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US heatwave: 120 million under alert ahead of Fourth of July celebrations

Indian Express – World

2h ago

US heatwave: 120 million under alert ahead of Fourth of July celebrations

Summary

As Europe is reeling from scorching heat , the United States is set to witness a severe and prolonged heatwave this week that will soar temperatures and reportedly usher in sweltering daytime heat, high humidity, and suffocating overnight temperatures. According to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Tuesday announcement, nearly 120 million people are under an extreme heat warning as Americans head into the Fourth of July weekend to celebrate the 250th anniversary of independence, the BBC reported. The Express Global Desk at indianexpress.com which delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. All reporting from the Global Desk adheres to The Indian Express’ editorial standards, relying on official data, government notifications, court documents, and on-record sources. Core Team The Express Global Desk is led by a team of experienced journalists and editors with deep expertise in international affairs and migration policy: Aniruddha Dhar – Senior Assistant Editor with extensive experience in global affairs, international politics, and editorial leadership. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ...

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US heatwave: 120 million under alert ahead of Fourth of July celebrations

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U.S. Justice ⁠Dept. directs prosecutors to prioritise 'birth tourism' probes following court ruling

Subscribed with another email? Unlock these with Subscription Published - July 01, 2026 04:03 am IST - WASHINGTON Activists celebrate the Supreme Court's ruling on birthright citizenship, outside of the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill, Ton June 30, 2026, in Washington. | Photo Credit: AP The U.S. Justice ⁠Department on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) directed federal prosecutors to prioritise investigations of so-called birth tourism schemes after the Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict ‌birthright citizenship in the United States. A senior Justice Department official, Colin McDonald, told employees in a memo ‌that people who come to the United States under “false pretenses” ‌to ⁠give birth and secure citizenship for their child could ⁠be criminally charged under laws barring visa fraud, money laundering, identity theft and wire fraud. “The Department of Justice will zealously protect the sanctity of United States citizenship by investigating and prosecuting ‌those who fraudulently exploit our immigration system,” Mr. The directive came hours after the Supreme Court, ‌in a 6-3 ruling, struck down a Trump executive order seeking to prevent children born in the United States from automatically becoming citizens if neither parent is ⁠an American citizen or a legal permanent resident. The ruling affirmed the longstanding right to citizenship for nearly all born in the ‌U.S. DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) in April ordered its investigative agents ‌to focus on a new “Birth Tourism Initiative.” Among the arguments the Justice Department made in defence of Mr. Trump’s order is that birthright citizenship promotes “birth tourism,” whereby pregnant foreign nationals without longstanding ties to ⁠the United States enter the country to give birth so their ⁠children can receive citizenship. The issue was highlighted in a dissenting opinion on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) by conservative Supreme Court Justice ‌Clarence Thomas. McDonald noted in the memo that past cases have focused mostly on visa fraud, but that other laws could be used to crack down on the practice.

General U.S. News17h ago

Judge blocks rule to strip public service workers of student loan forgiveness

Trump, who had signed an order to the effect, handed legal defeat after judge sided with Democratic-led states A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from implementing a new rule ⁠stripping public service workers of eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness if it deems their employers to have a “substantial illegal purpose”. US district judge ⁠Myong Joun in ⁠Boston sided with Democratic-led states, cities and non-profits that argued the US Department of Education’s rule would allow it to target groups supporting immigration rights, transgender ⁠healthcare and other causes the Trump administration disfavors, by disqualifying them from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. That program allows borrowers to have their federal ⁠student loans forgiven after 10 years working for government or non-profit employers. More than a million borrowers have received debt relief since Congress ‌established it in 2007. Donald Trump ‌in a March 2025 executive order claimed the program has “misdirected tax dollars into activist organizations that not ‌only fail to serve the public interest, but actually harm our national security and American values”. The US president’s order directed the education department to revise regulations governing the program to redefine what constitutes “public service” work to exclude organizations that engage in activities that have a “substantial illegal purpose”. The education department did so with a final rule that it published in October ‌that defined “substantial illegal purpose” as covering activities that include aiding what it defines as illegal immigration, supporting terrorism, engaging in illegal discrimination or participating in the “chemical and surgical castration or mutilation of children”, which the sort of language the administration often uses when referring to gender affirming care for transgender minors. The plaintiffs sued in November to have the rule blocked from taking effect on 1 July, saying it was clearly designed to target causes the administration disfavors and groups that support immigrants’ rights, transgender healthcare, diversity initiatives and political protest. Their lawsuit argued that the law ⁠that created the forgiveness program did not grant the education department the discretion to create exceptions to eligibility for the program and that the agency lacked a rational basis for adopting the policy. Tuesday’s ruling marked the second legal defeat ‌for the Trump administration’s efforts to remake the federal student loan system in the last week.

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US heatwave: 120 million under alert ahead of Fourth of July celebrations

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