By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The updated assessment of the sweeping tax and spending cuts law came weeks after nearly every GOP lawmaker voted to approve the legislation ahead of a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.&nbsp;The law made permanent the 2017 tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term and provided billions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-megabill-allows-trump-expand-mass-deportations-curb-immigrant-benefits" target="_blank">carry out his plans&nbsp;</a>of mass deportations, an immigration crackdown and increased defense spending.

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrote in a statement that it is “still hard to believe that policymakers just added $4 trillion to” deficits after Republican lawmakers “have spent months or years appropriately fuming about our unsustainable fiscal situation.”

“This is a dangerous game we are playing,” MacGuineas wrote. “It has been going on for years, and it was brought to new levels with this bill. And it is time to stop.”&nbsp;

CBO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/taxonomy/term/1756/latest" target="_blank">released numerous reports</a>&nbsp;throughout the months-long process showing how various parts of the bill would affect federal spending and health care access, but the scorekeeper needed additional time to evaluate changes Republicans made during the last few days of debate.

The latest figures are similar to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-07/61537-hr1-Senate-passed-additional-info7-1-25.pdf" target="_blank">a preliminary report</a>&nbsp;CBO released earlier this month projecting the final version of the package, which underwent considerable changes in the Senate, would likely lead to a $3.4 trillion increase in deficits between 2025 and 2034.

That total was significantly higher than the $2.4 trillion increase in deficits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-backed-giant-tax-and-spending-bill-bloats-deficit-24t-nonpartisan-cbo-says" target="_blank">CBO expected</a>&nbsp;the original House version of the bill would have had during the next decade.

Health spending to fall by more than $1 trillion

Republicans’ numerous changes to health programs, predominantly Medicaid, will reduce federal spending during the next decade by $1.058 trillion.

The law made more than a dozen changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-tax-cut-plans-may-depend-savings-medicaid-what-it-and-who-relies-it" target="_blank">the state-federal health program</a>&nbsp;for lower income individuals and certain people with disabilities, though some of those have larger budget impacts than others.

Language barring Medicaid spending from going to Planned Parenthood for one year would actually increase federal deficits during the 10-year window by $53 million.

The CBO score shows that policy change would decrease federal spending by $44 million this fiscal year and another $31 million during the next fiscal year, before increasing deficits by $91 million during fiscal year 2027 and continuing.

That section of the law is on hold for the moment after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-quickly-rules-favor-planned-parenthood-suit-over-medicaid-funding" target="_blank">issued a temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;earlier this month that required the Trump administration to continue paying Planned Parenthood for routine health care coverage for Medicaid enrollees.

Federal law for decades has barred the federal government from spending taxpayer dollars for abortion services with limited exceptions, so the one-year prohibition on Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood would have blocked patients enrolled in the program from going to their clinics for routine health appointments, like annual physicals and cancer screenings.

The CBO report didn’t include a state-by-state breakdown of the effects of the health care changes in the law, but the agency is expected to release more detailed analysis of the health impacts in the coming weeks.

Apart from Medicaid, two large projected deficit reductions in the law come in the agriculture title’s sections on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

A provision requiring states to pay for some portion of SNAP benefits starting in fiscal 2028 would save the federal government between $5.7 billion and $6 billion per year, totalling just less than $41 billion for the first seven years it will be in effect.

And new work requirements for SNAP would result in $68.6 billion less in federal spending over the 10 years starting in fiscal 2026, the CBO projected.

Republicans’ streamlining of the federal student loan program is projected to reduce federal spending in the next decade by $270.5 billion.

As part of a sweeping overhaul of higher education, the law limits repayment options for borrowers with any loans made on or after July 1, 2026, to either a standard repayment plan or an income-based repayment plan.

The extension of Trump’s 2017 tax law, plus new tax breaks, will cost $4.472 trillion over the next decade, according to the latest CBO score.

The United States collects the majority of its revenue from individual taxpayers, and the continuation of lowered income tax brackets, plus an increased standard deduction, will comprise the bulk of lost revenue over 10 years, adding up to $3.497 trillion.

Trump also campaigned on several other tax cut promises, including no tax on tips and overtime, as well as no tax on car loan interest. The temporary provisions come with stipulations and will end in 2029. Together they will cost $151.868 billion.

The child tax credit increases under the new law to $2,200, up from $2,000, though lawmakers did not increase the amount lower income families can receive as a tax refund. The CBO estimates the bumped-up tax credit will cost $626.345 billion over the next decade.

Lawmakers offset some costs of the bill by repealing clean energy tax credits, including ending tax credits for personal and commercial electric vehicles, nixing energy efficiency improvement credits for homeowners, and terminating clean electricity production credits. In all, Republicans saved $487.909 billion from axing the measures meant to address the effects of climate change.

Jacob Fischler, Shauneen Miranda and Ashley Murray contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751666035602.png" alt="President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.The updated assessment of the sweeping tax and spending cuts law came weeks after nearly every GOP lawmaker voted to approve the legislation ahead of a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.&nbsp;The law made permanent the 2017 tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term and provided billions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-megabill-allows-trump-expand-mass-deportations-curb-immigrant-benefits" target="_blank">carry out his plans&nbsp;</a>of mass deportations, an immigration crackdown and increased defense spending.Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrote in a statement that it is “still hard to believe that policymakers just added $4 trillion to” deficits after Republican lawmakers “have spent months or years appropriately fuming about our unsustainable fiscal situation.”“This is a dangerous game we are playing,” MacGuineas wrote. “It has been going on for years, and it was brought to new levels with this bill. And it is time to stop.”&nbsp;CBO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/taxonomy/term/1756/latest" target="_blank">released numerous reports</a>&nbsp;throughout the months-long process showing how various parts of the bill would affect federal spending and health care access, but the scorekeeper needed additional time to evaluate changes Republicans made during the last few days of debate.The latest figures are similar to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-07/61537-hr1-Senate-passed-additional-info7-1-25.pdf" target="_blank">a preliminary report</a>&nbsp;CBO released earlier this month projecting the final version of the package, which underwent considerable changes in the Senate, would likely lead to a $3.4 trillion increase in deficits between 2025 and 2034.That total was significantly higher than the $2.4 trillion increase in deficits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-backed-giant-tax-and-spending-bill-bloats-deficit-24t-nonpartisan-cbo-says" target="_blank">CBO expected</a>&nbsp;the original House version of the bill would have had during the next decade.<h2>Health spending to fall by more than $1 trillion</h2>Republicans’ numerous changes to health programs, predominantly Medicaid, will reduce federal spending during the next decade by $1.058 trillion.The law made more than a dozen changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-tax-cut-plans-may-depend-savings-medicaid-what-it-and-who-relies-it" target="_blank">the state-federal health program</a>&nbsp;for lower income individuals and certain people with disabilities, though some of those have larger budget impacts than others.Language barring Medicaid spending from going to Planned Parenthood for one year would actually increase federal deficits during the 10-year window by $53 million.The CBO score shows that policy change would decrease federal spending by $44 million this fiscal year and another $31 million during the next fiscal year, before increasing deficits by $91 million during fiscal year 2027 and continuing.That section of the law is on hold for the moment after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-quickly-rules-favor-planned-parenthood-suit-over-medicaid-funding" target="_blank">issued a temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;earlier this month that required the Trump administration to continue paying Planned Parenthood for routine health care coverage for Medicaid enrollees.Federal law for decades has barred the federal government from spending taxpayer dollars for abortion services with limited exceptions, so the one-year prohibition on Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood would have blocked patients enrolled in the program from going to their clinics for routine health appointments, like annual physicals and cancer screenings.The CBO report didn’t include a state-by-state breakdown of the effects of the health care changes in the law, but the agency is expected to release more detailed analysis of the health impacts in the coming weeks.<h2>Nutrition assistance cuts</h2>Apart from Medicaid, two large projected deficit reductions in the law come in the agriculture title’s sections on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.A provision requiring states to pay for some portion of SNAP benefits starting in fiscal 2028 would save the federal government between $5.7 billion and $6 billion per year, totalling just less than $41 billion for the first seven years it will be in effect.And new work requirements for SNAP would result in $68.6 billion less in federal spending over the 10 years starting in fiscal 2026, the CBO projected.<h2>Federal student loan program</h2>Republicans’ streamlining of the federal student loan program is projected to reduce federal spending in the next decade by $270.5 billion.As part of a sweeping overhaul of higher education, the law limits repayment options for borrowers with any loans made on or after July 1, 2026, to either a standard repayment plan or an income-based repayment plan.<h2>Extension and expansion of tax cuts</h2>The extension of Trump’s 2017 tax law, plus new tax breaks, will cost $4.472 trillion over the next decade, according to the latest CBO score.The United States collects the majority of its revenue from individual taxpayers, and the continuation of lowered income tax brackets, plus an increased standard deduction, will comprise the bulk of lost revenue over 10 years, adding up to $3.497 trillion.Trump also campaigned on several other tax cut promises, including no tax on tips and overtime, as well as no tax on car loan interest. The temporary provisions come with stipulations and will end in 2029. Together they will cost $151.868 billion.The child tax credit increases under the new law to $2,200, up from $2,000, though lawmakers did not increase the amount lower income families can receive as a tax refund. The CBO estimates the bumped-up tax credit will cost $626.345 billion over the next decade.Lawmakers offset some costs of the bill by repealing clean energy tax credits, including ending tax credits for personal and commercial electric vehicles, nixing energy efficiency improvement credits for homeowners, and terminating clean electricity production credits. In all, Republicans saved $487.909 billion from axing the measures meant to address the effects of climate change.Jacob Fischler, Shauneen Miranda and Ashley Murray contributed to this report.

Trump tax law runs up deficit by $3.4T, throws 10 million off health insurance, CBO says

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 21, 2025, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK), in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14176.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/mlk">Click here to see the files</a>

This unprecedented release follows through on President Trump’s commitment to fully release previously-classified records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), and MLK, and was carried out in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Archives.

Unlike the majority of the JFK assassination files — which were identified and released in accordance with federal law — the MLK files in today’s release had never been digitized and sat collecting dust in facilities across the federal government for decades, until today.

The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK — including the discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, and documents related to James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot. Additionally, as James Earl Ray fled the country following the assassination, the release includes unique foreign evidence from a Canadian police department. Never-before-seen CIA records outline overseas intelligence on the international hunt for the prime suspect in the assassination.

"I am grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for delivering on their pledge of transparency in the release of these documents on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr,"&nbsp;said Dr. Alveda King. "My uncle lived boldly in pursuit of truth and justice, and his enduring legacy of faith continues to inspire Americans to this day. While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve."

“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,”&nbsp;said DNI Gabbard. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support.”

“The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders,"&nbsp;said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump’s direction for this latest disclosure.”

“In partnership with ODNI and FBI, today’s release represents a significant milestone in CIA’s efforts to deliver maximum transparency to the American people,”&nbsp;said CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “CIA is proud to contribute to President Trump’s historic initiative to declassify and release intelligence information that serves the public’s interest.”

“Today’s record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,"&nbsp;said Secretary of State and Acting U.S. Archivist Marco Rubio. "Preserving, protecting, and releasing the records of the U.S. government is at the core of NARA’s mission. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.”

While some of the documents released were made public through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, today’s release is the first time these records are published online in one collection with minimal redactions for privacy reasons — including redactions for Social Security Numbers and grand jury information. As agencies continue to search government facilities for additional files, the new documents will be uploaded alongside the previously released files at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/mlk" target="_blank">archives.gov/mlk</a>&nbsp;to ensure all MLK assassination documents can be found in a centralized location. Two-weeks in advance of today’s release, members of the King family were provided an opportunity to review the files.

The government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">unsealed the JFK records</a>&nbsp;in March and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-assassination-files-released-74af7098faf255d92a5bff32899a7ce7">disclosed some RFK files</a>&nbsp;in April.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753130471620.png" alt="Martin Luther King, Jr. (image National Archives)" />
 <figcaption>Martin Luther King, Jr. (image National Archives)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 21, 2025, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK), in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14176.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/mlk">Click here to see the files</a>This unprecedented release follows through on President Trump’s commitment to fully release previously-classified records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), and MLK, and was carried out in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Archives.Unlike the majority of the JFK assassination files — which were identified and released in accordance with federal law — the MLK files in today’s release had never been digitized and sat collecting dust in facilities across the federal government for decades, until today.The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK — including the discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, and documents related to James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot. Additionally, as James Earl Ray fled the country following the assassination, the release includes unique foreign evidence from a Canadian police department. Never-before-seen CIA records outline overseas intelligence on the international hunt for the prime suspect in the assassination."I am grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for delivering on their pledge of transparency in the release of these documents on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr,"&nbsp;said Dr. Alveda King. "My uncle lived boldly in pursuit of truth and justice, and his enduring legacy of faith continues to inspire Americans to this day. While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve."“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,”&nbsp;said DNI Gabbard. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support.”“The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders,"&nbsp;said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump’s direction for this latest disclosure.”“In partnership with ODNI and FBI, today’s release represents a significant milestone in CIA’s efforts to deliver maximum transparency to the American people,”&nbsp;said CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “CIA is proud to contribute to President Trump’s historic initiative to declassify and release intelligence information that serves the public’s interest.”“Today’s record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,"&nbsp;said Secretary of State and Acting U.S. Archivist Marco Rubio. "Preserving, protecting, and releasing the records of the U.S. government is at the core of NARA’s mission. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.”While some of the documents released were made public through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, today’s release is the first time these records are published online in one collection with minimal redactions for privacy reasons — including redactions for Social Security Numbers and grand jury information. As agencies continue to search government facilities for additional files, the new documents will be uploaded alongside the previously released files at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/mlk" target="_blank">archives.gov/mlk</a>&nbsp;to ensure all MLK assassination documents can be found in a centralized location. Two-weeks in advance of today’s release, members of the King family were provided an opportunity to review the files.The government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">unsealed the JFK records</a>&nbsp;in March and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-assassination-files-released-74af7098faf255d92a5bff32899a7ce7">disclosed some RFK files</a>&nbsp;in April.

Read the newly released, controversial FBI records on MLK Jr.

The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jonathan-shorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administration’s attention on state election activities.

At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The department’s focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states — and even local authorities — administer elections.

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trump’s sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

“Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. “With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.”

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Most letters also ask about each state’s process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying it’s unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

“They don’t make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that there’s some other purpose,” said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data that’s publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but “that’s not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.”

The DOJ didn’t respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal government’s ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation &amp; Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current “federal imposition” on election administrators.

“The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth — records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect,” Becker said.

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to “all records” related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswold’s office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

“The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado … it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained,” said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trump’s attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year — a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold — Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a “political prisoner.” Griswold noted the timing.

“I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the ’26 and ’28 elections,” Griswold told Stateline.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the state’s master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who “works for the White House.”

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the president’s elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso County’s election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasn’t under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didn’t return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

“We don’t disclose every single conversation we have with them,” an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, it’s also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerk’s office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the county’s Dominion machines.

“I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, ‘No, we’re going to follow the law,’” Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government “has been muddied up it seems,” Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then “represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.”

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trump’s elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task force’s efforts in an advisory role.

“I said absolutely I will advise,” Guynes said. “I said I’m frankly glad that they’re finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.”

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2 — after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants&nbsp;provided a driver’s license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trump’s elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trump’s elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal “election integrity laws” in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jshorman@stateline.org">jshorman@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709323737405.png" alt="Fire photo (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Fire photo (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jonathan-shorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administration’s attention on state election activities.At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.The department’s focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states — and even local authorities — administer elections.Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trump’s sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.“Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. “With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.”DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.Most letters also ask about each state’s process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying it’s unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.“They don’t make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that there’s some other purpose,” said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data that’s publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but “that’s not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.”The DOJ didn’t respond to questions for this story.Federal laws restrict the federal government’s ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation &amp; Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current “federal imposition” on election administrators.“The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth — records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect,” Becker said.<h2>Sweeping Colorado requests</h2>In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to “all records” related to the 2024 election.Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswold’s office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.“The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado … it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained,” said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.Colorado elections have previously drawn Trump’s attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.On May 5 of this year — a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold — Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a “political prisoner.” Griswold noted the timing.“I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the ’26 and ’28 elections,” Griswold told Stateline.The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the state’s master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who “works for the White House.”Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the president’s elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso County’s election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasn’t under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didn’t return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.“We don’t disclose every single conversation we have with them,” an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, it’s also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerk’s office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the county’s Dominion machines.“I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, ‘No, we’re going to follow the law,’” Crane said.The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government “has been muddied up it seems,” Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then “represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.”Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trump’s elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task force’s efforts in an advisory role.“I said absolutely I will advise,” Guynes said. “I said I’m frankly glad that they’re finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.”<h2>Letters to other states</h2>As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2 — after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants&nbsp;provided a driver’s license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trump’s elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.The email echoes the language in Trump’s elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal “election integrity laws” in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jshorman@stateline.org">jshorman@stateline.org</a>.

Trump’s DOJ wants states to turn over voter lists, election info

Washington, D.C. --&nbsp;The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bestway (Hong Kong) International Ltd. (China) and Bestway (USA) Inc. (Chandler, Arizona) (Bestway), Intex Recreation Corp. (Long Beach, California) and Polygroup North America Inc. &nbsp;(El Paso, Texas) are announcing the recall of about 5 million 48-inch and taller above-ground pools that use compression straps. These straps wrap around the pool on the outside of the supporting poles, and may create a foothold, allowing a child to access the pool and drown.

<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721">Click here for additional information.</a>

Children can still gain access to the pools using these footholds even if the ladder is removed.&nbsp;

CPSC believes that nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old have drowned&nbsp;

after gaining access to the pools via the footholds. The incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri between 2007 and 2022.

CPSC is also aware of three other incidents in 2011 and 2012 where children who gained access to the recalled pools were reported to have previously used the compression strap to gain entry to the pool.

Consumers should immediately contact Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup to receive a free repair kit consisting of a rope that attaches to each of the vertical support poles at the ground level and wraps around the pool. The rope will maintain the structural integrity of the pool (a function previously served by the compression strap). Consumers should first secure the repair and then cut and remove the compression strap from the pool.&nbsp;

The pool brand names and model numbers are printed on the pool liner on the outside of the pool. Pool models of 48 inches and taller that are included in this recall are listed below:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753114668088.png" alt="-Example of child using the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool, illustrating the hazard involved.-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>-Example of child using the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool, illustrating the hazard involved.-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington, D.C. --&nbsp;The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bestway (Hong Kong) International Ltd. (China) and Bestway (USA) Inc. (Chandler, Arizona) (Bestway), Intex Recreation Corp. (Long Beach, California) and Polygroup North America Inc. &nbsp;(El Paso, Texas) are announcing the recall of about 5 million 48-inch and taller above-ground pools that use compression straps. These straps wrap around the pool on the outside of the supporting poles, and may create a foothold, allowing a child to access the pool and drown.<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721">Click here for additional information.</a>Children can still gain access to the pools using these footholds even if the ladder is removed.&nbsp;CPSC believes that nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old have drowned&nbsp;after gaining access to the pools via the footholds. The incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri between 2007 and 2022.CPSC is also aware of three other incidents in 2011 and 2012 where children who gained access to the recalled pools were reported to have previously used the compression strap to gain entry to the pool.Consumers should immediately contact Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup to receive a free repair kit consisting of a rope that attaches to each of the vertical support poles at the ground level and wraps around the pool. The rope will maintain the structural integrity of the pool (a function previously served by the compression strap). Consumers should first secure the repair and then cut and remove the compression strap from the pool.&nbsp;The pool brand names and model numbers are printed on the pool liner on the outside of the pool. Pool models of 48 inches and taller that are included in this recall are listed below:

Millions of above ground pools under recall after reports of 9 deaths

LINCOLN – Nebraska Attorney General Hilgers and Nebraska Governor Pillen announced today that Nebraska has sued the State of Colorado to enforce the South Platte River Compact and clear the way for construction of the Perkins County Canal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nebraska and Colorado signed the South Platte River Compact in 1923. The Compact was approved by both states’ legislatures, ratified by Congress in 1926, and has the force of federal law. The Compact limits certain Colorado uses and defines how much water Nebraska is to receive from the river in both the summer (irrigation) season and the winter (non-irrigation) season.

Colorado is currently threatening Nebraska’s water supply of the South Platte River in at least two ways. First, Colorado allows unlawful water diversions that have deprived Nebraska of its right to water during the irrigation season. Second, Colorado is obstructing Nebraska’s efforts to construct the Perkins County Canal.

The U.S. Supreme Court has original jurisdiction regarding disputes between states. The Court’s intervention is needed to stop Colorado’s violations of the South Platte River Compact and to resolve what has turned into an irreconcilable conflict over the design and operation of the Perkins County Canal.

“Today’s action will ensure that Nebraska receives all the water to which it is entitled to under the Compact and that Nebraska’s agriculture and economy are protected. Our suit has two basic elements: First, it challenges Colorado’s ongoing, unauthorized overuse of Nebraska’s water during the summer and the rationale Colorado uses to justify it.&nbsp;Second, we challenge Colorado’s efforts to obstruct the construction of the Canal and prevent Nebraska from accessing the additional water Nebraska is entitled to in the South Platte River Compact. Water is the essential lifeblood of Nebraska’s economy, and it’s my goal to protect one of the state’s most important assets,” stated Attorney General Mike Hilgers.

Governor Pillen added, “Today’s action comes only after we made every reasonable effort to resolve our differences with Colorado.&nbsp;Ultimately, Nebraska must push forward to secure our water for future generations. Although we hoped to avoid a lawsuit, we are confident we remain on schedule to complete the Perkins County Canal by 2032.”

Colorado is now required to answer Nebraska’s claims, and the U.S. Supreme Court will later decide how to proceed.

LINCOLN – Nebraska Attorney General Hilgers and Nebraska Governor Pillen announced today that Nebraska has sued the State of Colorado to enforce the South Platte River Compact and clear the way for construction of the Perkins County Canal.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska and Colorado signed the South Platte River Compact in 1923. The Compact was approved by both states’ legislatures, ratified by Congress in 1926, and has the force of federal law. The Compact limits certain Colorado uses and defines how much water Nebraska is to receive from the river in both the summer (irrigation) season and the winter (non-irrigation) season.Colorado is currently threatening Nebraska’s water supply of the South Platte River in at least two ways. First, Colorado allows unlawful water diversions that have deprived Nebraska of its right to water during the irrigation season. Second, Colorado is obstructing Nebraska’s efforts to construct the Perkins County Canal.The U.S. Supreme Court has original jurisdiction regarding disputes between states. The Court’s intervention is needed to stop Colorado’s violations of the South Platte River Compact and to resolve what has turned into an irreconcilable conflict over the design and operation of the Perkins County Canal.“Today’s action will ensure that Nebraska receives all the water to which it is entitled to under the Compact and that Nebraska’s agriculture and economy are protected. Our suit has two basic elements: First, it challenges Colorado’s ongoing, unauthorized overuse of Nebraska’s water during the summer and the rationale Colorado uses to justify it.&nbsp;Second, we challenge Colorado’s efforts to obstruct the construction of the Canal and prevent Nebraska from accessing the additional water Nebraska is entitled to in the South Platte River Compact. Water is the essential lifeblood of Nebraska’s economy, and it’s my goal to protect one of the state’s most important assets,” stated Attorney General Mike Hilgers.Governor Pillen added, “Today’s action comes only after we made every reasonable effort to resolve our differences with Colorado.&nbsp;Ultimately, Nebraska must push forward to secure our water for future generations. Although we hoped to avoid a lawsuit, we are confident we remain on schedule to complete the Perkins County Canal by 2032.”Colorado is now required to answer Nebraska’s claims, and the U.S. Supreme Court will later decide how to proceed.

Nebraska Sues Colorado over Rights to  South Platte River in U.S. Supreme Court

It is with both sadness and hope that the elders of Grace Community Church announce that Pastor John MacArthur has gone to be with the Lord after 56 years of faithful ministry. Last week, Pastor John unexpectedly contracted pneumonia, and the Lord took him home on Monday, July 14. Dr. MacArthur was 86 years old, according to a statement on the church web site.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia; four children; fifteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

To millions through the media ministry of Grace to You, Pastor John was a preacher of the Word. To tens of thousands of students, he was the beloved president and chancellor of The Master's University. To thousands of graduates of The Master's Seminary, he was a champion of biblical exposition. To numerous churches and pastors abroad through The Master's Academy International, he was a stalwart for the truth. To his church, he was our dear pastor—a fearless leader in challenging times. To his family, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

At the center of Dr. MacArthur's ministry was an unwavering commitment to declare God's truth, and Pastor John preached the Word in season and out of season. Even in recent years, though beset with health challenges, he persisted in teaching, leading, and investing in the ministries the Lord had entrusted to him. Pastor John modeled a true fortitude for His Lord Jesus, believing that to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain. Having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, Pastor John was summoned home by his heavenly Master. His faith is now sight; he is at home with the Lord; and he has heard the words, "Well done good and faithful slave" (<a href="https://ref.ly/Matt%2025.21;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">Matthew 25:21</a>).

Join with us in praying for Pastor John's wife, Patricia, and family in this season of sadness mixed with eternal joy. Though our hearts are heavy with this loss, we do "not grieve as do the rest who have no hope" (<a href="https://ref.ly/1%20Thess%204.13;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:13</a>). For those who die in Christ are His, and He loses not one. This is the hope Pastor John preached in his final sermon series on Revelation: "The worthy Lamb will come and conquer this sinful world and reign forever. And we will reign with Him. Glory upon glory upon glory. I don’t know about you, but I say with the apostle John, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'”

It is with both sadness and hope that the elders of Grace Community Church announce that Pastor John MacArthur has gone to be with the Lord after 56 years of faithful ministry. Last week, Pastor John unexpectedly contracted pneumonia, and the Lord took him home on Monday, July 14. Dr. MacArthur was 86 years old, according to a statement on the church web site.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 <a href="https://t.co/5JplmC0Dvp">pic.twitter.com/5JplmC0Dvp</a>&mdash; Grace to You (@gracetoyou) <a href="https://twitter.com/gracetoyou/status/1944937107937464752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia; four children; fifteen grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.To millions through the media ministry of Grace to You, Pastor John was a preacher of the Word. To tens of thousands of students, he was the beloved president and chancellor of The Master's University. To thousands of graduates of The Master's Seminary, he was a champion of biblical exposition. To numerous churches and pastors abroad through The Master's Academy International, he was a stalwart for the truth. To his church, he was our dear pastor—a fearless leader in challenging times. To his family, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.At the center of Dr. MacArthur's ministry was an unwavering commitment to declare God's truth, and Pastor John preached the Word in season and out of season. Even in recent years, though beset with health challenges, he persisted in teaching, leading, and investing in the ministries the Lord had entrusted to him. Pastor John modeled a true fortitude for His Lord Jesus, believing that to live is Christ and therefore to die is gain. Having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, Pastor John was summoned home by his heavenly Master. His faith is now sight; he is at home with the Lord; and he has heard the words, "Well done good and faithful slave" (<a href="https://ref.ly/Matt%2025.21;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">Matthew 25:21</a>).Join with us in praying for Pastor John's wife, Patricia, and family in this season of sadness mixed with eternal joy. Though our hearts are heavy with this loss, we do "not grieve as do the rest who have no hope" (<a href="https://ref.ly/1%20Thess%204.13;nasb95?t=biblia" target="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:13</a>). For those who die in Christ are His, and He loses not one. This is the hope Pastor John preached in his final sermon series on Revelation: "The worthy Lamb will come and conquer this sinful world and reign forever. And we will reign with Him. Glory upon glory upon glory. I don’t know about you, but I say with the apostle John, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'”

John MacArthur, influential preacher, culture warrior dies at 86

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration, for now, to proceed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">mass layoffs and a plan to dramatically downsize the Education Department</a>&nbsp;ordered earlier this year.

The decision from the nation’s highest court marks a major victory for President Donald Trump, who has sought to overhaul the federal role in education.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1203_pol1.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>&nbsp;was unsigned, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating a 6-3 decision.

The dissent, authored by Sotomayor, was scathing.

“The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive,” she wrote. “But either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.”

The Supreme Court’s order temporarily suspends lower court orders that: forced the agency to reinstate more than 1,300 employees gutted from a reduction in force, or RIF, effort; blocked the department from carrying out Trump’s executive order to dismantle the department; and barred the agency from transferring some services to other federal agencies.

In a statement Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the decision, saying “today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”

“While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution,” she said.

“The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers.”

A coalition of teachers, unions and school districts that sued over Trump’s order to eliminate the department and the mass layoffs said they were “incredibly disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump-Vance administration to proceed with its harmful efforts to dismantle the Department of Education while our case moves forward.”

“This unlawful plan will immediately and irreparably harm students, educators and communities across our nation. Children will be among those hurt the most by this decision. We will never stop fighting on behalf of all students and public schools and the protections, services, and resources they need to thrive,” they added.

Challenge from Democratic state AGs, unions

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/court-order-blocks-trump-eliminating-us-education-department" target="_blank">labor and advocacy coalition</a>&nbsp;and a slew of Democratic attorneys general each sued in March over some of the administration’s most consequential education initiatives.

One of the lawsuits comes from a coalition of Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.

The other lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers, its Massachusetts chapter, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union and two school districts in Massachusetts.

A Massachusetts federal judge consolidated the lawsuits and granted the states’ and groups’ preliminary injunction in May.

The administration appealed that decision, leading to a June decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">keeping in place</a>&nbsp;the district court’s order.

The Trump administration then asked the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745271542976.png" alt="File photo U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon s (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon s (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration, for now, to proceed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">mass layoffs and a plan to dramatically downsize the Education Department</a>&nbsp;ordered earlier this year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’re on it, Mr. President! <a href="https://t.co/URGYOsvHXN">https://t.co/URGYOsvHXN</a>&mdash; Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1944912417718460436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The decision from the nation’s highest court marks a major victory for President Donald Trump, who has sought to overhaul the federal role in education.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1203_pol1.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>&nbsp;was unsigned, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating a 6-3 decision.The dissent, authored by Sotomayor, was scathing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752532757011.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>“The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive,” she wrote. “But either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.”The Supreme Court’s order temporarily suspends lower court orders that: forced the agency to reinstate more than 1,300 employees gutted from a reduction in force, or RIF, effort; blocked the department from carrying out Trump’s executive order to dismantle the department; and barred the agency from transferring some services to other federal agencies.In a statement Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the decision, saying “today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”“While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution,” she said.“The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers.”A coalition of teachers, unions and school districts that sued over Trump’s order to eliminate the department and the mass layoffs said they were “incredibly disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump-Vance administration to proceed with its harmful efforts to dismantle the Department of Education while our case moves forward.”“This unlawful plan will immediately and irreparably harm students, educators and communities across our nation. Children will be among those hurt the most by this decision. We will never stop fighting on behalf of all students and public schools and the protections, services, and resources they need to thrive,” they added.<h2>Challenge from Democratic state AGs, unions</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/court-order-blocks-trump-eliminating-us-education-department" target="_blank">labor and advocacy coalition</a>&nbsp;and a slew of Democratic attorneys general each sued in March over some of the administration’s most consequential education initiatives.One of the lawsuits comes from a coalition of Democratic attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Wisconsin.The other lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Teachers, its Massachusetts chapter, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, the Service Employees International Union and two school districts in Massachusetts.A Massachusetts federal judge consolidated the lawsuits and granted the states’ and groups’ preliminary injunction in May.The administration appealed that decision, leading to a June decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-order-blocking-education-department-closure" target="_blank">keeping in place</a>&nbsp;the district court’s order.The Trump administration then asked the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;

Supreme Court allows Trump to carry out plan to dismantle Education Department

WASHINGTON — On Monday, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which establishes English as the official language of the United States of America. 

Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department of Justice will lead a coordinated effort across federal agencies to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure legal compliance with the Executive Order through targeted measures where necessary.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1407776/dl?inline=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Click here to read the</a> full guidance document.

"As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division."

"President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”

While leaving room for linguistic diversity that exists in private and community spheres, this Guidance will help streamline federal processes, reduce administrative burdens, and increase operational efficiency across agencies by removing extensive translation services and de-prioritizing multilingualism over English proficiency. Implementing the Executive Order will enhance social and economic integration, offer new Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together with a shared language.

President Trump’s Executive Order rescinds Executive Order No. 13,166, signed by President Clinton on August 16, 2000. Executive Order No. 13,166 directed agencies to enhance access to federal programs for persons with limited English proficiency and required tailored guidance for recipients of federal funding—straining federal resources and impeding the assimilation of new Americans.

This is the latest Guidance issued by the Department of Justice to implement and administer President Trump’s agenda.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752522208272.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — On Monday, the Department of Justice released Guidance to ensure compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224, which establishes English as the official language of the United States of America. Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department of Justice will lead a coordinated effort across federal agencies to minimize non-essential multilingual services, redirect resources toward English-language education and assimilation, and ensure legal compliance with the Executive Order through targeted measures where necessary.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1407776/dl?inline=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Click here to read the</a> full guidance document."As President Trump has made clear, English is the official language of the United States," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice will lead the effort to codify the President’s Executive Order and eliminate wasteful virtue-signaling policies across government agencies to promote assimilation over division.""President Trump’s Executive Order marks a pivotal step toward unifying our nation through a common language and enhancing efficiency in federal operations," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. "The Department of Justice ensures that while we respect linguistic diversity, our federal resources will prioritize English proficiency to empower new Americans and strengthen civic unity.”While leaving room for linguistic diversity that exists in private and community spheres, this Guidance will help streamline federal processes, reduce administrative burdens, and increase operational efficiency across agencies by removing extensive translation services and de-prioritizing multilingualism over English proficiency. Implementing the Executive Order will enhance social and economic integration, offer new Americans a vital pathway for civic engagement, and further bind Americans together with a shared language.President Trump’s Executive Order rescinds Executive Order No. 13,166, signed by President Clinton on August 16, 2000. Executive Order No. 13,166 directed agencies to enhance access to federal programs for persons with limited English proficiency and required tailored guidance for recipients of federal funding—straining federal resources and impeding the assimilation of new Americans.This is the latest Guidance issued by the Department of Justice to implement and administer President Trump’s agenda.

Read new DOJ guidance on implementing English as official language of the US

Danone U.S. is voluntarily recalling YoCrunch® products sold at retail stores nationwide due to the potential presence of plastic pieces in the dome topper.

 If consumed, the plastic pieces could potentially cause a choking response. The issue is isolated only to the separately packaged topper and does not impact the separately packaged yogurt. This recall applies to all flavors and sizes of YoCrunch® products currently in-market, as summarized on the table below.

Consumer complaints have reported the presence of plastic pieces in the toppers, which have the potential to cause choking. The plastic pieces are transparent, may have sharp edges, and could present a risk to consumers because some pieces are between 7 and 25 mm in length. This voluntary recall was initiated on&nbsp;July 11, 2025, and is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is working swiftly with retail partners to remove the impacted product from shelves, while it works to address the issue and bring back the YoCrunch® products so many people enjoy.

Danone U.S., the makers of YoCrunch, takes every consumer experience seriously and is initiating this voluntary recall in line with its commitment to product quality and consumer safety.

Consumers who have purchased the affected YoCrunch® products should not consume them. For information on refunds, please contact the YoCrunch® Consumer Care Line at 1-877-344-4886. Consumer Care specialists are available to speak live Monday - Friday,&nbsp;9am to 6pm ET.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752574434288.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Danone U.S. is voluntarily recalling YoCrunch® products sold at retail stores nationwide due to the potential presence of plastic pieces in the dome topper. If consumed, the plastic pieces could potentially cause a choking response. The issue is isolated only to the separately packaged topper and does not impact the separately packaged yogurt. This recall applies to all flavors and sizes of YoCrunch® products currently in-market, as summarized on the table below.Consumer complaints have reported the presence of plastic pieces in the toppers, which have the potential to cause choking. The plastic pieces are transparent, may have sharp edges, and could present a risk to consumers because some pieces are between 7 and 25 mm in length. This voluntary recall was initiated on&nbsp;July 11, 2025, and is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is working swiftly with retail partners to remove the impacted product from shelves, while it works to address the issue and bring back the YoCrunch® products so many people enjoy.Danone U.S., the makers of YoCrunch, takes every consumer experience seriously and is initiating this voluntary recall in line with its commitment to product quality and consumer safety.Consumers who have purchased the affected YoCrunch® products should not consume them. For information on refunds, please contact the YoCrunch® Consumer Care Line at 1-877-344-4886. Consumer Care specialists are available to speak live Monday - Friday,&nbsp;9am to 6pm ET.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752574621391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

YoCrunch yogurt products recalled over potential choking risk

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump on Putin: &quot;I don&#39;t want to say he&#39;s an assassin, but he&#39;s a tough guy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wlOwhd1SFV">pic.twitter.com/wlOwhd1SFV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1944786409396584801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on Russia: &quot;We&#39;re very, very unhappy with them and we&#39;re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don&#39;t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100%.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/nDWaAojSoC">pic.twitter.com/nDWaAojSoC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1944781747507314768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump on new weapons deal with NATO: &quot;We&#39;ve made a deal today where we&#39;re going to be sending [NATO] weapons and they&#39;re going to be paying for it. The United States will not be having any payment made.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pyY7VwpRi0">pic.twitter.com/pyY7VwpRi0</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1944780906289381639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump threatens Russia, sets deadline for peace deal with Ukraine

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress has just days left to approve the Trump administration’s request to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media and foreign aid, setting up yet another tight deadline for lawmakers.&nbsp;

The Senate must pass the bill before July 18, otherwise the White House budget office will be required to spend the funding and be barred from sending up the same proposal again for what are called rescissions.

But objections from several GOP senators could stop the legislation in its tracks, or change it substantially, requiring another House vote in a very short time frame. Rejecting the plan would represent a loss for the Trump administration after passage of the “big, beautiful” tax and spending cut law earlier this month.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appears optimistic he can secure the votes needed to begin debate, though he hasn’t said publicly if he thinks the bill can actually pass.&nbsp;

“We’ll have it up on the floor next week. Hopefully, we get on it and then we’ll have an amendment process,” Thune said during a Wednesday press conference. “And kind of like a budget reconciliation bill, it’s an open amendment process, a vote-a-rama type process, which I’m sure you’re very excited about.”

At least 50 Republicans must agree to proceed to the legislation amid unified opposition from Democrats. Thune can only lose three GOP senators and still begin debate with Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote. Rescissions bills are exempt from the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

After a maximum of 10 hours of debate, the Senate will begin a marathon amendment voting session that could substantially reshape the measure.

There may be enough Republican votes to completely remove the section rescinding $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and hundreds of local public media stations.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds all brought up misgivings during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-drive-defund-npr-pbs-resisted-republicans-rural-states" target="_blank">a June hearing</a>&nbsp;about how canceling previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would impact rural communities and emergency alerts.

Collins, R-Maine, also raised concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back previously approved funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and is likely to bring an amendment to the floor on that issue, according to her office. PEPFAR is a global initiative to combat HIV/AIDS that was led by President George W. Bush.

Democrats will get to offer as many amendments as they want during the vote-a-rama and could try to remove each section of the bill one by one, forcing Republicans to weigh in publicly on numerous foreign aid programs.

President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank">sent Congress the rescissions request</a>&nbsp;in early June, starting a 45-day clock for lawmakers to consider his proposal.

The recommendation asked lawmakers to cancel $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding, including $500 million for certain global health programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“This proposal would not reduce treatment but would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American interests and worsen the lives of women and children, like ‘family planning’ and ‘reproductive health,’ LGBTQI+ activities, and ‘equity’ programs,” the request states. “This rescission proposal aligns with the Administration’s efforts to eliminate wasteful USAID foreign assistance programs.”

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-votes-yank-billions-npr-pbs-and-foreign-aid-programs" target="_blank">voted mostly along party lines</a>&nbsp;in mid-June to approve the rescissions request, but the legislation sat around the Senate for weeks as Republicans struggled to pass their “big, beautiful” law.

The Senate can vote to approve the proposal as is, change it, or let it expire, forcing the White House budget office to spend the money, which it’s been able to legally freeze since sending Congress the rescissions request.

Senators’ decision will impact how Republicans in that chamber, especially Thune and those on the Appropriations Committee, work with White House budget director Russ Vought in the coming months and years.

Congress and the Trump administration must broker some sort of funding agreement before the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1 to stave off a shutdown.

Vought has also said he plans to send lawmakers additional rescissions requests, though he hasn’t said exactly when or what programs he’ll include.

Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Thursday as the panel debated three of the full-year government funding bills that the rescissions package is not acceptable and could impede the committee’s traditionally bipartisan work.

“We need to make sure decisions about what to fund and, yes, what to rescind are made here in Congress on a bipartisan basis and within our annual funding process,” Murray said. “We cannot allow bipartisan funding bills with partisan rescission packages. It will not work. And that is why I will repeat my commitment to all of my colleagues that on this side of the dais, we stand ready to discuss rescissions as part of these bipartisan spending bills.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746181587274.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — Congress has just days left to approve the Trump administration’s request to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved funding for public media and foreign aid, setting up yet another tight deadline for lawmakers.&nbsp;The Senate must pass the bill before July 18, otherwise the White House budget office will be required to spend the funding and be barred from sending up the same proposal again for what are called rescissions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/zMYMcrzbxu">pic.twitter.com/zMYMcrzbxu</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943446385501614262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But objections from several GOP senators could stop the legislation in its tracks, or change it substantially, requiring another House vote in a very short time frame. Rejecting the plan would represent a loss for the Trump administration after passage of the “big, beautiful” tax and spending cut law earlier this month.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appears optimistic he can secure the votes needed to begin debate, though he hasn’t said publicly if he thinks the bill can actually pass.&nbsp;“We’ll have it up on the floor next week. Hopefully, we get on it and then we’ll have an amendment process,” Thune said during a Wednesday press conference. “And kind of like a budget reconciliation bill, it’s an open amendment process, a vote-a-rama type process, which I’m sure you’re very excited about.”<h2>JD Vance needed again?</h2>At least 50 Republicans must agree to proceed to the legislation amid unified opposition from Democrats. Thune can only lose three GOP senators and still begin debate with Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote. Rescissions bills are exempt from the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.After a maximum of 10 hours of debate, the Senate will begin a marathon amendment voting session that could substantially reshape the measure.There may be enough Republican votes to completely remove the section rescinding $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and hundreds of local public media stations.Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds all brought up misgivings during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-drive-defund-npr-pbs-resisted-republicans-rural-states" target="_blank">a June hearing</a>&nbsp;about how canceling previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would impact rural communities and emergency alerts.Collins, R-Maine, also raised concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back previously approved funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and is likely to bring an amendment to the floor on that issue, according to her office. PEPFAR is a global initiative to combat HIV/AIDS that was led by President George W. Bush.Democrats will get to offer as many amendments as they want during the vote-a-rama and could try to remove each section of the bill one by one, forcing Republicans to weigh in publicly on numerous foreign aid programs.<h2>45 days for Trump request</h2>President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank">sent Congress the rescissions request</a>&nbsp;in early June, starting a 45-day clock for lawmakers to consider his proposal.The recommendation asked lawmakers to cancel $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding, including $500 million for certain global health programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development.“This proposal would not reduce treatment but would eliminate programs that are antithetical to American interests and worsen the lives of women and children, like ‘family planning’ and ‘reproductive health,’ LGBTQI+ activities, and ‘equity’ programs,” the request states. “This rescission proposal aligns with the Administration’s efforts to eliminate wasteful USAID foreign assistance programs.”The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-votes-yank-billions-npr-pbs-and-foreign-aid-programs" target="_blank">voted mostly along party lines</a>&nbsp;in mid-June to approve the rescissions request, but the legislation sat around the Senate for weeks as Republicans struggled to pass their “big, beautiful” law.The Senate can vote to approve the proposal as is, change it, or let it expire, forcing the White House budget office to spend the money, which it’s been able to legally freeze since sending Congress the rescissions request.<h2>Relations with White House</h2>Senators’ decision will impact how Republicans in that chamber, especially Thune and those on the Appropriations Committee, work with White House budget director Russ Vought in the coming months and years.Congress and the Trump administration must broker some sort of funding agreement before the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1 to stave off a shutdown.Vought has also said he plans to send lawmakers additional rescissions requests, though he hasn’t said exactly when or what programs he’ll include.Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Thursday as the panel debated three of the full-year government funding bills that the rescissions package is not acceptable and could impede the committee’s traditionally bipartisan work.“We need to make sure decisions about what to fund and, yes, what to rescind are made here in Congress on a bipartisan basis and within our annual funding process,” Murray said. “We cannot allow bipartisan funding bills with partisan rescission packages. It will not work. And that is why I will repeat my commitment to all of my colleagues that on this side of the dais, we stand ready to discuss rescissions as part of these bipartisan spending bills.”

US Senate GOP under pressure on Trump demand to defund NPR, PBS, foreign aid

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Patriot missile defenses for Ukraine: &quot;The European Union is paying for it. We&#39;re not paying anything for it. We will send it. It&#39;ll be business for us.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/0kkfvL7UZC">pic.twitter.com/0kkfvL7UZC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1944546839987958042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said — and he&#39;ll talk so beautifully, then he&#39;ll bomb people at night. We don&#39;t like that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9HaGgLiKEJ">pic.twitter.com/9HaGgLiKEJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1944549417266364443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump rips Putin, suggests a shift in policy on war in Ukraine

Tariffs, deportations threaten economic damage in the still-thriving Southeast United States.

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">Tim Henderson</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Global clashes and trade wars hammered Midwestern states’ agricultural economies early this year, while a continuing boom in Southeastern states’ housing and tech jobs kept their economies humming along.

Some Southeastern states were seeing a strong agricultural economy because of still-rising poultry and egg prices, though small row-crop farmers there were still caught in the crunch of high costs and low profits, and many declared bankruptcy. And the area benefited from gains in real estate and tech.

Overall, 39 states and the District of Columbia saw drops in gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of this year — well above the 22 states and the District of Columbia seeing drops during the same time in 2024, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state" target="_blank">statistics</a>&nbsp;released June 27.

National numbers released late last month show a rare decrease in economic output for the first quarter, the first since 2022, partly because of increased imports as suppliers sought to stock up on imported goods ahead of tariff increases. GDP is calculated by subtracting imported goods from national economic output.

There’s widespread agreement that row-crop farmers are suffering economic pain, especially in the Midwest where the industry dominates the economy. Meanwhile, the booming housing and tech sectors in the South are on a continued winning streak even as storm clouds gather over tariffs and immigrant labor.

Nationwide, more farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy from January through March than in any full year since 2021, driven by higher costs for supplies and lower prices paid for row crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat.

“Crop prices and commodity prices are significantly lower, and fertilizer and equipment prices are higher, so we’re seeing a bit of a struggle right now in the farm economy,” said Abygail Streff, an economist and policy analyst at the Nebraska Farm Bureau.

Meat prices are one of the few bright spots in Nebraska’s farm economy, Streff said. “For a lot of producers who have cattle, this has been a really good year for them.”

Still, Nebraska, along with Iowa, suffered the biggest drop in GDP, according to the analysis. Each state fell 6.1% from the same time a year ago.

The squeeze on farmers from high fertilizer prices and low grain prices means they must&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/crop-production/fertilizer-prices-vs-corn-prices-are-now-some-worst-history" target="_blank">produce more and more corn</a>&nbsp;just to pay their fertilizer costs, said Josh Linville, a fertilizer market analyst at StoneX.

Fertilizer supply has been disrupted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2023/september/global-fertilizer-market-challenged-by-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine" target="_blank">by sanctions against Russia</a>, and it’s gotten worse this year with the bombing of Iran and the trade war with China, two countries that are also important fertilizer suppliers to American farmers, Linville said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751161934969.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Tariffs, deportations threaten economic damage in the still-thriving Southeast United States.</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">Tim Henderson</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Global clashes and trade wars hammered Midwestern states’ agricultural economies early this year, while a continuing boom in Southeastern states’ housing and tech jobs kept their economies humming along.Some Southeastern states were seeing a strong agricultural economy because of still-rising poultry and egg prices, though small row-crop farmers there were still caught in the crunch of high costs and low profits, and many declared bankruptcy. And the area benefited from gains in real estate and tech.Overall, 39 states and the District of Columbia saw drops in gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of this year — well above the 22 states and the District of Columbia seeing drops during the same time in 2024, according to a Stateline analysis of preliminary U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state" target="_blank">statistics</a>&nbsp;released June 27.National numbers released late last month show a rare decrease in economic output for the first quarter, the first since 2022, partly because of increased imports as suppliers sought to stock up on imported goods ahead of tariff increases. GDP is calculated by subtracting imported goods from national economic output.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752369967885.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>There’s widespread agreement that row-crop farmers are suffering economic pain, especially in the Midwest where the industry dominates the economy. Meanwhile, the booming housing and tech sectors in the South are on a continued winning streak even as storm clouds gather over tariffs and immigrant labor.Nationwide, more farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy from January through March than in any full year since 2021, driven by higher costs for supplies and lower prices paid for row crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat.“Crop prices and commodity prices are significantly lower, and fertilizer and equipment prices are higher, so we’re seeing a bit of a struggle right now in the farm economy,” said Abygail Streff, an economist and policy analyst at the Nebraska Farm Bureau.Meat prices are one of the few bright spots in Nebraska’s farm economy, Streff said. “For a lot of producers who have cattle, this has been a really good year for them.”Still, Nebraska, along with Iowa, suffered the biggest drop in GDP, according to the analysis. Each state fell 6.1% from the same time a year ago.The squeeze on farmers from high fertilizer prices and low grain prices means they must&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/crop-production/fertilizer-prices-vs-corn-prices-are-now-some-worst-history" target="_blank">produce more and more corn</a>&nbsp;just to pay their fertilizer costs, said Josh Linville, a fertilizer market analyst at StoneX.Fertilizer supply has been disrupted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2023/september/global-fertilizer-market-challenged-by-russia-s-invasion-of-ukraine" target="_blank">by sanctions against Russia</a>, and it’s gotten worse this year with the bombing of Iran and the trade war with China, two countries that are also important fertilizer suppliers to American farmers, Linville said.“We tend to think of the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz [a shipping channel under threat by conflict] from an oil-slash-energy perspective, but 1 out of every 2 tons of urea fertilizer that gets shipped to the United States comes from the Middle East,” Linville said.Despite being a drain in the Midwest, agriculture was a positive driver of economies in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi, according to Stateline’s analysis.That’s because Southeastern agriculture includes more poultry and eggs, currently more profitable than the row crops that dominate in the Midwest, said Wendiam Sawadgo, an extension economist at Auburn University. The divergence is expected to last, he said, with row-crop prices continuing to fall and meat and egg prices continuing to rise this year.But even in the Southeast, row-crop farmers suffered.Arkansas saw a near-record number of farm bankruptcies this year, for example. And climate change has contributed to lower soybean prices as low water levels in the Mississippi River make barge transportation more difficult and expensive, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/6/907/files/2025/06/MS-River-Fryar-Article-Mitchell-and-Biram-2025.pdf" target="_blank">reports</a>&nbsp;this year by the University of Arkansas’ Agricultural Economics &amp; Agribusiness Department.Farm bankruptcies nationally came to 259 in the first three months of this year. That was more than any full year since 2021, when there were 276, according to cases compiled by Ryan Loy, an agricultural economist at the University of Arkansas. Arkansas saw 15 farm bankruptcies in the first quarter, almost as many as in all of 2024, when there were 16.“We’ve already outpaced all of last year on a national scale,” he said.Large farms can ride out struggles, but smaller farms are more likely to go bankrupt from increases in costs and lower market prices, a pattern that started in the early 2010s and got sharply worse in the past year, Loy said.All five of the states with the fastest-growing economies were in the 12-state Southeast region defined by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Even there, though, the percentages were slight: South Carolina (up 1.7%), Florida (up 1.4%), Alabama (up 1%), North Carolina and Arkansas (each up .8%) had the largest increases in the nation.The largest drivers in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina were real estate and tech, while increases in Alabama and Arkansas were mostly in agriculture.The Carolinas have been magnets for new movers, said Matthew Martin, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based regional executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The influx has driven more housing and infrastructure work to supply newcomers, he said.“Employment in South Carolina is on fire right now and North Carolina is doing well also. They’re places that people want to be,” Martin said. “Employers want to be there, too, and so there’s been population growth. Then you’ve got to have all the retail and health care. That has got to follow it.”Business owners are uncertain about future federal policy in the Trump administration, Martin said, according to conversations he’s had.They worry about tariffs, whether they’ll have to raise prices or accept lower profits, and eventually whether those factors could cause job growth to stall. And some businesses that depend on immigrant labor say they’ve lost workers despite using the national E-Verify system to make sure employees have legal status to work, Martin said.Martin hasn’t heard of many workplace raids in the Carolinas, but there have been some federal audits of employee forms to check for false statements.“Some of the workers won’t show up from that day forward,” Martin said.Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:thenderson@stateline.org">thenderson@stateline.org</a>.