The Daily Brief — July 1, 2026
SCOTUS to hear challenges to assault rifle ban, Trump earned $2B last year, judge blocks Pentagon’s press policy
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SCOTUS to Hear Assault Rifle Ban Challenges
The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear two challenges to state and local bans on AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles.
An ordinance in Cook County, IL, bans the possession, sale, and transfer of semiautomatic rifles outright. The ordinance, passed in 1994, didn’t include an option to keep guns owned before the ban was passed. In 2006, the county adopted the current list of banned weapons. In 2013, it added more weapons to the list and increased penalties for violations, including the possibility of up to six months in jail.
Connecticut banned assault weapons — semi-automatic firearms that have detachable magazines — in 1993, then expanded that ban to include AR-15-style rifles in 2013 after a gunman used such a rifle to kill 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School the prior year. Unlike the Cook County ordinance, Connecticut’s ban lets residents keep and register rifles they owned before 2013.
A Cook County gun owner sued in federal court in Chicago in 2021, arguing that the county’s ban on AR-15s and similar rifles violates his Second Amendment rights.
Gun rights groups argue that under the Supreme Court’s prior rulings, commonly used firearms cannot be banned as long as they are being used for lawful purposes. Both the bans have been upheld by lower courts.
The justices will hear arguments during the Court’s next term, which begins in October.
Trump Earned $2 Billion While in Office
President Trump earned over $2 billion in the first year of his second term, according to financial disclosures released yesterday. More than $1.4 billion of that came from cryptocurrency, digital tokens, and related partnerships. His 2024 income, before returning to office, was about $622 million.
Within days of returning to office, the Trump administration reversed Biden-era crypto enforcement and consumer-protection policies. Trump-affiliated companies received nearly $800 million from World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture Trump co-founded with his sons. That money came from sales of the venture’s tokens and an equity stake to outside investors. He also reported $635 million in royalties tied to sales of Trump-branded meme coins.
The White House says Trump’s businesses are managed by his children, though he remains the beneficiary of the trust that ultimately receives the businesses’ income.
Newsbreak
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White House Gave No-Bid $500M Contract for Ballroom
White House officials awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million for construction of the East Wing ballroom, The Washington Post reported yesterday. The awarding of the contract bypassed the competitive-bidding process typically used to control costs and ensure transparency.
The contract to Clark Construction was awarded through the Executive Residence, an office exempt from rules requiring federal agencies to seek competitive bids and publicly disclose contract details. President Trump was directly involved in negotiating some costs for the ballroom.
A White House official said that arrangement occurred because the Executive Residence office will oversee the ballroom’s day-to-day operations once it’s built. Trump initially said the ballroom would cost $200 million and that taxpayers would not pay for it, but the price has since grown to as much as $600 million.
Pentagon Press Escort Policy Blocked
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Pentagon’s requirement that reporters be accompanied by an official escort inside the building, finding that the policy likely violates the First Amendment. Previously, journalists were free to move through many parts of the building without an escort.
The policy is part of an ongoing effort under Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth to reduce journalists’ access to the Pentagon and Defense Department staff. In October 2025, the department said it would begin revoking reporters’ press passes if they sought information from employees who weren’t allowed to speak with news media. When The New York Times sued to block enforcement of the policy, the Pentagon issued a revised set of rules that added the escort requirement and relocated reporters’ workspace to an outside annex. The Times sued again in May over that revised policy, leading to yesterday’s ruling.
The judge has temporarily blocked the Pentagon from enforcing the escort policy while the Times lawsuit plays out.
Two Arrested After Climbing Atop Empire State Building
Two people were arrested this afternoon after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building’s spire, where they unfurled a peace banner and appeared to kiss. Police took them into custody after they descended from the nearly 1,500-foot landmark in New York City.
The climbers, a masked man and woman dressed in dark clothing, displayed a banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world will know peace.” They identified themselves to police as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov. Authorities did not immediately explain how the pair reached the top of the building.
Speaker Announces Early House Recess After Failed Vote
Speaker Mike Johnson sent House members home early for the chamber’s July 4 recess yesterday after more than a dozen Republicans blocked a procedural rule needed to advance the annual defense policy bill.
Some House Republicans want the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID to cast a ballot. After Senate Republicans said they didn’t have the votes to pass the voting bill and would not scrap the Senate’s filibuster, conservatives in the House blocked the defense bill in protest.
The House will return to business on July 13.
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego Under DOJ Investigation
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat of Arizona, over possible campaign finance violations. The investigation stems from a whistleblower complaint out of Southern California.
Investigators are examining whether Gallego used campaign finance to fund family trips to Miami, Chicago, Disneyland, and Disney World since he launched his campaign for Senate in 2023. Also in 2023, a joint political action committee Gallego set up with former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) spent more than $37,000 on Super Bowl tickets and related expenses.
Gallego has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. The DOJ investigation became public Monday — the same day Gallego’s office released a letter showing the Senate Ethics Committee had cleared him of separate misconduct and campaign finance allegations raised by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). In a letter issued last week, the committee said it “did not find evidence” to support the allegations.
I saw a comment yesterday that if the 14th Amendment only applies to formerly enslaved people, then the 2nd Amendment only applies to muskets. As Daffy says, "first the wadding. yeah that's it. first the wadding. then the shot. then the pouch yeah. Tamp Tamp Tamp Tamp."
Sorry, I realize all this is very serious and I think that no one needs weapons of war to defend themselves. But Daffy lives rent-free in my head on the issue of muskets!!