July 7

IRS Files Consent Decree Allowing Churches to Endorse Candidates Without Losing Tax Status

The IRS filed a court document in the Eastern District of Texas on July 7, 2025 as part of a proposed consent judgment settling a lawsuit by National Religious Broadcasters and two Texas churches. The decree stated that when a house of worship speaks to its congregation through customary channels during a religious gathering, the IRS would not revoke 501(c)(3) status for discussing electoral politics through a religious lens. The Johnson Amendment remained law, but the IRS agreed not to enforce it against churches — achieving through administrative action what Congress had declined to do.

CDC Reports 2,255 Measles Cases as RFK Jr. Weakens Vaccine Programs

The CDC reported 2,255 confirmed measles cases in the United States by July 7, 2025, the highest count since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had simultaneously weakened federal vaccine promotion programs, removed pro-vaccine messaging from CDC websites, and questioned the MMR vaccine's safety record. Public health officials warned that herd immunity thresholds were eroding in communities targeted by anti-vaccine outreach.

DOJ releases Epstein jail video with a missing minute

The Department of Justice released surveillance footage from the Metropolitan Correctional Center showing the hours before Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 death, but the footage contained an unexplained one-minute gap. Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged the gap but said it did not affect the official suicide determination. Congressional investigators immediately demanded an explanation for the missing footage.

+2 others

DOJ memo says no Epstein client list exists

The Department of Justice released an internal memo asserting that no comprehensive Epstein client list exists in federal files, contradicting widespread public expectations following years of public pressure to release the names. Attorney General Bondi stated the DOJ had conducted a thorough search of all relevant records. Democrats and civil liberties groups called the memo a deliberate attempt to shut down accountability for Epstein's wealthy and powerful associates.

+2 others

Biden approves cluster munitions for Ukraine over allied objections US not a signatory to ban treaty

The Biden administration approves sending cluster munitions, specifically 155mm Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICMs), to Ukraine, reversing previous refusals. The decision draws immediate criticism from the UK, Spain, Germany, and New Zealand, which are signatories to the Convention on Cluster Munitions banning their use. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan defends the decision, arguing Ukraine faces an ammunition shortage and that Russia has already used cluster munitions extensively. The U.S. is not a signatory to the convention. Critics warn unexploded bomblets will kill Ukrainian civilians for decades after the war.

New York regulator fines Deutsche Bank over Jeffrey Epstein compliance failures

New York financial regulators imposed a $150 million penalty on Deutsche Bank for compliance failures tied partly to the bank relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Regulators said the bank did not adequately monitor high-risk account activity after Epstein had already become a known legal and reputational risk. The action put Epstein banking relationships into the regulatory record and raised direct questions about private banking oversight.

SCOTUS Strikes Gramm-Rudman Deficit Law in Bowsher v. Synar

The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 on July 7, 1986, in Bowsher v. Synar that the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act was unconstitutional because it assigned spending-cut authority to the Comptroller General, an officer removable by Congress rather than the president. The Court held that Congress cannot vest executive powers in an officer it controls. The ruling constrained congressional attempts to create automatic budget mechanisms and reinforced separation of powers in fiscal policy.