Posted by Matt Kiser
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/07/09/day-1997/
Today in one sentence: Trump, despite the Supreme Court already rejecting his attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order, said he wants the court to reconsider its decision; the family of a Mexican national fatally shot by an ICE agent during a traffic stop in Houston called for an independent investigation into his death; Iran retaliated after the U.S. struck about 90 military targets along Iran’s coast overnight in what Central Command called an effort to “degrade” Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; Graham Platner suspended his Maine Senate campaign after a woman he previously dated accused him of raping her in 2021; former Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty to a felony charge that he damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool; and Trump’s EPA proposed weakening pollution rules for heavy-duty trucks and buses.
1/ Trump, despite the Supreme Court already rejecting his attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order, said he wants the court to reconsider its decision, calling the ruling “absolutely insane” and warning it would “destroy America” if the justices don’t reverse their ruling. The court ruled 6-3 last week that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to nearly all children born in the U.S., invalidating Trump’s order denying automatic citizenship to babies unless at least one parent was a citizen or lawful permanent resident. Rehearings, while technically allowed within 25 days, are almost never granted. The last rehearing was in 1965, and the court has only once reheard a case and reversed itself. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / The Hill)
2/ The family of a Mexican national fatally shot by an ICE agent during a traffic stop in Houston called for an independent investigation into his death. Federal authorities claimed an agent fired in self-defense after 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle” as ICE officers attempted to arrest him. Officials didn’t provide evidence, explain why Araujo was being arrested, or release video of the incident. Araujo was shot in the abdomen, taken to a hospital, and died. His son, Ronaldo Salgado, said he learned of his father’s death from a social media news report, not law enforcement. Araujo’s family said he was in the process of obtaining a work permit. The DHS inspector general, meanwhile, is investigating the incident, while the FBI’s Houston office is investigating what authorities called an assault on a federal officer. (New York Times / ABC News / Axios / USA Today)
3/ Iran retaliated after the U.S. struck about 90 military targets along Iran’s coast overnight in what Central Command called an effort to “degrade” Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it fired missiles and drones at U.S. military sites in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan, but the attacks appeared to be mostly intercepted and there were no reported U.S. casualties or major damage to U.S. facilities. Trump, meanwhile, called the overnight strikes “retribution” and warned that if Iran attacked ships again, “it will get much worse.” (New York Times / NBC News / Bloomberg / Reuters / CNBC / CBS News / ABC News / CNN)
- The Secret Service urged Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One instead of his new, retrofitted Qatari-gifted jet as a security precaution after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran. Trump, however, denied that security concerns drove the switch, claiming the new jet was sent ahead to a U.S. air base in England so troops could tour it. (CNN / Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News)
4/ Graham Platner suspended his Maine Senate campaign after a woman he previously dated accused him of raping her in 2021. State officials, however, said he hasn’t formally withdrawn, yet. Platner has until 5 p.m. Monday to file the signed paperwork that would let Democrats replace him. Meanwhile, Platner has denied “any accusation of nonconsensual behavior” as “categorically false,” saying he’s stepping aside not because of the allegation but because party leaders were taking away “the things that we need to run a campaign,” like money and voter data. The Maine Democratic Party said it’ll hold a nominating convention if a vacancy is created and has until July 27 to name a replacement against Susan Collins in one of Democrats’ few chances to flip a Republican-held Senate seat. (NBC News / Axios / CNN / New York Times / Associated Press / Washington Post / The Guardian)
5/ Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty to a felony charge that he damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Federal prosecutors accused Hearn of ripping up the recently installed sealant and causing more than $1,000 in damage. Hearn faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The case comes after Trump’s $14 million-plus renovation of the pool quickly ran into algae, peeling coating, and water-quality problems, which Trump has blamed on vandals without providing evidence. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Hearn’s alleged conduct was “a deliberate act,” while Hearn’s lawyers called the evidence “weak” and accused the administration of using him as a “scapegoat” for the failed renovation. (Associated Press / The Hill / CNN / NPR)
6/ Trump’s EPA proposed weakening pollution rules for heavy-duty trucks and buses by delaying warranty and useful-life requirements for emissions-control systems and eliminating a mandate that engines automatically lose power when those systems stop working. The EPA said the changes would “ease real burdens for operators” by saving $4,130 to $6,152 per affected diesel engine, despite its own analysis finding the rollback would increase ozone-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from heavy-duty trucks by 4.2% in 2030 and 11.6% by 2055. The agency, however, didn’t model the effect on air quality or human health. (NPR)
The 2026 midterms are in 117 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 852 days.
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