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This July 4th could be hottest ever in parts of U.S., forecast expected to break records

(CBS News) This July Fourth could be the hottest on record for millions of Americans as a massive heat wave traps more than half of the United States under a heat dome through the holiday weekend. Dangerously high temperatures continued to ramp up Thursday from the Midwest to the East Coast, forecasters said. Between daily high temperatures and warm overnight lows — which won't be low enough to offer much relief — more than 300 records are expected to be set by Saturday.

Zorro

Top Doctor Warns Trump Is Endangering Lives With July 4 Rally

(Daily Beast) A top doctor has warned that President Donald Trump’s much-hyped July 4 rally is potentially fatal. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and CNN medical analyst, urged the cancellation of Trump’s Washington, D.C. rally for America’s 250th birthday, citing sweltering temperatures that could put attendees at risk. “The same way the outdoor inauguration was canceled last year because of the cold, the rally on the Mall this July 4 should be canceled because of the intense heat (> 100 degrees),” he wrote in an X post on Thursday.

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Ranking Member Huffman Releases Report on How Trump Hijacked America's 250th Birthday to Enrich Himself, Sell Access

(Jared Huffman) House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released a new 55-page report following months of investigative work by Committee Democrats exposing how Donald Trump hijacked what was supposed to be a unifying, non-political celebration of our country's 250th birthday and made it all about him – his vanity projects, his political and religious agenda, his business ventures, and his cronies who gorged on public funds under cover of a shadow corporation shielded from public scrutiny.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

Trump's Freedom 250 stage falls apart while dancers rehearse on it

(The Independent) A portion of the main stage built for President Donald Trump’s upcoming July 4th Freedom 250 celebration collapsed during a rehearsal session, nearly striking a performer. Footage circulating on social media shows a group of dancers rehearsing their routine to music, then abruptly stop as a piece of the overhead structure breaks off from the top and falls onto the stage below. As reported by @AaronParnas on X, the dancers managed to move out of the path of the falling debris, and no injuries were reported during the incident.

KS Toronado

Friday's Condensed News Cartoons & Memes

BumRushDaShow

'A Grave Miscalculation': Jack Smith Insists There Is 'No Way' He Could Be Silenced by Trump

(Mediaite) Former Special Counsel Jack Smith told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace on Thursday there is “no way” he will be intimidated by President Donald Trump’s apparent attempts to silence him. Smith added it would be a “grave miscalculation” to believe “going after me” will inhibit him from speaking up. Wallace asked Smith about Trump’s ability to be elected for a second time, even though “the facts showed he’d committed multiple felonies.”

riversedge

DOJ declines to turn over additional Epstein files, says redactions were appropriate

(ABC News) The Department of Justice on Thursday declined to turn over additional information from the Epstein files as ordered by a judge, arguing the materials include sensitive victim information or were appropriately redacted as required by law. Hours ahead of the deadline to turn over the materials or explain why they were properly withheld, Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward asked the judge to delay the deadline by 60 days or disregard it entirely by accepting the DOJ's reasons for withholding the materials.

BumRushDaShow

Appeals court rules ICE cannot detain migrants beyond 90 days without bond hearing

(The Independent) A federal appeals court has delivered a significant blow to the Trump administration's immigration policies, ruling that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot detain individuals for more than 90 days without providing them an opportunity for release on bond. This decision, issued by a divided 2-1 panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, could impact thousands of people held in states like Texas and Louisiana, which fall under its jurisdiction and have been central to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

Buckle up! We just entered the next phase of Trumpflation

(Motley Fool) It's shaping up to be another sensational year for equities. In early June, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) romped to record highs on the heels of artificial intelligence (AI) euphoria. But this rally may be more fragile than Wall Street's major indexes suggest. Inflation is the proverbial torpedo that can sink Wall Street's ship, and we appear to have entered the next phase of Trumpflation.

groundloop

Trump designated disaster aid to 9 Republican-leaning states while plugging GOP candidates

(ABC News) President Donald Trump announced he approved more than $846 million in disaster relief funds for Republican-leaning states in a series of posts on his social media platform, combining the announcements with praise for candidates he endorsed in those states' upcoming elections. The president has repeatedly approved a higher percentage of aid requests for Republican-leaning states than for Democratic-leaning ones in his second term, according to the nonpartisan think tank Urban Institute.

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Democratic governors press US Postal Service to drop plan tied to Trump's election order

36 min ago - PUBLISHED: July 2, 2026 at 6:34 PM PDT | UPDATED: July 3, 2026 at 8:34 AM PDT A group of Democratic governors asked the U.S. Postal Service on Thursday to withdraw its proposed rule seeking to implement an executive order from President Donald Trump ... (Santa Rosa Press Democrat/AP)

'Send them to Cuba. Send them to Iran': Trump spokeswoman issues ominous warning to 'lazy' Gen Zers

39 min ago - Watters then asked Leavitt, who earns a salary of $195,200, whether it was “laziness” and suggested that liberal professors and teachers were to blame for Gen Z’s work ethic. “It’s laziness and it’s liberal indoctrinatio ... (Independent)

Louisiana high court issues stay in case against Attorney General Liz Murrill

1 hr ago - 07/03/26 9:08 AM ET The Louisiana Supreme Court issued a stay Friday morning in the indictment of state Attorney General Liz Murrill (R), less than a day after a New Orleans grand jury handed up the charges. Murrill was charged with 16 counts of malf ... (The Hill)

Freedom 250's Fourth of July Stage Comes Apart During Rehearsal as Falling Chunk Nearly Crushes Dancers

2 hrs ago - Dancers rehearsing for the Trump-backed Freedom 250 celebration experienced a scary incident on the National Mall on Thursday, July 2. In a video shared by independent journalist Aaron Parnas and later verified by CNN and NBC News, a large piece of ... (People)

Trump heads to Mount Rushmore, where efforts to impose his likeness have stalled

2 hrs ago - .... ........... He's brought it up jokingly at campaign rallies, posted hints on social media and called it a "good idea." He even raised the possibility with South Dakota's governor during his first term, saying to then-Gov. Kristi Noem during an O ... (CNN)

As Trump commands 250th stage, Democrats offer their vision of patriotism

2 hrs ago - This weekend’s 250th anniversary celebrations have taken on the overtones of a partisan fight, with President Donald Trump placing himself at the center of the capital’s events by touting military displays, patriotic music and fireworks ado ... (Washington Post)

Coast Guard surges resources to DC and elsewhere to protect July 4 celebrations

2 hrs ago - July 3, 2026, 5:06 AM The U.S. Coast Guard is surging resources to help secure July Fourth celebrations in Washington, D.C., and around the country, the head of the agency said. "We've surged over 1,000 additional people, in addition to our regular C ... (ABC News)

Trump heads to Mount Rushmore, where efforts to impose his likeness have stalled

3 hrs ago - PUBLISHED Jul 3, 2026, 6:00 AM ET President Donald Trump returns to Mount Rushmore on Friday, and though the president has openly mused about adding his likeness to the storied national monument, it’s unclear if he can move the mountains necessa ... (CNN Politics)

This July 4th could be hottest ever in parts of U.S. Maps show the forecast expected to break records.

4 hrs ago - Updated on: July 3, 2026 / 8:34 AM EDT This July Fourth could be the hottest on record for millions of Americans as a massive heat wave traps more than half of the United States under a heat dome through the holiday weekend. Dangerously high tempera ... (CBS News)

Man with Tibetan flag dies after setting himself on fire in front of UN's New York headquarters

5 hrs ago - A man holding a Tibetan flag has died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday in an apparent protest against Chinese rule over Tibet. The government-in-exile of Tibet - and an activist in New York ... (CNN)

Secret Service missed opportunities to prevent Trump shooting: watchdog

5 hrs ago - Updated July 2, 2026, 9:08 p.m. ET WASHINGTON – The Secret Service missed several opportunities to detect, prevent and disrupt a 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, who was then a candidate, and the agency was significantly und ... (USA Today)

Man fatally shot in Walmart parking lot following dispute over parking space: Authorities

5 hrs ago - A man was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Walmart in Florida following a dispute over a parking space, according to authorities. The woman who pulled the trigger is claiming self-defense, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, whic ... (ABC News)

Trump designated disaster aid to 9 Republican-leaning states while plugging GOP candidates

5 hrs ago - President Donald Trump announced he approved more than $846 million in disaster relief funds for Republican-leaning states in a series of posts on his social media platform, combining the announcements with praise for candidates he endorsed in those ... (ABC News)

'Ridiculous' for US to maintain current Nato support, Trump warns ahead of alliance summit

5 hrs ago - Fri 3 Jul 2026 01.19 EDT Last modified on Fri 3 Jul 2026 05.38 EDT Donald Trump has said it is “ridiculous” for the US to continue its “one sided” relationship with Nato, less than a week before a summit of the military alliance i ... (The Guardian)

Appeals court rules ICE cannot detain migrants beyond 90 days without bond hearing

6 hrs ago - Thursday 02 July 2026 20:05 EDT A federal appeals court has delivered a significant blow to the Trump administration's immigration policies, ruling that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot detain individuals for more than 90 days wi ... (The Independent)

Congress comes back to Philly for special session at Independence Hall

6 hrs ago - Updated July 2, 2026, 9:09 p.m. ET PHILADELPHIA — On July 2, a select group of congressional representatives came back to the place where it all happened, 250 years ago to the day. A special congressional session was held at Independence Nation ... (USA Today)

Over 1,200 UMass Memorial University Campus nurses vote to authorize strike

7 hrs ago - By Michael P Norton | State House News Service PUBLISHED: July 3, 2026 at 2:11 AM EDT WORCESTER — Citing months of unsuccessful contract negotiations, more than 1,200 registered nurses at UMass Memorial Medical Center’s University Campus in ... (Lowell Sun)

Philly can't force ICE agents to unmask, federal judge rules

7 hrs ago - Updated July 2, 2026, 6:48 p.m. ET | Published July 2, 2026, 3:18 p.m. ET Philadelphia can’t prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other federal officers from concealing their identities, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S ... (Philadelphia Inquirer)

'A Grave Miscalculation': Jack Smith Insists There Is 'No Way' He Could Be Silenced by Trump

7 hrs ago - Jul 2nd, 2026, 6:23 pm Former Special Counsel Jack Smith told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace on Thursday there is “no way” he will be intimidated by President Donald Trump’s apparent attempts to silence him. Smith added it would be a & ... (MEDIAite)

Trump Jr.'s 'Amazon of guns' could make millions under new proposed firearm rule

8 hrs ago - 10h WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - Donald Trump Jr. helped take an online retailer known as the “Amazon of guns” public last year. Now, GrabAGun, where the U.S. president's son is a shareholder and board member, could reap a windfall from a ... (msn/Reuters)