US Supreme Court lifts order that blocked Trump's mass federal layoffs  —  The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for President Donald Trump's administration to resume carrying out mass job cuts and the restructuring of agencies, elements of his campaign to downsize and reshape the federal government.

The Tariff Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves  —  The video above has nothing to do with the subject of this post.  A big red-headed woodpecker got to work right in front of me yesterday, and I thought I'd give him a few seconds before getting to the dreary subject of tariffs.  —  Yes, tariffs.

Top House Democrats demand release of Epstein files that mention Trump  —  Exclusive: Jamie Raskin and 15 others accuse justice department of withholding Epstein files to protect Trump  —  Hugo Lowell and Chris Stein in Washington  —  House Democrats on Tuesday demanded …

A Marco Rubio impostor is using AI voice to call high-level officials  —  The unknown individual contacted at least five government officials, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress, according to a State Department cable.  —  Summary167

Alvarado ICE facility attack: 11 charged in ‘ambush’ on ICE officers, officials say  — 11 people have been arrested in what it calls a “planned ambush” on an ICE facility in Alvarado on July 4.  — Officials say 10-12 individuals in military-style clothing fired fireworks to lure officers out …

Ag secretary says able-bodied Medicaid recipients should replace immigrant farm workforce  —  Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said millions of adult Medicaid participants who will face stricter work requirements under the GOP megabill should replace foreign farm workers deported under …

Transcript: Trump Blurts Out Awkward Truth about ICE as MAGA Seethes  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the July 8 episode of the Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network.

Trump says he's “thinking about” taking over D.C.  —  President Trump revived the idea of taking over Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, saying the capital city should be run “flawlessly.”  —  Why it matters: Trump is floating his takeover threat amid a high-profile project to build a new NFL stadium …

How Insularity Defined the Last Stages of Biden's Career … At the most perilous moment of his presidency, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was all but impossible for anyone outside his tight inner circle to reach.Eric Lee/The New York Times  —  Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s aides did not want him to speak with me.

Vacationing Ted Cruz's as ‘Fast as Humanly Possible’ Return Claim Crumbles  —  ACROPOL-OOPS  —  Cruz says he returned to Texas as quickly as he could after news of devastating floods broke.  Flight data tells a different story.  —  Ted Cruz could have booked numerous flights from Greece …

Bill would force ICE agents to ID themselves, ban most masks  —  Federal immigration agents would be banned from wearing most face coverings but be required to wear visible ID during public enforcement operations, according to a proposal from Democratic U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

FEMA response to deadly Texas floods delayed & deficient with Noem in charge  —  Staffers sound the alarm. … Disaster struck in Texas on July 4th when the Guadalupe River rapidly overflowed, resulting in lethal flash floods.  As of Monday, local officials said at least 104 were confirmed dead across six counties.

Alligator Alcatraz detainees allege inhumane conditions at immigration detention center  —  Cuban reggaeton artist Leamsy La Figura, arrested last week in Miami-Dade on assault charges, was transferred to South Florida's new immigration detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades …

Major medical groups sue Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines  —  Kennedy's track record of undermining vaccine safety and effectiveness prompted the lawsuit.  “We've had enough,” one public health expert said.  —  Several major medical organizations are suing Health Secretary …

Trump on DOGE cuts: ‘I would have done it differently’ … Trump praised the Department of Government Efficiency for many of its cuts to the federal workforce, specifically citing the exodus at the Environmental Protection Agency, where more than 1,300 employees have left through the Trump administration's deferred resignation program.

In reversal, Trump administration will defend Biden's asbestos ban  —  The Trump administration says it will uphold a Biden-era ban on the ongoing use of asbestos after previously saying it would reconsider the rule.  —  In a court filing last month, the Environmental Protection Agency …

Gabbard's team has sought spy agency data to enforce Trump's agenda  —  The Director's Initiative Group has expressed an interest in gaining access to emails and chat logs of the largest U.S. intelligence agencies to root out “weaponization,” according to multiple people familiar with the effort.

Pam Bondi Explains Her Apparent Backtrack on the Epstein ‘Client List’  —  Her comments seemingly contradicted a February interview in which she said, “It is sitting on my desk right now to review.”  — Copy  —  Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday explained her previous comments …

Federal Agents March Through L.A. Park, Spurring Local Outrage  —  Federal officials said it was an immigration enforcement operation, though it was unclear if anyone had been arrested.  “It's the way a city looks before a coup,” Mayor Karen Bass said as she condemned the action.

Texas flood exposed America's warped priorities  —  I've always believed there's a lifetime limit on excitement from fireworks — even on July 4 — and that I passed mine many years ago.  Maybe that's why I volunteered to pick up a family member at New York's JFK Airport last Friday night …

I.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit  —  In a court filing, the tax agency said a decades-old ban on campaigning by tax-exempt groups should not apply to houses of worship speaking to their own members.  —  The I.R.S. said on Monday that churches and other houses …

Only Criminals Don't Want To Be Gassed By The Government  —  The United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, my former employer, has filed a criminal complaint against Alejandro Orellana, a local immigration activist in Los Angeles.  They've charged him for distributing face masks to protestors.

Exclusive: Top Trump Adviser Sergio Gor Was Born in the Soviet Union  —  The birthplace of U.S. President Donald Trump's director of personnel has been the subject of media speculation — fuelled by his refusal to answer the question. … When he was named director of the White House Office …

Ex-NYPD chiefs sue Mayor Adams, top aides over alleged favoritism, corruption in department  —  Four high-ranking former NYPD chiefs are suing Mayor Adams, claiming they were forced to retire from the department after complaining that his “unqualified” friends were being placed …

Wisconsin Supreme Court rules against state legislature's ability to block state rules  —  The Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the state legislature's ability to suspend administrative rules, ending a decades-old practice of lawmakers being empowered to temporarily block agency regulations.

Moscow adds Yale to ‘undesirable organizations’ list … Russia has added dozens of foreign nonprofits, media organizations and charities — including human rights NGO Amnesty International and American liberal arts school Bard College — to the state blacklist since 2015.

Trump is claiming sweeping powers to block Congress' TikTok law  —  In letters made public via the Freedom of Information Act, Attorney General Pam Bondi argued the president has the authority to nullify laws as he sees fit.  —  President Donald Trump has decided to disregard an act of Congress.

Judge recommends that case against Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan proceed  —  A federal magistrate judge recommended Monday that the case proceed against a Wisconsin judge who was indicted on allegations that she helped a man who is in the country illegally evade U.S. immigration agents seeking to arrest him in her courthouse.