Johnson calls early recess amid SAVE Act standoff; Trump calls for law ending birthright citizenship
A fight within the Republican Party has lawmakers shutting down and heading home early ahead of the holiday. What’s behind the rift?
Plus, Democratic socialists are once again declaring victory in their efforts to unseat the establishment. How far left is Colorado after Tuesday night?
And the president’s financial disclosures show he made a killing in crypto.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Johnson calls early recess due to standoff over SAVE America Act
There was an abrupt end to the U.S. House of Representatives’ latest session.
House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled the chamber’s remaining votes on Tuesday, sending lawmakers home early for a holiday weekend recess.
The breakdown stems from a fracture within the Republican Party. A group of Republicans blocked leadership from bringing more bills to the floor. They say they’re frustrated by leadership’s delays and tactics in delivering the party’s priorities, such as President Donald Trump’s voter ID bill, the SAVE America Act.
Missouri Republican Eric Burlison told The Washington Times he doesn’t see the “fight” in leadership.
Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna says Speaker Johnson’s plan to merge the SAVE Act with a must-pass defense authorization bill is one the Senate will immediately shut down.
Trump has been putting pressure on Congress to pass the SAVE Act, even going so far as refusing to sign a bipartisan affordable housing bill, which Johnson says is purposeful.
“He’s trying to make a point, and I think he’s making it very effectively,” Johnson said. “And the fact that you all ask me every three steps down the hallway illustrates that he has achieved the desired objective, and that is to make SAVE america the number one thing, because if we don’t get that right, everybody’s concerned about what happens next “
If Trump doesn’t sign the housing bill, it’ll still become law after 10 days, since it’s already passed both chambers.
Kiros knocks out DeGette after 30 years, giving Denver progressives a big win
A 29-year-old Democratic socialist just ended a Denver congressional era that’s been going on as long as she’s been alive.
Melat Kiros defeated Congresswoman Diana DeGette in Colorado’s 1st district Democratic primary.
DeGette had held the seat for nearly 30 years. Kiros is now heavily favored to win in November in the deep-blue Denver district.
Her victory adds to a left-wing streak within the Democratic Party. Kiros is the third progressive challenger to defeat a sitting House member in eight days, after two wins in New York.
“If we organize and show no fear in standing up for what’s right, that is the message that Denver has sent to both parties, to Donald Trump, and to the entire country,” Kiros said.
But Colorado’s primary night also showed that progressive momentum has its limits.
Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper beat the more progressive State Sen. Julie Gonzales.
In the Democratic race for governor, Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated Sen. Michael Bennet while campaigning on his record of suing the Trump administration.
And in the battleground 8th district, Democratic State Rep. Manny Rutinel, a progressive, won the nomination to face republican Rep. Gabe Evans in November.
The results show the party’s left flank gaining ground, but not sweeping the map.
Trump calls for law ending birthright citizenship following SCOTUS ruling
The fight over birthright citizenship isn’t over, if Trump has anything to say about it. He’s pushing Congress to create a law ending birthright citizenship after the Supreme Court rejected the executive order he signed on the first day of his second term.
In a 6-3 opinion, the justices decided that children born to people who are in the United States unlawfully or temporarily are American citizens.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said,, “Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights” and that “the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to every free-born person in this land. We keep that promise today.”
In a social media post, Trump called the decision “too bad” and said, “We can easily make it up in Congress through legislation,” claiming a “long and unwieldy” constitutional amendment is not necessary.
It’s been more than thirty years since an amendment was added to the Constitution. It takes supermajorities to ratify an amendment, something the Republican Party does not have.
But if they were to tackle the issue through law, that would likely face challenges back in the courts.
Trump’s billion-dollar crypto year
New financial disclosures from the president reveal a stunning score for his crypto ventures, which account for most of his 2025 gains.
The spreadsheets show income of well over a billion dollars from crypto alone, accounting for more than half of his reported revenue of about 2.2 billion. That 2025 total is nearly four times what he made from all of his businesses the year before.
A large share of that crypto change came from his company’s crypto business, World Liberty Financial, a portion of which was sold to an investment firm linked to the United Arab Emirates. The other big chunk came from sales of the $TRUMP meme coin.
Forbes estimated the president’s net worth at around $6 billion and highlighted that he has overseen the most profitable presidency in U.S. history, primarily due to cryptocurrency success.
Once a critic, Trump ran for this term on championing the industry.
Trump’s USMCA move could start a decade-long trade countdown
The trade deal linking the U.S., Mexico and Canada is up for review this week, and its future is getting a lot less certain. The president has hinted he’s not planning to extend the deal he made in his first term.
“Well, I’m not looking to renew it,” Trump said. “I don’t, you know, I mean, I made the deal, and the primary reason I made the deal is that NAFTA was the worst trade deal I’ve ever seen.”
That wouldn’t kill the deal now, though it would leave it in limbo. “Not renewing” would start a decade-long countdown: if the three countries don’t agree to changes, the pact would expire on this day in 2036.
However, the president does have termination in his pocket, which would trigger a withdrawal within six months. The stakes are high. The United States, Canada and Mexico account for nearly $2 trillion in annual trade — about $5 billion a day.
As for why the deal he negotiated isn’t working — the biggest fight is over cars.
The U.S. wants stricter rules for North American auto production, including a new requirement for 50% U.S. content in North American-built vehicles.
Oscar Ocampo, with the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, called that a red line for both Canada and Mexico. Businesses say they want stability after months of shifting tariffs.
Officials from all three countries are expected to meet virtually on Wednesday. Mexico and Canada have previously sought to extend the deal, but it doesn’t appear to be on the table.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his priority is to work out new terms.
Is a Swift-Kelce wedding days away?
Taylor Swift might be getting married this weekend.
Multiple news outlets have reported that wedding festivities for the pop icon and her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, will take place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Security is ramped up around the arena, with the city reportedly closing nearby streets before the event.
The celebrity couple will hold a rehearsal dinner Thursday evening and a wedding celebration, which sources describe as a “Cocktail party,” from Friday afternoon into early Saturday morning.
Music legends Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw are rumored to perform at the wedding.
Swift and Kelce’s relationship has been splashed across the news and our screens since the couple started dating in 2023. They announced their engagement last August via joint Instagram posts.
America mastered medicine. Why can’t it fix healthcare?
If the 20th century was America’s age of progress, medicine was among its greatest triumphs.
At the dawn of the 1900s, infectious diseases routinely killed children and young adults. Thousands of women died from pregnancy and delivery complications each year, and nearly one in 10 babies did not survive their first birthday. Many medical treatments were ineffective, dangerous and based on tradition rather than scientific evidence.
Over the next century, that changed.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
