Upshot: “Absurd” Alaska exception in bill

Upshot: “Absurd” Alaska exception in bill

View in browser|nytimes.com

The Upshot

July 3, 2025

Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Republicans Want to Cut Food Stamp Errors. Their Bill Could Backfire.

To secure a key vote, an “absurd policy” was created that winds up encouraging states to make more mistakes.

By Emily Badger

Feedback
For suggestions on how we can improve this newsletter, write to theupshotnewsletter@nytimes.com. If you have a compelling data set you’d like us to pursue, send it to dear.upshot@nytimes.com.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

How Every Senator Voted on the G.O.P. Megabill

The Senate voted 51 to 50 to pass President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package.

By Alicia Parlapiano, Ashley Wu, Elena Shao, Christine Zhang, Karen Yourish, Martín González Gómez and Jon Huang

Photo shows where contaminants like lead, cyanide, chloride anions, benzene, char and ash, and suspended particulates, were detected inside one room in the Morrows’ home.

The New York Times

‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.

After the fires clouded neighborhoods in smoke, residents whose homes were spared learned that danger was still lurking in the walls, the furniture and the air. But their insurers have doubts.

By Blacki Migliozzi, Rukmini Callimachi and K.K. Rebecca Lai

The New York Times

What Is Trump’s Net Worth? Here’s What We Know and Can’t Know.

Though some aspects of the president’s net worth are murky, it has unmistakably soared in the early months of his second term.

By Ben Protess, Andrea Fuller and David Yaffe-Bellany

Gilles Sabrié and J. Emilio Flores for The New York Times

There’s a Race to Power the Future. China Is Pulling Away.

Beijing is selling clean energy to the world, Washington is pushing oil and gas. Both are driven by national security.

By David Gelles, Somini Sengupta, Keith Bradsher, Brad Plumer and Harry Stevens

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

How Bees, Beer Cans and Data Solve the Same Packing Problem

Trying to fit it all in? There’s a trick to it, even in 24 dimensions.

By Steven Strogatz and Jens Mortensen

Warner Bros.

The Best Movies of the 21st Century: Readers Choose Their Top Movies

The people have spoken. Here are the movies they voted for.

By The New York Times

Like this email?
Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for The Upshot from The New York Times.

To stop receiving The Upshot, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your Email Privacy Policy Contact Us California Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018