Concerns about transparency swirl around Nashua performing arts center

Thursday's decision arises from one of more than a dozen lawsuits resident Laurie A. Ortolano has filed against Nashua in the past five years under the RTK law. It clarifies that a 2008 change to the law didn't narrow the scope of entities bound by it. Legislators added language specifying that government-owned nonprofit corporations are public bodies subject to the RTK law, but that doesn't mean all for-profit corporations are exempt, the court ruled.
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To determine whether an entity constitutes a public body under the RTK law, judges still must conduct a 'government function' test, just as they were required to do before the 2008 change to the law. The lower court failed to do that in this case.
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In response to Thursday's decision, Ortolano said it seems fairly clear that NPAC Corp. is using public money to perform a government function, especially considering how involved city officials have been in the entity's financing and administration.
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Ortolano said officials had long reassured the public that the performing arts center would be operated transparently, but then they established the for-profit entity.
'All of the records went dark, and you could not really track accountability of the money any longer,' she said.
Ortolano's lawsuit alleges the city owns a nonprofit entity that owns the for-profit corporation, but city attorney Steven A. Bolton disputed that. Nashua doesn't own any of the entities in question, he said. (That said, the city's Board of Alderman approves mayoral appointees to lead the nonprofits.)
Bolton said he was pleased that the Supreme Court agreed with the trial court's decision to dismiss the city as a defendant in this case, and he expressed confidence that the money raised for this project was spent appropriately on construction, furnishings, and perhaps initial operating costs.
Attorneys for the remaining defendant, NPAC Corp., didn't respond Thursday to requests for comment. The corporation maintains it is a private entity exempt from the RTK law, even though its members are listed on
Gregory V. Sullivan, an attorney who practices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and who serves as president of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said he suspects the superior court will conclude that NPAC Corp. is subject to the RTK law. He commended Ortolano as 'a right-to-know warrior' and criticized leaders who resist transparency.
'The city of Nashua has historically, in my opinion, not been cooperative with requests to disclose the public's records as opposed to other cities and towns in New Hampshire,' he said. 'We the people are the government, own the government, and they're our records.'
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The Hill

8 hours ago

• The Hill

Trump takes wait-and-see approach to Iran

Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here President Trump has bought more time to make a decision on U.S. military intervention in Iran, capping off a whirlwind week that saw his administration approach the brink of direct action before hitting pause. 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go in the next two weeks,' Trump said in a statement Thursday read aloud by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump's decision puts on hold any immediate move by the Pentagon to directly engage in strikes or other actions targeting Iran and its nuclear program, something the president has openly mulled this week amid escalating tensions between Israel and its biggest regional rival. The updated timetable would put Trump's self-imposed deadline for potential strikes on the eve of Independence Day weekend. In the week since Israel launched a barrage of missiles into Iran — targeting Tehran's nuclear infrastructure and high-ranking generals — the world has been holding its breath as Trump weighs whether to directly involve the U.S. in the conflict. Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility, Fordow, is located in a mountain bunker only U.S. missiles could penetrate. Trump has been briefed on both the risks and the benefits of bombing Fordow, and he believes that disabling it is necessary because of the risk of weapons being produced in a relatively short period of time, CBS News reports. ▪ The New York Times: Forced to wait for Trump, Israel faces a strategic dilemma in Iran. ▪ NBC News: U.S. intelligence says Iran has a large stockpile of enriched uranium but isn't close to creating a weapon. ▪ ABC News: What do we know about Iran's nuclear program amid different assessments? Leavitt sidestepped a question Thursday over potential U.S. involvement in a regime change in Iran. When pressed on how close the president thinks Iran is to completing the production of a nuclear weapon, Leavitt said that at this point, it's up to the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to decide to move ahead with final stages. 'Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that,' she said. 'And it would take a couple of weeks to complete production of that weapon.' Some military experts estimate Israel and Iran have sufficient remaining munitions to continue pounding each other for a few more weeks. Iran is weaker on the missile ledger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly spoken with Trump since Israel began attacking Iran, pushed Trump to support Israeli strikes over the course of a series of meetings, Time magazine reports. The president initially said the U.S. would not involve itself in the conflict while reiterating he could not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump, who in his first term withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran, had been pressing for talks to hammer out a new agreement in his second term. Those negotiations have been on ice for weeks, but European foreign ministers are slated to meet with Iranian officials in Switzerland today to press them to de-escalate and to offer a rollback of Iran's nuclear activities. White House officials are watching those talks with interest as Trump suggests that he would wait to let discussions unfold. But Iran's foreign minister said his country is not seeking negotiations with anyone as long as Israel continues its strikes. Next week's NATO summit at The Hague will offer another opportunity to glean what the president is thinking about any negotiations with Tehran. ▪ The Economist: The Europeans plan to keep the NATO summit short and snappy. ▪ CNN: In a veiled message to Trump, the Chinese and Russian leaders present a united front over the Israel-Iran crisis. ▪ CBS News: The Trump administration is boosting monitoring of possible Iran-backed cells in the U.S. The conflict in the Middle East is also dividing Trump's MAGA base, with some of the president's key supporters urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle Eastern war. The anti-interventionist arm of the Republican Party — alongside Democrats — is watching with alarm as Trump has moved from solely seeking a diplomatic solution with Iran to considering engaging in direct strikes. Former Trump adviser and conservative firebrand Steve Bannon told the Christian Science Monitor at a breakfast event on Wednesday that Israel can finish its task in Iran without roping in the U.S. military. 'My mantra right now, the Israelis have to finish what they started,' Bannon said. 'They started this, they should finish it. They have air superiority.' Other Trump supporters want the president to take direct action. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser in his first term, said on social platform X that the president is 'delivering a master class on how to conduct an America First foreign policy' and 'has gracefully given an enemy multiple chances to avoid war.' During Thursday's briefing, Leavitt sought to reassure 'everyday Trump supporters' who have concerns about U.S. involvement. 'Trust in President Trump,' she said. NEW HEADWINDS: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and his GOP colleagues are eyeing polling and economic forecasts that suggest next year's elections could be tougher than expected. The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports this morning on new exclusive polling figures showing Trump's frequent clashes with federal courts are unsettling to likely voters in Senate battleground states. The survey of 1,000 likely voters from Democratic-aligned firm Global Strategy Group found 53 percent disapprove of Trump's handling of the courts, including 39 percent of self-identified, non-MAGA Republicans. Senate Republicans are facing pressure this month to advance Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which can only make the trip to the president's desk if it attracts a bare majority of Republican votes. And as June rushes past, GOP support has still not gelled. Lawmakers are weighing public hand-wringing about proposed Medicaid changes and cutbacks to programs that help lower-income families at a time when inflation and economic uncertainty are hitting hard, including in many red states. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults held an unfavorable opinion of the version of the legislation that narrowly passed the House last month, according to a recent survey. The bill includes proposed tax breaks and spending cuts that affect key federal programs that have bipartisan backing. Meanwhile, the president is juggling steep tariffs, inflation fears and potential U.S. military intervention against Iran, an idea that's unpopular with his MAGA base. His job approval numbers on most issues except immigration are underwater six months into his presidency. The White House reached out to MAGA influencers to try to quiet dissent as Trump mulls the situation in Iran and urges a return to negotiations. Trump fumed on Thursday on social media about a Fox News poll released this week that found 58 percent of adults surveyed disapprove of his handling of the economy, compared with 40 percent who approve. On his handling of inflation, 64 percent of respondents disapproved. The president urged the network to change its pollster. CURVEBALL: The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday clashed over the presence of federal agents outside the stadium grounds. The baseball organization and the Trump administration differed over which federal agents showed up Thursday morning at the stadium, whether the agents were asked to leave the grounds or exited voluntarily, and whether government vehicles and personnel were there for immigration enforcement. DHS conceded that Customs and Border Patrol personnel gathered in the parking lot, but said they were not tied to any immigration enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is a different DHS entity, asserted that a Dodger post on X, which attracted a firestorm of media attention, was 'false.' The Los Angeles Times published photos of masked, geared-up federal agents, but reported the purpose of their presence was unclear. The home team's message: 'This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled.' ⚾ The Dodgers lost to the San Diego Padres in a fiery 5-3 game with some bench-clearing drama. Major League Baseball has a rich history of Hall of Fame and star players from other nations who made their mark on America's pastime. Los Angeles officials say tensions remain high in reaction to federal efforts to round up migrants who lack legal status and to deport them, especially from Democratic-led cities the president and his immigration team said this week they're targeting. Trump says his administration's crackdown honors voters' wishes and removes criminals while securing U.S. borders. White House border czar Tom Homan told reporters on Wednesday that 'worksite enforcement' to round up migrants without legal status employed at farms and hotels will not abate, despite the president's recent expression of support for industries complaining about the impact of his immigration policies on workers and businesses. 'The message is clear now,' Homan said, 'that we're going to continue doing worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on [a] prioritized basis — criminals come first.' Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, interviewed Thursday by NewsNation, urged undocumented migrants to self-deport or risk being rounded up at worksites. 'We're not going to take any option off the table,' she said. The Hill: Absenteeism in America's schools, already a problem in education, is worsening because of the U.S. immigration crackdown, according to a recent study. UKRAINE: Russian President Vladimir Putin denied in remarks published Thursday that Moscow was targeting civilians and said he was open to meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even while still questioning his legitimacy. Meanwhile, Russia continues to attack Kyiv and recently destroyed apartment blocks in a strike that killed 28 people. 'We are ready to meet, and by the way, I said I am ready to meet with everyone, including Zelensky,' Putin said. 'But that is not the question. The question is who will sign the documents,' he said, repeating a central piece of propaganda that denies Zelensky's political legitimacy. American aid to Ukraine appears to be drying up. While the U.S. approved a $50 million sale of military aid to Ukraine earlier this month, it came only after Kyiv signed off on a deal to share rare earth minerals. The White House has yet to dip into some $3.9 billion earmarked to fund military aid to Ukraine that former President Biden was not able to spend before the end of his term. ▪ Al Jazeera: In its war on Ukraine, is Russia's vast size becoming a liability? ▪ France24: Russia and Ukraine on Thursday completed another exchange of prisoners of war. ▪ Politico: The Ukrainian official Washington loves to hate. And finally … 👏👏👏 Congratulations to this week's Morning Report Quiz winners! While pondering a big U.S. jewelry robbery (and the fate of the alleged criminal masterminds this week), we quizzed readers about notable heists. 🧩 Here's who stole away with a perfect score: Richard Baznik, Stan Wasser, Lynn Gardner, Joe Atchue, Jess Elger, Russ Lowenthal, Alan Johnson, Peter Sprofera, Rob DiMaggio, Pam Manges, Rick Schmidtke, Linda Field, Mark Williamson, Brian Hogan, Michael McGinnis, Robert Bradley, Luther Berg, Stanton Kirk, Chuck Schoenenberger, Steve James, Carmine Petracca, Savannah Petracca and Jose Ramos. Seven California suspects were charged Tuesday with stealing gold, diamonds, rubies and emeralds in what prosecutors called the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history. The 2022 haul was worth $100 million. In Canada's largest heist, thieves in 2011 made off with tons of maple syrup. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston displays empty frames that once held masterpieces stolen in 1990 in a still-unsolved art caper. Inspired by a plot in a Sherlock Holmes story, British robbers tunneled their way into a Lloyds Bank in London in 1971, making off with what today would be $51 million in cash before being caught. Thanks for reading! Check out more newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!

Associated Press

15 hours ago

• Associated Press

Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Faced with mounting lawsuits over a popular pistol, New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer asked for — and got — protection in the form of a new state law that makes it harder to take the gunmaker to court. Supporters in the Republican-led Legislature said the law was needed to help a major employer. The lawsuits say Sig Sauer's P320 pistol can go off without the trigger being pulled, an allegation the company denies. The law covers all gun manufacturers and federal firearm licensees in product liability claims regarding the 'absence or presence' of four specific safety features. One of those features is an external mechanical safety that people suing Sig Sauer say should be standard on the P320, based on its design. Claims can still be filed over manufacturing defects. Those who have sued Sig Sauer in New Hampshire and elsewhere include police, federal law enforcement officers, and other experienced gun users from multiple states who say they were wounded by the gun. The manufacturer has prevailed in some cases. It is appealing two recent multimillion-dollar verdicts against it, in Pennsylvania and Georgia. George Abrahams a U.S. Army veteran and painting contractor in Philadelphia who won his case, said he had holstered his P320, put it in the pocket of his athletic pants and zipped it up before going downstairs. 'All I did was come down the stairway and there was a loud explosion, and then the excruciating pain and bleeding,' he told The Associated Press in 2022. He said the bullet tore through his right thigh. The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and 'has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world.' It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. 'Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?' state Rep. Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. 'I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court,' state Rep. David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. A 2005 federal law gives the gun industry broad legal immunity. New Hampshire was already among 32 states that have adopted gun immunity laws in some form, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some states also have repealed gun industry immunity statutes or weakened them. Sig Sauer seeks help A Sig Sauer executive asked New Hampshire lawmakers for help in April, two weeks after a Pennsylvania-based law firm filed its most recent lawsuit in federal court in Concord on March 26 over the design of the P320. The firm represents over 100 people who have filed such lawsuits, including more than 70 in New Hampshire. 'We're fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology,' testified Bobby Cox, vice president of governmental affairs for the company. The measure took effect once Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's 'proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.' 'Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire,' Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. 'Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits,' Zimmerman said in an interview. Sig Sauer gets protection The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, 'but you can buy them with or without safeties.' The plaintiffs say 'the vast majority' of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, 'even as an option.' Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. States, industries and immunity 'It's not a great look' when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry — pesticides — governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.

The Hill

a day ago

• The Hill

Trump keeps Iran, lawmakers guessing

Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Sign up here or using the box below: Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here President Trump is keeping the world guessing as he mulls whether to join Israel's escalating attacks on Iran aimed at destroying its nuclear program. The president met with his national security aides in the Situation Room for a second consecutive day on Wednesday while openly weighing whether to strike Iran. 'Nobody knows what I'm going to do,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'I like to make a final decision one second before it's due.' Israeli officials said Thursday they would intensify their strikes after Iran targeted a key hospital in southern Israel in an overnight missile attack. Israel, meanwhile, carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor. The Wall Street Journal reports Trump told senior aides he approved of an attack plan for Iran but was holding off on giving a final order to see if the country abandons its nuclear program. Bloomberg reports U.S. officials have drawn up plans for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days. Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, as well as high-ranking generals. But Tehran's main nuclear facility, Fordow, is located in a mountain bunker that only the U.S. has the capability to strike. The president has met with the National Security Council and spoken multiple times with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday the Pentagon was providing options to Trump as he decides next steps. 'I'm not looking to fight,' Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office. 'But if it's a choice between them fighting or [Tehran] having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. And maybe we don't have to fight.' 'There's no way that you can allow, whether you have to fight or not, you can allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, because the entire world will blow up,' he added. 'Not going to let that happen.' ▪ The Hill: The U.S. faces a sea of risk if Trump presses ahead with an Iran attack. ▪ The New York Times: A U.S. strike on Iran would bring risks at every turn, experts say. Iran has readied missiles and equipment for strikes on U.S. bases in the region if Washington joins in the attacks. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said any U.S. military intervention in the conflict would bring 'irreparable damage.' Asked if he thinks it is too late to negotiate a new deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, Trump said: 'Nothing's too late.' U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Wednesday issued an 'urgent notice' for Americans in Israel, saying the Embassy in Jerusalem is helping arrange evacuations for citizens wanting to leave the country. ▪ The Hill: U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla, who leads U.S. military operations in the Middle East, has emerged as a key player in the Iran-Israel clashes. ▪ The Hill: How close is Iran to having a nuclear weapon? ▪ Reuters: The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain are set to hold nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Friday. As Trump mulls his options, lawmakers in both parties are growing increasingly nervous about the possibility that the president could insert the U.S. directly into the Israel-Iran war — an issue that divides his own party and the MAGA movement. An interview between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and conservative pundit Tucker Carlson is drawing attention to the split between the GOP's more interventionist and isolationist wings. Carlson and Cruz debated Trump's foreign policy, with the former Fox News host criticizing the GOP senator for not knowing the population and ethnic makeup of Iran as he advocated for U.S. intervention. 'You're a senator who's calling for an overthrow of the government and you don't know anything about the country!' Carlson told Cruz at one point in the taped conversation. On Capitol Hill, there is broad support in both parties for Israel, but there is also fear about getting drawn into a larger war in the Middle East. Close Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is urging the president to go 'all in' on a military response for regime change, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has urged the U.S. to stay out of the conflict. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito ( said U.S. officials 'need to be contemplative and look at all the ramifications.' 'I just think … slow it down if you can, make sure you're making the right decision,' Capito said. 'I trust the president to make the right decision, but it's tough.' 'I'm uncomfortable,' said Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), who noted Trump campaigned on keeping the U.S. out of foreign conflicts. 'These decisions are always a function of assessing risk accurately and your reward,' Hickenlooper said. Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed frustration about being kept in the dark about the president's thought process. 'I'm a member, as you said, of the Gang of Eight, and we're supposed to know,' he said Wednesday afternoon on CNN. 'I have no foggy idea what this administration's plans are or what the foreign policy is vis-a-vis Iran.' WOOING HOLDOUTS: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), struggling to corral GOP colleagues who balk at provisions of a fraying tax cut and spending bill backed by Trump, will offer a deal to fellow Republicans who object to Medicaid cuts, reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton. Trump set a July 4 deadline to see his 'big, beautiful bill' arrive on his desk, but Thune is juggling a heap of challenges, which means votes for passage are not assured in his chamber or during an expected return visit to the House floor. Ideally, Thune and GOP leaders would like to see the bill on the Senate floor next week. But negotiations among Republicans could drag into the summer, even as the president's White House chief of staff urged GOP senators at a private lunch to meet the July 4 deadline. Asked about his party's heavy legislative lift, Trump told reporters on Wednesday, 'Any senator that votes against it … I think they'll be finished in politics.' The president's standing with his base is considered his most effective weapon with GOP lawmakers when they weigh their political options and eventually cast their votes. Meanwhile, lawmakers learned Wednesday that Social Security and Medicare are expected to go broke earlier than last projected because of rising costs, according to the funds' trustees. The shortfall for Social Security, which this year helps one-fifth of the U.S. population, is estimated to bite in 2034. With Medicare, it will begin to squeeze in 2033. In less than a decade, Social Security would only be able to pay 81 percent of benefits. Trump told voters last year that he would leave Social Security and Medicare benefits untouched if reelected. In the long term, budget experts warn that an aging population and rising health care costs mean entitlement spending will gobble an increasing percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). At the moment, entitlements account for about 13 percent of GDP. FOOD ASSISTANCE: Congress is rethinking its bipartisan generosity, enacted with the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps. While hunting for budget savings, lawmakers might soon end work requirement exemptions they embraced a few years ago to help veterans, the homeless and young people in foster care. 👉 Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) should be 'denaturalized' and deported, Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier suggested in a Tuesday post on the social platform X while faulting Omar's criticism of Trump. Omar was among progressives who supported 'No Kings' demonstrations held across the country to protest the administration's deportation policies and Trump's military parade in the nation's capital. The Minnesota lawmaker was born in Somalia and became a naturalized U.S. citizen before being elected to Congress in 2019. Denaturalization is rare but possible in cases of treason or crimes. Uthmeier was appointed to his state position in February by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and is campaigning to keep his post after next year's Florida elections. ICE DANCING: How deep into red states is Trump willing to push his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown to drive up deportation numbers when industries he cares about are lobbying to keep migrant workers on their payrolls? The president has been accused of flip-flopping on that question after issuing orders he quickly reversed tied to farmers, ranchers, meat packing plants and hotels and restaurants. Trump, when asked by a reporter Wednesday to explain his shifting guidance to ICE, responded, 'We have to take care of our farmers. We have to take care of people who run leisure, hotels. Most importantly we have to get the criminals out of our country.' SUPREME COURT: Justices on Wednesday upheld Tennessee's ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines — a ruling that stands to impact similar laws passed in nearly half the states. Rejecting a challenge mounted by the Biden administration, the high court ruled Tennessee's law does not amount to sex discrimination that requires a higher level of constitutional scrutiny, removing a key line of attack LGBTQ rights advocates have used to try to topple similar laws. The court's three Democratic-appointed justices disagreed with the conservative majority, saying they would've held the law to heightened scrutiny. ECONOMY: The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rates steady following a two-day meeting that ended on Wednesday, arguing the U.S. economy is doing well enough to wait for what the central bank expects will be rising inflation tied to U.S. tariffs and business and consumer adaptations to the impacts ahead. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and members of the Federal Open Market Committee project future weakening growth, higher unemployment and rising prices amid major changes to U.S. trade policy and worsening geopolitical tensions. 'It's a time of real change and it's very hard to see where that goes,' Powell told reporters during a news conference. The central bank sees inflation rising again to top 3 percent this year, and it lowered its March projection for gross domestic product expansion to just 1.4 percent this year. Trump has repeatedly pressed Powell publicly and privately to lower interest rates while chafing at the chairman's linkage of the president's gyrating trade levies to inflation and U.S. economic uncertainty. 'We have no inflation. We have only success,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday while asserting he could do a better job at the Fed than Powell, whose term as chair ends next year. Powell has shown no inclination to leave before his term expires and has said the law protects the Fed chair from dismissal without cause. 'I call him 'Too Late Powell' because he's always too late,' Trump said, acknowledging his overt efforts to influence the independent central bank. 'I do it every way in the book. I'm nasty. I'm nice. Nothing works,' the president continued. Trump invited Powell to meet at the White House last month. Asked about the president's latest remarks, Powell demurred, repeating the central bank's commitments to its dual mandates to curb inflation and promote employment. 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL' FLAGS: Two tall poles were added to the White House grounds Wednesday, one north of the building and one on the South Lawn at the president's suggestion to fly the red, white and blue. Are the flag poles safe with helicopters and visitors coming and going? Trump assured reporters they are. But one of his former White House chiefs of staff, Mick Mulvaney, wondered. 'I'm looking at this going … 'Where are we landing the helicopter without creating an increased risk for the president of the United States?'' he told NewsNation. 'I don't know the answer to that yet.' GLOBAL TARIFFS: In the age of Trump's global tariffs, Beijing is unleashing an export shock across the globe. As the tariffs close off the U.S. market, Chinese goods are flooding countries from Southeast Asia to Europe to Latin America. China's 2025 trade surplus with the world measures nearly $500 billion so far. That marks a more than 40 percent increase from the same period last year. Trump's 90-day tariff pause is nearing its end on July 9, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signaled fresh openness toward shifting the deadline. ▪ Reuters: China is talking up the digital yuan in a push for a multi-polar currency system. ▪ CNBC: These are the sticking points holding up a U.S.-European Union trade deal. GAZA: At least 51 people were killed and more than 200 others injured by Israeli fire as they waited for aid trucks to arrive in southern Gaza early Tuesday morning. Nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed near aid centers since Israel lifted an 11-week total blockade on Gaza and allowed a trickle of aid to enter, according to the enclave's health ministry. 'We were waiting for flour trucks,' Mohammed Abu Abed, an eyewitness, told CNN. 'Suddenly, we were among the people and were hit by two missiles that tore apart people's bodies, remains, pieces of flesh everywhere. I don't know what to say; they killed the people, unarmed people who had nothing on them.' The New York Times: 'I'll never try again': For some Gazans, seeking aid is just too risky. And finally … It's Thursday, which means it's time for this week's Morning Report Quiz! Mulling the recent charges in the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history, we're eager for some smart guesses about notable heists. Be sure to email your responses to asimendinger@ and kkarisch@ — please add 'Quiz' to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday. Seven California suspects were charged Tuesday with stealing gold, diamonds, rubies and emeralds in what prosecutors called the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history. What was the 2022 haul worth? In Canada's largest heist, thieves stole what in 2011? Which museum displays empty frames once containing masterpieces that were stolen in 1990 in a still-unsolved art caper? Inspired by a plot in popular fiction, British robbers tunneled their way into a Lloyds Bank in London in 1971, making off with what today would be $51 million in cash. Which story series inspired the U.K. ringleader (subsequently convicted and imprisoned)? Thanks for reading! Check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you tomorrow!