 |
| Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, signing the domestic policy bill after it passed yesterday. Eric Lee for The New York Times |
Trump’s domestic agenda will become law
In a 218-to-214 vote, the House of Representatives passed a sweeping bill that extends tax cuts and slashes social safety-net programs, capping Republicans’ long effort to deliver President Trump’s domestic agenda by the July 4 deadline he’d set.
Speaker Mike Johnson spent a frenzied day and night toiling to quell resistance in his ranks, which threatened to derail the president’s marquee legislation until the very end. All but two Republicans voted for it, and Democrats uniformly opposed it. Trump plans to sign what he calls his “big, beautiful bill” today.
The legislation is a major political gamble that will leave vulnerable Republicans open to sharp attacks ahead of midterm elections next year. Many economists have estimated that its greatest benefits will go to the wealthiest Americans, who will see the most generous tax cuts. Polls show that the bill is deeply unpopular. Here’s more on the spending cuts.
Details: The bill increases funding for defense and border security and includes substantial cuts to Medicaid, food assistance for the poor and other government aid, and it phases out clean-energy tax credits. The debt limit will also be increased, to $5 trillion.
Analysis: The vote shows how extensive Trump’s control over his party is. “For weeks, lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum had been publicly complaining about various aspects of the bill,” Tyler Pager, our White House correspondent, said. “For some, the cuts were too steep. For others, the cuts were not steep enough. And despite all of that, Trump ratcheted up the pressure — and the charm — to push it across the finish line.”
 |
| Cooling off in Paris earlier this week. Parks and pools were kept open longer. Thibaud Moritz/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
Europe’s dangerous heat wave is moving east
Parts of Western Europe were starting to cool off yesterday, as the extreme heat that has gripped the continent moved east. Forecasters warned of dangerous temperatures in Central Europe, including Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. See maps of the heat wave.
The high temperatures, coupled with drought conditions, have fueled wildfires in Spain and elsewhere. Four deaths were reported in Spain. On the Greek island of Crete, about 1,500 people, many of them tourists, were evacuated from hotels and homes as firefighters battled a blaze.
Nuclear shutdown: Nuclear power operators in France and Switzerland shut down at least three reactors because of the heat.
 |
| President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Moscow on Wednesday. He discussed Ukraine and Iran with President Trump by phone on Thursday, the Kremlin said. Pool photo by Maxim Shemetov |
Another call between Trump and Putin
President Trump spoke for nearly an hour with President Vladimir Putin in their sixth known call since January.
The pair “didn’t make any progress” toward ending the Ukraine war, Trump told reporters. Putin told Trump that Russia would keep pressing ahead to achieve its aims in Ukraine and resolve the “root causes” of the conflict, according to the Kremlin, which said the two leaders had also discussed Iran and other matters.
Related:
| A top Russian marine commander, recently promoted by Putin, was killed in an apparent Ukrainian strike.Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin’s iron fist in Chechnya, appears to be seriously ill. He is preparing his teenage son to succeed him.Russia became the first country to recognize the Taliban government as the legitimate authority in Afghanistan. |
| MORE TOP NEWS |
 |
| Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images |
| Hollywood: The character actor Michael Madsen, who appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” and his “Kill Bill” films, died yesterday at 67. Immigration: Lawyers for Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported by the U.S. to El Salvador, said he was beaten, deprived of sleep and psychologically tortured in a Salvadoran prison. War in Gaza: Israelis and Palestinians are waiting to see if Hamas accepts the latest cease-fire proposal. The group’s decision will largely hinge on its new de facto leader. Syria: A 3-D model of a mass grave at a cemetery near Damascus shows how the former dictator Bashar al-Assad buried his victims. Migration: The U.S. Supreme Court let the Trump administration deport eight migrants to South Sudan. Bali: Five people were dead and 29 missing after a ferry sank near the Indonesian island. Guyana: Tourists can now visit the site of the Jonestown Massacre, for $750. Local residents and survivors are asking why. Vatican: For 400 years, popes summered in the Italian hilltop town of Castel Gandolfo. Pope Francis visited only briefly, but Pope Leo XIV may revive the tradition. Chile: A 19-year-old American who was trying to fly solo to all seven continents was detained this week on an island off Antarctica. |
Trade & Economics
| Vietnam: Trump is pressuring countries to squeeze China out of their supply chains, and a preliminary trade pact with Vietnam is a significant step toward that goal. Policy: European central bankers, meeting in Portugal this week, focused on ways that Europe could become more competitive. France: Hit by Trump’s tariffs, 50,000 iconic Saint James shirts are sitting in storage. South Korea: The country’s stock market is up 30 percent on expectations that the new president will adopt investor-friendly policies. Indonesia: Despite a slowing economy, the president is focused on giving all students a free lunch, among other campaign pledges. Critics say his priorities are misplaced. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
 |
| Stu Forster/Getty Images |
| Soccer: The Liverpool star Diogo Jota, 28, died along with his brother in a car crash in Spain. The news has left the sport in a state of shock. Tennis: On Day 4 of Wimbledon, the upsets continued. Cycling: The mastermind behind this year’s Tour de France, which begins on Saturday, explains how the race is designed. Gender: The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would hear two cases related to state laws that bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams. |
| MORNING READ |
 |
| Kim Won Jin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
During military drills, North Korea used to fill Kalma Beach with artillery pieces. Now it’s the site of an ambitious attempt by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to attract foreign visitors. A new resort has opened for business there.
State media, which released photos of families bathing and water skiing, said their “joy and optimism” was “overflowing.” There were no foreign tourists in sight.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
 |
| Brian Edwards Jr. for The New York Times |
| Hometown throwdown: Beyoncé fans are dressing to impress at her “Cowboy Carter” tour. See pictures of outfits from her Houston show. Gone to the dogs: Treats full of dried crickets and ground-up grubs could be a hit with your pooch. A hero’s journey: Suppose the perspective of the straight white man is getting short shrift in literary fiction. Should we care? It’s my party: A reader asks whether she overreacted by disinviting a friend who wanted to bring the host’s ex-boyfriend to her party. |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
 |
| Photo illustration by Tala Safie; Photographs, via Getty Images |
Sixteen years of brotherly war
The British band Oasis kicks off its global reunion tour today in Cardiff, Wales. These shows will be the duo’s first since 2009, when Noel Gallagher quit the group, saying he could no longer stand to work with his brother Liam, the lead singer.
Still, the brothers have rarely left the spotlight — not just for enduring songs like “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova,” but because of the barrage of insults and barbs they’ve exchanged over the years.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
 |
| Craig Lee for The New York Times |
Cook: This blueberry cobbler is a five-star way to celebrate summer. See other festive side dishes, desserts and more.
