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US News
Latest developments and key stories from across the United States
President Donald Trump appeared on the children’s podcast “Storytime with the Second Lady,” hosted by Usha Vance. In the episode, he read a picture book called “Presidents Play” and shared his thoughts about past presidents and his time in the White House.
Key Facts
The podcast is called “Storytime with the Second Lady.”
Usha Vance, the second lady, hosts the podcast.
President Trump was a guest on the show.
He read a children’s book titled “Presidents Play.”
The episode was prerecorded and released on a Friday.
During the reading, Trump gave his own comments about former presidents.
Trump also talked about his experiences living in the White House.
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A U.S. appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration can reinstall educational panels about slavery at the site of George Washington’s home in Philadelphia. The panels had been removed after Trump’s 2025 executive order that limited negative historical information at federal historic sites.
Key Facts
The panels describe how nine slaves lived with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s.
The site is near where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776.
The original panels were installed in 2010 and removed after President Trump’s 2025 executive order.
The order requires federally controlled historic sites to focus on positive achievements of Americans.
A three-judge panel from the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals supported reinstalling the new panels.
Philadelphia sued to stop the reinstall, saying the site is important for telling a significant, suppressed story.
About half of the new panels were put up earlier this year before a court halted the installation.
The National Park Service has not announced when the panels will be fully reinstalled.
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President Donald Trump has pardoned several people convicted of breaking federal vehicle emissions laws. He is also thinking about giving pardons to other well-known people, including rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, but he has not decided yet.
Key Facts
President Trump granted pardons to individuals convicted of federal vehicle emissions violations.
He is considering pardons for celebrities, including Sean “Diddy” Combs.
No final decision has been made about pardons for Diddy or other high-profile requests.
These discussions about possible pardons have happened in the past few days.
The pardons relate to cases involving pollution rules for cars.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there is no problem with how it looks that President Donald Trump earned over $1 billion from cryptocurrency while serving in the White House. He called cryptocurrency an innovation during an interview on CBS News.
Key Facts
President Trump made more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency profits while in office.
Some people criticized these crypto profits.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the situation and dismissed concerns about appearances.
Bessent spoke about this in an exclusive interview on CBS News.
He described cryptocurrency as an innovation.
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Two fathers, Ryan DeWitt and Matthew Childress, lost their daughters in deadly floods at Camp Mystic in Texas last year. They are speaking out to share their pain and want to make summer camps safer to stop similar tragedies from happening.
Key Facts
The flood at Camp Mystic in Texas happened last year and was deadly.
Ryan DeWitt's daughter was a camper who died in the flood.
Matthew Childress's daughter was a counselor who died in the flood.
Both fathers spoke with CBS News about their loss and grief.
They want to push for safety changes at summer camps across the United States.
Their goal is to protect other families from losing loved ones in similar accidents.
The story was covered by CBS News reporter Jason Allen.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke on the United States’ 250th anniversary, encouraging Americans to reflect on the country’s founding principles. He also discussed how New York City has changed since 1776.
Key Facts
The United States celebrated its 250th birthday.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave a speech to mark this milestone.
He focused on the original ideals of the nation’s founding.
Mamdani urged people to reflect on the country’s identity.
He highlighted changes and growth in New York City since 1776.
The speech took place in New York City.
The event aimed to promote unity among Americans.
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President Trump announced pardons for six people who were prosecuted for tampering with their cars’ pollution control systems. He said these prosecutions were unfair and related to federal actions against devices that disable pollution controls on vehicles.
Key Facts
President Trump pardoned six individuals involved in pollution control cases related to their cars.
The prosecutions involved violations of the Clean Air Act, which regulates vehicle emissions.
Trump criticized the federal prosecutors for what he called "weaponization and stupidity."
The pardons were announced on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social.
The White House did not release the names of those pardoned immediately.
Last fall, Trump gave clemency to a mechanic who served time for disabling pollution control devices on diesel engines.
The Justice Department earlier instructed prosecutors to stop pursuing cases related to aftermarket devices that disable emissions controls.
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A new poll reveals that Americans have more common agreement on various issues than people might expect. Dr. Steven Kull from the University of Maryland shared insights about this finding in a CBS News interview.
Key Facts
The poll measured public opinions across different topics in the U.S.
Results show many Americans share similar views despite public disagreements.
Dr. Steven Kull is the director of the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland.
The data challenges the idea that Americans are deeply divided on most subjects.
The details were discussed on CBS News and are available on their app.
The research aims to help understand public consensus better.
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore criticized President Donald Trump for holding a July Fourth rally on the National Mall during a heat wave in Washington, D.C. Governor Moore said the event seemed focused on President Trump himself and expressed concern about asking people to attend in such hot weather.
Key Facts
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke out against President Trump’s July Fourth rally in Washington, D.C.
The rally took place during a heat wave in the Washington metropolitan area.
Governor Moore said people should not be asked to endure tough conditions just to listen to a speech.
He suggested the event was more about President Trump than about the holiday.
The comments were made during an interview with The Hill.
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Police are investigating a shooting at Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn, Michigan. The mall was evacuated, and authorities asked people to avoid the area while they continue their work.
Key Facts
The shooting occurred on Friday at Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit.
Dearborn Police said the scene was still active in the afternoon as officers investigated.
A video on social media showed people running from the mall after gunshots were heard.
Police asked the public to stay away from the area.
Michigan State Police are helping with the investigation.
Fairlane Town Center has more than 125 stores and restaurants.
The mall’s security office did not provide information about the incident.
Dearborn is about 9 miles west of Detroit and has over 100,000 residents.
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A concert called A Capitol Fourth will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States on July 3 at the U.S. Capitol West Lawn. The event will feature music from different styles and end with fireworks at Mount Vernon. Due to high temperatures, the public gates will open at 7 p.m.
Key Facts
The concert honors America’s 250th birthday.
It will happen on Friday, July 3, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
The location is the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Fireworks will take place at Mount Vernon after the concert.
The National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jack Everly will perform.
Music genres include pop, country, R&B, classical, and Broadway.
The U.S. Capitol Police delayed public entry until 7 p.m. because of extreme heat.
The National Weather Service predicted temperatures in the low 100s Fahrenheit on that day.
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The U.S. Justice Department asked states to investigate if oil companies are unfairly raising gas prices. This request came after President Trump complained that gas prices are not dropping fast enough. Top federal officials also informed state attorneys general about this issue.
Key Facts
The Justice Department called on states to check if gas prices are being unfairly increased.
President Trump expressed concern that gas prices are falling too slowly.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. and FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson sent this message.
State attorneys general were informed about the need to investigate possible price gouging.
Price gouging means charging much higher prices than normal during a crisis or unusual event.
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About 72 million Americans are expected to travel by car or plane for more than 50 miles during the July 4th weekend. This high travel number is predicted even though gas prices and airfares have gone up.
Key Facts
AAA forecasts 72 million people will travel over 50 miles for July 4th.
This is a record number of travelers for the holiday.
Many will travel by car or airplane.
Gas prices are higher than usual for this time.
Airfares have also increased recently.
Despite these higher costs, many Americans are still planning trips.
Robert Sinclair, senior manager at AAA, provided these details to CBS News.
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that more democratic socialist candidates are gaining attention because many voters want leaders who will actively support them. He also noted that these voters may not be mainly interested in candidates who focus on opposing President Donald Trump.
Key Facts
Governor Wes Moore is a Democrat from Maryland.
He spoke about the rise of democratic socialist candidates.
Voters seem to want leaders who will fight for their interests.
According to Moore, voters may not prioritize candidates who challenge President Trump directly.
Moore shared these views in an interview with The Hill’s Judy.
The discussion highlights different motivations within the Democratic Party’s base.
The term "democratic socialist" refers to political candidates who support more social and economic equality through government policies.
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A group called the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has gained influence in New York politics. Young and mostly new candidates from this group have won important elections, challenging the long-standing Democratic leaders.
Key Facts
The DSA is active in New York politics.
Many of their candidates are young and not well known.
These candidates have won races against established Democrats.
Their victories have surprised and unsettled the Democratic establishment.
The DSA’s rise shows a shift in political power within the Democratic Party in New York.
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President Donald Trump was given a gold and diamond ring designed by Antwerp’s diamond community as a gift for America’s 250th birthday. The ring was presented to the U.S. ambassador to Belgium to give to the president after Belgium’s diamond industry won the removal of U.S. tariffs on diamond imports.
Key Facts
The ring features 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds, and 6 rubies, with designs referencing President Trump’s terms and American symbols.
It was created by Antwerp jeweler David Gotlib and gifted by the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC).
The AWDC thanked President Trump and said the diamond industry had been under pressure during his trade war.
The ring’s interior is engraved, “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump.”
The U.S. ambassador to Belgium Bill White was given the ring to present to President Trump.
The ring was given months after the AWDC secured a 0% import tariff on polished diamonds exported to the U.S.
U.S. presidents must disclose gifts, and ethics experts say President Trump has accepted gifts more openly than past presidents.
The ring’s exact value was not officially stated but is less costly than some other Trump gifts like a plane donated by Qatar.
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Pope Leo XIV, the first pope born in the United States, and Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, both gave messages supporting immigrants to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. Their statements emphasized the importance of welcoming immigrants and reflected a different view from President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies.
Key Facts
Pope Leo XIV is the first US-born pope and spoke from the Vatican to a US audience.
He praised immigrants for shaping the United States and called for respect and moderation in public discussions.
Zohran Mamdani is the first Muslim mayor of New York City and a naturalized US citizen since 2018.
Mamdani spoke with a group of new citizens and urged Americans to reject ideas that limit freedom to only certain people.
Both leaders highlighted America’s founding principles of freedom and equality on the 250th anniversary of US independence.
Their statements contrast with President Trump’s tough immigration stance and policies.
Stephen Miller, a top adviser to President Trump, has worked on restricting various types of immigration during Trump’s second term.
Mamdani’s political influence has grown after successful candidates he supported won in recent New York Democratic primaries.
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Police are investigating a shooting at Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn, Michigan. Officials have asked people to stay away from the area while they work on the investigation.
Key Facts
The shooting happened at Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn, Michigan.
Police described the case as active and ongoing.
Residents and visitors are asked to avoid the mall area.
Officers are securing the scene while investigators collect information.
The police shared this information in an official statement.
The situation is still developing, and updates are expected.
No details about suspects or injuries have been released yet.
The incident is part of U.S. domestic news about public safety.
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President Donald Trump is thinking about giving pardons to people convicted of breaking laws about emissions and clean air. He has also talked about possibly offering clemency to Sean "Diddy" Combs, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Key Facts
President Trump is considering pardons for several people convicted of emissions and clean-air violations.
Clemency, which means reducing or canceling punishment, is being discussed for Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The information comes from sources close to President Trump's plans.
Emissions and clean-air violations relate to breaking environmental laws designed to keep air clean.
The news was reported by CBS News correspondent Nikole Killion.
No final decisions about the pardons or clemency have been announced yet.
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President Donald Trump is visiting Mount Rushmore for a Fourth of July celebration. Some of his supporters want to add his face to the monument, but the National Park Service says this is not possible.
Key Facts
President Trump is attending a pre-Independence Day event at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
Mount Rushmore has the carved faces of four U.S. presidents and was built between 1927 and 1941.
Trump and some supporters have suggested adding his face to Mount Rushmore.
The National Park Service has said adding new faces to the monument is not possible.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem shared that Trump said it was his dream to be added to Mount Rushmore.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna introduced a bill to carve Trump’s face on Mount Rushmore, but it has no cosponsors.
Some Republicans argue that Mount Rushmore should reflect recent history, including President Trump’s legacy.
The White House spokesperson expressed support for including Trump on the monument.
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