NPR is reporting that the Supreme Court yesterday upheld the long-established right to automatic American citizenship for children born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status. The high court's 6-3 decision rejects President Donald J Trump's most aggressive efforts to limit immigration. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, traced the origins of birthright citizenship back to the nation's founding. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he would have struck down Trump's executive order based on a 1952 law but left open the possibility of Congress putting limits on babies born to people in the U.S. illegally or on temporary visas. Justice Clarence Thomas authored the lead dissent, arguing the 14th Amendment applies only to former slaves and their descendants. The court also ruled that states may ban transgender girls from participating in sports at publicly funded schools and loosened campaign finance restrictions by striking down limits on how much political parties may spend on candidates.
In Colorado's primary elections, NPR said several upsets occurred, including a Democratic senator losing his bid for governor. Progressive candidate Manny Rutinel advanced to the November general election for a House seat. In Denver, 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros won the Democratic nomination over longtime incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette in the 1st Congressional District, continuing momentum for the Democratic Socialists of America. Colorado Public Radio's Caitlyn Kim told Up First that Kiros' political alignment attracted younger voters advocating for progressive policies such as Medicare for all and an end to aid to Israel.
NPR is also reporting a massive heat wave is pushing temperatures into the triple digits across much of the eastern United States, coinciding with the crucial knockout rounds of the World Cup. An NPR analysis found that over one-third of the tournament's matches are at high risk of dangerous heat and humidity. FIFA, the governing body for international soccer, told NPR's Rebecca Hersher it did its best to schedule matches to avoid extreme heat, including evening games and venues with roofs, and is implementing two extra water breaks per match. However, NPR's analysis indicated these measures do not alleviate the risks, identifying Philadelphia as a high-risk host city for a July 4th match. The U.S. team plays its first knockout round game tonight in San Francisco against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, nearly one-third of Americans are concerned about the direction of the U.S., but a majority say they are "proud" or "very proud" to be an American. Close to half believe the country has strayed significantly from its founding principles, with views split along partisan, gender and generational lines. The survey of 1,340 respondents was conducted in early June with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points.
The Trump administration is capping graduate school loans for many students at $20,500 per year and a total of $100,000, ending two decades of unlimited federal student loans, NPR said. The U.S. Education Department confirmed the limits begin July 1, despite a federal court temporarily blocking a small part of the plan. Republicans eliminated the Grad PLUS program through last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, reasoning that borrowers would opt for cheaper programs, prompting schools to lower prices. Research cited by NPR found that for every additional dollar students received in loans, graduate schools raised prices by $0.64. Economists noted that reducing access to financial aid can lead students, especially lower-income individuals, to stop enrolling in programs or seek private loans. These new limits are expected to affect roughly 30% of graduate borrowers.
With July Fourth fireworks expected to be larger this year for America's 250th birthday, Dr. Michael Bailey, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, told NPR that dogs and cats can hear and feel fireworks from four times farther away than humans. He offered tips for pet owners, including exercising pets earlier in the day, creating a safe and calm indoor environment away from exterior walls, and ensuring pets have leashes, updated ID tags and microchips if walked after dark.
In other news, the Food and Drug Administration has released documents raising concerns about insufficient evidence for a batch of peptides set for panel consideration. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg initially proposed buying Kalshi, a prediction market company, before instructing employees to develop a standalone prediction market app. NPR's Vincent Ni took readers to central London's Waterloo Place, where a life-size Banksy installation depicts a suited man marching over a precipice while hoisting a flag.