America&#8217;s homeownership crisis may be even more severe than widely understood. A new <a href="https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2026/new-homeownership-measure-puts-people-first">study</a> argues that while official government statistics show about 65% of U.S. homes are owner-occupied, only about 53% of American adults actually own the homes they live in. 
The difference stems from how homeownership is measured. The Census Bureau&#8217;s longstanding homeownership rate tracks whether a home is owner-occupied, not whether every adult living there owns it. For example, a married couple who own a home they share with an adult son counts as one owner-occupied household, even though the son does not own the property himself.
The researchers argue that measuring homeownership by individual adults provides a more accurate picture of how many Americans have actually achieved homeownership, particularly as more adults live with family members or roommates because of high housing costs.
Researchers estimate that nearly 14% of adults live in owner-occupied homes without actually owning them. That group includes adult children, aging parents, roommates, friends, and others living with homeowners. To better capture individual ownership, the researchers propose a new metric, Homeownership-to-Population, or HPOP, which measures the share of adults who own the home they live in.
The lower estimate comes as homeownership becomes increasingly out of reach for many Americans, particularly younger generations. According to recent surveys, 62% of Gen Z say they worry they will never be able to buy a home. Meanwhile, the median age of first-time homebuyers jumped from 33 in 2021 to 40 in 2025, reflecting the growing financial hurdles facing prospective buyers.  
Those hurdles continue to mount. In June, the median existing-home price reached a record <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-existing-home-sales-report-shows-2-4-decrease-in-june">$440,600</a>, up 49.2% from June 2020. 
National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said the biggest obstacle remains a lack of housing supply. 
“Without a doubt, affordability is a major challenge for people who want to become homeowners, which is the reason why we need more supply,” Yun said. 
<a href="http://realtor.com">Realtor.com</a> estimates the United States faces a housing shortage of roughly 4 million homes. 
Higher borrowing costs have compounded the problem. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates from near zero to above 5.25%, while the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has more than doubled from roughly 3.11% in 2020 to about 6.55%.
Congress attempted to address the housing shortage by passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in July, legislation designed to reduce regulatory barriers to home construction while encouraging state and local governments to reform zoning and land-use policies through grant incentives. 
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called the legislation &#8220;transformational.&#8221;
&#8220;This transformational legislation will help address the housing affordability problem, reduce regulations so builders can build, limit institutional investing in the housing market, and bring the American Dream back into reach for millions of young and working families,&#8221; he said.
Housing economists welcomed the legislation but cautioned that meaningful relief will take time.
“This bill directly targets some of the biggest drivers of housing costs: land-use restrictions, permitting delays, financing constraints and regulatory hurdles,” <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/11/21st-century-road-to-housing-act-homebuyers-sellers.html">said</a> Selma Hepp, chief economist at Cotality. “Unfortunately, homebuyers should not expect immediate relief.” 
Hepp added that “housing development takes time and many of the benefits would likely materialize gradually rather than overnight.”

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America’s Home Ownership Crisis May Be Even Worse Than Previously Known

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Oil prices jumped on Monday, with Brent crude climbing above $90 per barrel after the tenth consecutive day of strikes in Iran fueled concerns that the war could further disrupt global energy supply. 
The disrupted June ceasefire has added to uncertainty over whether negotiations can end the conflict. The U.S. benchmark — West Texas Intermediate crude — also rose more than 1% and was hovering around $84 per barrel. The national average for gas prices climbed back above $4 per gallon, a level last reached in May during the last spike in regional tensions. 
Iranian military forces killed three U.S. service members over the weekend, leading to President Donald Trump declaring in a Sunday Truth Social Post that “the gates of HELL have now been UNLEASHED like they never could have imagined or seen before.” 
The deaths brought the total number of U.S. service members killed since the war began to 17. Markets often react sharply to heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. 
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-prices-iran-war-oil-supply/">said</a> that prices could fall if U.S. military operations significantly weaken Iran&#8217;s ability to threaten commercial shipping. 
“As the U.S. military degrades the terrorist Iranian regime&#8217;s ability to attack commercial vessels and disrupt the free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices will plummet back to pre-conflict levels,” she said.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels further complicated the situation by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemens-houthis-declare-naval-blockade-against-saudi-arabia-statement-2026-07-20/">announcing</a> a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, warning they would target commercial vessels “in any location” if they loaded or unloaded cargo at Saudi ports. Two tankers, Xin Long Yang and Rodos, altered course Tuesday in the southern Red Sea (near the Bab el-Mandeb strait) and rerouted toward the Suez Canal following the Houthis’ warning. Saudi Arabia relies on its Red Sea ports to export millions of barrels of crude oil per day. 
Asked in the Oval Office about the Houthi blockade, Trump said the United States would respond if necessary.
“If something like that happens, we take care of it,” he said. &#8220;They&#8217;ve had no problem with us for a long period of time, including during this conflict. I think that if there is something like that, we&#8217;ll just have to take care of business.&#8221;
A prolonged surge in oil prices could also threaten recent progress on inflation. June&#8217;s inflation report showed prices cooling, helped by lower energy costs, including the biggest monthly drop in energy prices since 2020. But sustained increases in crude oil could push gasoline prices higher and reignite inflationary pressures.
Higher energy costs could also create a political challenge for Republicans heading into the midterm elections, where the economy remains one of voters&#8217; top concerns.

Gas Prices Dip Lower Ahead Of July 4th Holiday Weekend

Another Iran Escalation, Another Jump At The Pump

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education is imposing a new accountability test on colleges, with programs that fail risking access to federal student loans.
Institutions receiving federal student aid must prove their graduates earn more money than comparable workers, or students will lose access to federal loans for those programs. The programs will be evaluated over three consecutive years and must meet the earnings benchmark in at least two of those years. 
The Department of Education called the new rule “long-overdue.” Total student loan debt has ballooned to nearly $2 trillion, and defaults are hitting record highs, with <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-loan-defaults-surge-covid-tied-payments-pause-expiration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one</a> in five borrowers in default. The alarming rate is despite efforts under the Biden administration, which paused federal student loan payments during the COVID pandemic through fall 2024. The average cost of college for a four-year degree in the United States is <a href="https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college">$153,080</a>. Private Universities take that total even higher with an average price tag of $234,512. 
Education Secretary Linda McMahon <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/secretary-mcmahons-remarks-white-house-higher-education-roundtable-112477.pdf">argued</a> that too many colleges have prioritized enrollment and tuition over preparing students for successful careers. 
“We have constructed an educational theme park – flashy, fun, but not practical for those seeking opportunity and advancement,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Schools are boosting revenue by marketing the fun to students, even if they don’t complete their degrees. For too long, badly calibrated financial incentives have driven universities to squeeze tuition revenue from taxpayers and young, impressionable individuals instead of preparing them for rewarding and remunerative careers.” 
College enrollment has also declined in recent years. The share of high school graduates enrolling in college peaked at roughly <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/college-enrollment-demographic-cliff/686750/">70%</a> in 2016 before falling to 62% in recent years. Higher education has also experienced a wave of closures, with roughly 60 colleges shutting down annually out of approximately 4,000 degree-granting institutions nationwide.
More than half of Gen Z <a href="https://fortune.com/article/college-degree-waste-of-money-gen-z-millennial-indeed-study-ai-obsolete/">says</a> their college degree is a “waste of money” with <a href="https://fortune.com/article/college-degree-waste-of-money-gen-z-millennial-indeed-study-ai-obsolete/">41%</a> of Millennials expressing the same frustration and 20% of Baby Boomers. Many employers are dropping college degree requirements for jobs. 
The Department of Education said the new accountability measure was developed through a negotiated rulemaking process earlier this year and is intended to better protect both students and taxpayers.

Grad cap on cash

Trump Wants Colleges To Prove A Degree Is Worth It

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) has spent years advocating for China&#8217;s persecuted Uyghur minority while investing in Chinese companies that have faced scrutiny over alleged ties to Uyghur forced labor and surveillance.  
The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim, Turkic-speaking ethnic minority in northwest China whom the Chinese Communist Party has been accused of subjecting to forced labor, mass detention, and other human rights abuses.  
Suozzi’s advocacy dates back to March 2020, when he co-sponsored the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was later signed into law by President Joe Biden. However, while publicly advocating for Uyghurs, Suozzi also traded shares of NIO, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer linked to supply chains <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/world/asia/china-uyghur-labor.html">associated</a> with Uyghur forced labor. According to congressional financial disclosure reports, Suozzi purchased between $1,001 and $15,000 of NIO stock on September 2, 2020, followed by another purchase of between $15,001 and $50,000 on October 5, 2020. He sold between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of NIO stock on May 20, 2021. 
Suozzi also invested in Baidu, a Chinese search engine that drew criticism after a patent described facial-recognition technology capable of identifying ethnicity, including Uyghurs. The company, when faced with allegations, claimed it has “never developed or permitted its technology to profile any ethnic group&#8221;, saying the patent does not represent &#8220;the expected implementation of the invention.” Suozzi sold between $15,001 and $50,000 of stock in 2017. 
Suozzi co-sponsored the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act of 2025 and has served as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Uyghur Caucus since 2024. When he relaunched the caucus, he said, “What’s happening to Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang should shock everyone’s conscience. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Uyghur Caucus, I will continue to stand up, call out, and push back against the Chinese Communist Party for its oppression and persecution of Uyghur Muslims.” Suozzi added, “The CCP is brutally and systemically trying to destroy the Uyghur people with mass internment camps, forced labor, sexual abuse, and forced sterilization. We cannot shy away from this. We must shine a light on these atrocities.”
Since entering Congress, Suozzi has reported 671 stock transactions totaling roughly $20.9 million in disclosed trading volume. 
Suozzi is among roughly half of the members of Congress who report trading individual stocks, while the other half report no individual stock trades. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) introduced the &#8220;Stop Insider Trading Act,&#8221; earlier this year. Steil&#8217;s bill would stop lawmakers from buying individual stocks during their time in office, and if they were to sell stocks they would need to provide at least seven days notice before the trade. 
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Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) at poll event in Woodbury, New York

This Democrat Spoke Out Against China’s Abuses. Then Came These Investments.

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Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance welcomed their fourth child on Sunday. 
Alec Neel Vance was born Sunday morning at Walter Reed Medical Center. “Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” Vance said on Sunday. Alec Neel Vance joins older brothers Ewan and Vivek and older sister Mirabel.
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<a href="https://t.co/VMCGCCRd7s">pic.twitter.com/VMCGCCRd7s</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/2078962245216731298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
Alec Neel Vance&#8217;s birth marks the first time in more than 150 years that a sitting vice president has welcomed a newborn. The last baby born to a sitting vice president was Vice President Schuyler Colfax&#8217;s son, born in 1870 during President Ulysses S. Grant&#8217;s administration.
Alec Vance is the second baby born to a top Trump administration official in recent months after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave birth to a baby girl in May. When Vance subbed in for Leavitt one day at the briefing room podium during Leavitt&#8217;s maternity leave, he joked that she would be vice president for a couple weeks when he welcomes his baby. 
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was the most recent sitting cabinet member to welcome a child while in office, and he took a two-month paternity leave after he and his husband adopted twins in 2021. Vance, however, has said he will not be taking formal paternity leave from office. Instead, he will spend more time at home as he continues his official duties. 
Vance revealed in his new book that the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk last year, helped influence his and Usha&#8217;s decision to have a fourth child. The vice president’s latest book “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith” describes sitting next to widowed Erika Kirk with Usha after Kirk’s assassination as Erika Kirk told Usha “between sobs” that she wished she had had more kids with Charlie. Vance said that although a fourth child was already a discussion between him and Usha, “something changed” that day. 
&#8220;I think it really heightened JD&#8217;s sense that he&#8217;d been talking about this for a while, this sense that there was this possibility of having another kid whom he could love as much as the three that we had,&#8221; Usha <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/jd-vances-wife-usha-details-how-charlie-kirks-death-influenced-decision-have-fourth-child">said</a>. &#8220;It really did crystallize for [him], that sense that if you could have that other child, then you would have nothing to regret. And if we couldn&#8217;t have that other child, then we were very happy with the children that we had. So it was very powerful what she said about her own family and certainly very moving to both of us.&#8221;

President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump Host Military Mother’s Day Event At The White House

JD And Usha Vance Welcome First Vice Presidential Baby In Over 150 Years

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Eight Democrats took the debate stage in Maine on Thursday, making their final pitches just days before 601 delegates decide who will replace former Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner. 
News Center Maine, the debate host, split the candidates into two sessions. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, and former congressional candidate Jordan Wood participated in the first hour. The second featured David Costello, Dan Kleban, Elizabeth Dickerson, and Ashley Webb. 
Bellows was the first candidate to address voters. She touted her career in public service and highlighted her past clashes with President Donald Trump. 
“When Donald Trump came for your voter data, I said hell no go jump into the gulf of Maine,” she said. 
Bellows also distinguished herself from the other candidates by revealing she grew up without running water or electricity until the fifth grade. 
“I’m here because Maine deserves a senator with backbone,” she added. 
Wood reminded viewers that he publicly spoke out against Platner last October, saying it cost him politically. As one of the younger candidates in the race at age 37, Wood also noted that he was in second grade when incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins was elected. 
Jackson discussed how his political career began through union organizing with fellow loggers who were losing jobs to Canadian interests in the 1990s. 
Shah focused on the recent ICE shooting in Maine while arguing he was best positioned to defeat Sen. Collins. 
“Senator, what do you expect to accomplish in the next six years that you have not been able to accomplish in the last three decades?” Shah said.
Heading into the second hour, News Center Maine gave the remaining candidates an opportunity to explain why they were qualified to serve in the Senate, noting they were generally less well known than those who appeared in the first session.
Transgender-identifying man Ashley Webb said his background as a songwriter and author prepared him for office, but said his greatest qualification was that he was an angry citizen who would become an angry senator if elected, which he said would be Republicans&#8217; worst nightmare.  
Dickerson framed her candidacy around combating climate change. Costello highlighted his 27-year government career, arguing it wold help him repair America&#8217;s &#8220;broken&#8221; democracy and economy. Kleban emphasized his background as a Maine bar owner, pitching himself as part of the new generation of leadership.
Over the course of the debate, all the candidates were aligned on issues such as abolishing or reforming ICE, “standing up to Trump,” and Medicare for All.
Prediction Market giant, Kalshi, <a href="https://news.kalshi.com/p/graham-platner-suspends-campaign-kalshi-odds-maine-senate-nominee">currently lists</a> Jackson as the frontrunner to become the Democratic nominee. Traders give him a 74% chance of winning, followed by Bellows at 13%, and Shah at 11%.

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Eight Dems, Including A Logger And Transgender Songwriter, Face Off In Maine Senate Debate

Inflation had its biggest drop since 2020 on Tuesday, but Americans say they still can’t afford their groceries. 
A new poll from The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/07/16/two-thirds-americans-find-groceries-unaffordable-post-poll-finds/">revealed</a> that two-thirds of Americans continue to describe buying groceries as unaffordable. Since before the war started, that number has risen 21 percentage points, from 45%, and rises even higher — to 70% — when focusing on households with incomes between $ 50,000 and $ 100,000. 
Prices have increased steadily since the start of the Iran war, which put a significant strain on the world’s oil supply. Energy costs are an input in almost every good and service, which, when increased, are often passed on to the consumer. Energy costs rose 10.9% in March, 3.8% in April, and 3.9% in May before falling in June. 
Grocery prices saw their largest uptick from 2021 to 2025, rising over <a href="https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/research/after-four-years-of-high-prices-americans-are-ready-to-turn-the-page-on-bidenomics">20%</a> from 2021 to 2025. Food costs have risen 3%, and costs overall are up 3.5%. President Trump has said he is confident that when the war ends in Iran, prices will start to decline as oil prices retreat to prewar levels around $70 per barrel. 
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the recent inflation report proved Trump’s economic policy is working. 
“Tuesday’s CPI report confirmed what President Trump predicted. Prices are falling, and this administration’s economic policies are working. Inflation dropped 0.4% last month, beating expectations and marking the largest monthly decline in more than six years.” She added, “This is real progress made possible by the President’s pro-growth economic agenda.” 
Leavitt praised Walmart for recently lowering its prices. The retail giant said it would lower its prices this summer, and the savings are “designed to help customers and members make the most of the season while spending less on the products they need, want and love most.” Walmart <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/07/06/walmart-and-sams-club-lower-prices-to-help-customers-make-the-most-out-of-summer">listed</a> a few examples, including ground beef, which went from $6.74 to $5.94; ice cream from $2.97 to $2.50; and a 24-pack of Coca-Cola from $14.97 to $9.97, among others. 
Prices could rise again with energy prices ticking up after the end of the June ceasefire with Iran. Prices are hovering around $85 per barrel with the United States issuing its fifth consecutive day of strikes on Thursday. 
Affordability is expected to be one of the most important topics for lawmakers as the midterm elections near. “The number one issue is costs, and we intend to make that the issue till the next election,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/22/congress-affordability-democrats-republicans/">said</a> in a December interview.

woman takes fresh organic vegetables

Inflation Is Falling, But One Expense Won’t Budge

Eight Democrats are vying to replace former Senate nominee Graham Platner after he withdrew from the race last week following a string of scandals involving rape allegations, a Nazi tattoo, and controversial online posts that plagued his campaign. They will gather to debate on Thursday evening.
Wednesday was the deadline to file with the Maine Democratic Party. Delegates will choose the party&#8217;s replacement nominee from the field of eight at a July 25 convention, with the winner advancing to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The candidates are scheduled to take the debate stage on Thursday night. 
Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson was the first Democrat to jump into the race. A former Republican and fifth-generation logger, Jackson became active in politics while advocating for American loggers competing with lower-paid Canadians. He has since embraced economically leftist policies, including support for organized labor, and has been endorsed by far-left Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Jackson came in third place for Maine’s gubernatorial race behind Nirav Shah who also tossed his hat into the Senatorial race. Jackson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TroyJacksonmaine/posts/im-ready-to-take-the-stage-thursday-and-make-my-case-to-mainers-but-nobody-shoul/1572391381559583/">asked</a> News Center Maine, Thursday’s debate host, to allow every candidate to participate in the debate who has filed their candidacy. 
Former CDC Deputy Director Nirav Shah says Platner <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401125610112">supporters</a>  ‘have a home’ in his campaign. Shah practiced as an attorney for six years before going back to school to the University of Chicago to get his doctorate in medicine. He served as Illinois’s Director of Public Health and even served as the Deputy Director of the CDC. Shah left the CDC in 2025 where he serves as a visiting professor at Colby College, a position he held while running his gubernatorial campaign. Shah says he’s running on the grassroots movement he created during his last race. He says his goal is simple, “We must defeat Susan Collins.” Collins, although a Republican, is arguably the most progressive Republican in the Senate. Collins supports abortion rights, opposed the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and voted against the 2017 partial appeal of the Affordable Care Act. Shah attacks her platform for voting to support an additional $70 billion to fund the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. 
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows will be making her second attempt to unseat Collins after losing to the Republican incumbent in 2014. Collins beat Bellows, taking about two thirds of the vote, in 2014. Bellows claims she’ll have better results this go around because she “learned how to bring people together, how to assemble a professional campaign, and really learned a lot about the stakes” through running for Governor. Bellows, who currently serves as Maine’s Secretary of State, took fourth place in the gubernatorial campaign falling behind Shah and Jackson. 
Former Rep. Katie Porter&#8217;s chief of staff Jordan Wood was in a Senate campaign last year. Wood ultimately pivoted his campaign to a spot in the House after Democratic Representative Jared Golden announced he wouldn’t be running for re-election. Wood is a former congressional chief of state for Katie Porter who was known for harsh interactions with her staff and reporters. Wood’s campaign website attributes his campaign mission to “fighting back” against Trump after he was “barricaded at the Capitol on January 6th.” 
David Costello is making another run for the Democratic Senate nomination after receiving about 8% of the vote in the primary. Governor Janet Mills and Platner split the other 92%. A longtime public servant, Costello has held positions in city, state, and federal government and has also worked as a climate activist.  
Businessman Dan Kleban dropped out of the Senatorial race before the primary, endorsed Mills over Plattner. Kleban told NBC, “ICE needs to be ‘dismantled’ after a shooting occurred on Tuesday. Kleban is a businessman who founded Maine Beer Company. He says, “I’ve spent years talking to Mainers over a beer in our taproom and throughout the community. We’re all sick and tired of a system that’s been rigged by corporate interests.” 
Former state Rep. Elizabeth Dickerson, a teacher, says she wants to make “compassion our guiding principle.” Her campaign has focused on opposing war with Iran, addressing climate change, and resisting Trump’s agenda. 
Paige Loud, 29, is the youngest hopeful candidate. &#8220;A lot of young people and students are disconnected from politics,” she <a href="https://mainecampus.com/category/news/2026/03/umaine-graduate-student-paige-loud-runs-for-maines-2nd-congressional-district-shares-insight-on-campaign/">said</a>. “ I remind students that I think our voices need to be in those big rooms where decisions are being made.” Loud is currently a social worker. She spent the last eight years in school starting at Tulsa Community College in Maine before obtaining both her bachelor&#8217;s and master’s degree in social work from the University of Maine. Loud says if she wins she will serve but ultimately leave the senate to become a hospice social worker. 
Thursday’s debate will begin at 7 pm ET and last 90 minutes, wrapping up half an hour before President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the nation.

Democratic Candidate Graham Platner Holds A Town Hall As He Campaigns for Senate In Maine

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President Trump is fast-tracking American Veterans into the trucking industry after a series of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrants. 
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to say any American who&#8217;s driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver&#8217;s license,” he said at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit. 
He made the announcement in Pennsylvania in honor of State Trooper Michael Phaira, who was killed on July 1 after being struck by an illegal Haitian immigrant. Michael Bon, the illegal alien who killed Phaira, allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-zeroes-in-on-illegal-immigrant-trucker-accused-of-killing-state-trooper">dragged</a> the state trooper under the truck “for quite some distance down the road” as it caught fire. Bon obtained his Commercial Driver’s License from Massachusetts. 
Trump called the move historic, saying illegal immigrants with commercial drivers&#8217; licenses are “killing a lot of people.” He added, “They can’t read signs and many of them are on drugs or alcohol, and they shouldn’t be driving these things … they’re driving all over America on roadways and we are going to replace them with proud American Veterans.” 
According to Trump&#8217;s new plan, American Veterans with <a href="https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/military-skills-test-waiver">two years</a> of experience safely operating heavy military vehicles will be able to bypass the traditional CDL <a href="https://www.roehl.jobs/driving-jobs/cdl-truck-driving-schools/cdl-school-cost">training process</a> which takes up to three to eight weeks often costing participants between $3,000 and $6,000. Military truck drivers are trained to face long, unpredictable hours in all types of climates. Often they are also trained to make their own vehicle repairs and have experience driving through combat zones and at all hours of the day and night. 
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is working to tighten restrictions on CDL applications after a series of recent crashes involving illegal immigrant truckers. Duffy is pushing for English language requirements and promised to withhold federal funding from states issuing licenses who do not comply. 
“These senseless tragedies are why I am working my heart out to change the policies that encouraged illegal drivers, enabled shady trucker schools, and drove down the wages for American truckers,” Duffy said after Phaira’s death. “Trooper Phaira — Rest in peace,” he added.

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Inside Trump’s Patriotic Plan To Replace Illegal Immigrant Truck Drivers

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The Daily Wire got a first look at the latest way the Trump Administration is commemorating America’s 250th birthday. The Treasury Department is unveiling a new $100 bill with President Trump’s signature. The previous $100 bill, remodeled in 2009, featured the Treasury Secretary’s signature and the Treasurer’s signature, but on the new bill, President Trump’s signature will replace the Treasurer&#8217;s.
The $100 bill itself is printed from start to finish at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C., one of only two facilities in the country capable of producing U.S. currency. The bureau&#8217;s sister facility in Fort Worth, Texas, serves as a backup printing operation, allowing the government to continue producing currency if one facility were ever taken offline. Together, the two plants can print up to $1 billion in currency per day.
Production begins with printing the reverse side of the note before Benjamin Franklin&#8217;s portrait is added. The bills are printed in large sheets, assigned unique serial numbers, cut into individual notes, counted into bundles, and packaged into shipments worth millions of dollars before entering circulation. The Daily Wire also viewed previous generations of the $100 bill dating back to 1928, highlighting the evolution of the note&#8217;s security features and design.
The $100 bill is the latest object Trump has labeled with his name. On July 4, he unveiled Trump Accounts, a tax-advantaged investment program for American children dawned with his surname. Earlier, he also placed his name on the John F. Kennedy Center after taking control of its board, renaming it the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts. A federal appeals court later ruled that only Congress had the power to rename an institution that was dedicated to a living memorial for President John F. Kennedy. 
The Trump branding predates his presidency. As a private citizen, Trump built an empire around his name, creating Trump Tower, Trump hotels, Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, Trump Vodka, Trump Ice bottled water, Trump University, Trump Magazine, Trump mattresses, and dozens of other products and properties.

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WATCH: How President Trump’s New $100 Bill Is Made

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Year-over-year inflation fell for the first time since January, dropping down to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">3.5%</a> in June, according to data released on Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 
It was the steepest monthly drop since April 2020, when prices fell 0.8% during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumer prices fell 0.4% in June after rising 0.5% in May.
The decline beat expectations, with analysts predicting a 0.4% decrease from May’s 4.2% annual rate. Instead, the June report posted 0.7 percentage point drop from May&#8217;s number. The cooler numbers were driven primarily by lower energy costs as oil prices dropped amid easing tensions in the Middle East. After rising for months, energy prices fell 5.7% in June. The metric rose by 3.9% in May, 3.8% in April, and almost 11% in March. 
Tensions in the Middle East began rising again over the past week, however, sending oil prices above <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BZ=F/">$86</a> a barrel, the international oil benchmark’s highest price in the last month.
Shelter costs increased by 0.1% in June, which was the smallest monthly increase since January 2021. Food rose 0.2% last month, keeping its pace from May. Recreation saw an uptick in June rising half a percent, but costs for car insurance costs and medical care both decreased. The S&amp;P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 futures jumped following the positive inflation report.
The better-than-expected inflation report decreased the chances that the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates this year, but rising tensions and now oil costs have left traders uneasy. 
“Tuesday’s weaker-than-expected CPI print suggests the inflation surge driven by the Iran war is fading, but this may just be a temporary relief as tensions have escalated in recent days,” Skyler Weinand, chief investment officer at Regan Capital <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/13/stock-market-today-live-updates.html">told</a> CNBC. “The weaker inflation data likely keeps the Fed on hold for now and reduces any rate hike odds, but we remind investors that almost every communication that has emanated from Chair [Kevin] Warsh during his short tenure so far has been hawkish.”
Warsh will lead his second Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on July 28 to 29 after the central bank voted to hold interest rates at its June meeting. In a testimony to Congress Tuesday morning, Warsh <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/article/warshs-statement-to-congress-fed-has-no-tolerance-for-persistently-elevated-inflation-123000475.html">told</a> the room that the central bank has “no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation.” Inflation hasn’t reached the Fed&#8217;s 2% target since President Trump’s first term in office.

Groceries, Gas Top List Of Goods Americans Struggle To Afford In New Poll

Inflation Plunges In Biggest Monthly Drop Since 2020

A black historian is no longer employed at Tufts University after it was revealed that her prize-winning book cited sources that didn’t exist. 
Initial reviews praised Kerri K. Greenidge&#8217;s book — titled &#8220;The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery In An American Family&#8221; — for her focus on the slaveholding Grimke brother fathering children with an enslaved woman. Previous histories had focused more on the Grimke sisters — Sarah and Angelina — who had rejected their heritage and become prominent abolitionists, also championing women&#8217;s rights.
The book retold the story through the sisters’ biracial nephews, citing letters from the University of Michigan’s archive that apparently are not there. But when Greenidge was confronted with that information, she suggested that her work was only under scrutiny because she was black.
“I am heartbroken that a field I have given my life to can treat me this way,” Greenidge said in an interview on Friday. “The attack on black women academics is real.”
She claimed she has never fabricated anything, but admitted some citations could be misattributed. “Are there citations that were misattributed? Probably.” 
Myra C. Glenn, a retired professor of American history at Elmira College, <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/932227">first</a> raised concerns about the book’s credibility in a March 2024 review. “All too often Greenidge lacks the evidence to substantiate many of her major claims. Her work is also riddled with factual errors and repeatedly omits needed endnotes.”
Glenn <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/932227">alleges</a> that Greenidge negatively portrayed the two abolitionist sisters as being “alternately cruel and relentlessly judgmental” toward their bi-racial nephews without evidence. Glenn argues the negative portrayal of the sisters ultimately “serves a larger purpose” by laying the foundation for the book’s central narrative. 
Another allegation claims Greenidge fabricated a dramatic scene by writing that the Grimké sisters &#8220;led thousands of antislavery women through prayer&#8221; and helped them escape the burning Pennsylvania Hall during an anti-abolitionist mob attack in 1838. Glenn said that numerous sources had previously documented that no one was in the building as it burned. 
After Glenn expressed her doubts, other scholars followed. The book, labeled one of the 10 best books of 2022 from Publishers Weekly, is no longer listed on Greenidge’s author page. Patrick Collins, a spokesman for Tufts University, told the New York Times that Greenidge was no longer employed by the university on Thursday. While the email did not specify whether Greenidge left the university or was terminated, Collins said the university had recently become aware that the book &#8220;contained multiple errors of fact and failed to give appropriate credit to the work of another.” 
Like Collins, Greenidge declined to detail the nature of her departure but did criticize Tufts&#8217; peer review panel. Greenidge claimed two of the panelists were hostile toward black women in academics and that the university’s review was prompted by a white female scholar. Greenidge said that she plans to get a restraining order against that woman. 
Collins responded saying, “The independent review by outside experts in the field was fair, fact-based, thorough, and objective. We stand by the review and strongly deny any allegations of bias.”
Problems with Greenidge’s “The Grimkes” ultimately led to questions about her book “Black Radical.” Stephen Fox, a historian who wrote a book on the same story, said, “It seems well done, except when you look at the footnotes. I started to think maybe it wasn’t just sloppy,” before adding “I think it’s something deeper.”

Pretty African American Woman

Black Historian Cries Racism After Scholars Call Out Fabricated Citations

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Brecca Stoll