The Fourth of July is nearly upon us andAmericans are eager to get away. According to AAA, more than 61 million are expected to hit the road this week and another 5.8 million will be heading to the airports. Speaking of getaways, the 5 Things team is going to enjoy the long weekend off. We’ll be back in your inboxes bright and early Monday. And don’t forget to look for 5 Good Things on Saturday morning. Happy Fourth of July and be safe!
Here’s what else you need to know toGet Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
A group of House Republican holdoutsfell in line behind President Donald Trumpovernight and agreed to advance his sweeping domestic agenda bill to a full House vote. Thecontroversial legislationwill lower federal taxes and infuse more money into the Pentagon and border security agencies. It will also downsize safety-net programs like Medicaid and SNAP, and add nearly $3.3 trillion to the deficit over a decade, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. A final vote isexpected later this morning, though timing remains fluid.
Twenty states are suing the Trump administration forallegedly violating federal privacy lawsby turning over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials. Some of the private health files revealed names, addresses, Social Security numbers, immigration status and claims for enrollees. The information, which was sent to the Department of Homeland Security, included people who live in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, DC, which allow non-US citizens to enroll in Medicaid programs that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. Experts said such information could be used to locate migrants for President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
A federal judge has blockedPresident Trump’s proclamationthat barred migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border from seeking asylum. Immigrant rights advocates sued over the proclamation, claiming it endangered thousands of lives by preventing people from seeking refuge. US District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that the administration had overstepped its authority by bypassing immigration law. “The President cannot adopt an alternative immigration system, which supplants the statutes that Congress has enacted,” Judge Moss wrote. However, the judge stayed his decision for 14 days and the administration is expected to appeal.
The Wisconsin Supreme Courtstruck downthe state’s 176-year-old abortion ban on Wednesday. The justices ruled 4-3 that the 1849 ban was superseded by a newer state law that criminalized abortions only after a fetus could survive outside the womb. The older ban was in effect until 1973, when the US Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide nullified it. However, since legislators never officially repealed the ban, conservatives argued that the high court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade reactivated it.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) issuingto require the Trump administration to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at all White House press briefings. Although the Biden administration staffed its press briefings with qualified ASL interpreters, that policy was discontinued by the Trump White House on the first day of his second administration. Without live interpretations, Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing have been “deprived of their ability to participate in the democratic process,” NAD attorney Ian Hoffman argued in a hearing on Wednesday. The Justice Department said that live closed captions and written transcripts were sufficient in providing the deaf community with “meaningful access” to White House information. US District Judge Amir Ali has not yet issued a ruling.
‘We don’t need that in Australia’Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, willnot be able to visit Australiaanytime soon.
Dr. Phil’s TV network in troubleMerit Street Media hasfiled for bankruptcyand is suing Christian TV giants Trinity Broadcasting Network and TCT Ministries.
Be prepared to waitAMC Theaters has signed a deal with National CineMedia to place evenmore advertising on the big screenbefore each movie begins.
Travis Kelce’s ‘SNL’ situationThe NFL player enjoyed hosting “Saturday Night Live,” but he found one aspect of the gigtruly challenging.
Mothers and daughtersApple TV+ plans to launch a new series based on Jennette McCurdy’s bestselling memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” And a big starjust signed onto play the mother.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence at a meeting in which city?A. BaltimoreB. PhiladelphiaC. BostonD. New York
Take me to the quiz!
$4 millionThat’s how much a meteorite — the largest known piece of Mars on Earth — isexpected to fetchwhen it goes up for auction later this month.
“This bill is a deal with the devil. It explodes our national debt. It militarizes our entire economy. And it strips away health care and basic dignity of the American people.”
— New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezon President Trump’s megabill, which Republicans are hoping to pass by July 4.
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Red, white and barbecueChef Tyler Florence hasa couple of tipsfor folks who want to make the perfect grilled hot dog.
5 Things AM is edited by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.