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Social Security COLA estimates for 2026 will be held at 2.5%

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Social Security COLA estimates for 2026 will be held at 2.5%

Stephon Walters
|A miscellaneous fool

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To accommodate price increases, Social Security applies the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA), which is effective every January.

Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a nonprofit organization that advocates for advanced rights, publishes COLA estimates based on inflation data. The latest forecast released on June 11th shows TSCL forecasts 2.5% COLA for 2026. This is the same as in 2025, but is below the average of 3.4% since 1975.

The official Coke will not be announced by the Social Security Agency (SSA) until October, but it is worth paying attention to the estimate, so if you become a retiree now and soon, you can start a financial plan accordingly.

How Social Security determines annual cola

To determine the percentage of Coke set up each year, Social Security takes into account the consumer price index for urban wage workers and administrative workers (CPI-W).

CPI-W is a measure of inflation published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Find prices for general costs such as housing, food, transportation, and healthcare. Here is the steps Social Security will calculate the cola.

  1. Average CPI-W data for the third quarter of this year (July, August, September).
  2. Compare this year’s average with the previous year’s average.
  3. If it increases, set COLA to match the increase in the percentage. If it decreases or stays the same, there is no cola.

For example, if this year’s CPI-W average is 3% higher than the previous year, the cola that will enter next year will be set at 3%.

How has cola been shaped in recent years?

Social Security retirement benefits began in 1940, but the annual Coke wasn’t like that until 1975. Since then, the average annual cola was 3.4%, but that amount has been very different. The best cola ever was in 1980, at 14.3%. The lowest colas came in 2010, 2011 and 2016 when there were no profit growth. Here are the last 10 colas:

year percentage
2025 2.5%
2024 3.2%
2023 8.7%
2022 5.9%
2021 1.3%
2020 1.6%
2019 2.8%
2018 2%
2017 0.3%
2016 0%

Data Source: SSA.

Is CPI-W the best metric to use to determine cola?

The annual cola is highly regarded, but it is not always maintained in enough inflation to reasonably cancel it. According to TSCL, the purchasing power of Social Security benefits has declined by 20% since 2010. This means that the $1 benefit is currently worth around $0.80. Not ideal.

One issue raised is that CPI-W may not be the best measure of inflation when considering general costs among retirees. For example, CPI-W does not include specific medical expenses such as long-term care and prescription medications, which are major costs for many retirees.

One proposed change is to use the Elderly Persons (CPI-E) Consumer Price Index (CPI-E) that applies to people over the age of 61 to determine the annual Social Security Coke. CPI-E gives more weight to healthcare and housing costs, and is usually higher than CPI-W data.

A study by the Congressional Research Services (CRS) showed that using CPI-E vs CPI-W would result in greater COLAS and higher monthly Social Security benefits. Since 1986, cola based on CPI-E has been as good or better than all COLAs except six years.

I don’t know if the COLA process will be revamped. So for now, I’m stuck with using CPI-W data for the near future. It’s not perfect, but it’s the reality right now. The best thing a retiree can do is to prepare for what could be below average cola and start planning accordingly.

Motley Fools have a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a partner at USA Today, providing financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people control their financial lives. The content is produced independently of USA Today.

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Synagogue door sets and restaurants sent in the latest anti-Semitic attack in Australia have been attacked

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Synagogue door sets and restaurants sent in the latest anti-Semitic attack in Australia have been attacked


Sydney
CNN
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A man stopped the door to the synagogue and a group of protesters stormed an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne on Friday night.

Among the synagogues in the downtown area of ​​East Melbourne, the man poured flammable liquid into the front door of the synagogue on Albert Street before setting the fire, Victoria Police said.

The group was having a Sabbath dinner when the attack marked the beginning of a day of Jewish Rest, where the attack took place at 8pm local time, and when Alex Libchin, co-CEO of Australia’s Jewish Executive Council (ECAJ), wrote about X.

No one was injured and firefighters extinguished the small flames, police said.

Around 20 protesters slogans surged into Israeli restaurants and chanted the slogans in a hardware lane just over a kilometre west of Hardware Lane, one of the most popular areas of restaurants and nightlife. The 28-year-old was arrested for obstructing police and was released on a subpoena.

The group had chanted “death to IDF” before arriving at the restaurant, CNN Affiliate Nine News reported, citing witnesses.

Before opening a branch in Melbourne, staff at Miznon’s restaurant, which was launched in Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv in 2011, admitted the incident when contacted by CNN.

Speaking at a press conference, Victoria State Police acting commander Zorka Dunstan said officers were also investigating the third attack early on Saturday morning.

The suspect spray painted the building’s cars and walls, she said, adding that the business has been targeted in the past by pro-Palestinian protesters.

The security Investigation Department, part of the Counter-Terrorism Commander, is investigating all the cases, but police have not yet declared whether it constitutes a terrorist incident, Dunstan said.

“We look at the intentions and ideology of the person or person,” she said.

Many of Australia’s powerful Jewish population of 117,000 are worried after anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, the country’s two largest cities, from the latter half of last year, when it scribbled arson attacks on synagogues and buildings and cars.

The latest attacks elicited criticism from officials and community leaders on Saturday.

X Condemning the synagogue attack on Saturday, Prime Minister Victoria Jacinta Alan said it was “a Jewish family of peace and trauma that is designed to crush it.”

“What happened in Shabat makes it even more abominable,” she added, noting that the children and women are among the people at the venue.

“Attacking a place of worship is an act of hatred, and an attacking a place of worship by Jews is an act of anti-Semitism,” she said.

Melbourne Mayor Nicholas Reese described the attack as “shocking” according to Nine News.

“I cannot condemn this kind of action in stronger terms… this is a city of peace and tolerance and we do not support it,” he said.

ECAJ’s Ryvchin urged the public to condemn “these deplorable crimes.”

“You can’t reason or appease the person responsible. They must face the full power of the law,” he wrote to X.

How Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Justice speaks and stands out

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How Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Justice speaks and stands out

Ketanji Brown Jackson, the latest justice, is backed by Amy Connie Barrett and others’ right-hand voices from the Supreme Court’s mahogany bench. Funded profits and power are one of her targets.

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WASHINGTON – After a Supreme Court judge, Amy Coney Barrett announced last month that a lower court judge had gone too far from the court’s mahogany bench by suspending changes in President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the most senior of the three judges appointed by the Democratic president, read some of the trio’s joint opposition for about twice as much as Barrett described the views of the Conservative majority.

She added a line that doesn’t appear in the written version.

“Other shoes have fallen to the president’s immunity,” Sotomayor said, referring to the court’s decision at Landmark 2024 and limiting when the president can prosecute his actions in office.

But due to Barrett’s harsh response to it, what revered most was another written objection to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

“We don’t stick to Judge Jackson’s arguments that oppose the precedents of more than two centuries, let alone the Constitution itself,” Barrett wrote.

more: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson can throw punches. literally.

Jackson’s words attracted attention repeatedly.

It was not the first time in months that Jackson’s words had attracted attention.

In the case of air pollution regulations, Jackson “feeds for the unfortunate recognition that he enjoys an easier path to relief in this court than an ordinary citizen,” Jackson said.

When a conservative colleague has fully accessed the data of millions of Americans held by the US Social Security Agency for Elon Musk’s government efficiency, Jackson said he was sending a “troubling message” that the courts are leaving the Trump administration’s basic legal standards.

At a judge’s meeting in May, Jackson condemned the attack on judges that Trump and his allies opposed his policies. Her warning that “threat and harassment” could undermine the constitution, and that the rule of law is stronger than the concerns expressed by Sotomayor and Secretary John Roberts.

And during the eight months after the judge heard of the case, Jackson, the newest member of the institution’s court that respects seniority, spoke again the most.

“I think Judge Jackson really prioritizes her own legal studies and her thinking and voice development,” said Brian Burgess, a partner at Goodwin, a law firm written in Sotomayor. “We can see Judge Jackson evolved into someone who wants to speak directly to the public to express concerns on that side of the court.”

Clocks, murals, petitions: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Room tells her story

Jackson spoke early and frequently

Jackson was appointed President Joe Biden in 2022 to take over Judge Stephen Breyer.

During her first two weeks in court, she spoke more than twice as many words as her colleagues.

When asked about her disability, Jackson said she will become accustomed to running solos on the bench for eight years as a federal court judge.

She shows no signs of adjustment. According to statistics compiled by Adam Feldman and Jake S. Truscott for their empirical Scotus blog blog blog, Jackson spoke 50% more words on the bench than Sotomayor next chatter.

“She is the only person who has done what she is doing in her first math term in terms of speech totals,” said Feldman, a lawyer and political scientist.

“She wanted me to… use my voice.”

Jackson has been working on her communication skills since elementary school when her mother enrolled in a public speaking program.

“She wanted me to come out there and use my voice,” Jackson said of her memoirs in an appearance at Kennedy Center last year.

And it’s not just her voice.

Jackson wrote more terms, either opinion, consent or objection than anyone except Judge Clarence Thomas, according to Scotus’ empirical blog.

Steve Vladeck, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, said he intends to add dissent from the air pollution case to his federal court course.

“She calls things to look at them,” Vladek said in a liberal, rigorous scrutiny podcast.

Jackson went ahead of his liberal colleagues.

Jackson went further than her liberal colleagues, in that case and among others.

Sotomayor wrote her own opposition to the majority ruling that fuel producers can challenge California emission standards under the federal air pollution laws.

And Kagan was a majority 7-2.

In fact, Kagan was more than most for all terms than all other than just Judges Roberts, Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. Jackson was the majority.

“Judge Kagan is seeing a real shift from Justice Sotomayor and Justice Jackson,” legal analyst Sarah Isger said in her opinion of a podcast advisory analyzing fellow conservatives and courts.

Various influential methods

Former Sotomayor Clerk Burgess disputed this. He said the Times, where Kagan voted for both Sotomayor and Jackson, was not a famous exile.

For example, in the case of air pollution, Burgess suspects that Kagan suspected Jackson that the court should not hear the appeal of fuel producers because the underlying complaints are likely to be addressed by the Trump administration. But after they filed the lawsuit, the judges decided on the legal matters in a way that did not break many new foundations, he said.

“She seems more interested in the Union building and more in finding ways to eliminate victory,” Burgess said of Kagan’s overall style. “It’s one way to have influence. Another way to have influence is to wager different views and hope that history will come to your position over time.”

Attack on “pure textism”

One of Jackson’s strong opponents, Sotomayor was on board with the exception of footnotes when it came to whether the Disability Act protected disabled retirees with reduced health benefits.

In that long paragraph, Jackson criticized the use of conservative colleagues’ “pure textualism” as “flexibly enough to ensure the desired outcomes of the majority.”

“She’s saying what I think a lot of us are thinking,” Vladek said on the podcast.

He wondered if Sotomayor had not signed that footnote or disagreed, or if he wanted Jackson to have it for himself and not to trust that it was an unusually strong accusation of methodological manipulation by one of justice.

“I have a deep disillusionment, and I disagree.”

Strong accusations of the court’s ruling flew in both directions about limiting judges’ ability to suspend Trump’s policies.

In her solo objections, Jackson calls the majority “legals” a “smoke screen” and says, “A fundamental question of huge legal and practical importance: Will a federal court in the United States order executives to follow the law?”

“Our charter of establishment charges the obligation to ensure universal compliance with the law. Now, judges require that they turn their backs on intermittent lawlessness,” she writes. “I have a deep disillusionment, and I disagree.”

Barrett said there was no controversy that the president must follow the law.

“However, the judiciary does not have the unlimited power to enforce this obligation. In fact, laws may prohibit the judiciary from doing so,” she wrote.

According to Barrett, Jackson said “we will “hear her own advice” that everyone in the president is bound by the law.

“That also applies to the judges,” she wrote.

Focuses on real-world impact and individual rights

Law commentator David Ratt said Barrett’s response was away from her usual “rather restrained rhetoric.” In a Subsac article, Ratt pointed out that Barrett once described himself as “one jalapeño gal” compared to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who was scribed by Barrett, who had the “five jalapeño” style.

Feldman said Jackson’s willingness to utter disagreements with his conservative colleagues could be falling into their skin.

In a February article on how Barrett and Jackson are shaping the future of the constitution, Feldman said two sharp legal minds approach the way law works and who should protect it from surprisingly different angles.

Barrett prioritizes legal accuracy and institutional boundaries, and Jackson focuses on real-world influence and individual rights, he wrote.

As people looked back at the Trump incident, he told USA Today that they were talking about Jackson’s opposition.

“It’s probably in this term,” he said. “It will last the longest.”

Denmark has long been euro skeptical. Donald Trump helped change that

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Denmark has long been euro skeptical. Donald Trump helped change that



CNN
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As Denmark takes over the presidency of the European Union, Danes are stronger than any point in the last 20 years. This is a change in emotions that is at least partially attributed to President Donald Trump.

An eye-opening survey published in March by Berlingske, the Danish Daily Newspaper, found that 41% of Danes now view the United States as a threat. Additionally, 92% of respondents said they “agree” or “almost agree” that Scandinavian countries need to rely more on the European Union than on the US.

These statistics may not be surprising given the recent tensions between Washington and Copenhagen.

Since he returned to the White House, Trump has frequently and actively spoken about Greenland, the dependence of Danish autonomous crown, and has asked the US to own it.

Vice President JD Vance and members of the Trump family have created what many consider to be provocative trips and statements about the world’s largest island.

After Vance visited the US military Pitafik Space Station in Greenland in March, Danish Prime Minister Mettefredericksen pushed back his claim that Denmark was not sufficient to defend in the Arctic Circle, calling her country a “good and strong ally.”

Back in Trump’s first administration, Greenland was a hot topic. In 2019, he reportedly accused Fredericksen of making “troubling” and “absurd” statements in discussions about the island.

US Vice Presidents J.D. V. V. D. Vance (second right) and Second Lady Usha Vance (second left) will tour the US military Pitafic Space Station on March 28, 2025 at Pitafic, Greenland.

Rikke Fris, a well-known Danish international affairs analyst and former minister, told CNN that the country had experienced a “triple shock,” including a war in Ukraine and a departure from the UK from the EU, known as Brexit. But the biggest shock came in the form of Trump.

“Now we have another Denmark,” she said.

Speaking to CNN from Copenhagen, Danish Minister of European Affairs Marie Bierreer delivered a similar message. The second Trump administration has transformed Danish perspective into both the US and the European Union.

“Things have changed dramatically in Denmark, and our attitude towards Europe has changed dramatically,” she said without directly mentioning the president’s name.

President Donald Trump walked to Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen in front of a group photo of the NATO head of state and government in the Hague, Netherlands on June 25, 2025.

She was also very clear that Denmark felt a sense of disappointment in its longtime allies.

Denmark still wants to have strong ties with the US. “But in a situation where the US is closing itself more, it threatens us with tariffs, criticizing Europe, our freedom of expression, everything else. Of course, in that situation, we have to be strong ourselves.”

She added, “As we know since World War II, the world order has changed and we must reach a new geopolitical situation in which we stand.”

The Minister also referred to historical connections, shared the past experiences of both countries and expressed some degree of frustration about how the relationship, if not anger, changed.

“You couldn’t put paper between the US and Denmark. We’ve always supported the US. We started a war with soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course we see us as a country criticized for not being a good ally that influences our opinions,” Bierer said.

Per capita, Denmark has lost the second-highest number of soldiers of all US-led coalition partners fighting in Afghanistan. In total, 43 Danish soldiers have died, equivalent to 7.82 deaths per million citizens. By comparison, the US lost 7.96 soldiers per million.

“We used to be a very transatlantic country…it plummeted,” Fris said. “We have feelings now… we can’t trust him,” she said – “He” is Trump.

The change in Danes’ opinion coincides with Denmark’s occupying the six-month EU presidency that revolved around.

Historically, Scandinavia’s southernmost countries tend to be eurosceptic, Friis told CNN that he doesn’t take Europe to heart. She explained that she maintains a business relationship with Brussels based on “practical cooperation.”

Denmark has long been worried that the EU will take Danish lives, especially for fear of a relatively unregulated labor market. There are various opt-outs regarding EU policy, including not participating in the EU’s single currency, the EU.

“We’re doing something different from other European countries,” says Bjerre.

Politicians and citizens feared that the EU would become “too dominant and powerful,” but Fris said, now “fear is totally opposed.” Daines feels that Brock is “too weak.”

Friis also described the change in the prime minister’s tone as “huge” and said Frederiksen is “very skeptical of the EU.”

In June, Fredericksen announced that Denmark had stopped what is called “Frugal Four.”

Laying out Danish priorities for the EU presidency later that month, she reiterated her views, saying, “More than ever, Europe needs to stand together and stand together. We need to build a safer Europe that can protect democracy.”

The six-month EU-mandated polls have shown a clear trend in increasing confidence in the EU over the past 20 years, up from 46% in spring 2005 to 74% this spring. A sharp increase is seen during Trump’s first term after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and after Trump’s second term began.

The war in Ukraine has had a major impact on Danish views on the EU, Fris said.

“The very fact that you went to war in our backyard created a whole new kind of atmosphere about Danish security. People are worried. People are prepared because they are scared of what will happen to our own security,” she said.

Bjerre said Copenhagen’s EU presidency prioritizes “a stronger Europe and a changing world” and that Europe really focuses on security.

Denmark has to do more in itself when it is at the helm of Europe and then more and more European sentiments are aware of more and more in Europe among its own population. The problem is that Ukraine, trade tariffs, safety – some of Europe’s most pressing issues mean talking to the US and Trump. And at this point, there may not be much love between the two.

Hamas submits a “positive response” to stop the firefire proposal at the main steps towards the transaction

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Hamas submits a “positive response” to stop the firefire proposal at the main steps towards the transaction



CNN
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Hamas announced on Friday that it had “submitted a positive response” to Gaza’s proposal for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel, paving the way for a contract to stop the conflict after months of failing efforts.

Hamas “is fully prepared to submit a positive response to mediators and immediately enter negotiations on mechanisms to implement this framework,” the group said in a statement.

Israel had previously embraced a US-sponsored framework. That is, both parties are expected to enter into final detailed negotiations before they formally reach the ceasefire agreement.

Vishara Baba, a Palestinian-American interlocutor who has been discussing directly with Hamas, praised the group’s response on Facebook, saying, “We are now approaching ending this cursed war.”

He said Hamas had introduced “fixes that appear to be necessary.”

“In my view, God is pleased that these revisions will not prevent us from reaching a ceasefire agreement within the next week,” he said.

An Israeli source familiar with the issue said earlier on Friday that Israel hoped a positive response from Hamas and repeated several points in the proposed language. Sources said these changes were not expected to derail ceasefire efforts.

Of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, the proposal calls for the release of 10 living hostages and 18 dead during the ceasefire. On the first day of the ceasefire, Hamas released eight living hostages in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. After its release, Israel will withdraw from parts of North Gaza, and both will begin negotiations for a permanent ceasefire.

Hostage releases are to be held without Hamas rituals or fanfare. The remaining hostages will be released on the four dates specified in the proposal.

Following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran last month, efforts to secure a ceasefire have intensified. Qatar, the main negotiator, immediately began indirect consultations for a new round between Israel and Hamas, finding a “center” based on previous proposals.

Palestinians will gather to receive food at Khan Eunice in Gaza on July 3, 2025.

The new proposal includes stronger assurances regarding the US commitment to keep Israel at the negotiation table during or potentially a 60-day ceasefire, according to Israeli officials and sources familiar with negotiations.

We also pledge to allow a surge in aid to Gaza not through Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but through traditional humanitarian channels.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel has “accepted the necessary conditions” to finalize a deal to halt hostilities for 60 days. In a post about the True Society, Trump warned Hamas to accept the proposal as well.

“I hope Hamas will make this deal for the benefit of the Middle East, because it won’t get better. It’ll only get worse,” he said.

Israel accepted the new proposal on Tuesday, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s best friend, Ron Dahmer, was in Washington, DC, met with top Trump administration officials, including US special mission Steve Witkoff. The next day, Hamas said it was discussing the proposal as part of a “national consultation” and aimed to reach an agreement that would guarantee “an “an invasion, withdrawal of (Israel forces) and an emergency relief for the people of the Gaza Strip.”

Israel and Hamas are currently expected to quickly enter into close consultations, according to sources familiar with negotiations. Meanwhile, both staff members are in the same building, and negotiators are sending messages to reach the deal quickly between them. Such a lecture may take several days. Or you could close faster. One important issue to be resolved is the timeline for Israeli forces’ withdrawal in Gaza during a ceasefire, sources said.

Qatar submitted new proposals to Hamas and Israel this week for a 60-day ceasefire backed by the Trump administration, following months of behind-the-scenes efforts led by Witkov.

After a two-month ceasefire collapsed in March and Israel renewed the bombing of Gaza, the Trump administration proposed a ceasefire proposal rejected by Hamas as it failed to include guarantees about a permanent end to the war. The new version attempted to explain its critical Hamas demand, offering a stronger US guarantee that the ceasefire would last for more than 60 days, even if the comprehensive contract had not yet reached.

The injured Palestinian will be taken to Al Ali Baptist Hospital for treatment after Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on July 4, 2025.

Israel has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. As negotiators worked to advance the latest ceasefire proposal, Israel strengthened the fires of Gaza, killing scores across the besieged enclave.

Until now, Israel has refused to agree to a ceasefire agreement, including the comprehensive purpose of the war. Netanyahu said the country’s goals include the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities. However, after the conflict with Iran, he showed a new willingness to compromise.

On Sunday, Netanyahu said “many opportunities have been opened” following Israeli military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing the remaining hostages home in Gaza. It was marked for the first time in months that Israel’s longtime leadership clearly prioritized the return of hostages against Hamas’ defeat.

Netanyahu will travel to Washington this weekend and will meet Trump at the White House on Monday. Before he sets out on his trip, he will convened a full cabinet on Saturday night to discuss the proposal. Far-right members of the Israeli government say they will try to torpedo the deal, but other political parties have made it clear that they will cast their support behind the ceasefire.

Mega Million Wins on 25/4/7: $60 million jackpot

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Mega Million Wins on 25/4/7: $60 million jackpot

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The Mega Millions Jackpot rose to $60 million due to the drawings on Friday, July 4th, as it did not match all the winning numbers in the painting on Tuesday, July 1st.

If someone matches all six numbers on Friday, they can opt to pay $26.9 million in one-time cash.

There were four Mega Million winners this year, but the recent victory on June 27th won Virginia with a $348 million jackpot. Prior to that, on April 18, Ohio players took home a $112 million jackpot, while Illinois Lucky Lottery ticket holders took home a $344 million jackpot on March 25, and on January 17, the Mega Millions Jackpot hit for $113 million.

Here are the wins from Mega Millions drawings on Friday, July 4th, 2025:

Mega Millions win count on 7/4/25

The number of wins for Friday, July 4th will be posted here if drawn.

To win a lottery number is as follows: Jack Pocket, the official digital lottery delivery company of the USA Today Network.

Did everyone win the huge millions?

Mega Million winners announced by lottery officials will be posted here.

To view a list of past winners, Visit the Mega Millions website.

How to play Mega Million

To play Mega Million you will need to purchase a ticket. This can be done in a variety of places, including local convenience stores, gas stations, and even grocery stores. In some states, you can purchase millions of Mega tickets online.

Once you have your ticket, you will need to select six numbers. Five of these are white balls with numbers 1 to 70. Gold Megaballs range from 1 to 24.

You can ask for a “quick pick” or “easy pick” especially if you feel unlucky or don’t want to go through the hassle of picking. These options allow the computer to generate numbers at random.

Mega millions of tickets include built-in multipliers, increasing prizes other than jackpots by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times. Previously, players had to pay extra dollars to add “Megaplier.”

Where can I buy the lottery ticket?

Tickets can be purchased directly at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online Jack Pocket, the official digital lottery delivery company of the USA Today Networkthese US and territories include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Maine, Maine, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, DC, and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app lets you select lottery games and numbers, order, look at tickets, and collect all your winnings using your mobile phone or home computer.

Jack Pocket is the official digital lottery delivery company of the USA Today Network. Gannett may earn revenue from viewer referrals to Jackpocket Services. Must be over 18 in AZ, 21+, and 19+ in NE. It is not affiliated with the state lottery. Gambling issues? Call 1-877-8-Hope-Ny or Text Hopeny (467369) (NY). 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-mylimit (or); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-Gambler (all other). visit jacketpocket.com/tos In perfect conditions.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact him at fernando.cervantes @gannett.com and follow him at x @fern_cerv_.

10 Best Movies Ranked 2025 (So far)

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10 Best Movies Ranked 2025 (So far)

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Tom Cruise is second-rate and does Daredevil. Brad Pitt drives really, really fast. Dragon, vampire, Killer Toy Zarkie and Dance Tom Hiddleston. And it’s only July, people!

Here in Block Busters season, I have already seen many films worthy of the “Best of” list. We’re still a few months away from the fall film festival and the Oscar season, but there are flicks that make moves for the best photos, like Ryan Coogler’s horror film “Sinners.” The good ones include some Stephen King adaptations, several franchise installments, and one live-action remake of animated classics. (Sorry, “Snow White,” we’re not talking about you.

Here are the best movies of 2025 so far:

10. “monkey”

Like blood buckets, this film deepens the theme of mortality. Osgood Perkins’ gory and a glorious, ridiculous horror comedy, based on Stephen King’s short story, unleash Theo James in dual roles as estranged twins whose childhood is marked with cursed monkey toys. The brothers thought they had destroyed it, but it returned in vengeance, causing creative death, complicating their lives with a story full of highly enlightening and interesting insights.

Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home

9. “war”

Effective Hollywood crews (Wil Poulter, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, Michael Gandolfini, etc.) play navy seals on surveillance missions that get caught up in the middle of a disastrous standoff with Iraqi rebels. Director Alex Garland and the former flashy Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, who form the basis of the film, have moments where viewers feel astoundingly realistic as in other battle stories.

Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home

8. “Black bag”

At Steven Soderbergh’s Extrently Cool Spy Striller, the British intelligence agent (Michael Fassbender) is tasked with leaking the finest software programs and stealing the perpetrators who betray their country. It also has a tasty whodunit aspect, as the list of five potentially traitor suspects includes the operative’s own famous wife (Cate Blanchett). The work of a terrible, talented ensemble and great characters makes it a sparkling watch.

Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home, Peacock

7. ‘Mission: Impossible – Final calculation’

Who knows if this is Tom Cruise hanging dangerously from the plane or if it’s a quick bump on a submarine, and if this will be the last time? (Perhaps not.) However, this franchise’s installment wraps nicely around the 30-year-old storyline for Cruise’s secret agent Ethan Hunt, who fights villain AI in a high stakes quest to keep humanity from being wiped out. The action scenes are ace, but the film also has a compelling argument about why the world is worth saving at all.

Where to see: In the theater

6. “How to Train a Dragon”

Whether we like it or not, we have turned all animated classics into live action remakes. But this rising adventure actually reaches an astounding original outing height. The Vikings Teen (Mason Thames) becomes a close friend with an adorable dragon, and asks his friends and family to rethink their hatred of the beast in an adult film filled with fantastic flight sequences and all the senses.

Where to see: In the theater

5. ’28 years later’

Don’t call it a zombie movie. Just like “28 Days After,” this horror sequel succeeds in being something more. Almost 30 years after the Rage virus has infected the UK, a young boy (Alfie Williams) on a remote island adventure into the mainland violates a monster figure and meets a strange doctor (Ralph Fiennes) in his quest to help his sick mother (Jodie Kommer). Also a rare, scary film that is a thoughtful quest to remember the family, tribalism, and the dead.

Where to see: In the theater

4. “Magazine Dreams”

A touching and gloomy drama that many people never watch because of Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles. Still, this guy is an exceptional talent, phenomenal and terrifying. Major pain-filled nasty gym rats strive to create a perfect physique on the epic bad paths of protein shakes, steroids, anger issues, idolatry and macho pose downs.

Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home

3. “ballerina”

Ana Demas, who tosses a dinner plate and breaks the bone, is a one-female destruction crew in this impressive “John Wick” spinoff. Yes, franchise master Keene Reeves also appears, but the action flick focuses on Delmas dancers/assassins as she is introduced into the dangerous landscape, then becomes rigged on the revenge mission. It’s packed with great brawls, great gunfights, and one unforgettable flamethrower showdown.

Where to see: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home

2. “sinner”

Is it a gangster movie? yes! Is it a vampire movie? You bet! Is it a musical? That too! Ryan Coogler lifts up this genre-bending, a demonic flick with a set flick in the 1930s. Coogler also tackles racism and cultural appropriation in a fascinating, meaningful, and horrifying festival.

Where to see: Max (July 4th), Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home

1. “Chuck’s Life”

The only Stephen King adaptation that makes you feel better about life, the universe, and everything after seeing it. Mike Flanagan’s soulful three-act character study is a reverse-talked-life in which the chaos caused by the end of the world leads to finding an artistic self after navigating the tragedy. Did you mention a surprise surprise midway through Tom Hiddleston’s dance break? “Chuck” is a must-see film that warms the heart, captures the heart, and blows away conventions.

Where to see: In the theater

Donald Trump signs tax reduction laws on BBB Megaville, Medicaid

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Donald Trump signs tax reduction laws on BBB Megaville, Medicaid

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President Donald Trump concluded his second term’s whirlwind opening stretch at the July 4 signature ceremony for the July 4 Signature Act, pushing the megaville through the enormous Congress and submitting multiple campaign promises.

The measure has locked most of Trump’s agenda into the law and is being hailed as a major victory by the president and his supporters.

These include tax cuts, increased spending on immigration enforcement, and military and deep spending cuts on Medicaid, which Democrats and some Republicans have strongly criticized.

But the fierce legislative debate behind him was insulting as Trump signed what he called the “big beautiful bill” at a White House ceremony that included flyovers from legislative leaders and military planes.

“We made a promise. It’s really promised, it’s kept,” Trump said, speaking to many supporters gathered on the South Lawn of the White House, his wife.

Trump sketched some of the bill’s extensive strokes on the campaign trail. He proposed reducing wage and overtime salaries taxes and significantly expanding immigrant enforcement and deportation efforts. The law does that and does more.

It has many other provisions, including extending the 2017 tax cut that Trump passed and set to expire at the end of the year, reducing taxes on businesses and large property, boosting child tax credits, increasing state and local tax credits to $40,000, and eliminating numerous green energy incentives. According to the Non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill will reduce tax revenues by about $4.5 trillion over 10 years.

The CBO said it added $3.4 trillion to national debt over the course of 10 years, including an increase in the debt cap of $5 trillion. The CBO predicts that 12 million people will lose their health insurance, but a minority on the Senate Joint Economic Committee estimates that around 20 million people could lose their coverage. Medicaid has been cut by nearly $1 trillion.

Various Republican factions have targeted the bill, with some complaining about Medicaid cuts, while others arguing that the law hasn’t progressed enough to cut spending.

But the nearly 900-page law settled down Congress within six months of Trump’s second term, allowing him to quickly introduce the highlights of his agenda. Since reclaiming the White House, the president has been actively working to implement his priorities, from overhauling the federal government to massive deportations.

Trump relies heavily on executive orders to achieve his goals, which Democrats can turn around if they win the presidency. The law he signed on July 4th could be a more lasting legacy. He was able to hold the GOP Caucus together, but sometimes he seemed poised to defeat him, but eventually lined up and once again showed a major impact within the president’s party.

“I think I have more strength right now,” Trump said after the bill was passed when discussing the shaking with Republicans in Congress.

The law narrowly liquidated the Senate, with three Republicans voting against it, and the person in charge ended with a tie vote broken by Vice President J.D. Vance, bringing a margin of 51-50. Two Republicans opposed and passed 218-214.

Democrats have united against the measure, saying they will disproportionately benefit the wealthy and hurt low-income Americans. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, defeated these concerns in a marathon speech.

“I stand up today in a strong opposition to Donald Trump’s unpleasant hatred. Medicaid tears food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans, and billionaires receive massive tax credits,” Jeffries said.

Legislative drama will give way to the battle for political message over law.

Trump and his allies predict that even though polls show they are unpopular, it will result in astigmatism in the economy and ultimately benefit the party.

“The kick in our country will become a rocket ship economically,” Trump said before signing a legislation surrounded by lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who handed over the small gavel used during the passage of the bill.

Former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer called the law “a massive legislative and political victory,” and by passing it on, the effect would be “a great bonus for Republicans in both rooms running in the mid-term elections of 2026.”

“I think the outcomes and impacts of this bill will be burned into the economy for 18 months, and job creation will drive economic growth,” Spicer said.

However, some Republicans are nervous about political fallout. North Carolina Sen. Tom Tillis opposed the bill because of Medicaid provisions.

In a floor speech to the Senate criticizing the law, Tillis saw his rise to the US Senate, a blowback to former President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care act, the Affordable Care Act, as it crushed democratic losses across the country.

Tillis implies that GOP is currently rushing to equally dangerous territory by cutting Medicaid.

Donations: Sarah Wire, Philip Bailey, Reuters

What is Joey Chestnut’s wallet?

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What is Joey Chestnut’s wallet?

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Joey Chestnut got more than a mustard belt for his victory at Nathan’s Hot Dog Meal Contest in 2025.

He pockets $10,000, similar to female champion Miki Sudow.

For chestnuts, it amounts to about $142 per hot dog and bread he consumed, and he ate a total of 70½ in the annual 10-minute contest in Coney Island, New York.

“Amazing,” Chestnut said. He returned to competition after a year of ban. “I’m really lucky. I know competitive food. I’m not buying tickets to see it. And it’s not a ton of ads, so I don’t have the most money involved.”

Chestnut confirmed that he would do exponentially from his three-year contract with Nathan, but he refused to disclose the terms of the transaction.

Nathan’s competitors will compete for a total of $40,000 prize money, for men and for $20,000 for women.

According to George Shea, co-founder of Major League Meals and host of Nathan’s contest, $10,000 will be given to the winners, but the second-place finishers each win a $5,000 each, with the remaining $2,500 split between the fourth and fifth-place finishers.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest Prize

  • Winner: $10,000
  • 2nd place: $5,000
  • 3rd place: $2,500
  • 4th place: $1,500
  • 5th place: $1,000

The USA Today app will bring you to the heart of the news – Fast. Downloads for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, EnewSpaper and more.

Fires 80K shells from Brooklyn Bridge from New York

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Fires 80K shells from Brooklyn Bridge from New York

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Even television events with dramatic explosions incorporating stars return and become a bigger boom.

NBC’s 49th Macy’s July 4th Fireworks Viewing Party (8 ET/PT, and live live) brings the Holiday Heat by bringing the iconic Brooklyn Bridge backdrop to its first spectacle since 2019.

The famous 142-year-old suspension bridge with a Tell Tail Gothic column will receive a digital facelift of 80,000 shell fireworks close-ups following a concert hosted by Ariana DeBoth featuring the Jonas Brothers, Trishiayerwood, Rennie Kravitz, Keke Palmer, Avamax and Eric Church.

“Brooklyn Bridge was absolutely starring in concerts, shooting from four barges and various points with fireworks,” says executive producer Wilcos. Bridges and columns are digitally enhanced with “made-to-order” projection mapping.

New Yorkers can see the fireworks from several advantageous locations in the city. But TV viewers are approaching TV’s biggest Independence Day fireworks show. Here’s what you need to know about Macy’s July 4th fireworks:

Fireworks have been tested in the desert and are in the “Oppenheimer” style

Coss calls Fireworks, a 25-minute “beautiful choreographed dance,” to sheet music produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and James Poyser, accompanied by Debose’s live performance.

Gary Souza, the show’s fireworks designer for the show for the last 40 years, says he “literally shopped all over the world” for this year’s cutting edge “three-dimensional” displays.

The bridge becomes part of each firework burst. This has 8-10 effects, most of which are on the bridge itself. “There are helixes, waves and snakes that progress and intertwines like DNA molecules from the bridge tower to the tower,” says Sousa.

Sousa traveled to his ancestors’ Portuguese country to import displays of sparkling bridge waterfalls. The product arrived a day before Souza’s June test on the major explosive elements of the show in the Mohab Desert, California. This is an annual event similar to the “Oppenheimer” test for fireworks, allowing you to safely inspect your full weapon.

“They were really overly placed on this waterfall,” Susa promises. “Like a sparkling curtain in the heart of the bridge, you start opening two towers for all 60 seconds, becoming one of ‘Oh, my goodness’. moment. ”

The 2025 show has more fireworks, fewer drones and still one helicopter

The drone has skyrocketed significantly in the world of fireworks displays, including the previous Macy’s July 4th celebration. The 2023 event featured a 500 drone light show, and in 2024 hundreds of “pyrodrons” equipped to mimic the visual effects of fireworks appeared on the central stage of the Hudson River spectacle.

But Macy’s show in 2025 “take a break” from the show drone, focusing technical highlights on bridge mapping.

But drone cameras “get closer to fireworks and personal,” Koss says, supplementing dozens of cameras to catch dozens of cameras set in multiple locations along with the awed audience. Still, the best TV camera shots still come from the overhead helicopter. There, high-resolution onboard cameras capture “these beautiful, aerial shots showing the city throughout the show,” says Koss.

Plans have been underway since last year’s show. The final months included detailed digital renderings of the desert tests and shows, allowing producers to “visualize” the most dramatic elements to prepare the camera.

One Can’t Miss Show Moment will individually shoot down eight unique firework shells, including one of Souza’s favorites, The Morning Glory.

“It’s called morning glory, but it looks like a jellyfish that explodes into popcorn with its red tentacles,” says Sousa. “That’s something you have to look for.”

“Golden Mile” sets the grand finale

The “Golden Mile” is a display of fireworks taken from 38 positions on the East River with computer accuracy. This includes a cascade of 1,500 feet of golden waterfalls spanning the bridge, setting up a spectacular wall-to-wall fireworks finale.

“It would be a patriotic ending, an internal organ and heart stimulation that made a crackling last,” says Sousa. “We plan to offer a very entertaining, patriotic show celebrating American birthdays while overdirecting the spectacle.”

Who is playing Macy’s fireworks?

Macy’s Concert is hosted by Ariana DeBoth, featuring the Jonas Brothers, Trishiyerwood, Lenny Kravitz, Cake Palmer, Avamax and Eric Church.

The fireworks score was produced by Ahmir “Questrab” Thompson and James Poiser and accompanied by a live performance by DeVos.

How to watch Macy’s fireworks and what time?

Macy’s July 4th fireworks will air on NBC on 8 ET/PT (live streaming on Peacock), with fireworks starting at 9:25 ET/PT. There will be an hourly NBC Encouragement presentation at 10 ET/PT. Telemundo’s television broadcast will air on 9 ET/PT.

“Big Beautiful Invoice” Summary Shows the biggest changes for you

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“Big Beautiful Invoice” Summary Shows the biggest changes for you

Classic School building lock In the song “I’m a Mere Bill,” laments the prospect of waiting with the other bills, hoping that the bill will become law. But there was no need to wait for President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Recently I’ve been running around Congress and landing at my desk in time to sign the law by the July 4th deadline.

In the whirlwind of Capitol Hill, you may have missed what this massive tax and spending law actually has. Below we have collected some of the most influential parts of finances and everyday life. The biggest of them:

◾ Extension of tax cuts in 2017:This is the biggest item and costs $3.7 trillion According to the Non-Parent Tax Foundation, the next 10 years. That’s money that the federal government does not collect.

◾ Reducing healthcare and food programsThese proposed reductions will save you a lot 1.3 trillion dollarsbased on a June 17 report from the Congressional Budget Office.

Winners (and losers): Who will benefit most from Trump’s “big beautiful” tax bill

skip: Other tax cuts, profits | More funds | Less funds

Penn Wharton’s budget model predicts that lower-income households will deteriorate due to cuts in Medicare and snaps, previously known as food stamps. These Americans could lose $27,500 for their lives, but the highest-income households would win more than $65,000. How people of all income levels work:

Can’t view the graphics? Click here to see them.

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In addition to extending tax cuts from the 2017 tax bill, Americans living in high-tax states such as California, New York and New Jersey will earn a greater income tax credit for state and local taxes known as salt. The tax cuts will only last until 2028.

One of the most talked about clauses, and one of Trump’s 2024 campaign promises, hints and overtime wages are no longer taxed. The final version of the bill is limited to both. Some of the other tax reductions you can expect:

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How many tax bills are there?

Depending on who you ask at Capitol Hill, the bill could cost just $440 billion, but other more common estimates make it nearly ten times more expensive.

When Senate Republicans pushed towards passing, they demanded that the Tax Committee omit the 2017 tax cut with a new estimate. Without these portions the bill would cost $441 billion. Senate Republicans argue that these cuts should not be counted as the bill extends current tax laws. More traditional methods have locked costs between about $2.7 trillion to $3.3 trillion.

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Contribution: Reuters

Hamas responds to Gaza ceasefire with “positive spirit”

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Hamas responds to Gaza ceasefire with “positive spirit”

Nidal Al Mugravi and Alexander Cornwell
|Reuters

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Hamas responded with a “positive spirit” to the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal on July 4, saying it was ready to enter into discussions on the implementation of the transaction, which envisages hostage release and negotiations on the end of the conflict.

President Donald Trump previously announced the “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month war between Israel and Hamas, and said he hopes to hear a response from parties in the next few hours.

Hamas wrote on its official website: “The Hamas movement will complete internal consultations and end the arguments with the Palestinian factions and the forces on the latest proposals by mediators, as well as attacks on the people of Gaza.

“This movement has brought a response to brother mediators characterized by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared with all the severity to quickly enter negotiations for a new round of events on the mechanisms for implementing this framework,” the statement said.

Trump previously said that Israel had agreed to “the conditions necessary to complete the 60-day ceasefire.” Meanwhile, efforts will be made to end the wars of US allies on the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement, and in their official statements the two remain far apart. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed. This is believed to be a radical group believed to hold 20 living hostages and refuse to discuss it so far.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington next week.

Trump has said he is “very robust” with Netanyahu about the need for a quick Gaza ceasefire, noting that Israeli leaders likewise want it.

“I hope that happens and I look forward to it that happens someday next week,” he told reporters earlier this week. “We want to take hostages.”

Attack overnight

The Israeli attacks have killed at least 138 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, local health officials said.

Health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Eunice, southern Gaza, said Israeli forces were bombing at a tent camp west of the city around 2am, killing 15 Palestinians who had been evacuated in the war for nearly two years.

Israeli forces said troops operating in the Khan Unis region have eliminated militants, confiscated weapons and dismantled Hamas’s front post groups in the past 24 hours.

Later that day, the Palestinians gathered to pray for funerals before burying those killed overnight.

“There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother,” said Maya Al-Far, 13, who cried. Her brother, Mahmoud, was shot dead in another incident, she said.

“He went to get help so we can get a bag of flour for us to eat. He got a bullet around his neck,” she said.

“Trade”

In Tel Aviv, family members and hostage friends held in Gaza were among the protesters gathered outside the US embassy building on the US Independence Day, calling for Trump to secure deals with all prisoners of war.

Protesters set up iconic Sabbath dinner tables and 50 empty chairs representing those still being held in Gaza. The banner hangs nearby and says Trump, “Make a deal in Gaza. Get hostages back!!!”

“Only you can get a contract. We want one beautiful deal. One beautiful hostage deal,” said Gideon Rosenberg, 48, of Tel Aviv.

Rosenberg was wearing a shirt with the image of Abynatan hostage. One of his employees was lured into Palestinian extremists from the Nova Musical Festival on October 7, 2023.

A source familiar with negotiations said Thursday that the proposal envisages the return of 10 hostages for the 60-day period.

Ruby Chen, 55, and 19-year-old Itai’s father of America and Israel, 1tai, is believed to have been killed after being taken prisoner, urged Netanyahu to return from meeting with Trump in a deal that brings all hostages.

Itai Chen, a German citizen, also served as an Israeli soldier when Hamas launched a surprising attack on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 more hostages.

Israel’s retaliation war with Hamas devastated Gaza. Gaza has been dominated by extremist groups for almost two decades, but now it is partially dominated, drove the majority of its population to over two million, causing widespread hunger.

More than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly two years of fighting, most of whom are civilians, according to local health officials.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell of Tel Aviv, Nidal Al Mugravi of Cairo, Hatem Khaled of Gaza, New York, Howard Goller, Edited by Alex Richardson, Philippa Fletcher and Rosalba O’Brien)

“We want the answer”: They fear their relatives are among hundreds of bodies stacked at a crematorium in Mexico

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“We want the answer”: They fear their relatives are among hundreds of bodies stacked at a crematorium in Mexico



CNN
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The family is demanding answers after authorities in Mexico’s Ciudad Juárez discovered that 383 bodies were kept at crematorium months and years after the people died.

Norma Guardado Meraz was one of many locals who visited the Chihuahua prosecutor’s office this week to obtain detailed information on the investigation into the findings.

The discovery took place on June 26th after finding a spirit hearse, with two bodies stacked in a room in the building’s courtyard.

Prosecutor Cesar Jalegui said the body pile had accumulated since 2020, suggesting that Prenitudo Crematorium was unable to carry out subcontracted services at the six funeral homes.

“We want the answer so we are satisfied and we can make sure that the right people are in our ur because we help the authorities see what’s going on,” Guardado Meraz told CNN.

She and her family want to clarify the fate of her mother, Maria Nieves Meraz, who passed away three years ago and was mourned by one of the funeral homes that subcontracted the crematorium.

Another resident, Javier Ramirez, went to the prosecutor’s office Wednesday to determine whether the artefact he received actually belonged to his father. One of the other funeral homes.

CNN is attempting to reach funeral home managers for comment.

“They tell us they’ll let us know when they have the information, but they don’t know how long it will take. In other words, we have to wait and see for them to tell us,” Ramirez told CNN.

CNN asks the prosecutor how many complaints they received in this case and is waiting for a response.

The office said Tuesday that of the 383 bodies found, 218 were male and 149 were female, with 16 genders unspecified.

Authorities are detaining the owner of the company that operated the crematorium and its assistant in connection with the discovery. They were scheduled to appear in court on Friday. CNN is trying to contact legal defense teams to find out how they will respond to accusations against them.

As the case moves forward, the prosecutor’s office says it is pledging a thorough investigation and encourages more people to move forward and demand answers.

Floods on the Guadalupe River in Texas will be fatal. Ongoing rescue efforts

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Floods on the Guadalupe River in Texas will be fatal. Ongoing rescue efforts

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Multiple deaths have been confirmed, and desperate water rescue and searches are ongoing on Friday, and it was caused by heavy rain that overwhelmed the Guadalupe River as a “devastating” flood emergency that unfolded in Texas on July 4th.

Authorities have not said how many people were killed and were still trying to identify the deaths in Kerr County. Dozens of rapid water rescues had already been made by the late morning, and rescue operations were still underway in the afternoon in Kerrville, a 25,000-person city about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Local news outlets reported that an extensive search has been launched to find missing people, including children in a riverside summer camp.

“The immediate priority is to save lives,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a social media post.

Abbott said it is “surged all available resources” to respond to flooding in the Kerr County area, including the Water Rescue Team, Shelter Center, the National Guard and the state Public Safety Agency.

“It was a very devastating and fatal flood,” Carr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a press conference that the sirens rang out in the background. “If you look outside the front door and see the Guadalupe running, it awakens you, please tell me.”

Authorities are still working to identify most of the dead, Kelly said.

“This came at night when people were sleeping in bed,” said Carville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., visibly emotional. “Pray for our community.”

“This is a devastating flood event in Kerr County. We can confirm the deaths, but we will not release any further information until we are notified of a close relative,” the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said. “The whole county is a very lively scene.”

Residents were urged to evacuate in place to avoid attempting to travel. According to the Sheriff’s Office, those along the streams, streams and Guadalupe Rivers should seek higher ground.

The National Weather Service in Austin and San Antonio said the area was under flash flood warnings, with 5-11 inches of rain falling by around 9am. Another inch or two could fall before the rain threat dissipates later that day, the weather department said.

“This is a very dangerous and life-threatening flood event along the Guadalupe River! You’ll be moving to the highlands!” weather services there said.

Early in the morning, the Guadalupe River in Hunt, West Carr County, had already reached its second-highest level at over 29 feet, surpassing the level of the 1987 Guadalupe River flooding at that location, Austin and San Antonio Weather Services said. The 1987 flood killed 10 teenagers on July 17th in a church camp bus and van near Comfort, Texas.

In San Angelo, Texas, about 150 miles from Carville in the central part of the state, weather services shared photos of flooded intersections with water reaching road sign levels. San Angelo’s Weather Services Office said it calls the conditions “life-threatening” following reports of flooded roads and homes in Tom Greene County.

Western Texas will see flooding over the weekend, the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Center said on the afternoon of July 4th.

Some Texas weather systems “have dropped several inches of rainfall across the region from Thursday night and this afternoon,” the forecasting center said. “Saturated soil and river flooding make the area more sensitive to increased rainfall.”

“The forecast calls for local heavy rain to continue tomorrow (Saturday, July 5th).” The flood clock was in effect until the end of the 1st on July 4th for most of the region.

The San Antonio Weather Service stated, “Pockets of heavy rain are still possible, leading to lowlands/river/rivulets and low-water flooding. Additional rainfall of 1-3 inches is possible across the flood clock area.

The National Weather Service placed Kerr and other counties in areas under flood monitoring prior to the July 3 flood, but Kelly said the extent of the flooding was surprising.

“No one knew there was this kind of flooding coming,” he said. He added that Kerr County does not have a warning system that could alert residents on the night of July 3rd.

“We deal with floods regularly,” he said. “There was no reason to believe this would be something like what happened here.”

Officials in Comfort, Texas, issued forced evacuations to residents along the river, which are rapidly rising. According to a post from around 8am local time.

“We regret to inform everyone that the comfortable flooding situation has not improved,” the Comfortable Volunteer Fire Department said in an update at 11am.

Residents were instructed to bring in necessary documents, medicines, clothes and important valuables when they fled to the highlands.

Carville police and firefighters were set up at shelter at the local Walmart, at the Unification Center and church, to help residents evacuate.

Mayor Haring, Kerrville, issued a disaster declaration on the morning of July 4th. In Kell County, deaths and missing people have been reported with water rescues underway, the city of Carville said.

“Search and recovery efforts are ongoing and will increase as the water recedes,” the city said.

The city said it had cancelled its July 4th celebration. “Fourth in the river.”

Kelly said in the morning that authorities could not confirm whether the camper van at the All Girls Christian Summer Camp on a hunt along the Guadalupe River was described.

There were several camps in the area that were affected, but Kelly said he had no details about them and advised his concerned parents to reach out to the camp for more information.

(This story has been updated to include a video.)

Unusual Social Security Bureau email advertises big and beautiful bills

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Unusual Social Security Bureau email advertises big and beautiful bills

Emails from agents praised the bill, but only some winners can see their savings. This shows the meaning of the law for the elderly.

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Social Security beneficiaries are used to receiving occasional emails from the program on issues like benefits, but many were confused by receiving another type of message from the Social Security Administration late on Thursday evening, July 3rd.

“The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of one big and beautiful bill, a groundbreaking part of the law that provides the much-anticipated tax cuts to millions of elderly Americans,” said an email reviewed by USA Today. The message refers to the legislative package of Trump’s priorities for cutting taxes on social programs passed by the House earlier that day.

It is unusual for an institution that oversees Social Security, which pays monthly to 73 million retirees, survivors and people with disabilities, to issue an obvious political statement.

“It’s completely unprecedented,” said Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, a left-leaning advocacy organization focusing on retirement benefits. “That’s a huge violation of trust.”

Lawson argues that emails praise Trump’s “big beautiful bill” violate the Hatch Act, a law against partisan political activity by federal employees.

The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking clarification. The White House introduced its requests for USA Today’s SSA.

Tax reductions for some elderly people

During his campaign, Trump has pledged to eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefits. Instead, it creates a bill that Trump just signs late in the afternoon of July 4th – a $6,000 federal income tax credit for Americans over the age of 65.

Because social security benefits are often the majority of senior citizens’ income, some of these benefits are now out of taxation for those who qualify for the deduction.

“We’re reducing the amount of social security benefits that are tax-related, but it’s not just social security,” explains Garrett Watson, a senior policy analyst at Tax Foundation, a central right think tank.

“This is a historic step forward for seniors in America,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Vignano, a former Wall Street executive appointed by Trump. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been the basis for the economic security of the elderly. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, the law reaffirms President Trump’s commitment to protecting Social Security and helps older people enjoy the retirements they have acquired.”

However, there are Social Security recipients and seniors who do not receive tax cuts.

At the other end of the spectrum there is a deduction stage for individuals making more than $75,000, or a deduction stage for couples making more than $250,000.

For those with little income, there is little profit

“Low-income people earn less than middle- and middle-income households,” Watson said.

On average, older people with the lowest 20% income save just 0.1% of the tax bill, according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Foundation.

“It’s sold as tax relief for seniors, but you’d be surprised when you find out that a lot of seniors don’t fit them,” Watson said. “I’ve been asked by people all the time what this really means for their tax situation.”

Long-term Social Security Funding Issues

And while some will soon form low taxes, the lost tax revenue could lead to future automatic benefits cuts for all beneficiaries.

This is because Social Security benefits are not taxed like regular income. Instead of being used as general revenue, they go to trust funds that provide Medicare and Social Security backstops in particular.

According to the Responsible Federal Budget Committee, the Social Security and Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund was expected to run out by 2033, while the senior tax credit is expected to move by 2032. This will trigger a future automatic benefit reduction of 24% for all recipients, centristic think tank projects.

Those issues will only get worse, Watson noted that when Congress expires in 2028, Congress will renew, increase or permanently provide senior tax credits.

“It’s a mixed bag for older people because some older people get tax relief, but the cost is borne by the entire Social Security system,” Lawson said.

Emails will be sent during the “crisis” of customer service

Critics are struggling with messages arriving when the Social Security Agency is struggling with customer service issues.

The Trump administration cut down on agency staff and enacted new rules on applicant identification, resulting in an average waiting time of 90 minutes.

In June, the agency stopped creating public real-time performance metrics for a period of time they had to wait to reach a living person on the phone and before new benefits applications were approved. USAToday reported on June 26th.

Contribution: Sarah D. Wire

Joey Chestnut wins Nathan’s return in 2025

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Joey Chestnut wins Nathan’s return in 2025

Joey Chestnut returned to Nathan’s Hot Dog Meal Contest after a year of ban.

He played like a goat.

The 41-year-old Chestnut won his 17th title and officially won a total of 70½ hot dogs and bread in the 10-minute contest.

That fell short of his record of 76 hot dogs and breads he set in 2021.

“Oh, oh my goodness, I was nervous. The first few of the first hot dogs were groping a bit,” Chestnut told ESPN after the contest.

Patrick Bertletti, who won the chestnut bar from last year’s competition, finished second with a 46½ hot dog and bread.

“I found a pretty good rhythm,” Chestnut said. “My goal was 70-77. I wanted a little more. There’s next year. I’m happy to be here.”

Chestnut signed a three-year contract with Nathan in June, clearing his path to return to the contest after a one-year ban.

“I love doing that, I love pushing myself and hitting the hell out of people,” he said.

Here’s how Saturday unfolded on Coney Island:

  1. Joey Chestnut – 70 1/2
  2. Patrick Bertolatti -46 1/2
  3. James Webb – 45 1/2
  4. Geoff Esper – 43 7/8
  5. Nick Waley – 41 3/4
  6. Ricardo Colbutci-40
  7. Max Stanford – 36 1/2
  8. Gideon Oji -31 1/6
  9. I’ll do the courtyard – 30 1/2
  10. Derek Hendrickson-30
  11. Darrien Thomas -29 1/2
  12. George Cigar-25
  13. Jerome Burns – 23 1/2
  14. Adrian Morgan – 23
  15. Cameron Mead – 20 3/4

Joey Chestnut will do it again!

it’s over! Chestnut won his 17th title with an unofficial total of 71 hot dogs and breads.

Joey Chestnut Chasing Record

In the middle of the 10-minute contest, Joey Chestnut had 46 hot dogs. It’s putting itself at the pace to break a record of 76.

Joey Chestnut is still cooking

Chestnut consumed 30 dogs in the 3-minute mark and gave champion Pat Bertoletti a 10-hot dog leash.

Joey Chestnut starts fast

Joey Chestnut had 11 hot dogs and bread in the first minute of the 10-minute contest. However, the field is only three behind.

Joey Chestnut’s chin is set

In a pre-contest interview with ESPN2, Chestnut said, “I’m hungry. I’m going to push it.”

Push enough to pass the record of 76 hot dogs and bread and eat 80? Joey?

“Things will have to fall into perfect rhythm,” he said.

Miki Sudo vs. Mother-daughter team

Sudo was disappointed with a total of 33 hot dogs and bread, but it was enough to defeat the mother-daughter combination of Katie Prottican and Isabeau Prettyman. Katie had 13 1/8 hot dogs and her daughter Isabeau had 7¼ hot dogs in total for 20 3/8. That was a total of over 12 shortfalls in Sudo.

Joey Chestnut is back!

If this chestnut victory montage doesn’t raise the hair behind your neck, then you probably need to consult your doctor.

Miki Sudo rates performance After winning a women’s contest

Sudo was trying to understand what she was showing after eating 33 hot dogs and bread. That was 18 more than last year’s record-breaking 51, her lowest total since finishing 30¾ in 2021.

“I feel like I’ve lost a bit of a fan,” Sudo told ESPN. “I was saying I’m going to the crowd towards 52, and obviously I’m always setting my goals high. But the hot dogs didn’t cooperate. For some reason, the bread felt big today.”

Sudo devoured eight hot dogs in the first minute, consuming an average of less than three hot dogs per minute before the 10-minute contest was over.

In the end, she won the 11th title in 11 contests.

“I think I’m refusing to lose,” she said. “I refuse to give him, and even when I stumble, I’ll go back soon.”

Miki Sudo won the 11th Women’s Hot Dog Contest title

Miki Sudo won the women’s contest with 33 hot dogs and bread, and 11 tries and Nathan’s contest.

She won the pink belt awarded to the women’s champion, but her total was well below the record-breaking 51 she consumed in the 2024 contest.

Michelle Lesco finished second with 22¾ hot dogs and bread, while Domenica Dee finished third with 21½ on her Nathans debut.

  • Miki Sudo
  • Michel Lesco
  • Sunday Goddess
  • Tandra Childress
  • Katie Prettyman
  • Larell Marie Mail
  • Isabow Prettyman
  • Jocelyn Young
  • Kelly Lewis
  • Kamille O’Brien
  • Elizabeth Salgado
  • Important brown
  • Madison Barone
  • Laura Betler

Joey Chestnut is scheduled to compete in the 2025 Nathan Hot Dog Meal Contest. He was previously banned in 2024 due to sponsorship with impossible food.

In 2021, Joey Chestnut set the world record for the hottest dogs and breads eaten at one time by consuming 76. He previously broke records twice in three contests up to that year. Bread with the dog in 10 minutes.

On the female side, Miki Sudo is a top dog (eater) who munches 51 hot dogs and bread in 2024.

Chestnut holds the most mustard belt record and has won the contest 16 times. On the women’s side, Miki Sudo has an unstoppable diet and has secured 10 ketchup belts, including one from last year.

All odds via DraftKings on Wednesday, July 2nd

  • Joey Chestnut (-2500)
  • Patrick Bertolatti (+1500)
  • James Webb (+2500)
  • Geoffrey Esper (+2500)
  • Nick Werry (+3500)
  • Field (No participants listed) (+1500)

Last year, Patrick Bertetti won his first mustard belt by consuming 58 hot dogs and bread in just 10 minutes. On the women’s side, Miki Sudo won her 10th championship and currently holds the women’s world record for eating 51 hot dogs and bread.

  • 2024: Patrick Bertolatti, 58 (male) | Miki Sudo, 51 (female)
  • 2023: Joey Chestnut, 62 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 39 1/2 (female)
  • 2022: Joey Chestnut, 63 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 42 (female)
  • 2021: Joey Chestnut, 76 (boys) | Michelle Lesco, 30 3/4 (female)
  • 2020: Joey Chestnut, 75 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 48 1/2 (female)
  • 2019: Joey Chestnut, 71 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 31 (female)
  • 2018: Joey Chestnut, 74 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 37 (female)
  • 2017: Joey Chestnut, 72 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 41 (female)
  • 2016: Joey Chestnut, 70 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 38 (female)
  • 2015: Matt Stony, 62 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 38 (female)
  • 2014: Joey Chestnut, 61 (boys) | Miki Sudo, 34 (female)
  • 2013: Joey Chestnut, 69 (boys) | Sonya Thomas, 36 3/4 (female)
  • 2012: Joey Chestnut, 68 (boys) | Sonya Thomas, 45 (female)
  • *2011: Joey Chestnut, 62 (boys) | Sonya Thomas, 40 (female)
  • 2010: Joey Chestnut, 54
  • 2009: Joey Chestnut, 68
  • 2008: Joey Chestnut, 59 (Eat 5 hot dogs in 50 seconds and lost in 50 seconds by kobayashi)
  • 2007: Joey Chestnut, 66
  • 2006: Takeru Kobayashi, 53 3/4
  • 2005: Takeru Kobayashi, 49
  • 2004: Takeru Kobayashi, 53 1/2
  • 2003: Takeru Kobayashi, 44 1/2
  • 2002: Takeru Kobayashi, 50 1/2
  • 2001: Takeru Kobayashi, 50
  • 2000: Kazutoyo Arai, 25 1/8
  • 1999: No Steve, 21 1/2
  • 1998: Hirofumi Nakajima, 19
  • 1997: Hirofumi Nakajima, 24 1/2
  • 1996: Ed Clachie, 22
  • 1995: Ed Clachie, 19 1/2
  • 1994: Mike DeVito, 20

“Grizzy” is a slang term for hot dogs. The origin of this word is unknown, but some go back to handguns. “Grizzy” is slang for Glock handgun. The word evolved to reflect handgun magazines. This is almost the length of a hot dog.

The total prize for the 2025 Nathan Hot Dog Meal Contest was $40,000, split into male and female divisions. The first-ranked winner in each category earns $10,000, the second-ranked winner earns $5,000, and the third-ranked winner earns $2,500.

The person who defeated Joey Chestnut?

The last time he defeated Joey Chestnut in Nathan’s contest was Matt Stony in 2015. Stony had 62 hot dogs and bread and chestnuts and 60 hot dogs and bread. Chestnut was also defeated by Kobayashi in 2005, the year of Chestnut’s debut at Nathan’s.

Trump hopes Hamas will respond to a ceasefire in a matter of hours as new details emerge in the proposal

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Trump hopes Hamas will respond to a ceasefire in a matter of hours as new details emerge in the proposal



CNN
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President Donald Trump raised expectations about the possibility of a 60-day ceasefire in the war in Gaza after saying that a response from Hamas is expected on Thursday.

When asked by a reporter if Hamas agreed to the latest ceasefire and hostage contract, Trump replied, “We’ll see what happens and we’ll know in the next 24 hours.” Qatar submitted an updated proposal to Israel and Hamas earlier this week, which Israel accepted on Tuesday.

Hamas says it will announce its decision without specifying how long this will take after consultations with other Palestinians.

Trump said Tuesday that Israel “accepted the necessary conditions” to complete a deal to halt 60 days of hostilities. In a post about the True Society, Trump warned Hamas to accept the proposal as well.

“I hope Hamas will make this deal for the benefit of the Middle East, because it won’t get better. It’ll only get worse,” he said.

The latest proposals are not markedly different from previous plans proposed by the negotiators. This maintains the same number of hostages released and the length of previous temporary ceasefires. However, the proposal provides two important concessions to Hamas’ demands, spacing hostage releases throughout the timeline, providing strong assurances directly from Trump in this case.

The plan spreads the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 dead hostages across the full timeline, according to sources familiar with negotiations who shared details of the plan.

On the first day of the ceasefire, Hamas released eight living hostages. In exchange, Israel released an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees and withdraws its forces from ready-made locations in northern Gaza. Israel withdrew from parts of South Gaza on the seventh day, following the release of many dead hostages.

Israel and Hamas also negotiated for a permanent ceasefire soon after the first ceasefire was implemented. A total of 50 hostages remain in Gaza, of which at least 20 are believed to be alive.

The last two living hostages will be released on the 50th of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, the five hostages who have passed away will be released on the 7th and 30th, with the final day being released on the last day.

Under this contract, hostages will be released without a ceremony or fanfare, in response to Israel’s request. This is different from when Hamas staged a public promotion event on the relocation of hostages that sparked rage in Israel.

Humanitarian aid will soon begin flowing into Gaza at the start of a ceasefire that includes the United Nations and other aid organizations, similar to the previous ceasefire that began on January 19th.

On Thursday, Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander met with Trump in Washington and told the president that the fight in Gaza continued to put the rest of the hostages in danger. A statement from the Hostage and Missing Family Forum after the meeting cited Alexander telling Trump:

Is Dunkin open on July 4, 2025 or is it closed? What do you know

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Is Dunkin open on July 4, 2025 or is it closed? What do you know

play

Do you want to turbocharge your July 4th celebration with caffeine correction? You are lucky.

Federal holidays mean banks, post offices and stock markets will be closed, but some national retailers, grocery stores and restaurant chains are open, including their favorite caffeinated watering holes, such as Starbucks and Dunkin.

It’s a bit good news for us who actually “running in Dunkin'”: the coffee chain is open on Friday, July 4th. Times vary depending on the location, but most locations must be open.

July 4th will be dealing at Dunkin

Dunkin is not only open for the fourth time, but he also runs some patriotic promotions.

The coffee chain serves star spangle donuts filled with vanilla butter cream and star-shaped topped with blue icing and red, white and blue sprinkles.

Those looking for a more typical American flavour can opt for a braided apple pie, a handheld pastry filled with soft, baked apples. Snacks can be paired with frozen coffee inspired by newly released ice cream flavors, such as cookie dough, butter pecans and mint chocolate chips.

Those with a free Dunkin’Rewards membership can also win two deals. From July 1st to 15th, members can purchase a ham and Swiss croissant stuffing for $3 by purchasing a drink, and earn three times more points on bulk donuts and munchkin buckets from July 3rd to 5th.

Is the fast food and restaurant chain open on July 4th?

The following restaurants are available open July 4th.

  • McDonald’s
  • Starbucks
  • Chickfill A
  • chipotle pepper
  • Hippo
  • Zaxbys
  • Cracker Barrel
  • Wendy’s
  • Golden Coral
  • Olive Garden
  • Longhorn Steakhouse
  • Applebee’s
  • ihop
  • KFC
  • subway
  • Taco Bell
  • Bonefish Grill
  • Firehouse Subs
  • Cheesecake Factory
  • Panera bread
  • Krispy Cream
  • Whataburger
  • Longhorn Steakhouse
  • First clock

Contributed by Gabe Hauari

New Jersey’s storm is fatal, causing damage and power losses

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New Jersey’s storm is fatal, causing damage and power losses

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed that the storm killed residents, and Accuweather reported three deaths.

play

On the evening of July 3rd, a rapidly moving but violent thunderstorm paved a path of confusion and destruction in the central jersey, causing at least one death, leaving thousands without power.

The storm struck during rush hour the evening before July 4th. A gust of wind was recorded at 62 mph, according to the National Weather Service. An inch of hail was reported near Bethlehem and Easton in Lehigh Valley.

Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed that the storm killed residents, and Acweather reported three deaths.

In a post on X, Murphy said: “I was described as a serious thunderstorm and strong winds that hit the central jersey tonight and died.

July 4th Flood: Fatal and “devastating” floods unfolding along the Guadalupe River in Texas

“If you’re in the area, stay inside and avoid fallen trees, power lines or combustion transformers. We’re in close contact with the local mayor and emergency response personnel to provide assistance.”

The emergency was declared at Plainfield. The city’s Independence Day parade, concerts and fireworks have been cancelled.

China has told the EU that Russia cannot accept that it has lost its war with Ukraine, officials say

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China has told the EU that Russia cannot accept that it has lost its war with Ukraine, officials say



CNN
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The Chinese Foreign Minister, King, told the top European Union diplomat that Beijing could not accept that Russia had lost its war with Ukraine.

What officials said was a four-hour meeting in Brussels on Wednesday with EU foreign secretary Kaja Karas, who “featured a strict but respectful exchange, covering a wide range of issues ranging from cybersecurity, rare earth imbalances, and Taiwan to the Middle East.”

Officials said Wang’s personal statements suggested that Beijing might prefer a prolonged war in Ukraine. They reflect critics’ concerns about China’s policy that Beijing has far more geopolitical than a recognized neutrality position in the Ukrainian conflict.

On Friday, during a regular provincial briefing at China’s Foreign Ministry, spokeswoman Maonin was asked about the exchange that was first reported in the South China Morning Post, reaffirming Beijing’s long-standing status in the three-year war.

“China is not a party in the Ukraine issue,” Mao Zedong said. “China’s position on the Ukrainian crisis is objective and consistent: negotiations, ceasefires, peace. The long-term Ukrainian crisis does not serve anyone’s interests.”

She added that China wants political reconciliation as soon as possible. “Together with the international community, in light of the will of those involved, we will continue to play a constructive role towards this purpose.”

China’s official statement on the Ukrainian War veils more complicated photos.

Just a few weeks before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared a “no-restriction” partnership with Moscow, and political and economic ties have since been strengthened.

China has established itself as a peace scientist, but as CNN previously reported, it has reported a high interest for Beijing, and could lose its major partners in particular in Russia.

China has also rejected the increase in accusations that provide military assistance close to Russia. Ukraine has approved several Chinese companies to provide Russian drone components and technology for use in missile production.

Smoke is seen from the outskirts of Kiev after a Russian drone and missile strike in Ukraine on July 4th.

After a record-breaking attack on Ukrainian capital Kiyyikh on Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha posted a photo he said was a fragment of the Russian-launched combat drone. One image showed parts of the suspected fuselage of a drone that said the device was made in China on June 20th.

Sybiha said, “The Chinese consulate building in Odesa has been minorly damaged as a result of Russian attacks in the city. There is no better comparison about Putin continuing to escalate war and fear, while he has involved others including North Korean forces, Iranian weapons and Chinese manufacturers, including European security, Chinese security, and Chinese security.

This year, there have also been claims that the Chinese people are fighting Russia in Ukraine. Beijing reiterated its previous call, denying Chinese involvement “to refrain from participating in military actions by any party.”

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