Republicans Celebrate Independence Day by Pickpocketing American Families

The Latest Tonight

Publicly, Hamas says it is reviewing a ceasefire proposal sent by the US, which President Trump claimed Israel accepted earlier this week.

But behind the scenes, it’s a different—yet familiar—story. Hamas argues the deal is a recycled agreement that offers zero guarantees Israel will actually stop attacking Gaza. Instead, Trump is offering verbal assurances that he will hold Israel back for at least 60 days.

The details from Drop Site News:

“Hamas officials have come under increased pressure from Palestinians in Gaza, including members of their own families and tribes, to make a deal. All of Hamas’s representatives outside Gaza have lost family members during the genocide. Several Hamas representatives have told Drop Site in recent weeks that they feel a heavy burden to find a path to an agreement that does not amount to a surrender of the Palestinian liberation cause, which is why they have sought to draw red lines around the issues of full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire.

"Citing a 'member of the political echelon'—a phrase almost exclusively used to signal leaks from Netanyahu—Israel’s Channel 14 reported Wednesday that the current ceasefire deal would include a secret side letter from Trump permitting Israel to 'renew the fire if our demands with regards to the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its leaders are not met.'"

More on the latest from Gaza below.

Also trending tonight:

The Big, Fat, Bullshit Bill

On Friday — in a cunningly timed event — Trump signed his “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law during a tacky White House ceremony meant to make him look like a hero bestowing Americans with a gift they didn’t know they needed — because they don’t.

The bill makes Trump’s 2017 tax cuts — which disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans — permanent while cutting key social safety net programs for the lowest-income Americans.

The Senate passed the bill 51-50 with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, sending it to the House. On Thursday, the House passed the bill 218-214, meeting Trump's artificially imposed July 4 deadline — designed to pressure Republicans to fall in line and prevent them from carefully considering the bill’s implications. Many lawmakers didn’t even read the 887-page bill.

And all of that, for what? Trump adores being adored. The optics of signing a bill he falsely touts as a boon for the US and most Americans on the country’s 250th birthday were too fun for him to pass up.

Let’s start with the “bad.” The bill:

• doesn’t just extend the tax cuts but makes them permanent, eliminating $4.5 trillion in tax revenue
• will add around $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next ten years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
• cuts nearly $1 trillion — or roughly 18% of Medicaid’s budget — to offset the lost revenue from tax breaks for the wealthy, by imposing stricter requirements, adding fees, and creating red tape to exhaust people into giving up. The CBO estimates 11.8 million Americans will lose healthcare coverage in the next decade. Republicans argue many are illegally receiving benefits or should lose them if unwilling to meet the new guidelines.
• cuts 20% from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps low-income families and millions of children, by forcing states to shoulder some costs and changing benefit qualifications. Both moves will reduce benefits. (WSJ)

There are a few benefits in the bill for Americans who need them — but unlike the permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, these benefits expire in 2028, just in time for the end of Trump’s term. The bill:

• increases the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,200. But one expert says 19.3 million children won’t be eligible for the full increase because their families don’t make enough money. (Does that make ANY sense?) (Newsweek)
• provides a $6,000 tax break for seniors 65+ earning under $75,000, which the White House is touting as “no tax on Social Security” — which is false.
• sunsets the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit and instead offers up to a $10,000 tax credit for American-made car purchases
• allows workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tip income from federal taxes, but only if they earn less than $150,000
• adds a deduction for up to $12,500 of overtime pay for single filers and $25,000 for married couples on federal taxes

The Politics of It All

• Along the way, there were fleeting glimmers of hope that some Republicans — worried about how Medicaid cuts might impact their constituents and re-election chances — would grow a spine. Alas, whatever they did manage to grow, Trump promptly knocked out.
  • Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski looked grief-stricken after casting her “yes” vote, essentially admitting the bill was bad for Americans but good for Alaskans. To secure her support, Republicans gave Murkowski several concessions for her home state. (CNN)
  • Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who just weeks ago called the bill “morally wrong and politically suicidal,” changed his mind after scoring some treats for his constituents. (The Hill)
  • Murkowski and Hawley weren’t alone; other lawmakers secured special deals in the bill. (Politico)
  • Trump summoned the holdouts to the White House on Wednesday and, magically, everyone capitulated. “Most Republican lawmakers relented on their concerns with the bill when it came up in the House the first time after Trump and the White House deployed a strong pressure campaign, cajoling the members to get on board.” (The Hill)
  • It did not go unnnoticed that all fell-in-line even though no changes were made to the bill. "A conga line of angsty Republican lawmakers filed through the West Wing on Wednesday... They walked out with signed merchandise, photos in the Oval Office and, by some accounts, a newfound appreciation for the bill — targets all of a blunt-force charm offensive waged with precision by the president." (The New York Times)

Le (Republican) Resistance

• Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) refused to vote for the bill, arguing it would force his state to make “painful decisions” about Medicaid and cut “critical services.” Trump threatened Tillis, warning he’d work to ensure Tillis lost the Republican primary in his next election. Tillis announced his retirement immediately. (Politico)

• Two House Republicans voted “no” on the bill: Thomas Massie of Kentucky — citing the bill’s impact on the deficit — and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania — unhappy with Medicaid cuts. Trump has threatened both with primary challenges, too. (ABC News | Politico | Newsweek)

Alligators & Immigration

The bill green-lights another $175 billion for immigration, including $45 billion for immigration detention facilities, $46.5 billion for a wall along the US-Mexico border, and $6 billion for border technology and surveillance.

The bill will also fund hiring 10,000 additional ICE officers. “According to estimates from the World Food Programme, the funds going towards deportation would also be enough to fully fund the program to end world hunger for four years.”

"According to AIC Senior Fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, each year ICE will now be flush with more cash than the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Bureau of Prisons combined. (The New Republic)

On Wednesday, Trump visited “Alligator Alcatraz,” an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. The 3,000-bed facility was built in eight days to handle the influx of immigrants detained by the Trump Administration.

• Human rights groups say the facility is cruel given its location, which will subject detainees to intense heat and mosquitos. Native American groups argue the facility is built on sacred land and will damage the Everglades’ ecosystem. In fact, heavy rains flooded the facility just as the first detainees were arriving. (AP)
• Five Florida Democratic lawmakers tried to visit the facility to inspect both the interior and exterior but were blocked by authorities citing a “safety concern” without specifying what they were. “The lawmakers said in a joint statement that Florida law allows state legislators to ‘have full access to inspect any state-operated facility.’" (CNN)
• Why they’re calling it Alligator Alcatraz: “Clearly from a security perspective, if someone escapes, there’s a lot of alligators you’re going to have to contend with,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “No one is going anywhere once you do that. It’s as safe and secure as you can be.”

Denaturalization

The Justice Department is prioritizing investigations of naturalized citizens it deems national security threats or suspects of having attained citizenship through fraud. The goal is to strip them of their status — a process known as denaturalization. (The memo)

• “Denaturalization cases historically have most often been deployed against people accused of hiding their past ties to war crimes, terrorist groups and human rights violations while applying for citizenship, according to experts and data on cases brought by the government. Many of the most prominent cases, for instance, involved people who hid their connections to the Nazis when applying for U.S. citizenship.” (Washington Post)
• While this process is entirely legal — last expanded under President Obama and used by President Biden as well — it remains rare because the naturalization process itself is already rigorous, meaning there are few cases worth pursuing.
• Leave it to the religious right to quickly list all those they’d deport if they could, including Mamdani, who is Muslim, brown, and therefore a danger in Republican eyes.
• Because denaturalizations are pursued in civil courts, defendants do not have a right to a court-appointed attorney if they can’t afford one themselves.

GAZA

GHF Whistleblowers

US contractors working for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) are firing live ammunition and stun grenades at starving Palestinians traveling to and from aid stations to collect food. Hundreds have been killed at the aid stations since they opened.

• Two sources who work for GHF told the AP that “the security staff hired were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished.”
• “Videos provided by one of the contractors and taken at the sites show hundreds of Palestinians crowded between metal gates, jostling for aid amid the sound of bullets, stun grenades and the sting of pepper spray. Other videos include conversation between English-speaking men discussing how to disperse crowds and encouraging each other after bursts of gunfire.” (AP)
• The company claims there have been no injuries at GHF sites. However, firsthand accounts from Palestinians at the sites, along with corroborating testimony from local medical professionals including international doctors, confirm that people have been shot—sometimes seemingly targeted—at the sites.
• WATCH: BBC’s report on GHF killings, featuring a contractor who says they were told to “shoot to kill and ask questions later” if they felt threatened. (BBC on YouTube)

Gaza Headlines

• This week, one of the most notable strikes was a 500-lb bomb Israel dropped on a seaside café on Monday, popular among journalists because it offered rare internet access in the enclave. At least 33 people were killed, including Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Abu Hatab. Israel has killed 228 journalists in Gaza since October 2023. It has banned all other international media from independent access. (Drop Site News | +972 Magazine)

• Israeli forces killed renowned Palestinian cardiologist Marwan al-Sultan in his home, along with his wife, sister, daughter, and son-in-law. He was one of only two heart specialists left in Gaza.
  • Healthcare Workers Watch, a Palestinian group monitoring attacks on healthcare workers, says al-Sultan is the 70th healthcare worker killed by Israel in the last 50 days.
  • “The Israeli military told NBC News that it had targeted a ‘key terrorist’ from Hamas in the Gaza City area and was reviewing reports of the incident involving Sultan. It added that it regretted any harm caused to ‘uninvolved individuals’ and was taking steps to mitigate such harm.”
  • Photos from HWW show the apartment where al-Sultan had just returned. Looks pretty intentional. (NBC News)

• UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese revealed a list of 48 corporations complicit in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. The list includes major US companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet – Google’s parent company. (Al Jazeera)
• Members of Betar, an extremist, racist pro-Israel group, have been planning dangerous countermeasures against pro-Palestinian protesters, according to an investigation by Drop Site News.
  • The group is notorious for doxxing college students who participate in anti-genocide protests.
  • In group chats, members gleefully discuss protesting outside mosques, blinding pro-Palestinian protesters with laser beams, burning Qurans, and impersonating people online to manufacture scandals.
  • Many in the group claim connections to ICE officials, a local New York assemblyman, Israeli politicians, members of Shin Bet (Israel’s intelligence agency), and others. (Drop Site News)
• Israel is preventing baby formula from entering Gaza, according to multiple medical professionals. One British doctor told France’s Le Monde that he packed three cans of baby formula to bring into Gaza, but Israeli soldiers confiscated them during a search without explanation.
  • All Palestinians in Gaza are facing severe food shortages due to Israel’s aid blockade. Extreme malnutrition is preventing breastfeeding mothers from producing enough milk for their babies.
  • The UN has warned for months that children could die unless Israel lets baby formula through. This week, two children—just 5 months and 10 days old—died of malnutrition. Between March and mid-May, during Israel’s total aid blockade, 57 children died of malnutrition. UNICEF reported 5,000 children between 6 months and 5 years old were treated for acute, life-threatening malnutrition in May alone.

• Additionally, Israel is making it increasingly difficult for international doctors to enter Gaza.
  • Israel has sealed off South Gaza and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt—previously used for medical missions—forcing all aid workers to travel through Amman, Jordan, and then pass through Israeli territory. “COGAT often issues refusals the day before leaving Amman, even though WHO-approved applications are submitted two weeks in advance,” Le Monde reports.
  • Before the war, international medical missions supported Gaza’s skilled doctors. But since the conflict began, Israel has killed over 1,000 medical workers and detained many more. Now, the few doctors allowed in are left assisting inexperienced local staff who must treat complex injuries and illnesses with limited training and scarce supplies. (Le Monde)

Headlines

• Deported & Tortured: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador’s brutal CECOT prison, says he was tortured and lost 31 pounds. Salvadoran officials found no gang ties as Trump claimed. (Politico)
• National Park Fees Hike: Foreign visitors to US national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite will pay higher fees under Trump’s new executive order. (WSJ)
• $7B in School Funds Frozen: The Education Department paused $7 billion in pre-approved school funds, pending review over concerns of a “radical left-wing agenda.” Only Congress can allocate funds. (WSJ)
• EPA Crackdown: EPA put 144 employees on leave and reassigned 175 more after they protested the agency’s politicization under Trump. EPA cited a zero-tolerance policy for undermining the administration. (The letter | FOX)
• Global Trade Deadline Flop: Trump’s 90-day ultimatum for nearly 170 countries to strike individual trade deals or face crushing tariffs expires Wednesday. Experts long warned the plan was impossible. Now, instead of reaching deals, Trump says the US will just send letters to countries telling them their new tariff rates if no deal is in place. The letters start going out Friday. (The Hill)
  • Vietnam agreed to a deal: 20% tariffs on its own goods and 40% on goods made elsewhere but routed through Vietnam. (CNBC)
• CBS Defamation Settlement Raises Press Fears: Paramount — parent company of CBS News — agreed to settle Trump’s $16 million defamation suit over an interview with Kamala Harris that Trump claimed was doctored to make him look bad. CBS and 60 Minutes producers vehemently denied wrongdoing, and the show’s respected longtime executive producer resigned in protest, calling Paramount’s move a betrayal of editorial independence. Paramount is seeking a merger with Skydance Media, a deal requiring Trump Administration approval — raising alarms about the independence of CBS and broader media.
  • “Paramount’s decision to capitulate to Trump threatens journalists’ ability to do their job reporting on powerful public figures,” said the Writers Guild of America East, which represents 60 Minutes journalists. (AP)

Have suggestions, feedback, questions? Email me at huma@fromthefifth.com!

Are you enjoying The Fifth? Please consider sharing it with a friend!