🌎 A Historic July 4th Weekend

House passes Trump’s “big, beautiful” megabill

This thing was changed more times than an infant’s diaper. On Thursday, President Donald Trump’s proposed tax and domestic policy bill was narrowly passed by the US House and is expected to be signed into law by 5 pm ET today.

What’s in the bill?

After a grueling 24-hour marathon session, including a “vote-a-rama” with record amendments, the Senate passed Trump’s massive tax-and-spending package on a razor-thin 51–50 vote on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaker.

• One day later, the bill passed 218-214 in the House, clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law.

Here’s a short summary of what’s in the nearly 1000-page bill:

• Tax cuts: Extends Trump’s 2017 corporate tax cuts, offers major cuts for those earning under $500K and seniors, plus a permanent child tax credit boost, while eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, Social Security, and car-loan interest.

• Spending shifts: Injects $157B into defense and immigration enforcement, adds work requirements to Medicaid, slashing roughly $1T in funding, reduces SNAP, and tightens student loan rules.

• Energy rollback: Gradually eliminates federal incentives aimed at promoting electric vehicles and renewable energy development.

This is only a brief recap of the bill; see the full list here.

It will add to the national debt: The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the plan adds roughly $3.3 trillion to the national debt by 2035, though some projections have it higher or lower.

Controversy arises

After marathon negotiations led by Speaker Mike Johnson—and a record-setting nearly nine-hour speech by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries delaying the vote—the bill squeezed through in a 218–214 vote.

• However, it was only after dozens of GOP holdouts were flipped through last-minute White House meetings, handshakes, and commitment to key amendments.

• Only two Republicans, Thomas Massie (KY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), voted against the measure, siding with all Democrats.

After the bill’s passing in the Senate, tensions between former allies Donald Trump and Elon Musk also reignited:

• Musk responded by threatening to fund primary challengers to lawmakers who supported the bill and floated the idea of launching a third party.

• Trump then suggested cutting subsidies to Tesla and hinted at the possibility of deporting Musk, a naturalized US citizen from South Africa.

Looking forward: After the bill’s passing in the House, it “will be at the president’s desk for signature at a big, beautiful signing ceremony [today] at 5 pm on the Fourth of July, just as the president always said and hoped it would be,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

TSA predicts a record-setting travel weekend for the Fourth of July

Good luck trying to get a window seat. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) estimates over 18.5 million people will go through airport screenings this week, making it one of the busiest Fourth of July travel periods in history.

Turbocharged air travel

This year, the TSA has already seen an unprecedented spike in air travel, with six of its busiest days ever already recorded falling in 2025:

• On June 22, TSA recorded a single-day record of 3.1 million travelers screened, followed by record-setting days on June 27 and June 29.

• 2025 now boasts six out of the TSA’s 10 busiest travel days ever.

Why so many travellers? People are itching to go places, especially when the economy is looking this good. Former TSA airport director Keith Jeffries said the influx points to “strong consumer confidence… and a broader economic rebound,” clear signs that the travel industry is regaining its footing.

This weekend won’t be any better

AAA projects that 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles over the weekend, mainly by car. Meanwhile, the busiest air travel day is expected to be Sunday, with around 2.9 million people cramming into planes.

Major airlines like American and United are gearing up:

• American alone expects to transport 7.6 million customers on around 71,000 flights through Sunday.

Some tips to avoid travel headaches: TSA recommends bringing a REAL ID or another approved ID to avoid extra screening, pack smart (meaning no explosives) and light, use your airline’s mobile app for real-time updates, and, of course, get to the airport early.

Lava bursts are splitting Africa apart and could create a new ocean

At best, we have a new place to swim. Deep under eastern Africa, molten rock is surging upward in steady waves, gradually splitting the continent and potentially setting the stage for the formation of a new ocean.

Continent splitter

Deep within East Africa’s Afar region, scientists have observed gigantic pulsing plumes of molten rock slowly stretching and thinning Africa’s surface, guided by the three tectonic plates above.

• One study by Nature Geoscience (see here) revealed that the pulses shoot rhymically upward, similar to a beating heart.

Why is this happening? Geologists suggest that a mantle plume, a column of unusually hot rock that rises from deep within the Earth's mantle, is the culprit:

• These pulses churn through the crust, weakening it and fueling earthquakes and volcanic activity.

• They also sync with tectonic movements: when plates pull apart more quickly, the plume pulses more efficiently, forcing magma upward and thinning the crust.

Though the rift expands by only millimeters each year, it has already opened a massive crack stretching 40 miles wide and up to 32 feet deep in some areas (see video).

Opening an ocean

While it may sound like science fiction, scientists say we’re witnessing the very early stages of a new ocean forming right under our feet, or more accurately, beneath the Horn of Africa.

• Geological activity in Ethiopia’s Afar region is already pulling the African continent apart, splitting it into two massive landmasses.

• Over the next few million years (some estimates suggest 5–10 million), seawater may flood in, creating a brand-new ocean basin similar to the Red Sea.

While slow by human standards, the process is rapid in geological terms, offering us a rare, real-time glimpse into the tectonic activity that typically unfolds over millions of years.

Looking forward: While the ocean may not arrive in our lifetimes, its formation is already underway—a sharp reminder of Earth’s dynamic and ever-changing geology.

In partnership with The Rundown AI

Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

Sign up to start learning.

Lululemon is suing Costco for selling copycat products

But where else can I get a $1.50 hot dog and some knockoff Lulu shorts? Lululemon has filed a lawsuit against Costco, accusing it of selling unauthorized lookalikes of its popular athleisure wear under Kirkland and other in-house brands.

Copycat clothes

In the lawsuit, Lululemon highlights clothing that closely resembles its designs but sells for a fraction of the price (seems like a bad thing to admit), and alleges Costco stole its “Tidewater Teal” colorway.

Lulu says these are exact replicas:

• Costco’s $20 Hi-Tec Men’s Scuba Full Zip, which resembles Lululemon’s Scuba jacket (which retails for over $100).

• Kirkland’s $10 5-Pocket Performance Pants, which closely mirror Lulu’s $128 ABC Pants.

See photos of the alleged copycat clothing here.

Lululemon claims Costco is intentionally misleading consumers by branding apparel that closely resembles its own, higher-priced items with the Kirkland label, misleading shoppers into thinking Costco’s products are affiliated with or manufactured by Lululemon.

What now?

Lululemon is seeking a jury trial, unspecified monetary damages, and a court order to stop Costco from producing and selling the disputed items like the ones listed above.

• The brand emphasizes its investment in design, R&D, and innovation, asserting that Costco’s strategy amounts to “trading on their reputation, goodwill, and sweat equity.”

Rise of the dupes: Dupe culture is thriving among younger, price-conscious shoppers, but Lululemon argues that imitating trademarked or patented features can amount to a violation of intellectual property law.

So, can Lulu win the lawsuit? In April, The New York Times found Costco’s version of Lululemon’s ABC pants were nearly identical, however, US trademark law leaves plenty of gray area, making it tough to challenge copycats.

Americans really hate paying for their news

Use the money you save from NextGen News to pay for Netflix instead. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, just 17% of Americans paid for news in the past year, even though 74% often run into paywalls.

Pesky paywalls

As digital platforms (like yours truly) become the dominant source for news consumption and traditional newspaper revenue shrinks, a growing number of media outlets have introduced paywalls, limiting content access to paying subscribers.

That being said, people simply don’t pay for them. When faced with a subscription prompt:

• Only 1% actually paid.

• 11% tried to read the article without paying.

• 32% gave up entirely.

• 53% simply looked elsewhere.

Why not pay? For 49% of respondents, it’s because free content is everywhere (you’re welcome), while 10% said the price tag isn’t worth it, or they’re just not fans of recurring charges.

Those who do pay for the news are often older and highly educated. While Pew didn’t directly state how many Americans get their current events from NextGen News, we can confirm that you guys are the smartest of all.

FAST FACTS
Catch up on this week’s weird news

Space Streaming: NASA announced it will begin streaming rocket launches and spacewalks on Netflix starting this summer.

Digital Doctor: Microsoft researchers report that their new AI tool can diagnose diseases with 85% accuracy, four times better than the average rate of veteran doctors.

Costly Clothing: Ferris Bueller’s iconic 1980s sweater vest sold for a jaw-dropping $279,400 at Sotheby’s New York after drawing 11 competitive bids.

Premature Pain: A new UCL study found that premature babies can physically feel pain as early as 34–36 weeks post-conception, long before their brains develop emotional or cognitive understanding of it.

Missing Matter: A groundbreaking study discovered the universe’s “missing” ordinary matter—which makes up 5% of the universe—lies in intergalactic space (76%), galaxy halos (15%), and within galaxies themselves (9%).