Thursday morning news: July 3, 2025

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Big Beautiful Bill latest » House Republican leaders worked through the night and … into the early hours of this morning … trying to win over GOP holdouts on what President Trump calls his “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

He says it will lock in 2017 tax cuts, boost the economy and more.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday …

JOHNSON:  It's impossible. This is a deliberative body. It's a legislative process. By definition. All of us have to give up on our personal preferences. I never gonna ask anybody to compromise core principles, but, but preferences must be yielded for the, for the greater good. And um, that's what I think people are recognizing and coming to grips with.

President Trump also spent much of the day — and night … meeting with and reaching out to Republican members who were still on the fence regarding the bill.

Some conservatives voice concerns that the bill doesn’t do enough to rein in spending … and would add to the national debt.

Democrats have derided the bill as tax breaks for the wealthy … and objected to new work requirements for Medicaid and food stamp recipients.

Israel latest » In Israel:

SOUND: [Demonstrators in Tel Aviv]

Demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to demand the release of all of the Israeli hostages still held by the terror group Hamas. They also called on Israel and Hamas to reach a new ceasefire deal.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said yesterday that's exactly what Israel has wanted all along.

SAAR: Hamas still holds 50 of our hostages in cruel captivity. The war can end tomorrow if it releases them and lays down its arms. We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire.

President Trump says Israel has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed 60-day ceasefire.

Hamas says it's still studying the offer, but that any agreement must ensure an end to the war and Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza.

Ukraine defense » The Pentagon has paused shipments of some missiles and munitions to Ukraine. That comes after a review found depleted U.S. stockpiles.

Officials say the U.S. military has to maintain its sufficient inventory to ensure domestic readiness.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell:

PARNELL:  The department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach towards achieving this objective, while also preserving US military readiness and defense priorities.

Ukrainian officials were reportedly caught off guard by the move and have expressed concern that any pause could embolden Russian attacks.

NATO chief Mark Rutte says “Europeans, in the meantime, are really stepping up.” He adds that European allies have committed $35 billion for Ukraine’s defense this year.

RUTTE: So when it comes to the burden shift from the US to Europe that's taking place, what we cannot do without, uh, the practical US, uh, support.

Among the munitions paused are: Patriot interceptor missiles, Hellfire and Stinger missiles, 155 mm artillery shells, and guided rocket rounds.

Wisconsin abortion law » The Wisconsin Supreme Court is ending longstanding pro-life protections in the state. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more.

BENJAMIN EICHER: The law in question dates back to 1849, just one year after Wiconsin became the 30th state. The law made performing an abortion a felony except when necessary to save the mother’s life.

It fell dormant when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide but came back into dispute after Roe was overturned in 2022.

The court’s liberal majority ruled 4-to-3 that the ban is no longer enforceable. The ruling stated that more recent rules—like restrictions after 20 weeks had effectively replaced the old ban.

Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler dissented, accusing the liberal majority of ignoring legislative authority.

State law protects the unborn in most cases only after about 20 weeks of pregnancy. But abortion is legal up to that point.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Sean Combs verdict » A titan of the music industry could spend years behind bars.

A federal jury convicted rapper and music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs Wednesday of transporting people across state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.

Combs faces a maximum of a decade behind bars. But former federal prosecutor Mitchell Epner says the “likely sentence will be measured in months, not years.”

EPNER: The starting point that the judge will work from under the sentencing guidelines will likely be 15 to 21 months that can go up or down based upon certain considerations.

The 55-year-old Combs did escape a guilty verdict on the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

CA fireworks warehouse fire » Black smoke billowed into the sky west of Sacramento, California after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse.

Authorities said seven people were missing as of last night following the accident.

The explosion triggered several fires and forced evacuations in the area.

People were urged to avoid the area of Esparto and Madison about 40 miles west of Sacramento for several days.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: standing, delegation, and retroactive action…day four of our Legal Docket special reports. Plus, celebrating America’s founders in granite.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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