Musk says he’s forming a new political party after split with Trump over tax cuts law

Musk says he’s forming a new political party after split with Trump over tax cuts law

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Elon Musk said he’s carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with President Donald Trump, announcing the America Party in response to the president’s sweeping tax cuts law.

Musk, once an ever-present ally to Trump as he headed up the slashing agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, broke with the Republican president over his signature legislation, which was signed into law Friday.

As the bill made its way through Congress, Musk threatened to form the “America Party” if “this insane spending bill passes.”

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk said Saturday on X, the social media company he owns. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Asked about the effort by reporters on Sunday afternoon as he prepared to return to Washington from his home in New Jersey, Trump called Musk’s proposition “ridiculous,” going on to tout “tremendous success with the Republican Party.”

“The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system,” Trump added. “And I think starting a third party just adds to confusion. It really seems to have been developed for two parties.” Third parties, Trump said, have never worked.

The formation of new political parties is not uncommon, but they typically struggle to pull any significant support away from the Republican and Democratic parties. But Musk, the world’s richest man who spent at least $250 million supporting Trump in the 2024 election, could impact the 2026 elections determining control of Congress if he is willing to spend significant amounts of money.

His reignited feud with the president could also be costly for Musk, whose businesses rely on billions of dollars in government contracts and publicly traded company Tesla has taken a hit in the market.

It wasn’t clear whether Musk had taken steps to formally create the new political party. Spokespeople for Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, didn’t immediately comment Sunday.

As of Sunday morning, there were multiple political parties listed in the Federal Election Commission database that had been formed in the hours since Musk’s Saturday X post with versions of “America Party” of “DOGE” or “X” in the name, or Musk listed among people affiliated with the entity.

But none appeared to be authentic, listing contacts for the organization as email addresses such as ” [email protected] ″ or untraceable Protonmail addresses.

Musk on Sunday spent the morning on X taking feedback from users about the party and indicated he’d use the party to get involved in the 2026 midterm elections.

Last month, he threatened to try to oust every member of Congress that voted for Trump’s bill. Musk had called the tax breaks and spending cuts package a “disgusting abomination,” warning it would increase the federal deficit, among other critiques.

“The Republican Party has a clean sweep of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and STILL had the nerve to massively increase the size of government, expanding the national debt by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS,” Musk said Sunday on X.

His critiques of the bill and move to form a political party mark a reversal from May, when his time in the White House was winding down and the head of rocket company SpaceX and electric vehicle maker Tesla said he would spend “a lot less” on politics in the future.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who clashed with Musk while he ran DOGE, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that DOGE’s “principles” were popular but “if you look at the polling, Elon was not.”

“I imagine that those board of directors did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Clayton Kershaw makes his 11th All-Star team. James Wood is the youngest All-Star at 22

Clayton Kershaw makes his 11th All-Star team. James Wood is the youngest All-Star at 22

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was picked for his 11th All-Star Game and Paul Skenes, James Wood and Elly De La Cruz boosted the 23-and-under group to five when they were picked Sunday for the July 15 showcase at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

Wood at 22 is the youngest of the 65 All-Stars, while Skenes, De La Cruz and fan-elected starters Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Wilson are all 23.

Cal Raleigh and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined Wood, Wilson and Crow-Armstrong among 19 first-time All-Stars. Wood was acquired by Washington in the August 2022 trade that sent outfielder Juan Soto to San Diego.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

Kershaw last week became the 20th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts and Commissioner Rob Manfred made the left-hander the 65th All-Star as a so-called Legend Pick, his first since selecting Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols in 2022 under a provision in the then-new collective bargaining agreement.

Kershaw gives the Dodgers at least five All-Stars for the sixth straight season. The oldest NL All-Star at 37 and most senior All-Star with 11 selections, Kershaw is joined by Yamamoto and fan-elected starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection on Sunday.

Pittsburgh’s Skenes is willing to start his second straight All-Star Game if picked by Dave Roberts, the Dodgers manager in charge of the NL team.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Detroit and Seattle will have four players each at the game.

Starting pitchers Hunter Brown of Houston, Garrett Crochet of Boston, Jacob deGrom of Texas, Max Fried of the New York Yankees and Tarik Skubal of Detroit were voted to the AL staff by players, managers and coaches along with relievers Aroldis Chapman of Boston, Josh Hader of Houston and Andrés Muñoz of Seattle.

Chapman is the oldest All-Star, born 19 days before Kershaw.

AL reserves picked by players included Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk, Tampa Bay first baseman Jonathan Aranda and second baseman Brandon Lowe, Houston shortstop Jeremy Peña, Boston third baseman Alex Bregman, Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker and outfielders Byron Buxton of Minnesota, Steven Kwan of Cleveland and Julio Rodríguez of Seattle.

MLB used its six picks on pitchers Kris Bubic of Kansas City, Yusei Kikuchi of the Los Angeles Angels, Shane Smith of the Chicago White Sox and Bryan Woo of Seattle, along with Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Smith became the second player since 2000 to become an All-Star in the season after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, following Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla in 2006, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Smith was left unprotected by Milwaukee and joined Wilson (Athletics) as the only rookies on the All-Star rosters.

Skenes, Washington’s MacKenzie Gore, Atlanta’s Chris Sale, San Francisco’s Logan Webb and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler were elected to the starting rotation by players along with relievers Jason Adam of San Diego, Edwin Díaz of the New York Mets and Randy Rodríguez of San Francisco.

Skenes started last year’s All-Star Game just 66 days after his major league debut, pitching a hitless inning in the NL’s 5-3 loss at Arlington, Texas.

Player-elected NL reserves were Colorado catcher Hunter Goodman, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, St. Louis second baseman Brendan Donovan, Cincinnati’s De La Cruz at shortstop, Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suárez, Philadelphia DH Kyle Schwarber and Wood, Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. in the outfield.

MLB’s NL picks were Yamamoto, the Cubs’ Matthew Boyd, Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta and the Giants’ Robbie Ray for the pitching staff along with Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson and Miami outfielder Kyle Stowers.

Mets outfielder Juan Soto, Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, Blue Jays outfielder George Springer, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray were not picked. There usually are about 10 roster replacements between the announcements and the game.

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin and AP freelance writers Mike DiGiovanni Patrick Stevens contributed to this report.

Djokovic’s daughter steals the show at Wimbledon with her victory dance

Djokovic’s daughter steals the show at Wimbledon with her victory dance

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic won the match on Centre Court on Saturday, but it was his 7-year-old daughter who really wowed Wimbledon.

Tara Djokovic’s victory dance brought a smile to dad’s face. Everybody else’s, too.

Djokovic had just clinched his 100th Wimbledon singles win and was asked during his on-court interview to shed light on the little dance he’s been doing recently.

He said it’s done to a song called “Pump It Up.”

“There’s a song with my kids — look my daughter’s doing it right now,” a smiling Djokovic said as he looked into the crowd. “You want to show it darling?”

The TV camera then panned to Tara, who then showed everyone how it’s done: pump your fists down, then left, right and overhead.

The crowd roared.

“She’s the master. It’s a little tradition we have right now. Hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon.”

Floods turned beloved Texas camp into a nightmare. At least 27 girls remain missing

Floods turned beloved Texas camp into a nightmare. At least 27 girls remain missing

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Texas parents frantically posted photos of their young daughters on social media with pleas for information as at least 27 campers from an all-girls summer camp were unaccounted for Saturday after fatal flash floods tore through central Texas just before dawn Friday.

At least 43 people, including 15 children, died in Kerr County after a storm unleashed nearly a foot of rain and sent floodwaters gushing out of the Guadalupe River through the hilly region known for its century-old summer camps. Another six people died in nearby counties.

Rescuers were searching Saturday for more than two dozen children from a girls’ camp and many others who are still missing after a wall of water blasted down a river in the Texas Hill Country. (AP video by Julio Cortez)

State officials said 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, still were unaccounted for about 36 hours after the flood.

An 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp just up the road were among those confirmed dead Saturday.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who toured the camp Saturday with rescue crews, vowed that authorities will work around the clock to find the missing girls and others swept away in the storm that caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.

Many more are still missing, and authorities said about 850 people had been rescued so far.

Flood turns storied Camp Mystic into a nightmare

The camp was established in 1926. It grew so popular over the following decades that families are now encouraged to put prospective campers on the waitlist years in advance.

Photos and videos taken before the flood are idyllic, showing large cabins with green-shingled roofs and names like “Wiggle Inn,” tucked among sturdy oak and cypress trees that grow on the banks of the Guadalupe River. In some social media posts, girls are fishing, riding horses, playing kickball or performing choreographed dance routines in matching T-shirts. Girls ranging in age from 8 to 17 years old pose for the camera with big smiles, arms draped across the shoulders of their fellow campers.

But the floodwaters left behind a starkly different landscape: A pickup truck is balanced precariously on two wheels, its side lodged halfway up a tree. A wall is torn entirely off one building, the interior empty except for a Texas flag and paintings hung high along one side. A twisted bit of metal — perhaps a bedframe — is stacked next to colorful steamer trunks and broken tree limbs.

First responders are scouring the riverbanks in hopes of finding survivors. Social media posts are now focused on the faces of the missing.

Camps’ emergency plans unclear

State and county officials defended their actions Saturday amid scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in towns long vulnerable to flooding received proper alerts.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the region on Thursday, and it sent out a series of flash-flood warnings in the early hours Friday. The federal agency had predicted 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) of rain in the region northwest of San Antonio, but 10 inches (25.4 cm) fell.

The Guadalupe River rose to 26 feet (7.9 meters) within about 45 minutes in the early morning hours, submerging its flood gauge.

It was not immediately clear what kind of evacuation plans Camp Mystic might have had.

The county itself does not have a warning system, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said. He maintained that no one knew a flood of this magnitude was coming.

Rescuers evacuate some campers by helicopter

By Friday afternoon, Texas Game Wardens had arrived at Camp Mystic and were evacuating campers. A rope was tied so girls could hang on as they walked across a bridge, the floodwaters rushing around their knees.

Elinor Lester, 13, said she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. She recalled startling awake around 1:30 a.m. as thunder crackled and water pelted the cabin windows.

Lester was among the older girls housed on elevated ground known as Senior Hill. Cabins housing the younger campers, who can start attending at age 8, are situated along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, she said.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” she said. “It was really scary.”

Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her son was nearby at Camp La Junta and also escaped. A counselor there woke up to find water rising in the cabin, opened a window and helped the boys swim out. Camp La Junta and nearby Camp Waldemar said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff were safe.

Elizabeth Lester sobbed when she saw her daughter, who was clutching a small teddy bear and a book.

“My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive,” she said.

Families of missing campers worry

Dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they received devastating phone calls from safety officials informing them that their daughters had not yet been located among the washed-away camp cabins and downed trees.

Camp Mystic said in an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for.

On Friday afternoon, more than a hundred people gathered at an Ingram elementary school that was being used as a reunification center, watching for the faces of loved ones as buses full of evacuees arrived. One young girl wearing a Camp Mystic T-shirt stood in a puddle in her white socks, sobbing in her mother’s arms.

Camp Mystic sits on a strip known to locals as “flash flood alley.”

“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations. “It rushes down the hill.”

Decades prior, floodwaters engulfed a bus of teenage campers from another Christian camp along the Guadalupe River during devastating summer storms in 1987. A total of 10 campers from Pot O’ Gold Christian camp drowned after their bus was unable to evacuate in time from a site near Comfort, 33 miles (53 kilometers) east of Hunt.

Happy camp memories are now tinged with grief

Chloe Crane, a teacher and former Camp Mystic counselor, said her heart broke when a fellow teacher shared an email from the camp about the missing girls.

“To be quite honest, I cried because Mystic is such a special place, and I just couldn’t imagine the terror that I would feel as a counselor to experience that for myself and for 15 little girls that I’m taking care of,” she said. “And it’s also just sadness, like the camp has been there forever and cabins literally got washed away.”

Crane said the camp is a haven for young girls looking to gain confidence and independence. She recalled happy memories teaching her campers about journalism, making crafts and competing in a camp-wide canoe race at the end of each summer. Now for many campers and counselors, their happy place has turned into a horror story, she said.

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Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writer Rebecca Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho.

Tropical Storm Chantal forecast to bring heavy rain to the Carolinas

Tropical Storm Chantal forecast to bring heavy rain to the Carolinas

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Chantal formed off the southeast U.S. coast and was forecast to bring heavy rains to parts of the Carolinas on Saturday. Tropical storm warnings were issued for portions of the two states, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm’s center was located about 80 miles (125 kilometers) east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday night, and 140 miles (225 kilometers) south-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 45 mph (75 kph), and it was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph).

Rain bands from Chantal were moving over the coast, the hurricane center said, and the storm’s center was expected to move over South Carolina overnight or early Sunday. Some slight strengthening was expected, followed by rapid weakening after landfall.

Heavy rain was forecast for the coastal plain of the Carolinas through Monday — total rainfall of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters), with local amounts up to 6 inches — threatening flash flooding.

Ukraine says it struck a Russian air base as Russia sent hundreds of drones into Ukraine

Ukraine says it struck a Russian air base as Russia sent hundreds of drones into Ukraine

By ELISE MORTON Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine said it struck a Russian air base on Saturday, while Russia continued to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones overnight as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than 3-year-old war.

Ukraine’s military General Staff said that Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia’s Voronezh region, describing it as the home base of Russia’s Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets.

Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and “possibly other aircraft.”

Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack.

Such attacks on Russian air bases aim to dent Russia’s military capability and demonstrate Ukraine’s capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep in Russia’s territory in a surprise drone attack.

Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine’s air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.

According to the air force, Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional Gov. Serhii Tyurin said Saturday that no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 31 people were wounded.

The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he had a “very important and productive” phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defenses might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the U.S. and Ukraine, and broader U.S-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenskyy.

Asked Friday night by reporters about the call, Trump said, “We had a very good call, I think.”

When asked about finding a way to end the fighting, Trump said: “I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen.”

The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine’s main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine’s domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 94 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, along with 45 further drones Saturday morning and early afternoon. No casualties were reported, but local officials in the Saratov region said 25 apartments were damaged by Ukrainian drones in the city of Engels.

Four Ukrainian drones were shot down while approaching Moscow on Saturday, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Air traffic was briefly halted as a precaution at one of Moscow’s airports, Sheremetyevo, Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said. 

Trump signs his tax and spending cut bill at the White House July 4 picnic

Trump signs his tax and spending cut bill at the White House July 4 picnic

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law Friday in front of Fourth of July picnickers after his cajoling produced almost unanimous Republican support in Congress for the domestic priority that could cement his second-term legacy.

Flanked by Republican legislators and members of his Cabinet, Trump signed the multitrillion-dollar legislation at a desk on the White House driveway, then banged down a gavel gifted to him by House Speaker Mike Johnson that was used during the bill’s final passage Thursday.

Flanked by Republican legislators and members of his Cabinet, President Donald Trump signed the multitrillion-dollar legislation outside the White House, and then banged down the gavel that House Speaker Mike Johnson gifted him that was used during the bill’s final passage Thursday. The bill extends Trump’s 2017 multi-trillion dollar tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. (AP Video)

Against odds that at times seemed improbable, Trump achieved his goal of celebrating a historic — and divisive — legislative victory in time for the nation’s birthday, which also was his self-imposed deadline for Congress to send the legislation to his desk. Fighter jets and stealth bombers streaked through the sky over the annual White House Fourth of July picnic.

“America’s winning, winning, winning like never before,” Trump said, noting last month’s bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, which he said the flyover was meant to honor. “Promises made, promises kept, and we’ve kept them.”

The White House was hung with red, white and blue bunting for the Independence Day festivities. The U.S. Marine Band played patriotic marches — and, in a typical Trumpian touch, tunes by 1980s pop icons Chaka Khan and Huey Lewis. There were three separate flyovers.

Trump spoke for a relatively brief 22 minutes before signing the bill, but was clearly energized as the legislation’s passage topped a recent winning streak for his administration. That included the Iran campaign and a series of U.S. Supreme Court rulingshe’s fought for.

After dark, chants of “USA, USA” rose from the picnic crowd on the South Lawn when Trump and the first lady, Melania, appeared on the Truman Balcony to watch the fireworks. They danced to “Y.M.C.A.” and waved goodbye to the crowd before they left for their home in New Jersey.

The budget legislation is the president’s highest-profile win yet. It includes key campaign pledges like no tax on tips or Social Security income. Trump, who spent an unusual amount of time thanking individual Republican lawmakers who shepherded the measure through Congress, contended “our country is going to be a rocket ship, economically,” because of the legislation.

Big cuts to Medicaid and food stamps

Critics assailed the package as a giveaway to the rich that will rob millions more lower-income people of their health insurance, food assistance and financial stability.

“Today, Donald Trump signed into law the worst job-killing bill in American history. It will rip health care from 17 million workers to pay for massive tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, amounting to the country’s largest money grab from the working class to the ultra-rich,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. “Every member of Congress who voted for this devastating bill picked the pockets of working people to hand billionaires a $5 trillion gift.”

The legislation extends Trump’s 2017 multitrillion-dollar tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. It provides for a massive increase in immigration enforcement. Congress’ nonpartisan scorekeeper projects that nearly 12 million more people will lose health insurance under the law.

The legislation passed the House on a largely party-line vote Thursday, culminating a monthslong push by the GOP to cram most of its legislative priorities into a single budget bill that could be enacted without Senate Democrats being able to block it indefinitely by filibustering.

It passed by a single vote in the Senate, where North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis announced he would not run for reelection after incurring Trump’s wrath in opposing it. Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote.

In the House, where two Republicans voted against it, one, conservative maverick Tom Massie of Kentucky, has also become a target of Trump’s well-funded political operation. No Democrats voted for the bill.

The legislation amounts to a repudiation of the agendas of the past two Democratic presidents, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, in rolling back Obama’s Medicaid expansion under his signature health law and Biden’s tax credits for renewable energy.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

Democrats vow to make bill a midterm issue

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin on Friday called the bill “devastating” and said in a statement that Trump’s signature on the legislation “sealed the fate of the Republican Party, cementing them as the party for billionaires and special interests — not working families.”

He predicted Republicans would lose their majority in Congress over it. “This was a full betrayal of the American people,” Martin said.

Trump complained Friday about Democrats opposing the bill, “and we knew that because their hatred of either the country or me or both is so great they didn’t vote at all and it’s terrible.”

He said their “standard line” is to say Republican legislation is “dangerous” or “everybody’s going to die” and “we can’t let them get away with it.” With his bill, Trump said, “it’s actually just the opposite, everybody’s going to live.”

Republicans in Congress have muscled President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill to passage. The atmosphere was joyous at a ceremony marking the approval of the GOP’s signature legislation. (AP Video)

“And I just want you to know, if you see anything negative put out by Democrats, it’s all a con job,” Trump said, defending a package that now is law.

Speaking in Iowa on Thursday night, Trump said Democrats “hate Trump — but I hate them, too.”

The package is certain to be a flashpoint in next year’s midterm elections, and Democrats are making ambitious plans for rallies, voter registration drives, attack ads, bus tours and even a multiday vigil, all intended to highlight the most controversial elements.

Upon his return to Washington early Friday, Trump described the package as “very popular,” though polling suggests that public opinion is mixed at best.

For example, a Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that majorities of U.S. adults support increasing the annual child tax credit and eliminating taxes on earnings from tips, and about half support work requirements for some adults who receive Medicaid.

But the poll found majorities oppose reducing federal funding for food assistance to low-income families and spending about $45 billion to build and maintain migrant detention centers. About 60% said it was “unacceptable” that the bill is expected to increase the $36 trillion U.S. debt by more than $3 trillion over the next decade.

How people are celebrating, protesting and traveling for July Fourth

How people are celebrating, protesting and traveling for July Fourth

By BEN FINLEY and JAIMIE DING Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Recent polls will tell you there’s been a drop in national pride among Americans, particularly Democrats in the Trump era, with some questioning whether to celebrate July Fourth at all this year.

But Scott Allen, a registered Democrat in southern California, isn’t one of them. He planned to commemorate the nation’s 249th birthday with a politically mixed group of neighbors who will grill out and light off fireworks.

He’ll be thinking of his U.S. Marine father, and about how proud he is that “we have the freedom to do all the things we do.”

“We can have protests. We can have free speech,” said Allen, 60, who lives in Lakewood, just south of Los Angeles.

This Independence Day may feel different for many Americans. Around the country, there are protests planned against Trump’s polices, and in places like southern California, where immigration raids have rattled communities, some July Fourth celebrations were cancelled.

Fireworks retailers are also dealing with tariffs. But at the same time, holiday travel is expected to break records.

Here’s what to know about July Fourth this year:

California celebrations cancelled

Several communities in the Los Angeles area have cancelled Independence Day festivities due to safety concerns over Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The raids have triggered weeks of protests across the city and led Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines.

The Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno cancelled its parade after 90% of participants dropped out.

Organizer Genny Guerrero said the majority Latino community is “very patriotic.” But many people are avoiding events out of fear of immigration agents.

“The fact that they’re taking anyone that is brown, regardless of citizenship, that puts everyone in jeopardy,” Guerrero said.

A downtown block party, which drew 20,000 people last year, was postponed. Suburbs in southeastern Los Angeles, such as Bell Gardens, have cancelled celebrations altogether.

Events planned in protest

Meanwhile, Independence Day events are scheduled in protest of Trump’s policies, including slashes to Medicaid, said Tamika Middleton, managing director of Women’s March.

The group had organized the Women’s March on Washington in 2017, the day after Trump’s first inauguration. This year’s events will range from low-key pot lucks to rallies in large cities.

For instance, a gathering will be held at a naturalization ceremony in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to show support for new citizens. But there will be larger protests in bigger cities, including one outside Houston’s City Hall.

“We’re inviting folks to envision what a truly free America looks like,” Middleton said.

Tariffs and fireworks

The vast majority of fireworks in the U.S. are made in China, said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.

As the trade war with China escalated, tariffs on Chinese-made fireworks reached 145% in April, Heckman said. Trump issued a 90-day pause in May, leaving current tariffs on Chinese fireworks at 30%.

The tariffs will have little impact on city fireworks shows because the shells were purchased months ago, Heckman said. She’s hearing from retailers who sell the backyard fireworks that they’re not passing on the 30% tariffs to consumers.

But it’ll be a different story next year, Heckman said, because 30% tariffs — or anything higher — are not sustainable for business. The industry is casting a wary eye toward 2026.

“Every small town in America is going to want a special firework display to honor America’s 250th,” Heckman said.

Record-breaking holiday travel

Auto club AAA expected more than 72 million people to travel at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home. AAA’s forecast includes two weekends to better reflect the holiday travel.

Nearly 62 million people will travel by car, a 2.2% bump over 2024, making it the highest volume on record, AAA said. Drivers have seen some price increases at the pump, but summer gas prices are still the lowest they’ve been since 2021.

Meanwhile, nearly six million people will fly — 4% more than last year, AAA said. The Federal Aviation Administration said this will be the busiest July Fourth week in 15 years.

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Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut reclaims title in Famous hot dog eating contest, wins 17th Mustard Belt

Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut reclaims title in Famous hot dog eating contest, wins 17th Mustard Belt

By SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press

Famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his title Friday at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest after skipping last year’s gastronomic battle in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt.

Chestnut, 41, consumed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling short of his 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns. It marked the 17th win in 20 appearances for the Westfield, Indiana, eater at the internationally televised competition, which he missed last year over a contract dispute.

“I wish I ate a couple more. Sorry guys,” a smiling Chestnut told the crowd, many chanting his name. “I’ll be back next year.”

Defending champion in the women’s division, Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title, downing 33 dogs, besting a dozen competitors. Last year, she ate a record 51 links. She also was apologetic for her performance.

“I feel like I let the fans down a little bit. I heard people in the crowd saying, ‘Go for 52,’” Sudo told ESPN. “Obviously, I’m always setting my goals high, but the hot dogs weren’t cooperating. For some reason, the buns felt larger today.”

A large crowd, peppered with foam hot dog hats, turned out to witness the annual eat-a-thon, held outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, since 1972. Many fans showed up to see Chestnut’s much-awaited return to an event he has called “a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

Chestnut bested 14 fellow competitors from across the U.S. and the world, including Australia, the Czech Republic, Ontario, England and Brazil. Last year’s winner, Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, came in second place after gobbling up 46 1/2 hot dogs and buns, falling short of the 58 he ate to earn the 2024 men’s title.

“I love being here,” Chestnut told ESPN after his win. “As soon as I found out I was coming, my body — it was easy to train. I love doing it. And love pushing myself and beating the heck out of people.”

Last year, Major League Eating event organizer George Shea said Chestnut would not be participating in the contest due to a contract dispute. Chestnut had struck a deal with a competing brand, the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods.

Chestnut told The Associated Press last month that he had never appeared in any commercials for the company’s vegan hot dogs and that Nathan’s is the only hot dog company he has worked with. But Chestnut acknowledged he “should have made that more clear with Nathan’s.”

Last year, Chestnut ate 57 dogs — in only five minutes — in an exhibition with soldiers, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He said that event was “amazing” and that he was pleased to still have a chance to eat hot dogs — a lot of them — on July Fourth.

“I’m happy I did that, but I’m really happy to be back at Coney Island,” he said.

Independence Day Berry Trifle

Independence Day Berry Trifle

This is one of those easy, festive desserts that looks like a showstopper but is simple to put together. It’s perfect for the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or anytime you want to impress a crowd with something light, sweet, and colorful.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 premade angel food cake, sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
  • 2 pints blueberries
  • 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

Instructions

1. Make the syrup
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract.

2. Prep the cake
Brush both sides of the angel food cake slices with the lemon syrup. Cut the slices into bite-sized cubes.

3. Make the cream layer
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and remaining 2/3 cup sugar until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream and continue beating until light, fluffy, and fully combined.

4. Layer the trifle
In a trifle dish or large glass bowl, start with a layer of cake cubes. Top with a layer of blueberries, then spread half of the cream mixture on top. Add a layer of strawberries. Repeat with remaining cake, blueberries, cream, and strawberries. Finish by arranging a mix of strawberries and blueberries on top for a pretty presentation.

5. Chill and serve
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This helps the flavors come together and makes it easier to serve.

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