US News - The Actual News

Funeral home owner who stashed nearly 190 decaying bodies is sentenced to 20 years

June 28, 2025

A funeral home owner in Colorado, Jon Hallford, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for hiding nearly 190 bodies and sending families fake ashes. He also committed fraud by obtaining almost $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Hallford admitted to his actions and will face additional sentencing for corpse abuse.

Key Facts:

Jon Hallford owned the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado.
He stashed about 190 dead bodies in a poor condition building between 2019 and 2023.
Families received fake ashes instead of their loved ones' remains.
Hallford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, involving fake COVID-19 aid claims.
He also pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse in state court.
Hallford and his wife used funds for personal purchases, including luxury cars and items.
Families affected by these actions reported emotional distress and grieving difficulties.

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NPR Home

In Budapest, thousands defy a national ban by participating in a Pride march

June 28, 2025

Thousands of people joined a Pride march in Budapest, even though the government of Viktor Orban had banned the event.

Key Facts:

The march took place in Budapest, Hungary.
Viktor Orban's government banned the annual Pride event.
Despite the ban, thousands participated in the march.
The Pride march represents support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Budapest is the capital city of Hungary.
The event was reported by NPR through journalists Rob Schmitz and Scott Simon.

Source Information

NPR World

Opinion: Remembering Bill Moyers

June 28, 2025

Bill Moyers, a well-known figure in public broadcasting, passed away at the age of 91. He was recognized for his work as a journalist and broadcaster, winning many awards for his documentaries and interviews. Moyers worked with various influential people and was known for asking thoughtful questions.

Key Facts:

Bill Moyers died at the age of 91.
He began his journalism career as a teen reporter in Texas.
Moyers worked as an intern for Senator Lyndon Johnson and later as his press secretary.
He won over 30 Emmy Awards and 11 Peabody Awards for his work in journalism.
Moyers hosted shows like "Bill Moyers Journal," interviewing prominent figures like Elie Wiesel and Desmond Tutu.
He was known for deep, meaningful interviews that often explored complex human issues.
Moyers also served as a Baptist minister early in his career.

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NPR Home

'Where's our money?' CDC grant funding is moving so slowly layoffs are happening

June 28, 2025

Health departments across the U.S. are experiencing delays in receiving grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The delays are affecting local health programs, leading to service disruptions and job losses as departments wait for funding that usually comes from the CDC.

Key Facts:

Health departments rely on CDC funding for most of their budgets, but the funds are not arriving as expected.
Two CDC staff members report that the agency has not received its full funding for the fiscal year 2025.
The CDC is currently operating with only 30 days of funding at a time, which is not enough for long-term planning.
States like Alabama rely on federal grants for over two-thirds of their health department funding.
Delayed funding has caused disruptions in services like HIV prevention in states such as Ohio and job losses in North Carolina.
Health officials warn that these funding delays could lead to more widespread public health issues as services are reduced or halted.

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NPR Home

Slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman to be laid to rest in private funeral service

June 28, 2025

Melissa Hortman, a former Democratic leader in Minnesota, and her husband were killed in their home earlier this month. A private funeral service will be held and broadcast online. The suspect, Vance Boelter, is in custody, accused of targeting multiple political figures.

Key Facts:

Melissa Hortman, a former Minnesota House speaker, and her husband were killed in their Brooklyn Park home.
Their family dog was injured in the attack and later euthanized.
Hortman's funeral will be private, with a livestream available for viewing.
The suspect, Vance Boelter, faces charges for these murders and an attack on another family.
Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also attacked but survived.
The incidents are seen as part of a broader trend of political violence.
The Hortmans' children encouraged community kindness to honor their parents.

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NPR Home

Where the Voting Rights Act stands after the Supreme Court punts on a Louisiana case

June 28, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to delay a ruling on a Louisiana case related to redrawing voting district maps, which could affect minority voting rights nationwide. The court will hear more arguments in its next term beginning in October. This decision continues ongoing discussions about the Voting Rights Act and racial discrimination in elections.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court postponed a decision on a Louisiana redistricting case.
The case may influence voting rights for minority groups across the U.S.
The court plans to hear more arguments starting in October 2023.
Redrawing voting districts affects how communities are represented in elections.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act requires fair opportunities for minority voters to elect their candidates.
A federal court order asks Louisiana to have two voting districts where Black voters can realistically elect preferred candidates.
Some non-Black voters have challenged the current map as unfair.
The case ties into broader debates about the future of the Voting Rights Act.

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NPR Home

Big beautiful bottleneck: Trump's high-stakes week at home and abroad

June 28, 2025

President Trump experienced a significant week with a favorable Supreme Court decision and developments in international relations. The ruling made it more difficult for opponents to block his executive actions, while Trump also claimed progress in peace efforts in the Middle East and commitments at the NATO summit.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court issued a ruling that limits the use of nationwide injunctions, which have been used to block Trump's executive actions.
The ruling specifically helped Trump with his order to end birthright citizenship, although the constitutionality of the order was not decided.
Trump held a press conference to announce the Supreme Court's decision, calling it a major victory.
The Trump administration highlighted U.S. military actions on Iranian facilities and a subsequent ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
Trump stated that Iran's nuclear program was significantly damaged but acknowledged that assessments are still ongoing.
At the NATO summit, Trump secured commitments he viewed as further successes in his foreign policy efforts.

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NPR Home

What cases did the US Supreme Court decide at the end of its 2024 term?

June 28, 2025

The United States Supreme Court ended its 2024 term with several important decisions on topics like healthcare and internet regulations. The court decided to uphold preventive healthcare requirements and allowed Texas to enforce age restrictions on viewing online pornography. Another ruling limited courts' power to issue nationwide injunctions.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court completed its 2024 term, and the justices will reconvene in October.
A major decision limited the power of courts to issue universal injunctions, which can block executive actions across the country.
The court upheld that parents could choose to opt out of school materials with LGBTQ content.
The Supreme Court supported Texas in setting up age restrictions for accessing pornographic websites.
A significant ruling supported the continuation of preventive healthcare coverage.
In the preventive care case, three conservative justices joined three liberal justices in a six-to-three decision.
The decision affirmed the constitutionality of the healthcare task force under the Affordable Care Act.
Concerns were raised about sharing personal information for age verification to access online content.

Source Information

Al Jazeera

California Governor Newsom sues Fox News over alleged defamation

June 27, 2025

California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News for allegedly misrepresenting a phone call between him and President Trump. The lawsuit claims Fox News falsely reported about the conversation and harmed Newsom's reputation.

Key Facts:

Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
The lawsuit accuses Fox News of misrepresenting a phone call between Newsom and President Trump.
Newsom's conversation with Trump occurred after immigration-related protests in Los Angeles.
Fox News reportedly aired misleading claims, suggesting Newsom lied about the call.
Newsom alleges these reports were meant to damage his reputation and mislead the public.
Fox News plans to defend itself vigorously and dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous.
Newsom's requested damages match the amount Fox paid to settle a previous lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems.
Newsom may drop the lawsuit if Fox retracts its statements and issues an apology.

Source Information

Al Jazeera

‘Explosive’: US Supreme Court deals blow to those challenging Trump’s power

June 27, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court has limited judges' power to issue nationwide bans on presidential actions, affecting challenges to Donald Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship. The court's decision weakens the judiciary's ability to stop Trump’s order temporarily, which seeks to restrict citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court ruled that judges can no longer issue widespread bans on presidential decisions.
Trump's executive order aims to limit U.S. citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants.
The court's decision restricts judges' ability to issue universal injunctions, but these can still occur through class action lawsuits.
The ruling means Trump's order isn't enforceable for at least 30 days.
The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the order and warns of potential partial enforcement.
Without injunctions, children of undocumented parents may face difficulties obtaining U.S. documentation like passports.
A class action lawsuit now must represent a challenge to issue a nationwide injunction, making it a more complex process.

Source Information

Al Jazeera

What is birthright citizenship and what happens after the Supreme Court ruling?

June 27, 2025

The Supreme Court decided to limit the power of federal judges to issue nationwide bans on executive actions. However, it did not make a decision about President Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship. In response, immigrant rights groups are taking legal action by using a new strategy called a national class action lawsuit.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court limited federal judges' ability to issue universal injunctions, which are orders that can stop laws or actions across the entire country.
The Court did not make a ruling on President Trump's executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.
Birthright citizenship is the right for anyone born in the U.S. to automatically be a citizen.
Immigrant rights groups are filing a national class action lawsuit to challenge Trump's order.
The lawsuit involves members of two organizations who are immigrants without legal status in the U.S.
President Trump described the Supreme Court's decision as a victory, saying it allows him to proceed with changes to U.S. immigration and citizenship policies.
Nationwide injunctions have been used in the past to stop actions seen as illegal or unconstitutional.
The ruling raises questions about how disputes over birthright citizenship will continue and how executive actions will be challenged in the future.

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NPR National

A fourth judge has blocked a Trump executive order targeting elite law firms

June 27, 2025

A federal judge has blocked an executive order from President Trump that aimed to punish the law firm Susman Godfrey. This decision follows three previous rulings that also stopped similar actions against other law firms, with judges finding these orders unconstitutional.

Key Facts:

A federal judge named Loren AliKhan stopped Trump's order against Susman Godfrey.
This is the fourth time judges have blocked similar orders from Trump against law firms.
The judge declared the order unconstitutional, meaning it goes against the U.S. Constitution.
Trump's orders targeted firms for representing people or causes he disliked.
Punishments in the orders included suspending security clearances and ending government contracts.
Four law firms took legal action against these orders, saying they were a threat to their rights.
Judges across these cases said the orders attacked the law firms' rights to free speech and fairness.
No previous U.S. president has issued orders like this targeting law firms.

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NPR Home

How Zohran Mamdani shocked New York

June 27, 2025

Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old socialist and Muslim, is now expected to be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. He was not well-known until recently but has quickly gained popularity.

Key Facts:

Zohran Mamdani is 33 years old.
He identifies as a socialist.
He is a Muslim.
Mamdani is likely to be the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.
He was not widely recognized a few months ago but has since become popular.

Source Information

Al Jazeera

How the Supreme Court ruling on nationwide injunctions affects presidential powers

June 27, 2025

The Supreme Court made a decision that limits the ability of federal judges to stop the president's plans across the entire country. This decision came from a case about an order by Trump regarding birthright citizenship.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court's decision affects how much federal judges can do to block presidential actions nationwide.
The case involved Trump's policy on birthright citizenship, which is the right to get citizenship if born in the country.
The ruling means individual judges cannot issue nationwide orders to stop a president's policy.
The decision may change how legal challenges against presidential decisions are handled.
Legal experts Amy Howe and Amanda Frost discussed the decision with Geoff Bennett.

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PBS NewsHour

The major snags holding up Trump’s ‘big bill’ as the Senate prepares to vote

June 27, 2025

The U.S. Senate is preparing to vote on a significant budget bill backed by former President Trump. They aim to begin voting over the weekend, although the detailed proposal was not yet made available as of Friday.

Key Facts:

The budget bill is important to former President Trump.
Republican senators have not yet released the detailed proposal of the bill.
PBS News Hour reported on the planned timeline for the vote.
Senators want to start voting on the bill on Saturday.
The target for passing the bill is by July 4.

Source Information

PBS NewsHour

Lotus considering shifting UK production to US

June 27, 2025

Lotus might move its car production from the UK to the US, putting 1,300 jobs in Norfolk at risk. This change is being considered because recent US tariffs have made importing cars more expensive. A new deal will soon lower these tariffs, but it is not currently active.

Key Facts:

Lotus is thinking about moving production from Norfolk, UK, to a new plant in the US.
This move may affect 1,300 jobs at the company's UK headquarters.
US tariffs have increased the cost of importing cars, affecting Lotus's business.
The UK and US have agreed to lower tariffs on UK-made cars from 25% to 10%.
This tariff change will start at the end of June.
Lotus is majorly owned by the Chinese company Geely, which owns several other car brands.
Lotus stopped some production in Norfolk because of the tariffs and announced 270 job cuts in April.
The US is a significant market for Lotus, but current tariffs present a challenge.

Source Information

BBC Business

University of Virginia’s president resigns under pressure from Justice Department

June 27, 2025

James Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, is stepping down. This decision came after pressure from the Trump administration and an ongoing Justice Department investigation into the university's diversity efforts.

Key Facts:

James Ryan is the current president of the University of Virginia.
Ryan is resigning from his position.
His resignation follows pressure from the Trump administration.
The Justice Department is investigating UVA's diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
This situation may be the first time the White House has influenced the departure of a university leader.
Geoff Bennett discussed the issue with Peter McDonough from the American Council on Education.

Source Information

PBS NewsHour

Venezuelan immigrants in Chicago live in fear after loss of temporary legal status

June 27, 2025

The Trump administration decided that Haitians will no longer be allowed to stay in the U.S. under a special program called temporary protected status starting September 2. This is part of a larger plan affecting citizens from several countries, including those from Venezuela.

Key Facts:

Temporary protected status (TPS) is a program that lets people stay in the U.S. if it is dangerous to return to their home country.
The decision will affect Haitians currently living in the U.S. under this program.
The change begins on September 2.
The policy shift is part of a larger effort to change immigration rules for various countries, including Venezuela.
Venezuelan migrants, particularly in Chicago, are concerned about these changes.

Source Information

PBS NewsHour

Communities fight back against states banning Pride flags on government buildings

June 27, 2025

This year is the tenth anniversary of same-sex marriage being legal across the United States. In some states led by Republican officials, there are moves to stop Pride flags from being displayed in public schools and government buildings, leading to some local pushback.

Key Facts:

Same-sex marriage was legalized nationally in the U.S. ten years ago.
Some states with Republican leadership are trying to ban Pride flags from public areas like schools and government offices.
These efforts to ban the flags are meeting resistance from local communities.
Pride flags are symbols of support for LGBTQ+ rights.
The legal changes come a decade after the landmark decision to allow same-sex marriage in the U.S.
Community resistance highlights ongoing debates about LGBTQ+ symbols in public spaces.

Source Information

PBS NewsHour

Trump says he is cutting off trade talks with Canada

June 27, 2025

The U.S. President, Donald Trump, announced that he is ending trade talks with Canada due to a new tax Canada plans to impose on large tech companies. He also stated that new tariffs on goods from Canada will be announced soon.

Key Facts:

President Trump said he is stopping trade discussions with Canada.
Canada plans to enforce a new tax on large tech companies.
The two countries were working on a trade deal to finalize by mid-July.
Both countries have been applying tariffs on each other's goods during a trade dispute earlier this year.
Trump described the Canadian tax on tech companies as "egregious," or really bad.
He plans to announce new tariffs on Canadian goods within a week.
Trump communicated these decisions through social media.

Source Information

BBC Business