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Good afternoon, everyone. Lots to cover today: Republicans are turning on Trump as tensions erupt in the Senate, Elon Musk is no longer a trillionaire, the White House is pursuing policies that disability advocates warn could push more disabled Americans into institutional settings, and the DOJ is quietly giving Todd Blanche sweeping authority over prison placements. The implications are serious. Critics argue that political allies could receive favorable treatment, while opponents face harsher consequences. We’ll break it all down. A reminder that our next paid subscriber live event is tomorrow night at 7:30 PM ET. After I shared the story about people coming up to me and telling me they get their news from this community, so many of you reached out to say the same. That means a lot. It speaks to the power of what we’ve built together. If you’re able, please consider subscribing to support my work. If you’re already a subscriber, upgrading your membership is one of the best ways to help. Your support keeps independent journalism thriving, helps grow this community, and allows us to continue covering the stories that matter most.
And yes, it helps keep me caffeinated, too. Here’s the news: Tensions reportedly flared during President Trump's lunch with Senate Republicans, with Sen. Bill Cassidy confronting Trump over the Iran memorandum of understanding and, according to a source familiar with the meeting, raising his voice during the exchange. Trump also reportedly criticized Sen. Dave McCormick for missing the Senate's Iran war powers vote, despite McCormick having accompanied Trump at a Pennsylvania rally that day. The president additionally pressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune to secure enough votes for the SAVE America Act, urging him to be more aggressive in advancing the legislation. According to sources, Trump even suggested using a talking filibuster strategy if necessary to move the bill forward.
According to multiple people in the room, Sen. Bill Cassidy aggressively challenged President Trump during the Senate GOP lunch, at one point reportedly dropping the formal "Mr. President" and addressing him simply as "brother." The exchange underscored growing tensions within the Republican conference over the administration's recent actions. Trump reiterated his public demands that Republicans pass the SAVE America Act, criticized the Senate filibuster, and defended his decision to hold up the bipartisan housing bill. Despite the president's forceful comments, attendees reportedly did not push back on his remarks during the meeting.
 Asked about the bombing of a girls' school in Iran, President Trump responded, “I don't think it was us,” despite multiple public reports attributing the strike to U.S. forces. The comment is likely to draw further scrutiny given the widespread reporting and assessments that have linked the attack to the U.S. military campaign. Trump did not provide evidence for his claim or elaborate on who he believed was responsible. The remark comes as lawmakers in both parties continue pressing the administration for more transparency about the conduct and scope of the Iran war.
 The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to institutionalize more disabled Americans, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The report says White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller pushed for a Justice Department legal opinion that would allow states to move away from decades of disability-rights protections that prioritize community-based care over institutional settings. The June DOJ memo argues that states may disregard long-standing interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act that stem from the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead, which held that people with disabilities should not be unnecessarily segregated in institutions. Disability-rights advocates warn the move could make it easier for states to place people with disabilities and mental illnesses into institutions rather than providing services that allow them to live in their communities. According to Bloomberg, officials familiar with the matter said Miller was frustrated that the Justice Department continued reaching agreements requiring states to move people out of institutions and into community settings. The White House and DOJ deny that Miller played any role in drafting the memo, but critics argue the administration is attempting to dismantle one of the most significant disability-rights protections of the last quarter century. Senators Cory Booker and Bill Cassidy have sent a bipartisan letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche raising concerns about the settlement that created the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" and granted President Trump immunity from future IRS audits. The senators described the immunity provisions as "deeply concerning" and "extraordinary in breadth," arguing that the language appears broad enough to potentially extend beyond tax-related matters. They are seeking details about how the agreement was negotiated, its legal basis, and the scope of the immunity provided. Booker and Cassidy requested answers by July 14, one day before Blanche is scheduled to begin his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled plans to sign a major bipartisan housing bill, saying he would withhold action until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a sweeping election reform measure that would impose new voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. The housing bill, which passed with broad bipartisan support, aims to lower housing costs by encouraging home construction and limiting large investors' purchases of single-family homes. Trump's move created tension with congressional Republicans, many of whom view the housing package as a key achievement ahead of the midterm elections and acknowledge they currently lack the votes to pass the SAVE America Act. The decision also prompted criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans, who warned that delaying a popular housing measure for unrelated election legislation could hurt the party politically.
Asked about high housing costs and why he is refusing to sign a bipartisan housing bill, Trump immediately pivoted to attacking "communists," declaring that "this country is not going to have communists"—underscoring that his push for the SAVE America Act has taken priority over addressing housing affordability.
 Residents and patrons at Trump International Golf Club Dubai expressed frustration with President Trump's handling of the Iran conflict, telling The Washington Post that the war has damaged confidence in his leadership and economic promises. Many cited rising energy prices, regional instability, and harm to Dubai's tourism industry as reasons for their disappointment. Several residents said they had supported Trump's pledge to be a "no war president" but now feel he miscalculated by escalating tensions with Iran. The criticism comes as polling shows broad public support for ending the conflict, with many Americans believing the war has created more problems than it has solved. Elon Musk has lost his brief status as the world’s first trillionaire after a sharp selloff in technology stocks pushed his net worth below $1 trillion. The decline was driven by falling shares of both Tesla and SpaceX amid broader market concerns about rising interest rates and a potential AI investment bubble. Musk’s fortune, which peaked after SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO earlier this month, was estimated by Forbes at about $970 billion by Wednesday’s market close. Despite the drop, he remains the world’s richest person by a wide margin and could regain trillionaire status if Tesla or SpaceX shares rebound. Former DOJ Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer argues that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche must explain why convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred from a low-security federal prison to a minimum-security prison camp, a move she says violates longstanding Bureau of Prisons policies for sex offenders. According to Oyer, federal rules generally require convicted sex offenders to remain in at least low-security facilities because of public safety concerns, making Maxwell’s placement highly unusual. She disputes the Bureau of Prisons’ claim that the transfer was made independently for safety reasons, arguing that existing procedures already provide protective custody options and that minimum-security camps offer less security, not more. Oyer also points to a recent policy change that appears to expand the attorney general’s authority over prisoner placements, suggesting it could have been designed to legitimize extraordinary interventions like Maxwell’s transfer.
 A new report found that spending by ICE and Customs and Border Protection on surveillance technology has surged under Trump’s second term, rising to a record $513 million in 2026, with major contracts going to companies such as Palantir and Anduril. The report says immigration agencies are increasingly using AI-powered tools, facial recognition, social media monitoring, drones, data brokers, and phone-hacking technologies to identify, track, and monitor migrants. Researchers also argue that the Department of Homeland Security is not only purchasing surveillance technology but actively funding and helping develop new tools through federal grant and startup programs. Civil liberties advocates warn that the rapid expansion of these technologies, combined with limited oversight, could create an unprecedented domestic surveillance apparatus with broad implications for privacy and civil rights. The Trump administration has informed key Republican lawmakers that it plans to request roughly $80 billion in supplemental funding for the Iran war by the end of the week. The money would largely be used to replenish missile stockpiles and cover military operations in the Middle East. The request is expected to face resistance from Democrats, many of whom oppose the war and argue it was launched without congressional authorization. House Republicans are also concerned that a supplemental funding bill could complicate their efforts to pass another major GOP reconciliation package, while Senate lawmakers may seek to add disaster relief, farm aid, and other non-military spending to the measure. According to Politico, the leaders of several major House Democratic caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, unveiled a resolution calling for major judicial and Senate reforms following the Supreme Court's recent decision narrowing the Voting Rights Act. The proposal calls for expanding the Supreme Court, imposing term limits and a binding ethics code for justices, and eliminating the Senate's 60-vote filibuster. Supporters argue the Court's conservative majority has weakened voting rights protections and could obstruct future efforts to strengthen civil rights and democratic reforms. While the resolution is unlikely to advance, it reflects growing pressure from progressive Democrats to pursue structural changes to the judiciary and Congress. A federal judge permanently blocked most of President Trump’s executive order seeking to overhaul election rules, including a requirement that voters provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering. U.S. District Judge Denise Casper ruled that the Constitution gives authority over elections to states and Congress, not the president, and said the order violated the separation of powers. The ruling is the latest legal setback for Trump’s election agenda, which has faced multiple court challenges over voting rules and mail ballots. The decision comes as Trump continues to push Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that has stalled in the Senate. Ships have begun transiting the Strait of Hormuz under a new evacuation and navigation plan coordinated by the International Maritime Organization, allowing vessels stranded by the recent Iran conflict to leave the Gulf safely. The program is expected to help hundreds of ships and roughly 11,000 seafarers who had been unable to transit one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The initiative became possible after the United States and Iran reached a ceasefire framework, with vessels directed through designated routes via Iranian waters and waters coordinated by Oman and the United States. The reopening of traffic through the strait is a significant step toward restoring global trade flows and reducing concerns about disruptions to energy and shipping markets. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, is demanding answers about the troubled renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after algae blooms and peeling paint appeared shortly after completion of the $14 million-plus project. Garcia sent letters to the two contractors that received no-bid federal contracts, questioning whether taxpayer money was wasted and whether political connections influenced the awards. The inquiry comes as President Donald Trump continues to blame vandalism for the damage, though Democrats have called for the administration to release surveillance footage and other evidence supporting those claims. The contractors maintain that the problems are limited and repairable, while the White House insists the project has been successful and that the Reflecting Pool is functioning as intended. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Justice Department from obtaining medical records of transgender patients treated at New York hospitals, ruling that the subpoenas likely violated constitutional protections. Judge Katherine Polk Failla sharply criticized the government's actions, saying they appeared to be part of an effort to "demonize and eradicate" transgender people and improperly target a vulnerable population. The Justice Department had sought the records as part of an investigation into the alleged misbranding of drugs used in gender-affirming care, but plaintiffs argued the subpoenas threatened patient privacy and medical confidentiality. The ruling grants temporary relief to transgender patients and their families while the court considers whether to issue a longer-term injunction blocking the records request. The United States has provided doses of an experimental Ebola treatment developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical for use in clinical trials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a shift from its previous policy of reserving the drug primarily for Americans. The treatment, known as MBP134, will be tested as health officials respond to a rapidly growing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused more than 1,000 cases and over 250 deaths. The trials, coordinated by the World Health Organization and international partners, will also evaluate antiviral drugs from Gilead Sciences. Researchers hope the studies will determine whether the experimental therapies can safely and effectively treat or prevent Ebola, while also advancing potential regulatory approval for future use. A former Las Vegas youth pastor has been charged with murder and insurance fraud nearly 20 years after his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, fell 1,200 feet to her death while hiking at Zion National Park in 2006. Authorities reopened the case in 2025 after new witnesses came forward, including the pastor who supervised Vander Meer and a former youth group member who said he told her the only way they could be together was if his wife were dead. Investigators also found that Vander Meer had dramatically increased life insurance coverage before the trip and later collected more than $567,000 after her death. Prosecutors now allege the fall was not an accident, and Vander Meer was arrested this week by U.S. Marshals in Las Vegas.
See you soon. — Aaron You’re currently a free subscriber to the Parnas Perspective. For the full experience, more content, and to support Aaron, upgrade your subscription. |
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