Trump’s immigration policies; Hurricane season prep

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Today’s top stories

• Even though people say they are in favor of deporting people who do not have permanent legal status, there is a difference between the hardened criminal that the administration says it is focused on and hardworking community members, Montanaro says. He reports that the president has received pushback from members of his own party, who warn that the administration should be cautious of how far it goes on the issue. Democrats have shied away from making a strong case in favor of immigration, but the further Trump goes on the matter, the easier it is for Democrats to have a message and appear united on the topic.

The Trump administration plans to repeal limits on greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s fossil fuel-fired power plants. These coal and gas generators are the second-largest source of climate pollution in the U.S., behind transportation. The proposal is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to roll back more than two dozen rules and policies.

• The EPA argues that the U.S. power plants are a small and declining part of global greenhouse gas emissions — around 3% — and they’re no longer a significant contributor to the problem. ‘s Jeff Brady says that one analysis showed that if U.S. power plants were a country, they’d be the sixth-largest contributor to global climate pollution. “This action would be pretty laughable if the stakes weren’t so high,” says Meredith Hankins, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Hankins and others from the industry say the Trump administration is propping up the coal industry at a time when Americans are experiencing the effects of a hotter planet in the form of intense storms, flooding and wildfires.

Part of the Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” aims to penalize colleges and universities whose students leave with student loan debt but not enough earnings to pay it off. The proposal would order colleges to assume some of the financial responsibility for the unpaid debt. If it can make it through the Senate, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the proposal could save the government more than $6 billion over the next decade.

• The proposal would categorize a school’s student loan borrowers by program and calculate the unpaid federal loan amounts for each program in a given year, ‘s Cory Turner says. Colleges would then need to reimburse the federal government for a portion of this unpaid debt. Experts tell Turner that colleges need accountability, but a few are worried about the plan, which would require a ton of data.

Climate solutions week

• Your building materials matter. Many residents opt to install tile floors because the floodwaters don’t penetrate the grout.
• Raising your home is expensive, but mandatory if you’re rebuilding in particular flood zones. FEMA requires that homes in flood zones be elevated at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation.
• Consider flood insurance. If you rent in a low-lying area, renters’ insurance is not likely to cover your flooding losses.

Deep dive

• Over 24 universities are affected by the federal government’s cancellation of $11 billion in research funding. Harvard University has sued the administration, alleging that the president’s actions are retaliatory and illegal.
• Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, which is traditionally granted to universities for their educational mission. While the IRS can revoke this status, federal law restricts certain executive branch members from using the IRS to target specific taxpayers for political reasons.
• Some elite institutions have accumulated huge endowments. Harvard’s is the largest at about $50 billion. The newly passed massive House bill proposes increasing the endowment tax based on a graduated rate structure, potentially raising taxes to 21% depending on the endowment size per student.

3 things to know before you go

1. Performers in the SAG-AFTRA union have suspended their nearly year-long strike against major video game companies, which had temporarily disrupted much of the game production process.
2. Brian Wilson, co-founder of the iconic California band The Beach Boys, has died at the age of 82. He helped transform teen pop into a poetic and modernist musical form.
3. In 2019, Darren Wayman was about to become a new father. When his wife, Bonny, went into labor, all his personal fears about whether he would be a good dad surfaced. However, a doctor, who turned out to be his unsung hero, entered the delivery room and said something that changed his perspective on parenthood, offering him the comfort he needed at that moment.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.