By Greg LaRose | Editor-in-Chief
Let’s go Fourth into the holiday weekend well informed.
A drilling rig similar to this one was used in Lake Maurepas as a test well for Air Products’ carbon storage project. (Image courtesy of Air Products)
By Wes Muller
Political hostility and public distrust are likely to blame for the recent cancellation of the $4.5 billion Air Products & Chemicals Clean Energy Complex in Louisiana, according to industry analysts who see potential ripple effects for the petrochemical industry.
A volunteer clinic escort holds a sign outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia, South Carolina, on March 28, 2025. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)
By Jennifer Shutt
Republicans celebrated last year when they barred Medicaid payments from going to Planned Parenthood for one year, predicting the financial impact would hollow out the organization. A year later, with that section of the “big, beautiful” law set to expire July 4, GOP lawmakers are trying to find a way to keep the prohibition in place, though they won’t be able to accomplish that before the deadline.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., looks on as Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on May 19, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By David Lightman
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais narrowing the scope of the federal Voting Rights Act, as well as this year’s aggressive Republican redrawing of congressional district lines in conservative states, is a serious threat to Black political momentum. Analysts see more than 20 caucus members possibly at risk of losing their seats.
By Emma Davis
The U.S. Supreme Court removed limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates, reversing a more than 50 year old federal election law. The decision follows a pattern of the court expanding First Amendment protections for using money to influence political expression over the past several decades.
By Nada Hassanein
Under the federal Violence Against Women Act, foreign national spouses or parents of U.S. citizens or green card holders can petition for a lawful immigration status if they are experiencing abuse. The Trump administration narrowed its guidelines in December, and immigration officials have increasingly scrutinized domestic violence survivors’ applications for legal status, making more stringent asks of attorneys and their clients.
NEWS FROM THE STATES
State colleges, adult education now off limits to undocumented students | Florida Phoenix
Voters seek oversight of data center construction | Daily Montanan
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