#1Dangerous Heat Wave Strains Eastern US Power Grid Ahead of July 4
A potentially record-breaking heat wave is gripping the central and eastern United States, with heat indices reaching up to 115 degrees in some areas and more than 60 million people under extreme heat warnings today. PJM Interconnection, the nation's largest electric grid operator, is forecasting near-record peak demand across its 13-state service territory, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright has issued two emergency orders to shore up the Mid-Atlantic grid and prevent holiday-weekend blackouts. Source: The Epoch Times — URL
#2TPS Work Permits Set to Expire July 10 for Nationals of 7 Countries
The Trump administration has officially set July 10 as the expiration date for work authorization held by Temporary Protected Status holders from Haiti, Syria, Burma, Yemen, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia. The decision follows the Supreme Court's late-June ruling allowing the administration to end TPS protections; when permits expire, holders will also lose access to government benefits, driver's licenses, and legal residency — and employers who continue using their labor could face fines. Source: The Epoch Times — URL
#3America 250 Security Forces Mobilize as 1M+ Expected on the National Mall
Federal agencies are deploying a whole-of-government security operation ahead of the Salute to America 250 Celebration this Friday, with more than a million people expected on the National Mall to see President Trump speak and watch what the White House is billing as the largest fireworks display in history. Officials say no specific threat has been identified, but the unprecedented scale of the event has placed law enforcement on its highest state of readiness. Source: Fox News — URL
#4VP Vance Says US Has Accomplished "Core Mission" With Iran; $6B in Assets to Be Released
Vice President Vance declared Thursday that the United States is in a "great position" on Iran and has accomplished its core mission in the Doha nuclear talks. Qatar confirmed progress has been made and discussions will continue, while Iran's president announced that six billion dollars in previously frozen assets will be released as part of the ongoing diplomatic process — though Tehran continues to insist on seeing the memorandum of understanding honored before agreeing to any final deal. Source: Fox News — URL
Top World Stories
#5Russia Unleashes Nearly 600 Drones and Missiles on Kyiv — 21 Killed, 130 Buildings Damaged
Russia launched one of its most devastating attacks of the war overnight, firing approximately 74 missiles and 496 drones at Ukraine's capital, killing at least 21 people, wounding more than 90, and damaging roughly 130 buildings across Kyiv. President Zelensky cut short a visit to Ireland and returned home to survey the destruction; Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared July 3 a day of mourning. Moscow called the bombardment retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Source: Fox News — URL
#6Study: Two Million Battlefield Casualties in the Ukraine War
A newly released study estimates that two million soldiers from both Russia and Ukraine have been killed, wounded, or gone missing since the 2022 invasion began — a figure that underscores the grinding attrition on both sides. The report coincides with new analysis from the Institute for the Study of War showing that Russia's spring-summer offensive has largely failed to produce meaningful territorial gains. Source: Breitbart — URL
#7Milei Becomes First Argentine President to Celebrate July 4 at a US Embassy
Argentina's President Javier Milei made history Tuesday by attending the U.S. Embassy's 250th American Independence reception in Buenos Aires — the first Argentine head of state ever to participate in a Fourth of July celebration. Milei joined Ambassador Peter Lamelas on stage to sing both national anthems in front of more than 1,500 guests, a symbolic gesture that reflects the unusually warm relationship between Buenos Aires and Washington under both leaders. Source: Breitbart — URL
Science & Technology
#8Pentagon Creates New Office to Unify Command Over Military Drones and Autonomous Systems
The Defense Department announced it is consolidating oversight of all military drones and autonomous systems under a single new office reporting directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. The reorganization is designed to accelerate the fielding of tens of thousands of unmanned systems across the armed forces in 2026 and hundreds of thousands more by 2027, as the Trump administration pushes to make the U.S. military an AI-first fighting force. Source: Fox News — URL
#9NASA Launches $30M Robotic Mission to Rescue Aging Swift Space Telescope
NASA has contracted startup Katalyst Space Technologies to fly a robotic spacecraft to the 21-year-old Swift Observatory and boost it into a higher, safer orbit before the telescope falls back to Earth. The $30 million mission, launching as early as this week, would extend Swift's operational life and keep it hunting gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic explosions for years to come. Source: The Epoch Times — URL
Wildcard
#10Former Olympian Indicted for Allegedly Tampering With the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
A Washington, D.C. grand jury has indicted former three-time Olympian David Hearn on a second-degree felony charge of destruction of property for allegedly ripping up freshly installed sealant at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the indictment Thursday; Hearn faces up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. He maintains he was simply examining peeling coating and meant no harm — a claim that will now be tested in court, two days before the nation's 250th birthday. Source: The Daily Caller — URL
