Society of St Pius X in Zaitzkofen, southern Germany [File: AFP] Despite a last-minute appeal from Pope Leo XIV, who warned in a letter on Tuesday that carrying out the consecrations without his approval would amount to a “sin of extreme gravity” that would ultimately harm the faithful, the group proceeded with the event. During a Mass, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta administered the consecration rite to four new bishops, Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier. By participating in this ritual without a mandate from the pope, the new bishops and the consecrating bishop incurred automatic excommunication, which is the harshest penalty in the Catholic Church. The SSPX dismissed the resulting penalties, with a priest reading a statement that justified the consecrations as a necessary “sacred duty” to defend the traditional Catholic faith against modernising reforms. Outside the consecration ceremony for four new bishops in Switzerland [Baz Ratner/AP] What is the Society of St Pius X (SSPX)? SSPX is a traditionalist Catholic movement founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was established in opposition to many of the reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), particularly the move away from the traditional Latin Mass and broader efforts to modernise the Church. Today, the SSPX operates around the world with its own bishops, hundreds of priests, seminaries and religious communities. While it considers itself authentically Catholic, the Vatican has long maintained that it has no canonical status (officially recognised) within the Church. In a sermon on Wednesday, the Reverend Davide Pagliarani, the society’s superior general, acknowledged that many would view the consecration as an act of rebellion. “The greatest sacrifice that God can ask of us is that of being treated as rebels while we want to serve the church as a mother in difficulty, overwhelmed, suffering,” Father Pagliarani said. What is the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II)? The Second Vatican Council, commonly known as Vatican II, was a landmark gathering of Catholic bishops held between 1962 and 1965 which introduced sweeping reforms to help it engage better with the modern world. Among its most significant changes were allowing Mass to be celebrated in local languages instead of exclusively in Latin, and improving relations with Jews, other Christian denominations and followers of other religions. Advertisement Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly described Vatican II as containing “fundamental elements” of Catholic teaching. The SSPX, however, rejects several of the council’s key reforms, arguing they depart from longstanding Church tradition. The consecrations in Switzerland represent the most serious challenge to Pope Leo’s authority since his election last year and a major setback to his efforts to heal divisions within the Catholic Church. What does excommunication mean in the Catholic Church? Excommunication is the most severe penalty under Catholic canon law. The term derives from the Latin for “out of communion” with the Church. It bars a Catholic from receiving sacraments, getting married or holding Church office, among other measures. The Church considers excommunication a “medicinal” penalty. It is a temporary measure which can be lifted when the person at fault repents and asks for forgiveness. Nuns at the consecration ceremony for four new bishops in Econe [Baz Ratner/AP] Has this issue cropped up before? Yes. The current crisis closely mirrors events of 1988. That year, Archbishop Lefebvre, the founder of the SSPX, consecrated four bishops without the permission of Pope John Paul II. The Vatican declared the act schismatic and automatically excommunicated Lefebvre and the four new bishops. One of them was Alfonso de Galarreta, who presided over Wednesday’s consecration ceremony in Switzerland. In both cases, the SSPX deliberately consecrated bishops without papal approval to ensure the continuation of its leadership, despite Vatican opposition. Although Pope Benedict XVI lifted the 1988 excommunications in 2009 to encourage dialogue, the SSPX never obtained legal status within the Catholic Church. So, has the SSPX ever been part of the Catholic Church? Not officially. The SSPX considers itself Catholic, but the
Indian Automobile Industry Gets Major Boost: PM Modi, Japan PM to inaugurate Maruti Suzuki’s fourth manufacturing plant in Haryana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate Maruti Suzuki’s new Kharkhoda manufacturing plant in Haryana, a major investment that will boost India’s passenger vehicle production, create thousands of jobs and strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Ketan Agarwal Murder Case: Siya Goyal to undergo lie detector test as court gives go-ahead, here’s what we know so far
Police have started the legal process for the test, and the public prosecutor has officially confirmed that the procedure is in progress.
Bengaluru Daycare Abuse Case: Whistleblower who exposed alleged mistreatment of toddlers was ‘fired’
Authorities are investigating alleged child abuse at a daycare inside Capgemini’s Bengaluru campus after disturbing videos surfaced showing children being mistreated.