jury

Judge Rules Jury Will Be Anonymous in Luigi Mangione’s State Murder Trial

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The jury that will decide Luigi Mangione’s state murder case will remain anonymous, a New York judge ruled Tuesday as attorneys moved closer to finalizing preparations for the closely watched trial.

Justice Gregory Carro announced the decision at the start of a Manhattan court hearing, saying jurors’ identities would be protected. While the public will not know the jurors’ identities, the lawyers on both sides are still expected to have access to their names. New York courts generally reserve that level of secrecy for unusually prominent cases or proceedings where juror safety and outside influence are concerns.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 8, with the trial expected to run for approximately six weeks. Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to multiple state charges stemming from the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown.

Mangione’s state case includes a second-degree murder charge, which could carry a sentence of 25 years to life if he is convicted.

One of the next major steps will be determining how prospective jurors are questioned about a case that has already attracted international attention. Carro instructed prosecutors and defense attorneys Tuesday to work together on a jury questionnaire designed to identify possible bias and address concerns from both sides.

It remained unclear when the questionnaire would be completed, though Mangione’s defense told NBC News it expects to have a proposed version this week.

Prospective jurors who clear that initial screening will undergo further questioning through voir dire. Jury questionnaires generally allow attorneys and the judge to learn about candidates’ backgrounds, beliefs and experiences before questioning them more extensively in court.

Former Manhattan prosecutor Rebecca Roiphe told NBC News that prosecutors are likely to pay particular attention to prospective jurors’ experiences with the healthcare system because of the alleged motive in Thompson’s killing.

“I think the prosecution is clearly going to want to keep off people who have some kind of ax to grind about healthcare.”

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Roiphe, a criminal law and ethics professor at New York Law School, said Mangione’s attorneys, meanwhile, could seek jurors with a “healthcare-for-all mindset.”

Attorneys are also likely to scrutinize potential jurors’ attitudes toward law enforcement and politics, Roiphe said, even though the issues surrounding Mangione’s case do not necessarily fall neatly along partisan lines.

Prosecutors have alleged that Mangione was driven by hostility toward the health insurance industry. However, he had never been a UnitedHealthcare customer and had no known connection to Thompson.

Authorities say Mangione followed Thompson and tracked his movements while the healthcare executive was in New York for his company’s investors conference.

Prosecutors allege Mangione approached Thompson outside the Midtown hotel and shot him from behind before leaving New York. He was arrested several days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee at a McDonald’s contacted police.

The case drew widespread attention almost immediately, beginning with the dayslong search for Thompson’s killer and continuing as the shooting became a flashpoint in broader arguments over the cost and accessibility of health care in the United States.

The intense attention surrounding the case was apparent again Tuesday, when the courtroom filled with journalists and some Mangione supporters. Several supporters wore green, apparently in reference to Luigi, the Nintendo character from the Super Mario franchise and its film adaptations.

Mangione entered from a holding area dressed in a gray suit. He looked around the courtroom before sitting beside his attorneys, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan.

The hearing is also expected to be Mangione’s last court appearance before jury selection begins in September. One woman in the gallery wore a shirt that read, “Open the courtroom what are you hiding.”

Supporters, many of them women, have repeatedly appeared at Mangione’s pretrial proceedings, and some have publicly argued that Thompson’s killing was justified.

The level of public interest has also prompted a dispute over how much access journalists and spectators will have once the trial begins.

Before Tuesday’s conference, Mangione’s attorneys and the Manhattan district attorney’s office exchanged arguments over the amount of courtroom space that would be available to the press and members of the public.

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The defense accused prosecutors of improperly attempting to restrict attendance, arguing that limiting access could also influence how the proceedings are covered.

In one of the letters preceding the hearing, Agnifilo accused prosecutors and court officials of exerting improper influence over which reporters would be allowed inside, arguing that the process failed to meet constitutional standards for public access. Prosecutor Joel Seidemann pushed back, calling the accusation “baseless” and asking Carro to reprimand the defense.

Prosecutors disputed that characterization and said their objections were instead tied in part to concerns about protecting witnesses and maintaining the integrity of the proceedings.

“We are particularly concerned about the possibility that a spectator in an overflow room will clandestinely record the proceedings and share any such recordings with others.”

Seidemann also alleged that some Mangione supporters have attempted to intimidate witnesses and interfere with the jury process, adding to prosecutors’ concerns about the “extraordinary pressure on witnesses and potential jurors alike.”

Carro rejected the defense’s assertion that prosecutors were responsible for restricting courtroom access, saying the district attorney’s office does not control those arrangements. He described the allegation of prosecutorial meddling as “a reckless mischaracterization.”

The back-and-forth adds to a series of increasingly sharp exchanges between the two sides as the September trial approaches.

The judge nevertheless announced expanded public and media accommodations for the trial. Following complaints from the defense about possible space constraints, court administrators secured an additional overflow room.

“It has always been under consideration. They had to find the physical place, and it had to be staffed,” Carro said.

Outside the courthouse, Marc Agnifilo said he welcomed the additional space, though he would prefer even more.

“I think it actually changed the complexion of the coverage of the trial. … I think there should be two overflow rooms, but I’ll take one,” Agnifilo said.

Mangione also faces a separate federal prosecution in New York involving stalking-related charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The Justice Department had previously sought the death penalty in the federal case, but capital punishment was removed as a possibility earlier this year.

snap

4 Million Americans No Longer Receiving Food Assistance Through SNAP As Major Cuts Continue 

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has been experiencing major changes and a consistent decline in participation since last July, after a Republican tax and spending package became law. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act had a high volume of changes to the food assistance program following the White House calling SNAP “bloated” while saying it was failing to “serve as temporary help for those who encounter tough times,” according to NPR.

The “most drastic” changes haven’t even occurred yet, however there are already over 4 million people who are estimated to have lost the critical food aid between last July and April, a lot of which are children. 

President of child advocacy group the Children’s Defense Fund, Starsky Wilson, told reporters how “alarmed” he was at how quickly the tax law has impacted so many American citizens. 

“We’re upset about how quickly this has happened. There are some supports that are still staged to go away later this year. So there could be an even greater sense of desperation among children and their families as we come to the end of this year.”

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SNAP itself has been restricting their eligibility throughout the past year, specifically in October when the food assistance program began restructuring their funding model. In order for the program to stay functional, every state will need to pay millions of dollars in additional costs. 

These increased costs have food policy experts warning that many states will likely be driven to scale back, or completely withdraw, from SNAP. Wilson pointed out that if this were to occur, other government assistance programs, like food banks, will not be able to “fill the gap.”

“There’s no replacement for SNAP if a state gets rid of it.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act states that more adults must prove that they work or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month in order to gain access to the benefits. These requirements now apply to veterans, homeless individuals, young adults aging out of foster care, parents with a child between the ages of 14 and 17, and people who are between 55 and 64. 

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the changes made to the work requirements alone will reduce SNAP members by 2.4 million people a month between 2025 and 2034. 

Certain immigrant groups are also now ineligible for food stamps, and while only a small fraction of SNAP recipients are noncitizens, according to data from the federal government, it means that refugees who are seeking asylum and victims of domestic abuse or trafficking, cannot receive federal food aid. 

To look at the bigger picture, last year about 42 million people, roughly 1 in 8 Americans, received food stamps in order to buy their groceries. As of April this year, the total is now 37 million people, according to data from the Agriculture Department. 

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a left-leaning think tank, reported that SNAP participation is down by 11% between last July and April, nationally. Arizona has seen the biggest impact with SNAP enrollment being about half the size it was last year. On average there have been over 400,000 fewer participants. According to the Arizona Food Bank Network, there are more Arizona citizens going to food banks every month than those using food stamps. 

Natalie Jayroe, the CEO of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, said: “We think of ourselves as the canary in the coal mine. We are showing the rest of the country a really scary scenario.”

Louisiana, Florida, and Oklahoma have also seen some of the deepest declines in SNAP users. The CBPP also cited data showing that 19 states, which provided the numbers of children on SNAP, saw over 1 million kids lose their food benefits within the last year. 

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The Agriculture Department also told NPR in July that SNAP benefits in general do tend to fluctuate so the drop within the past year isn’t necessarily connected to any singular policy, and could even be a good sign. “A lot of it is people taking the program that shouldn’t have been, and then a lot of it is just a better economy,” Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins said on FOX Business. 

However, senior policy analyst at CBPP, Katie Bergh, juxtaposes this sentiment and pointed out that even though unemployment rates have remained relatively steady, food prices have continued to increase. “What that’s telling us is that this is not happening because fewer people need help affording groceries. It’s the result of these policy changes.”

Bergh also emphasized that part of the issue is that many state agencies are currently struggling with the amount of staff they have and the high volume of paperwork backlogs. 

“People are calling and calling, and they can’t get through to anyone, or they’re being asked for more and more and more documentation of every aspect of their lives, and maybe they don’t have a way to document everything.”

The upcoming cost burden on states is one of the biggest, and most difficult, challenges that America will be facing. Previously, the federal government split the bill 50-50 with states to cover administrative expenses, like paying and training state agency staff members. In October of this year, the federal government will only be paying 25% with states having to take on the remaining expenses. 

In October 2027, the federal government will no longer cover the full cost of food benefits. 

“There’s really an existential crisis in the future of SNAP,” said Lexie Kuznick, the director of policy and government relations for the American Public Human Services Association.

Kuznick also emphasized how changes to SNAP in general “have ripple effects,” not exclusive to low-income Americans. The National Grocers Association estimates that the drop in shoppers who typically receive food aid will reduce grocery store sales throughout America by $88 billion from now until 2034. 

“Groceries are a significant cost in the lives of low-income families, and it truly is a lifeline for them to be able to meet their family’s needs. We also know how critical the benefits are for entire communities,” Kuznick stated. 

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Second Shooter Remains at Large After Deadly ‘Bite of Seattle’ Gunfire

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Seattle police continued searching Monday for a second suspect in a shooting at a crowded food festival near the Space Needle that killed three people and wounded four others, including a 2-year-old boy.

The gunfire broke out around 6 p.m. Sunday as the annual Bite of Seattle festival was entering its final hours. Investigators believe two people were firing at each other during a confrontation at the Seattle Center campus, where hundreds of food vendors, retailers and performers had gathered for the three-day event.

One suspect surrendered at the scene, while the other escaped, Seattle Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said at a news conference Sunday night.

Davis described the person taken into custody as young and said investigators were questioning them. Officers did not fire their weapons during the confrontation, and investigators recovered two guns from the scene.

Despite the continuing search, Davis said authorities did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public.

Dozens of officers were already working security at the festival when the shooting began, and some officers witnessed one of the suspects firing. A large police and emergency response followed, with authorities evacuating visitors from the sprawling Seattle Center grounds.

Special agents from the Seattle office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to assist local police with the investigation. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, said officials would work to secure any necessary federal resources.

Two victims died at the festival, while a third person later died at a hospital. Authorities identified those killed only by their ages and genders: two men, ages 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman.

Four other people were hospitalized after the shooting. The 2-year-old boy, who was listed in satisfactory condition Monday, was the only injured victim who remained in the hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson. Two men, ages 23 and 27, and a 39-year-old woman had been discharged.

The victims were initially taken to Harborview Medical Center, the region’s highest-level trauma center, with injuries that included gunshot wounds to the arm, leg, abdomen and lower leg, hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said. Another wounded person later arrived at the University of Washington Medical Center.

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Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Grace Nuñez said a 40-year-old woman who sustained minor injuries declined transportation to a hospital.

Davis said investigators had not yet determined whether any of those killed or wounded had participated in the confrontation between the suspected shooters.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson called the shooting “an unbelievable tragedy, a horrific act of violence.”

“My heart right now is with the victims and their families and with everyone in our community who is reeling from what happened here today.”

In a separate statement, Wilson thanked police officers, firefighters, festival employees, hospital workers and bystanders who helped people escape the area or receive medical treatment.

Faith Adia Hunter told The Associated Press that she and her friends had just purchased food from a crepe vendor when people around them began running.

“We were about to start eating, then heard someone yell something, then we saw people start to run. So we took off running, too. We were right next to him when it started, so we took off running.”

Hunter said she and others fled into the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum while trying to find somewhere safe to shelter.

Other festivalgoers said the first sounds were difficult to identify amid the noise of the crowded event. Roberto Ramirez, who was working as a vendor, said he initially thought he was hearing firecrackers. Moments later, people began shouting “shooter” and rushing away from the area.

“Suddenly everything was empty,” Ramirez said. “People were freaked out.”

After the first wave of panic, Ramirez said, people who had not heard about the shooting continued arriving at the festival. Police stopped them and directed them to leave.

Estan Wakonabo told The Associated Press that he and his girlfriend were standing in line for a photo booth when someone shoved him from behind. When he turned around, he saw a crowd of people surging away from the area.

“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling. Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter.”

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“It was a stampede,” Wakonabo later told Seattle television station KING.

Wakonabo said he first escorted his girlfriend to safety and then returned to the scene to take photographs. When he went back, he saw multiple victims lying on the ground.

“There’s bodies everywhere,” he said, referring to people who appeared to have been injured. “I mean, I counted eight.”

Paul Skinner, who was helping operate a booth for the Crave food truck, also said the shots initially sounded like firecrackers.

“We just heard what at first sounded like firecrackers, but it’s just a little too crowded for that kind of thing,” Skinner told KING. “So then, when the crowd started moving quickly in herds, you knew it was something was happening.”

“We all got down and took cover,” he added.

Festival attendee Isaiah Flores Sanches said the celebration transformed almost instantly after the shooting began.

“It went from something being so playful and so joyful to being something so horrific, and I see people on the floor trying to take cover.”

The shooting also forced vendors to abandon their booths as people rushed toward exits. Hours afterward, some vendors remained gathered outside the police perimeter, waiting to learn when they could retrieve their tents, food supplies and cooking equipment.

The Bite of Seattle began in 1982 and is one of the city’s major annual food events. The festival typically attracts about 350,000 attendees, according to its website, along with hundreds of food and retail vendors and live performers. Admission to the three-day festival is free.

“The Bite of Seattle is a very positive event,” Davis said. “We haven’t had any issues in recent years.”

The Seattle Center complex was developed around structures constructed for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, including the Space Needle, the Seattle Center Monorail and the building originally known as the Coliseum.

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Nolan Wells’ Independent Autopsy Leaves Cause of Death Undetermined

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An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Wells did not determine how the 18-year-old died, but the forensic pathologist who conducted the examination said foul play could not be ruled out.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump disclosed the preliminary findings Wednesday during a news conference at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago. The report classified both Wells’ cause and manner of death as “undetermined” while the investigation continues.

“These findings are inconclusive … pending further investigation,” Crump said. Although he acknowledged that the examination did not uncover evidence establishing wrongdoing, he added, “This pathologist cannot rule out if any intervening non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells.”

“There’s so many people out in the public asking all of these questions, but the only question that we have is what happened to our son,” Wells’ mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, told the crowd before the findings were announced.

Wells disappeared July 4 after traveling to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi coast that can be reached only by boat, to celebrate the holiday with friends from high school. His body was discovered two days later on the island’s northwestern shore by a U.S. park ranger.

Wells was the only Black person among the group of friends who took the Independence Day trip and the only member of the group who did not return. Although investigators have not said they found evidence of foul play, concerns that race may have played a role have helped draw national attention to the case.

Exactly when Wells was last seen that afternoon remains unclear. His friends told investigators that their boat began taking on water, forcing them to leave the island earlier than planned. According to their account, Wells chose to remain behind and said he would return later with others.

When the teenager failed to come home, his mother reported him missing around midnight. Few details have since been released by law enforcement about what happened between his friends’ departure and the discovery of his body, contributing to widespread questions about the case.

In a July 8 statement, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office asked members of the public for assistance as investigators continued examining Wells’ disappearance and death. “As with any active investigation, our investigators are working to establish the facts through eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, and other reliable information,” the department said.

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Wells’ parents and Crump have challenged suggestions from authorities that he drowned. They have said Wells was an athletic and capable swimmer and argued that the circumstances presented to them do not add up.

Wells-Wonsley accused local authorities of prematurely treating her son’s death as an accident, saying that assumption had already influenced public perceptions of the case.

“Damage has already been done because that’s the narrative that’s being pushed by the general public.”

However, people familiar with Horn Island have told NBC News that strong currents, particularly near the island’s western side, could have quickly pulled Wells away and caused him to drown.

The independent examination was conducted July 10, six days after Wells disappeared and four days after his body was recovered, Crump said. Dr. Roger Mitchell, a board-certified forensic pathologist and president of the National Medical Association, performed the autopsy. Crump described the organization as the country’s oldest and largest association representing Black physicians.

Mitchell did not attend Wednesday’s news conference. The condition in which the pathologist received Wells’ body prevented him from completing a comprehensive forensic examination. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick paid for the independent autopsy.

According to the report, Mitchell was unable to determine whether Wells was conscious when he entered the water. He also could not establish how the teenager came to be in the water in the first place.

Crump described Wells’ physical condition immediately before he entered the water as the “crux of the matter.”

“It would be of utmost importance to be able to determine a cause and manner of death,” he said.

The independent report followed an initial autopsy conducted by the state. Because that examination “rightfully removed and dissected each organ,” Crump said, Mitchell could not “directly observe” Wells’ lungs to look for evidence of water intake or examine the contents of his stomach. The preliminary report also did not include toxicology results.

In addition, parts of Wells’ throat were no longer inside his body by the time Mitchell received it for examination.

Red discoloration was identified on the back of Wells’ head. Because Wells’ body had significantly decomposed before the independent examination, Mitchell could not determine whether it had sustained bruising. The examination did not reveal any lacerations or fractures.

“Therefore, this pathologist cannot rule out injury to the neck as a contributor or a cause of death.”

Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd told NBC News on Tuesday that the state’s autopsy report remained unfinished. The coroner’s office is awaiting the completion of toxicology testing by the medical examiner’s office before releasing its conclusions.

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Wells-Wonsley said the delay in receiving the official findings contributed to the family’s decision to seek a separate examination.

“It is our hope that our local authorities will do what they need to do, because us having the preliminary autopsy results and hearing nothing from them — it’s heartbreaking, and it’s concerning. Which again is why we are here, why we have asked for this help.”

Wells’ father, Elmore Wonsley, similarly appealed for transparency as the investigation proceeds, saying, “We just want honesty.”

“We want to know what happened to our son because the things that you’re telling us — that’s not the character of our son. We know our son,” he added.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson used Wednesday’s news conference to claim authorities failed to investigate Wells’ death adequately.

“We are accusing them of being derelict in their duties to follow up and to ensure that, regardless of what happened, there was a proper investigation.”

The organization also adopted a resolution last week asking law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, to “complete an in-depth and openly transparent review of how Nolan came to be left on the island and of all activities” preceding the discovery of his body.

Crump also raised questions Wednesday about what Wells was wearing when his body was located. Authorities have said the teenager was found wearing only swim trunks, but Crump suggested that the United Cajun Navy, which helped conduct the search, told the family that Wells was also wearing a T-shirt.

Brian Trascher of the United Cajun Navy disputed that account following the news conference.

“I observed the body from the air, and he was (visibly) wearing only swim trunks that matched the photos taken of him that day,” Trascher told NBC News.

Trascher also accused Crump of having “misrepresented” what the volunteer organization “has said publicly and privately to the family.”

The uncertainty surrounding Wells’ death has attracted national attention and prompted several prominent figures to support efforts to obtain more information. The Rev. Al Sharpton, former NFL player Terrell Owens and actor and producer Tyler Perry have collectively offered $125,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Wells’ death, Crump announced in a Tuesday news release.

Wells was buried Monday following a funeral service in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. His friends, relatives and teammates gathered afterward for a celebration.

The teenager played football for both Ocean Springs High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College. Relatives and friends remembered him at Monday’s service as a cherished son, brother, friend and teammate.

“For an 18-year-old young man to no longer be with us, we want answers, not bias either way: just answers,” Sharpton said while delivering the eulogy. “I think that for the family, the closure can come if there is justice.”

During the service at Center Pointe Church, Wells-Wonsley remembered her son as someone whose presence made the people around him feel accepted.

“Nolan had such a gentle, calming spirit about him. He had a way of making people feel seen, welcome, and valued,” she said. “He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belonged.”

“Share his stories, and never stop saying his name. As long as we continue to remember him, his light will continue to shine through us all.”

white house

Trump Says July 4th Celebration Will Feature ‘TRUMP RALLY’ on National Mall

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President Donald Trump said Monday that the Independence Day celebration on the National Mall will include what he described as a “TRUMP RALLY,” adding a distinctly political framing to an event traditionally centered on the country rather than any one president or party.

The main July 4th event on the National Mall, known as the “Salute to America,” is expected to include a parade, military demonstrations and other activities before concluding with a fireworks display over the monuments, according to the National Park Service.

Freedom 250, a public-private partnership launched by the White House last year, had previously announced the July 4th event as the nation’s “premier Independence Day celebration,” but did not mention Trump’s involvement.

“Set against the iconic backdrop of the National Mall, Salute to America will bring together citizens from every corner of the country to honor and celebrate the United States,” Freedom 250 said in a release earlier this month.

But Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the evening would also serve as a large-scale rally tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration.

“On July 4th, at The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, in beautiful and safe Washington D.C., we are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ‘TRIBUTE TO AMERICA. Starting at 7 P.M. EST, this HUGE Celebration will honor our Country’s People, Spirit, Strength, Resolve, and Triumphs.”

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Trump also said the event would include what he described as the largest fireworks show in history.

The announcement stands out because celebrations marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence have generally been treated as nonpartisan commemorations of the nation as a whole. Trump, however, has repeatedly placed himself at the center of events connected to America’s semiquincentennial.

His latest plans follow other instances in which he has faced criticism for using the presidency to elevate his own image or advance personal interests during events that would typically be viewed as apolitical national celebrations.

After several artists withdrew from a concert series connected to the “Great American State Fair,” Trump made himself the host of an opening ceremony celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

Some performers who backed out reportedly said they had not realized how closely the event was tied to Trump. Trump later promoted the June 24th event as “a Rally to end all Rallies!”

On Sunday, his 80th birthday, Trump also hosted a UFC fight night at the White House, an event billed in part as a celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. His family simultaneously promoted a business venture tied to the spectacle, selling gold coins priced at up to $12,000.

Some of Trump’s supporters praised the White House UFC event as a way to rally Americans around the anniversary.

“Fight for freedom. Fight for our way of life. Fight for America,” the Homeland Security Department wrote on X.

Democrats, meanwhile, have criticized Trump’s growing role in the anniversary celebrations as improper and potentially unethical, with some opening investigations into sponsorships connected to the events.

The president’s July 4th announcement also comes after several states declined to take part in the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall. Officials have said many of those decisions were driven largely by cost, though a spokesperson in one Democratic-led state cited concerns about the event’s partisan tone.

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The event will be staged against the backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, which he said he recently renovated. The Interior Department is still working to remove “residual algae” from the Reflecting Pool.

Trump previously delivered remarks at the Lincoln Memorial during the White House’s “Salute to America” celebration on July 4th in 2019, though critics at the time argued the event resembled a political rally.

In recent days, Trump has also invoked the site’s history, comparing the crowd for his 2019 address near the Reflecting Pool to the crowd that gathered there for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“That’s where MLK made his great speech, and they said he had a million people. And I made a speech there for July 4th a few years ago and … that was packed. They said I had 25,000 people. They said [King] had a million, but when you look at the picture, the people were packed even tighter at mine. I had more people than him, but they said I had 25,000, he had a million. But I’m not going to argue with Martin Luther King.”

In his Monday post, Trump said the July 4th rally would feature military bands, orchestras and ceremonial units performing what he called “patriotic melodies,” as well as favorite hits from his own “playlist.”

“We will have none of those people that put you to sleep and constantly complain!” the president said, appearing to refer to artists who have criticized him.

“There will be incredible Flyovers and Airshows featuring our Top Military Pilots and Equipment, and I will deliver keynote remarks that you will not want to miss.”

The National Mall has long hosted July Fourth celebrations, including the 1976 bicentennial, which drew an estimated 1 million people. President Gerald Ford marked the bicentennial with a formal address in Philadelphia earlier that day, but did not speak to the crowd gathered on the Mall.

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Solar Power Generating More Energy Than Coal In The US For The First Time 

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For the first time on record, solar power is generating more energy than coal and became the leading source of new power in the United States, despite President Donald Trump boosting coal use over clean energy. 

This week, global energy thinktank Ember, a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association, and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie released data that showed a continuous growth of solar power and a decline of coal in America, despite federal policies trying to lead the nation in the opposite direction. 

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Electricity in general is produced by converting sources of energy into electrical power. These sources of energy are generally fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable resources. Burning coal, oil, and natural gases have long emitted carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which traps heat and warms the planet. 

On the other hand, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and nuclear energy are carbon-free. 

The data showed that in May of this year, solar energy provided more of the country’s electricity than coal for the first time with 12.8%, according to Ember. Coal, on the other hand, supplied 12.2%, which is its fourth-lowest monthly share ever, the Guardian reported.

“For years solar power has risen in the US electricity mix,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. 

“At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the US mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”

Fulghum went on to explain that solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the US in May, while coal hit an all-time monthly low in April, which is what allowed solar energy to overtake. 

Electricity demand has been constantly increasing within the 21st century. In the last few years especially, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, growth in domestic manufacturing, and electric transportation and heating have all contributed to the type of energy being consumed around the US. 

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Fulghum stated that he’s expecting more months of solar energy exceeding coal, and eventually, this will become an annual pattern.  

He added that this milestone shows that solar “has staying power” during a time period in the world where renewable energy isn’t being supported on a federal level. 

Ember gets its hourly and monthly data from the US Energy Information Administration. According to the International Energy Agency, globally, electricity from renewables is increasing quickly with renewables becoming the largest global energy source. It’s projected that renewable energy will be used for almost 45% of electricity by 2030. 

Last week Trump announced a plan to boost the struggling US coal industry by spending up to $700 million to support both coal-fired power plants and coal exports. 

Martin Pochtaruk, CEO and founder of Heliene, a solar panel manufacturer based in Canada, stated that regardless of Trump stating that coal is coming back, investors will invest their money in what the data shows is bringing the best return, and solar power is becoming the fastest-growing fuel, according to the Guardian. 

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement: “The President has reversed the Left’s devastating policies, saved the American coal industry, prevented the retirement of more than 17 gigawatts of power, and saved lives during heightened demand periods.”

Seia said that while Trump is trying to bring back the coal industry to its original power, solar has been the top source for new power for five years. Both Seia and Wood Mackenzie stated that solar and battery storage were almost the only energy resources being built in the first quarter, and made up 91% of all new generating capacity.

health insurance

8% Of Americans Didn’t Have Health Insurance In 2025, That Number Could Rise 

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According to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8% of the American population went without health insurance in 2025. 

The national survey was released last week, and showed that the all-ages uninsured rate had remained significantly down from where it was several years ago, according to reports from AP. However, the number of uninsured Americans is expected to rise as the Trump administration’s changes to the nation’s healthcare industry begin to take effect. 

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For example, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, major changes to Medicaid passed into law last year could result in 10 million more Americans going without insurance over the next 10 years. Medicaid is the government’s safety-net health program for low-income Americans. 

Another contribution to the percentage is the expiration of certain Affordable Care Act subsidies that helped offset premium costs. Healthcare research nonprofit KFF stated that about 5 million fewer people are expected to enroll in those specific programs throughout 2026 when compared to 2025. 

The government itself utilizes multiple programs to track Americans’ insurance status. Many researchers consider the US Census Bureau to “be the official scorekeeper,” according to David Howard, a health policy and management professor. However, the CDC survey results track closely with the Bureau and offer complete data from all of 2025. 

The survey showed that the number of insured and uninsured citizens stayed roughly the same in 2025 as 2024, however, the number of uninsured did grow by about 800,000. 300,000 of that growth are children, and the overall increase in the US population partially explains that. 

The results also suggested a possible increase among Hispanic Americans, according to AP, which could parallel the impact of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. 

Most Americans 65 and older have health insurance through the federal Medicare program, and younger Americans are mainly covered through public and private insurance programs. 

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The percentage of Americans under 65 who were uninsured has actually increased consistently throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. In 1980 the percentage sat at 12% and increased to 18% by 2010 following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. 

In 2016, the percentage dropped to 10% before increasing to 12% during Trump’s first administration, according to data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

The Covid-19 pandemic actually had more people insured due to government policies that were put in place so citizens could maintain their coverage. A long term impact of this was having the rate hit an all-time low in 2023 which was below 9%. 

While we can’t exactly predict how the uninsured percentage will increase in the coming year, all experts agree that we will see a rise due to the changes made to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. 

“The decisions being made now — in Congress, state legislatures and state Medicaid agencies — will determine what happens next,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association.

“Policymakers should act immediately to protect and expand access to affordable coverage, strengthen Medicaid and maintain pathways that make coverage and care accessible,” she said. 

“Without deliberate action, including reversing dramatic cuts to coverage, uninsured rates will continue to rise, putting quality health care further out of reach.”

diapers

California Becomes First US State To Provide Free Diapers For Newborns 

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Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a first-in-the-nation program in which families welcoming newborn babies will be able to receive hundreds of free diapers before they even leave the hospital. 

Once enacted, during the program’s first year the free diaper packages will be offered at between 65 to 75 hospitals that handle around 25% of births in the state and are aimed to largely help low-income patients, according to Newsom’s office. 

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The initiative will eventually expand to more hospitals throughout California, but it’s unclear how many at this time. The state has partnered with nonprofit Baby2Baby to manufacture the diapers under the label “Golden State Start,” according to AP. 

Newsom explained that this initiative is a part of the much larger goal of making living in California, one of the most expensive states, easier for families. Other initiatives within this goal included providing students with free meals at school and making preschool free for all kids.

“Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life — and that means making sure parents have the basics they need from day one,” Newsom said in a statement. 

California set aside $7.4 million in last year’s budget to roll out the initiative, and another $12.5 million is included in this year’s budget proposal to implement the program for the upcoming fiscal year ending in June 2027. 

The program will allow each family to receive 400 diapers in sizes for newborns and babies up to 14 pounds when they are discharged from the hospital after birth. Newborns, on average, go through about eight to 10 diapers a day, so the amount should last a little more than a month. 

Baby2Baby is a nonprofit that provides families in need with essential items. The organization built a manufacturing system that allows them to produce diapers for 80% less than the retail price, according to co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof. 

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“California is once again setting the standard of what it means to show up for mothers and babies,” added co-CEO Norah Weinstein.

Tennessee and Delaware are two other states that have similar programs to help low-income families. The two became the first US states to offer free diapers to families enrolled in their Medicaid programs. 

Tennessee families specifically can go to pharmacies to pick up 100 diapers per month for children under two. The Delaware program provides individuals with up to 80 diapers and up to one pack of baby wipes per week in the first 12 weeks of their life. 

California’s Medicaid system doesn’t cover diapers for newborns but it does cover the items for enrollees ages 5 and older if they have a medical need. 

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, families spend around $100 a month on diapers per child. California officials are looking forward to easing a lot of that burden for new families. 

“The first days at home with a newborn should be focused on the love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about affording diapers,” said Kim Johnson, the state’s health secretary.

“This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with greater stability and peace of mind.”

Arcadia Mayor

Arcadia Mayor Resigns After Agreeing to Plead Guilty to Acting As Illegal Agent for China

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The mayor of a Southern California city has stepped down after federal prosecutors announced she agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.

Eileen Wang, 58, who had served as mayor of Arcadia since February, agreed to plead guilty to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government in the United States after admitting that she worked with another man to advance messaging favorable to the People’s Republic of China, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a May 11 news release.

Arcadia is located about 15 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city has roughly 54,000 residents, and about 59% of its population is Asian American, according to the U.S. Census.

Arcadia City Council stated that Wang resigned from her post on Monday. She is expected to formally enter the plea in the coming weeks, prosecutors said. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Wang’s attorneys, Jason Liang and Brian Sun, said in a statement that Wang accepts responsibility for “past personal mistakes.”

“Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver,” they added.

“This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.

“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy.”

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Wang’s alleged conduct occurred before she took office in Arcadia, according to city officials. She was sworn in to the City Council in December 2022 and became mayor earlier this year. Arcadia’s mayor is chosen from the five-member City Council on a rotating basis, allowing each council member to serve about 9.5 months during their 4-year term.

Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a statement that the City Council will choose a new mayor at its next meeting.

“The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously,” Lazzaretto said.

“We want to be clear: this investigation concerns individual conduct, and the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms. Wang was sworn into office in December 2022. Following an internal review, we can confirm that no City finances, staff, or decision-making processes were involved.”

City Council actions are taken by the body as a whole, and “no single member holds unilateral authority,” Lazzaretto added. “We have found no actions that require reconsideration or that are invalidated as a result of these developments.”

Federal prosecutors said Wang worked with Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, to promote Chinese government propaganda in the U.S. Sun is currently serving a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to the same foreign-agent charge.

Between late 2020 and 2022, Wang and Sun operated U.S. News Center, a website that appeared to be aimed at the region’s Chinese American community. The two posted pro-China content on the website at the direction of Chinese government operatives.

One example cited by prosecutors involved a June 2021 message from a Chinese government official to Wang and others in a group chat. The official allegedly sent pre-written articles, including one that had been published in the Los Angeles Times as a letter to the editor rejecting allegations of forced labor and genocide in China’s Xinjiang region.

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Wang later posted the same article to her website.

Two months later, in August 2021, Wang allegedly revised the article after the Chinese official requested changes. Prosecutors stated she then sent the official a link to the post and a screenshot showing it had received more than 15,000 views.

The official responded, “Great!” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Wang replied, “Thank you, leader.”

“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.

“It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.”

Prosecutors also described Wang’s connection to another man, John Chen, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered agent and bribing an Internal Revenue Service agent.

Sun, meanwhile, had previously coordinated with Chinese officials on several efforts, including organizing support for a political candidate he described to Beijing as a “new political star.” The Los Angeles Times identified that candidate as Wang.

Sun served as Wang’s city council campaign adviser and was described by prosecutors as a “close personal confidante.” After Wang won election to the council, she and Sun attended a meeting with people Sun described as a team “dedicated” to Chinese interests, according to Sun’s plea agreement.

phones

Phone Bans Increase Throughout US Schools To Better Student Engagement 

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Throughout the US, school districts are implementing bans and restrictions on cellphones in the classroom in order to better student engagement and behavior. In fact, according to a new survey from Education Week’s Research Center, 95% of educators say that their school or district has an official policy restricting students’ access to their phones during school hours. 

The survey was conducted from mid-February to mid-March and included 596 teachers and school and district leaders. 

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The report showed that, in general, teachers, principals, and district leaders reported positive results from their restrictions, specifically pointing out improvements in student participation and behavior. 7 in 10 educators said that phone limits have had a positive impact within those two areas. 

“A lot of educators are seeing benefits from the cellphone restrictions on engagement, behavior, well-being, and learning,” said Bridgette Whaley, an associate professor of education at West Texas A&M University. 

“The survey also made it clear to me that having a policy is not the same thing as implementing it well. How the policy is designed and how consistently it’s enforced really seem to matter a lot.”

On the other end, educators said that attendance is one area where cellphone restrictions are not impacting student behavior. 7 in 10 reported that cellphone restrictions didn’t have a positive nor negative impact.

A district-level administrator in Oklahoma who participated in an open-response section of the survey discussed how the state recently “mandated a cellphone policy that restricts the usage of personal devices during the school day.” 

“It has been a game changer regarding student engagement, focus, and minimizing poor student behavior.” 

A high school teacher in Tennessee said that for them, “the state, district, and school policies have helped to foster more person-to-person interaction and people skills. The policies have also focused student attention more on learning content.”

In recent years there has been a very rapid increase in policy and lawmakers from both parties placing restrictions on cellphones in schools in the US. Education Week reported that at least 37 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones in school. Some of the other states not in that group are either incentivizing or recommending local districts enact their own policies. 

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Whaley pointed out that many schools do not require students to lock their phones away in lockers during the day. 

“Instead, they seem to be relying more on compliance-based approaches, like keeping [phones] turned off or placed in backpacks or maybe somewhere else in the classroom,” she said. 

“That really matters because it suggests that many schools may have restrictions on paper, but the actual enforcement often depends on the people rather than the policy or the structure.”

The survey also showed that some educators don’t see cellphone rules being enforced with 64% saying they are and 36% saying they were not. 

“A policy can look consistent from a leadership perspective, but not be as consistent in classrooms. That’s why I think that the teacher’s perspective matters so much to the conversation,” Whaley said. 

A high school teacher in California: “While the school rule is no cellphone use in the classroom except for at the teacher’s discretion, not all teachers enforce this rule. Last year, fed up with fighting students’ cellphone use, I bought and began using cellphone pockets. For the most part, this has eradicated the cellphone distraction in my class, but not all teachers do this.”

“We are starting to make changes to reduce technology usage across the district and implementing a stricter cellphone policy due to parent [and] community requests,” a Minnesota high school teacher said. 

“The enforcement is what is the most difficult. We are not consistent in classrooms.”

“With our cellphone policy, we see very few cellphones in classes, but many students still don’t turn them in like they are supposed to,” said a school leader of a middle school in Massachusetts. 

“I think students are still definitely using phones in the bathroom and during breaks. One of the biggest challenges that I see with phones is what happens outside of the school building that then is brought in here.”