THE SENATE narrowly passed the “Big Beautiful Budget Bill” (Shutterstock).

The controversial “One Big Beautiful Budget Bill” passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins.
With 50 Senators voting in favor and 50 – including three Republicans – opposed, it remained for Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Two of the Republicans opposed – Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine – did so because the bill could cause millions of people lose access to Medicaid and Rand Paul of Kentucky did so because it would increase the national debt limit by $5 trillion.

According to the Associated Press, the bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and imposed work requirements for some people receiving Medicaid and food stamps.

Democrats tried to delay passage of the bill by requiring a reading out loud of the 887-page document.
The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives.

TV evangelist Swaggart dead at 90

Television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who built a following of millions and a financial empire before hit by a sex scandal, is dead at the age of 90.

JIMMY SWAGGART (Wikipedia).

According to United Press International, Swaggart suffered a heart attack on Father’s Day and never regained consciousness

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He was one of the most prominent – and criticized – religious broadcasters for his flamboyant preaching style and expensive lifestyle.

It all began to turn around in 1988 when he admitted to adultery and several years later when he was caught with a prostitute.

He blamed his second scandal on Satan.

Trump vows to arrest Mamdani

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to arrest Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, over his pledge to not help federal officials to enforce immigration laws.

According to USA Today, Trump said that if Mamdani is elected mayor and refuses to help, “we will have to arrest him.”

Mamdani replied that not cooperating with ICE violated no laws and that ‘“His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”

Great Thoughts

“Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.”
– Jim Carrey

“One bad chapter doesn’t mean your story is over.”
– Robert Downey, Jr.

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt

Weather: Warming trend is on

A typically warm Fourth of July weekend is on its way. The forecast for our West Orange County cities is for partly cloudy conditions through Sunday but with rising temperatures each day. Wednesday is expected to have a daytime high of 77 with an overnight low of 62. Thursday will warm slightly to 78 (63) and Friday and Saturday even more to 81 (63) and 82 (62).