On July 4, 2025, Kyiv was hit by a record-breaking seven-hour barrage of Russian missiles and drones, resulting in at least two deaths and 26 injuries. The attack damaged residential buildings, infrastructure, and civilian areas, with fires breaking out across the city. The strikes also targeted other regions of Ukraine, including Poltava, and came shortly after a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Ukrainian officials noted the attacks were aimed at terrorizing civilians and wearing down their air defense systems.
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The executive director of UNAids anticipates a surge in HIV rates and a rise in AIDS-related deaths within the next four years due to significant cuts in US aid spending. These cuts, including the halt of Pepfar funding, are projected to lead to an additional 6 million HIV infections and 4 million deaths by 2029. The reduction in funding has already impacted prevention services, support services, and research initiatives. Byanyima emphasizes the need for international solidarity and debt and tax justice to address the crisis and challenges to the aid model.
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Canada plans to establish a new permanent residency pathway in 2025, based on the existing Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), which has facilitated nearly 970 settlements since 2018. This new pathway, announced in the IRCC’s Departmental Plan, will offer a permanent route for displaced individuals and skilled refugees to live and work in Canada. While the specific eligibility criteria and program structure are still pending, the government intends to launch the program before the EMPP expires at the end of 2025. The EMPP currently offers federal and regional streams, with applicants needing to prove their refugee status and meet certain requirements based on work experience, education, and language proficiency.
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In the wake of catastrophic flooding in Texas Hill Country that resulted in numerous deaths and missing persons, Texas officials are criticizing the National Weather Service (NWS) for issuing inaccurate forecasts. The NWS, facing significant staffing cuts as part of the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration, reportedly failed to predict the intensity of the rainfall. These cuts, which eliminated specialized climate scientists and weather forecasters, followed warnings about the potential for deadly consequences during storm seasons. Concurrently, President Trump signed legislation that dismantled federal efforts to address climate change, exacerbating the risks associated with extreme weather events.
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) sent an email claiming a recent spending bill, signed by Donald Trump, eliminated taxes on social security benefits for most recipients, which critics have labeled misleading. The bill actually provides a temporary tax deduction for seniors, not a complete elimination of taxes, and the benefits phase out at certain income levels. Former SSA officials and other critics argue that the administration’s framing of the bill is inaccurate and politically charged, calling the email a misrepresentation of the legislation’s actual impact. Representative Frank Pallone accused the SSA of spreading misinformation through the email.
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Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida, recently discussed the implications of President Trump’s extensive spending bill on healthcare and other key areas. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries attempted to stall the final vote, speaking for more than five hours in an effort to delay the proceedings. The discussion centered on the bill’s potential impact, highlighting the deep divisions in Congress over the proposed legislation. The focus remained on the significant healthcare provisions within the bill.
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Fearing reprisals from the Trump administration’s attacks on academia, American researchers are seeking refuge in Europe. Aix-Marseille University launched a “scientific asylum” program, Safe Place for Science, offering funding to researchers affected by the situation in the US. The program received hundreds of applications, with 39 researchers being shortlisted, highlighting the anxiety and uncertainty within the American scientific community. These academics face censorship, funding cuts, and potential border detentions as the US government targets research considered as “wokeism.”
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Effective July 31st, the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center ceased sharing satellite weather data with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). This transition is permanent, and is a result of the phasing out of the aging DMSP system, which had been providing NOAA with crucial global imagery of weather patterns. NOAA will now rely on data from the newer Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) and Electro-Optical Weather System (EWS) to ensure ongoing weather monitoring capabilities. While the loss of DMSP data may seem impactful, it is part of a larger modernization effort to provide more accurate weather predictions.
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The Fourth of July holiday weekend saw a surge in shootings across the U.S., with Indianapolis experiencing at least two fatalities, prompting the police chief to express frustration over the lack of parental supervision. Other cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago, and Brockton, Mass., also reported mass shootings, resulting in multiple injuries and fatalities. This surge in violence, typical during summer months and especially around the holiday, included a fatal stabbing in Queens, New York and a death in Wareham, Massachusetts.
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Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) announced his resignation from Congress, effective July 20th, which will further diminish the already slim Republican majority in the House. Green, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, cited a return to the private sector to launch a business focused on competing with the Chinese Communist Party as his reason for leaving. This departure presents a challenge for Speaker Mike Johnson, particularly as he navigates the passage of significant legislation. Green’s departure comes after being elected to Congress in 2018.
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John Q. Hosedrinker